The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-07-03

cd in that of the Chinchas. This natural process
: of deodorization, however, but slightly affects tn,
: fertIlizing properties of the gnano.
Estimates of the amount of guano on Baker,
Island differ. The highest is over 1000 900 tom
the lowest about $50 900 tons, and this is prob
ably 4 more correct estimate than the larger one
But the American Guano Company, who still ac
lively work this mine of wealth, shipping from q
hundred to one hundred and fifty tons daily dur.
ing about seven months of the year, are fast
reducing It's amount.
LOADING UP.
The method of transferring this animal wealth
from Its native bed to the hold of the ship is as
follows: \ railway track is laid from the shore
inland to some rich field. Here the guano is
shoyeled into stout canvas bags, which are then
drawn on cars by mules or by the kanakas TO the
landing-p place ut the shore. In its transit over the
track the car passes over one of Fairbanks scales,
and Its weight is accurately ascertained-
At the beach, each guano bag, weighing about
n hundred pounds, is placed ON the back of an
athletic kanaka, who bears il to a whale boat,
which is drawn up sufficiently far upon the beach
to escape the power of the surf. In smooth
weather each boat will carry about n ton, but
when the day is rough the load has Ia be reduced.
While the boat is loading the crew stand up to
their waists in the water, holding It's head directly
toward the surf, which beats furiously upon the
beach, and would otherwise strike the side of the
boat and swamp it. When all is ready the boat
steerer gives the order each man gives the boats
powerful shove. jumps in, seizes his oar. throws it
into Its r~ow-lock, and 40 gives-way'' with all his
might. The deeply-laden craft, sunk in the
water almost to its gunwales, cuts through the
breaking surf which threatens to swamp it, and,
to the wonder of the spectator, escapes into the
open sea. Arrived Mt the ship, each bag is hoist
cd by appropriate tackling over the side Of the
vessel and emptied into the hold.
These patient, hardy, dark-skinned kanakas
who dig and handle the guano, and ply the toll
some oar through boiling surf from sunrise TO
sunset, under the glare OF an equatorial sun, are
natives Of the Hawaiian Islands, and are n re-
markable race of people. Even such of them as
come to the island the wasted victims of disease, |
soon deyelopc, under the influence of system and
regularity in food, sleep and labor, into splendid
specimens of muscular energy. Their skin takes
ON u darker hue and rs they strip for n swim in
the ocean, or for q ride on the foaming crest of
the breakers, you would think you were gazing
OH a band of tawny gladiators. They live in
tents or cabins ON the island, and are supplied
each day with an abundant ration of meat, an ar
ticle of Hawaiian food called poi, which il an
excellent anti-scorputic, and n gallon of fresh
water-for there are no springs of water on the
island, and, rs in Venice, drinking-water is i'm
ported in casks. They are also allowed hard
bread and molasses, and occasionally a plug Of to-
bacco, their choicest luxury. In addition to this,
they have the opportunity of replenishing their
larder with fresh eggs and succulent young birds
"A luxurious diet.
SHARKS AND CANNIBAIS.
On Sunday, no necessary work is done on the
island, for the natives have been taught to observe
the day. They are, however, allowed to take a
boat and 90 a fishing to the shoals upon tine north
side of the island, where fish are generally to be
obtained in large quantities. Frequently a boat
will return, after four or five hours, laden with |
fish of remarkable size and beauty, some of them
weighing fifty or sixty pounds apiece. These fish
are all taken with the hook. The bait used is the |
flesh of the birds Of the island -
The color of one variety of these is as bright
and beautiful n red as that Of a goldfish. But it
is n greater treat to watch them swimming in |
their natural element, over beds of snow-white G
coral, than to eat them, as their esculent quail {
do not fulfill the promise Of their beauty. C
Like songless birds of gaudy plumage, they satisfy I
no sense but that of sight. L
The ocean in this latitude is the haunt ola race O
of murderons sharks, which swarm about q ship i
greedy and persistent devotion. These
are, by hereditary proclivity, man-eaters il
md the white man who comes within their reach n
~ snapped at in an instant by a score of ravenous
But, strange to say, q dark-skinned d
will swim about in their midst and OF
arely be molested. have seen a native of the O;
Islands fearlessly jump from the bow of
ship into the midst of u "school'' of these fell OF
ows, swim, with the end of a line in his mouth, NJ
o one of the bouys, and return to the vessel un- o,
INJURED. of
Whether there is 4 sort of Freemasonry between of
sUdIh5 lit Tie kuUikus, OF W0clneT the tastes IN
l the shark are TOO fastldlouF, and not sufficiently tin
lnnibal to relish kanaka flesh, has not been ST
explained. But the shark and the -
inaka are on the friendliest terms imaginable.
The fying-fsh abounds in these waters.
hen pursued by the dolphin, their foe, whole
hools of them may frequently be seen to leap
1t Of the water and fly for several hundred
lrds, skimming along quite near the surface, alb
I'd now and then gaining new velocity by strik- Sp
g the crest of a wave with their long, ray-like, an
IS. But this beautiful fish has enemies in the '
r as well as in the sea, and frequently it's aerial Ne
ght is cut short by some fleet sea-bird that is wi
or on the alert to seize its prey. pal
THE FEATuERED INHABITANTS. Tho
Among the chief objects of interest on Bakers as
and to n visitor are the birds and they are
worthy of study. The sea-fowl are at all
mes 4 noisy set, but ut night, while the older We
es are engaged in the quarrels of love-rnaking, Ca
1 the young are complaining over their scanty tina
ions, the Babel of their chattering is destruc- boz
g 10 the sleep Of one unused to such distur- STR
nee. erla
During the first night of nv STAY on this for hei
spot, it seemed at times as if the house were one
ieged by innumerable tom-cats; then the tu- to I
lt rcsembled the suppressed bleating of goats. OF
1 L heard noises as of bats grinding their teeth tim
rage again it was the querulous cooling of Owl
and soon the chorus vas strengthened by SOU
earthly screams, as of ghouls and demons in intr
rial agony But on going forth into the dark abo
to learn the cause of this Internal serenade. the
apparently calm and serene. and tbe ra' the
Mt constellation of the Southern Cross. with rion
neighboring clouds of Magellan, looked me far
cefnlly in the face, while, from another quar- the
of the heavens, the Pleiades shed their Sc sweet and
uence ~ over the scene. sane
he most quiet time of night with the birds is her
ut daybreak, when they seem to subside into they
,t-naps, preparatory to the labors of the dav thirt
~ day many of the birds range on tireless and
e, over leagues of ocean, in quest of fish. has
still the number of those that remain about grow
island is so great as to defy computation. and cabb
ou pass through their haunts. in some places of t.
rise in such clouds as actually to darken the and
above you. bear
he eggs of some of the birds are of fine oual;- Her
and are much esteemed by the Americans 90 her
as the Hawaiians on the island. Those of q richl
called the nu-e-ko are the most valued This sturd
G is an Initiative word, derived from the cry Let u
rs restless creature, and is applied to it BY Or
Hawanans, who have quick intuitions in fair a