The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-06-01

On the md Of October, 1880, the Morning. Stnr
had finished her work IN the Gilbert Islands, and
turned her head westward toward Kusaie, OF
J Strong's Island. Owing TO unusual Gains and
battling currents, she had spent seventy FIVE days
among the Gilbert Islands. sailing and drifting
during that time 2S6s miles and doing PA miles
Of boating Says Capt. Bray N his report, q" The
number Of miles necessary to sail with favorable
winds to do all the work we have done. or that a
steamer would sail TO do 1t, would be eQT miles.
steamer would easily have steamed it in three
DAYS against any current We had. Giving stearaer
three days ct sea. and tventy-six DAYS we were at
anchor at all the different stations would make
only twenty mine days that it would take
steamer TO do all the work we did in seventy-fivs
days . . Although we often wet the wood
/ work both outside and in, the hot sun had dried
and cracked open the seams Of the deck until we
were obliged to move cur seats from place to place
10 escape the water that came through the deck
into the cabin during shower or the washing of
decks while we watched a good substantial suit
of sails that five hundred dollars viii not make as
good as before. worn threadbare by the constant
slapping against the mastsn Altogether, in that
group, the star had encountered SIS miles of ad-
verse currents and 426 hours Of dead calm. 1t is
these Gains and currents that render the naviga-
ton among those islands peculiarly trying and
often hazardous 10 sailing vessels On one occa-
sion, Capt BRAY says: The current. from our
anchorage at the north end Of Tarawa, appeared
as visible and to run as swiftly between Tarawa
and Apaiang as have often seen the Mississippi
river run while standing upon its bank
The island Of Kusaie (Strong's Island toward
which the N0,g,iag star now directed her way, IS
about ten degrees west Of Apaiarg and three
degrees further north than the latter. 1t is
bright, green little island. Of some considerable
height with forests covering its Sides and little
streams running down to the sea. 1t is one of the
three high islands in all Micronesia. east Of Ruk.
This was the scene Of the former successful labors
Of the veteran missionary Snow. who has gone to
his rest. singular feature Of this island is the
fact that Its inhabitants possess a language ex-
clusiyely their own, and have little affinity with
any Of the other islands Of that part Of the ocean
Usually. distinct dialect or language will be
found running throughout the numerous islands
Of group more OF less extended. But the hussi-
en- language stands by ITSELF distinct from an the
others. and confined 70 that one island. Rev.
Messrs. l. Nh Pease and j. NJ. Whitney with their
wives are at present located on this island having
the supervision of the work throughout the Mar
shah Islands. We quote from Capt. Bray-s re-
port, With resttul feeling we turned our bow
10 the west. feeling that for few DAYS az eas. We
should not be bafied by currents. The Gains
continued and with sails furled as if at anchor We
silently drfted 10 the west at the rate of thirty
miles DAY, reaching husale October 10th. four
teen days from Apaiang. The sun came down as
If determined TO burn all hands up The brain
felt as If twenty pound weight was pressing up
on It The limbs and body were weary. and the
weather unfit for man TO work in We
arrived of the station at kusaie Just at dark and
took the letters and my family and went shore,
leaving the mate 70 beat up to the harbOr during
the night We found that DR.. Pease and Alr.
NHH HHnaHr= bad
failing 70 reach the vessel they returned at II Pm
and sat up talking with Us tn past midnight. A
great change had taken place at this station.
livery thing was settled and in working order,
showing plainly what busy year had been passed.
