Polynesian., 1860-11-17
Ghe polpnesim.
LECT URES ON MICRONESIA, A,
REV. L. III. GULICK, NJ. ID.
LECTURE /.
THE LADRONE AND CAROLINE ISLANDS.

| THE LADRoNE AND CAROLINE ISLANDS
Micronesia is portion of that part of the world 5
surface which was first called the Third World and
which IS now generally known as 0ceanicl.
In the progress of geographical and ethnnlegical
knowledge Oceanca has been divided into FIVE districts
Polynesia TO the East, comprehending the Sandwich
Marquesas, Society, Hervey, Friendly New Zealand
and Samoan Groups; MeidheSa to the South including
the Fijl, New Hebrides and Solomon Archipelagoes
with New Guinea, inhabited the name indicates BIZ
black races australasia to the South of Melanes;a
including New Holland Australia) and its dependen-
cies then to the West MaLaisja, inhabited principally
by the Malay races, which embraces the East Indian
Islands and finally, and centrally Micronesia ftIy
termed, for it is the region of null islands.
Micronesia extends from long. $50 to $50 Z. from
Greenwich and from lat S. to u or % NJ except
ing only the S. w. corner of the paraeogram trench
ed upon by the Melanesan Islands
Four large archpelagoes embrace nearly every island
OF Micronesia In the South East of the Micro
nesan paralleOgram lies chain of fifteen low atolIs
extending through degrees of latitude both north
and south of the Equator and called the Gilbert (m-
properly KingsmilD Islands, This group sustains
population speaking one language and numbering be-
tween forty and fifty thousand.
little the northwest of the Gilbert Islands lie the
thirty atos Of the Marshall Archipelago extending
far north as latitude l2 They lie in two chains of
fifteen atos each running in northwest and southeast
direction, the eastern chain being the Ratak and the
western the Ralik Islands, The Ratak and Ralik is
landers speak nearly the same language and number
together perhaps 10000.
The Caroline Islands stretch from long 13O E. to
l65 E., the greater number of them being formed be-
tween the parallels and 9 n There are f,rty-eieht
islands of this archipelago. fortythree of which are
low. coraline, and FIVE basac, with large coral
element about them. This range of islands sustains
perhaps $4,000 people Many different dialects are
spoken on its widely separated islands, though they
are evidently dialects of the mother tongue and
strongly led to the Marshall Islands dialect, and
even to the language spoken the Gilbert Islands.
The Ladrone Islands all basaltc about sixteen in
number, and some of them very small. Tne chain
runs nearly north and south, between the meridians
145 and 147 Z, and from lat. ii to 81 n The most
southern island also the largest and the best KNOWN
is Guam probably more properly called Guahan. Guam
and Seypan are at present the only inhabited Islands of
the group, numbering perhaps four thousand souls,
who are however the descendants of Spanish and Phil
ippme Islands ancestry mingled with native blood.
TIE LADRONE ISLANDS.
This group the earliest discovery of the civilized
world in Micronesia, and indeed in the Pacific Ocean
Magalhaens (Magelan) upon the islands of Zn-
ian and Scypan March 6, 1921 on the first voyage
aceross the Pacific from Mexico His crew spoke of
the discovery the islands of the Lanteen sail" it
having been the first view they had of this triangular
sail so universal through Micronesia and all Polynesia
Magahaens named the people '' Ladrones'' robbers
from their hievish prOpensities though these no
greater than most islands, and the Roman misSiona
ry, lie Goben, informs that they abhorred theving
The same credible historian of these islands informs
that they did not know what fire was
They are reported having been very numerous
when discovered. The figures vary greatly from 73 900
to 3OOOOO Here were first seen those gigantic proas,
that then, now III the Marshall and western Caro-
line Islands, made marvellous voyages, sailing with
great rapdty and very close to the wind Their houses
were large and high, divided into apartments % the
whole raised story from the earth and supported upon
pillars of stone. Besides these dwelling houses they
had others for their canoes built likewise on large pill
lars of stone of which capable of holding four
of the largest This account is fully confirmed
bv the massive and almost colossal remains Of buildings
which have been formed in the islands of Tinan and
al Prichard's Researches
The people were mild, mercurial, licentous. They
preserved and adored the bones of their ancestors
many Mcronesian people do to this day, while all of
them worship the spirits of their ancestors The his
tOrians speak of three castles among them the nobes
the half nobles of the nobles and the pebans
and these classes to this day preserved throughout
the greater number of the Marshall and Caroline Is
lands.
The descriptions given of their physical appearance
shows them allied Micronesians of the present day,
particularly to the Caroline islanders No accessible
portions of their language have been published, but
is said to have had many relations to the Tagaa dialect
of the Philippine Islands, to which all the Micronesian
and POlynesan dialects have palpabe correspondence
These islands produced originally it is said, rice,
maize cocOanut, areca nut the cyca, dOg1Og, Tima,
and since then the orange, cron, mango, guava and
grape have been introduced, together with the stag,
hog goat horse, ass. and cats, and dogs, and fowls
The Ladrone Islands were frequently touched at by
the Spanish Navgators as they crossed the Pacific in
the N. f. trade wind zone from New Spain, as it was
then called, Mexico, to their possessions in the East
Indies. In 1864 Legapi formally proclaimed posses
sion on behalf of Spain, though active steps were
taken towards rendering it effective till more than
century later
in 1868 two independent movements made to-
ward evangezng the islanders Of the Pacific priest,
named Jean Paumier, in that year published :" Memo
relative to the establishment of Christian mission
in the Third World, otherwise called the South Land
lie himself descendant Of native. probably of
Madagascar, named Essemoric, who in 1904 taken
to France, and there married into the family of De
Bonneville, the commander of the expedition. In the
year Diego Luis de Sanvitores addressed Philip
" of Spain regarding the specific idea of mis-
sion to the Ladrones, concerning whom his mind was
excited by having touched there in 1862. Philip ".
favored the proposition, and his death in 1865 his
widow, Maria Anna of Austria, carried it into effect,
and consequently the group called the Marian Is
lands.
In June, 1868, Sanvitores, with FIVE other fathers
and several lay assistants arrived at Guaham from the
Philippines by the way of New Spain. They were
ceiyed with great friendship by the natives. The next
year $4,000 islanders we're reported as baptised The
year Jealous lay convert from Maabar, who had
been wrecked there in 1885, killed by the natives,
showing the rapid rise of their anmOstes LIE Gobien,
the historian of the mission, whose history brought
down to l695, reports many miraculous occurrences
connected particularly with Sanvitores. They were
not, however, sufficient to subdue the natives rising
fear Of being dispossesed of their homes and Of the
faith of their fathers In 1870 Sanvitores obliged
to resort the force Of arms in propagang the faith
on some of the Northern Islands The year Fa-
ther Medina killed, for forciby stealthily bap
Using infants Seypan, riot broke out Guaham,
and many were killed. Two forts were built, and it
appears there thirty two troops TO defend them.
War ragged forty days, and peace was made on eond-
ton that the natives to Sunday services, observe