The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-06-11
REPORT
REPORT
or the Exploring Voyage Of the Schooner
"ManuOkawai,' Capt. Patty.

The schooner .Mdnuokawai has visited Kauai,
Nihoa or Bird Island, Necker Island, Gardner's
Island, Laysan's Island, Liscanskey's Island, and
Pearl and Kerra's Reef or Group. Also run over the
location according to Blunt's charts,) of Polland's
Island, Neva Island, Bunker's Island, Massachusetts,
Island, and passed near Philadelphia Island, without
seeing the appearance of land. They do not exist, or
their location on the chart is erroneous.
NIHoA OR BIRD IsLAND-is n. W. by W. 4 W.
244 miles from Honolulu. This is a precipitous rock
400 feet high, Ii miles long, and about ] a mile wide;
the north side is nearly perpendicular; on the south
side is q small space ofsandy beach, where boats may
land in smooth weather.; although I think it seldom
q boat can land there with safety. Near the beach is
8 small drain of fresh water. About o dozen Of seal
were on the beach, and birds were plentiful about
the Island. There is anchorage from / to 2 miles off
the south side, in from 7 to II fathoms of water on
sand. Plenty Of sharks about the anchorage.
NECKER IsLAND-W. by n. : N. from Honolulu
403 miles, is also o precipitous rock, 800 feet high,
/ mile long and J a mile broad, with small patches Of
coarse grass on its surface. I could not see any land
ing place for boats, as the surf broke high all around
it. A bank of sand and rocks make off to the south
and west, L should say 6 or 8 miles or more. I had
Is fathoms water 2 miles off, the island bearing n. E.
GARDENERS IsLAND-W. N. W. from Honolulu COZ
I1lleS' AHi3 Il AlS1SiJ AldCCSSSIOAO 1OChSs AOO ASCC
high, extending North and South, about one-si1th of
a mile. A bank extends off to the south and west
some Is OF 20 miles; the bottom seemed to be detached
rocks, with sandy spaces between. L had IL fathoms
of water 10 miles south of the Island. I think fish
are plentiful on this bank.
LAYsAN IsLAND-W. by N. : n. from Honolulu 809
miles. This is q low sand island, rs to 80 feet high;
3 miles long and II broad. The surface is covered
with beach grass; half a dozen small palm trees were
seen. 1t has q lagoon In the center, l mile long and
J a mile wide, of salt water, and not a 100 yards
from the salt, abundance of tolerable good fresh
water can be had by digging 2 feet, and near the
lagoon was found a deposite of guano. The Island is
literally covered with birds; there is, at a low
estimate, 800, 900. Seal, turtle and fish were nu-
merous on the beach, and might be easily taken.
These animals were evidently unaccustomed to the
sight of man, as the seal and turtle would scarcely
move at our approach, and the birds were SO tame
and plentiful, that it was difficult to travel without
stepping upon them. The gulls lay enormou large
eggs, Of which l have a specimen. A bank of rocks
and sand extends off to the south and west 6 or 6
miles or more. Good anchorage can be found on the
western side of the island from 4 to 20 fathoms, By
selecting a sandy spot to anchor upon, from ] to {
miles from the beach. The best landing is about one
third Of the distance from the northern to the southern
POlAG VA Ab0 AOA1A0P uAASAS NANAS . " WI GAASoI11 0luN
beach.
LIsCANsKEY's IsLAND-W. by N. 8 n. from Homo
lulu, 922 miles. This is a low sand island, elevatec
from 20 to 40 feet above the sea; it is Of a ~triangula
form, II miles long, and the northern part one mil
wide. The surface is covered &C almost with greer
grass. There is what has been a lagoon near tn
southern part of the island, in the center of which
fresh water was found by digging five feet. Birds
fish, seal and turtle abound here, but not so plenti
fully as at Laysan Island. The island is surrounde
with detached rocks; and from the E. S. E. to S.
make off as far as the eye can reach. Good anchor
age will be found by getting the south point of tn
island bearing E. ] s., and steering or working fo
it; in doing this you will pass between two larg
. breakers, bearing north and south of each Other
about : of a mile apart and two miles from the land
after getting inside of the breakers, you can ancho
in from four to eight fathoms, on sandy spots, j to l
miles from the beach. Your anchors should be ful
= nished with good buoy ropes; and, if necessary, yo
can anchor outside of the reef
On the island l found the remains of three cask
{ a spar, which had been used az a lookout staff, a fe
g pieces of timber. and part of an old cook-house
n galley, on which was carved Holder Borden ar
several other names.
n By a statement In the Friend of November, 1S4
l supposed the Holder Borden was wrecked on
island about one degree west of this, and by putin
= confidence in Capt. Pell's correctness, as to locality
lost three days of time in looking after it. 1 CT
safely say that Pell's Island does not exist in til