Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-29
VOYAGE.
Two Years solitary Sailing
Among the Malay Islands.
San Fraaci.cO CAronlclo,

The little schooner Pearl, Captain
lC r. kustell, whose arrival was noted
in yesterdays Chronicle, attracted
considerable attention yesterday as
she lay at her mOorings at Harrison
street wharf Her weather-worn APP
pearaneA hleached sails, her queer
black RIGGING Of twisted grass, with
her crew OF Malays, excited the curl.
oSiW Of almost every passing pedes-
TRAN, The voyage OF this little craft,
which. in size, resembles one Of the
small coasters or pleasure yachts in the
AAy, is one OF the most remarkable on
record The Pearl sailed from this
port on April - 1880, on a trading
expedition t. the Marshall Islands,
which are situated in the South Paci-
Sc about 1000 miles southwest of San
Francisco When the Pearl left this
nr, her crew consisted of one man
besides the captain. A safe voyage
vas made to the Gilbert group of
islands and here the white sailor left
the schooner. aud Captain Kustell was
OBLIGED to substitute a native. 1t
became necessary for Kustell to learn
the language ct the Gilbert Islander,
After cruising in and about the
Navigator Islands some months the
Pearl made her way to the Caroline
archipelasO. where some trading was
done with the natives for pearls and
pearl shells Then, Steaming north.
weStwar6ly toward the coast of China,
the Pearl touched at the Pellew
Islands and finally reached the Island
at Sangri, about midway between the
Philippine and MalaccA groups.
There Captain Kustell made a station
or base Of supplies, while he traded
along the coast Of New Guinea, Cele-
bes aud BOrneo. BE spent about one
year trading trinkets, cloth and other
merchandise for gold, spices, pearls,
shells, tortoise shells, etc. He says
that he was frequently Obliged to
change his crew, as he would leave
one group Of islands to sail elsewhere.
As the inhabitants of the different
groups Of islands had separate add
distinct languages, he was compelled
10 learn a new tongue with each sue
cessive new crew. He speaks four
different insular languages. While
trading along the coast of BorneO for
rubber, the Pearl narrowly escaped
capture by three pirate boats, which
gave chase through the SOOlop group
Of islands. Had the Pearl been over
taken Captain Kustell would have
met a speedy death, as the Malays
take 10 prisoners. While lying at
anchor among the Tawi Islands the
schooner was overhauled by a Spanish
man-ot-war, the Captain of which
notified Captain Kustell that the
Celebes Sea was srarming with Malay
pirates, and wondered at the escape
Of the little American vessel.
After a s%ojourn of nearly a year and
a halt in the East India Islands, two
years from the time he set sail from
San Francisco, Captain Kustell turned
the prov Of his little vessel eastward
on his lonely return voyage Of nearly
10000 miles. He shipped a crew Of
four Malay Islanders, stopped at Cal.
vert Island and took a cargo Of dried
~c0coanuts or copra as ballast, and, af-
ter a voyage of ITO days from the Cele-
bes. sailed safely into the Golden
Gate. Captain Kustell tells some
strange stories Of the islands. The
most remarkable is relative to the
Marshall Islands. These are situated
between three degrees and twelve de.
grees north latitude, and 164 degrees
and l73 degrees east latitude. They
are allow group of coral %islets, desti-
tute of all trees except bread-fruit.
Yet the natives have large canoes, 80.
or 40 feet in length, made of Califor-
mia redwood. Captain Kustell says he
saw redwood logs drifted on the shores
and in one place railroad ties, one OF
them with the brand |. e. White, Ma
varre river. The problem to be solved,
is does this driitwood float 1000 mile,
across the Pacific ocean and End its
way to these islands in O~ceanical On
the return trip the Pearl saw six yes
sells, all English, and spoke with one,
the English ship Rock Terrace, Cd
June 10. Captain Kustell says he
suffered from nothing so much as be
did from the monOtony of bis sur
roundiDgs. Ho was virtually alone
during his entire trip Of two years and
three months, having no other CON
p%anions than the Malays and Kanakss
be shipped at the different islands
Fhe voyage is Q remarkable one, asthe
Pearl is the smallest boat that ever
crossed the South Pacific and explored
tho poivneaian Arohinelaeo