The growth of plants. vegetables and trees in a
few months was astonishing. Trees planted only
sl1 months ago were already above our heads
The scholars were all living comfortably in houses
of their own, and contsntment and happiness were
visible N their faces - They all greet US IN
good English, and in all the future we had no diff
Guilty II our English communications" ''Alr
Whitney and family found ready to return
home after he and Dr. Pease had visited the Mar
shall Islands with Us. They were nearly out of
every kind Of fresh provisions and anxiously
looking for our arrival. On the 10th we entered
the harbor. placed the uooTing anchors "a gift
from A. f. Cooke Of Honolulu we brought for
that purpose, upon the reef on either side Of the
harbOr and made fast TO them. This little harbor
Is now the most comfortable and secure of any IN
all Micronesia We remained at husale this time
from October 18th till the 22nd. Landed goods
for the missionaries, filed up with water, took in
wood. bought provisions, took soil for Apaiang via
Honolulu, and improved good opportunity Of
sending the Honape mail on TO our friends by the
schooner PaHH0Hfa, enabling them to receive il
two months or more earlier than they otherwise
would
On the 22nd Of October. the Star set out for the
Marshall Islands. hETlng on board DR.. Pease and
Mr. Whitney. with about thirty natives returning
TO their homes. The ladies and children all re-
msIned at kusaie. The island of Ebon, about
80 miles south Of east from kusaie, was reached
on the 3rd Of November Here the returning
scholars were landed amid enthusiastic greetings
from their friends, and services were held or the
sabbath On the 9th, the Star left Ebon Boston
Island for Maloelap calvert island, about 2J0s
miles distant IN direction west of north arriving
there on the 18th. and experiencing on the way |
severe gale with very high sea, IN which = the |
mainsa, two topsails, two staysalls, foresail and
gsf -tOpsaIl blew TO pieces that they were
obliged to bend new sails in the gale to manage
the vessel with At MalOelap, Leiillian, the |
teacher lett there last year. was doing well. and
RaiiOk, Dr.. Pease's assistant translator from !
Ebon, was ordained pastor for this island. Leav-
ing Maloelap for Mejur0 (ArrOvsmith's Islandl |
about - miles to the south, they arrived there the
next morning. On this island are stationed the /
Hawaiian missionaries, Mr.. kekueSa aud wife. |
We quote passage Of interest here from the /
Captains report. as it shows what variety of
severe experiences are met with IN the work Of the
Took DR.. Pease and Mr.. Whitney and vent
the boat. where we found kekueEa and wife and
both children we'll David, their boy, had been 4
born since we were there last year.
- We took their orders and started back to the I
ship az 5 7. NJ against a strong head wind At
dark We stopped at an islet to lunch. and prayed I
with the natives and then continued to sail, beat
and pull until midnight, when we succeeded IN 4
getting under the lee OF little islet and anchored
the boat, as II too thick and squally to think
of reaching the vessel The rain poured in tor 4
rents. The lightning was very sharp and the thun- 4
der heavy. We covered the boat with the sail and 1
succeeded IN being very uncomfortable Al last 1
We landed the islet and settled down under the
trees for nap. This plan We soon gave up, how /
ever. as the rats crabs, and mosquitoes were too 4
plenty ana familiar. On the morning Of the 10Th 4
reefed the boat-sail and started to beat TO the
ship, where We arrived al A n. We found they 1
had been having hard times on board also. The Il
heavy squalls dragged tie anchor. and the mate 4
let the second one drop At II o'clock the night 1
prCvIo1s the cable 10 the sJarboard anchor parted
and the anchor with ten fathoms Of cable was lost
All hands had been at work through the night get
ting the large spare anchor out of the hold to bend
and drop. We found the vessel with two anchors I
down and one lost, rolling IN a heavy swell with |
huge breakers threading to founder her because 4
We had no steam to avoid the danger. The whale
boat was stove against the vessel and Ii vas with
the greatest difficulty and danger got on board
II took all the forenoon to get up anchor and IN
der way. after the most diSasreeable and dan 4
ceruus experience IN all Alicrouesia-1 From /
Meiaro the vessel proceeded 10 Arno Daniels 4
Islandl about twenty-five miles TO the east, where
they arrived Just before dark the next day, Novem-
Der 2lst. but the heavy weather continuing, they 1