The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-06-07
THE GUAN0 ISLANDS.
oblerrs orInrere-r seen b, Traveller.

objects Of Interest seen hs Traveller.
A recent writer from Bakers island,
ia the South Pacific, of the coast Ot
Peru about =, 800 miles, gives nn inter
cstlng account 81 life on that little patch
of tara Hrmd which carries upon ith
bosom nearly "A million tons Of guano.
He mentions that fish Of remarkable
size and beauty, weighing from fifty %
sixty pounds. are abundant, and are easily
taken with "a hook Sharks abound also
-murierous sharks, who swarm about
the ship with greedy and persistent de-
y0tion. These sharks are, by hereditary
procliyity, man eaters and the white
man who comes within their reach is
snapped at IN an instant by "a score Ot
rayenous mouths. But, strange 10 say,
"a dark-skinued Polynesian will swim
about IN their midst and rarely be mo-
Tested. He has seen native Of the
Hawaiian islands fearlessly jump from
the bow Of ship into the midst Of "a
" school If these fellows, swim, with
the end Of a line in his mouth, 10 one Of
the buoys, and return 30 the vessel un-
injured. Whistler there is sort Of
Freemasoury between the sharks and
the kunAkas, or whether the tastes Of
the shark are too fastidious, and not suf-
iiciently cannibal 10 relish caunibal flesh,
has not been satisfactorily explained.
But the shark and thc kauakA are on the
iriendhest terms imaginable.
The hying fish abUunds in these
waters. When pursued 10y the dolphin,
their foe. whole schools Of them may be
seen b. leap ont uf the water and fly for
several hundred yards, skimmlng along
quite near the surface. and now and then
ginning new velocity by striking the
crest Of wave with their long, ray-hke,
pectoml fins. But this beautiful fish
has enemies in the air as well as in the
sea, and frequently Its mriai fight Is cut
short 10y some fleet sea bird that is ever
on the alert to seize its prey.
Among the chief objects uf interest on
the island 10 "A visitor are the birds, and
they are well worthy Of "a study. The
sea fowl are az all times "a noisy set, but
al night, while the older ones are en-
gHged in the quarrels Of love making
and the young are complaining over their
scauty rltiOns, the Babel Of their chat
teriug Is destructive 30 the sleep Of one
unused 10 such disturbance.
Ia regard 81 moral character, the birds
may be divided into two clAsses-those
which make an honest living, and those
which are robbers. The gannet stands
al the head Of the respectable birds, and
is a thrifty and honest citizen Of the air.
The representative of the thieyish class
Is the frigate pelican, or man-of-WAr
hawk. This bird has n dense plumAge
Of gloomy black, light, wiry body that
seems made for fieetness, and wings Of
even greater spread than the gannet's.
It's tail is deeply forked, its bill is long,
sharp. aud yiciously hooked. Audubon
regards the frigate bird as superior per-
haps IN power Of flight 10 any other. II
never dives into the ocean after fish, but
Will sometimes catch them while they
are leaping ont 81 the water 90 escape
pursuit. Il is often content b glut itself
on the dead fish that float on the water,
but il depends mostly for subsistence
upon robhinR other birds IL is inter
csting 20 watch them thus occupied
As evening comes on these pirates may
be seen lying in wait about the island
for the return Of the heaylly-laden fish
ing birds The smaller ones they easily
uycrial.c and compel them 20 disgorge
their spuils. but 20 wAylay and levy
blackmail upon those powerful galleons,
the gauncts. j. an achievement requiring
strategy and address. As the richly
laden ganuet approaches the coast Of his
island home. he lifts himself 10 a great
height. and steadily oars himself along
with his mighty piniuns until he sees hls
native sands extending IN dazzling
whitencss below. Now sloping down
ward IN his hight, lac dcscends with in
credible velocity. In n moment more
he Will he safe with his afectionate
mate, who is awaiting his return 10 the
nest.
But al this time be is watched blythe
keen eve Of the mau-of-war hawk, who
has stationed himself so as 10 intercept
the ganuct IN his swift course. With the
quickness uf thorght the hav ks darts
upon him: and, not daring 90 attack
boldly in front. he plucks him by the tail,
and threatens 20 upset him, or he Foizes
him at the back uf his neck and lashes
him with his long wings. When the
poor gannet, who cannot maneuyre SO
quickly as his opponent. finds himself
pursued. he tries 30 buy his ransom by
surrendcring a portion Of his fishy cargo,
which the hawk. swoopiug down, catches
before il has had time % reach the earth.
II there is but one hawk, this may be
sufficient toll: but If the unvieldly gan
net is set upon by "a number Of these
pirates, he utters n cry Of real terror and
woe: and. rushing through the air with
a sound like that Of rocket in his rapid
descent. he seeks 70 alight on the near
est point of land, well knowing that
when once he has a footing on terra
frud, not even the man-of-war hawk
dare come near him