Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-04-14
THE GILBERT ISLANDERS.
A s"ecimot account of their Wandering

On the nth of March there arrived at Hon
olulu on the Sues, from San Francisco party
of five South Sea Islanders, natives Of Apema-
ma, one of the Gilbert Islands. The party
consisted of an elderly man and his wife and
three young men. The story of their wander
ings during the last five months is one OF so
much interest that the request has been made
for fuller account of it than has yet appeared.
In 1873, during visit of the Morning Star
at Apemama, perm ssion was obtained from
the authorities to land teacher on that Island,
from which for about twenty years foreigners
had been excluded A Gilbert Islander named
Moses Kanoaro, a native of Butaritari was soon
after stationed there, and he has been blessed
with large measure Of success. Quite recently
another Gilbert Island catechist, John Teraoi
by name, has been laborng with him. They
regard King Binoka as sincere convert to
Christianity This King rules over the three
islands of Apemama, Arameka and Kusia,
the central cluster of the Gilbert group, and
lying almost on the equator.
| Sometime during the summer OF 1882, King
Binoka set out from kusia in a whale boat on
an evangelistic excursion to his neighbors on
Maiana the next island in the Gilbert group,
north of Kusia and distant about so miles from
il. This he reached in safety although the coral
island can only be seen 10 miles from boat.
lie also touched at Tarawa, 20 miles north OF
Aiaiana, and in due time returned to his own
islands. He might have made this excursion
in one of his three schooners had he chosen to
do so, but he preferred to navigate his own
boat personally.
| After his return he received word that ma
| tive of Maiana who was acting as trader for
him on that island, purchasing the dried cocoa
nut with goods landed from one Of the Kings
schooners, had fraudulently disposed Of the
copra which he had purchased 10 a rval trader
Thereupon the King dispatched boat, contain
ing nine men and three women, from kusia to
Maiana, to demand from this unfaithful agent
400 gallons Of cocoanut oil wherewith to reim-
bure his loss.
They reached Maiana safely, and having
completed their business, set out on their re-
turn some time in October, They expected to
have sighted Kusia the next day. The strong
equatorial current had set them too far to the
West. All efforts to find the land proved un-
availing, and they soon began to realize that
they were out on the wide ocean in an open
boat, with no compass, with no means OF de-
termining their position. They carried very
scanty supply of water, having started with
only about 10 gallons. They had, however, a
| fair supply Of food and some cocoanut moasses.
On the third day they had the terrible misfor-
tune to lose five gallons Of water by the acct
dental breaking Of one OF their demijohns. On
the eighth day shower OF rain furnished them
few quarts Of water, and having unsuceess'
fully attempted to return to Maiana they bore
away for unknown lands at the West
In about month after this shower the first
OF this party Of twelve died of thirst. During
the next seven OF eight days six more died; one
women and 1--WE men. The supply Of food was
not exhausted, On the 9th OF December rain
fell and the survivors were a little refreshed
with the water caught in their mats. The next
day, December 10th, vessel hove in sight.
II proved to be the Northern Light a mer.
chant ship from New York City bound to Yo-
bahama, in command Of Captain Slocum.
She fell in with the boat about 700 miles from
Apema,na, probably southwest from that is
land, Judging form the account given by Cap
tain Slocum in the Jshm Cassffs:
"A desoui band Of Christians ! never met.
When hrsi hauled out Of then cherries cookie shell,
more dead than alive. and placed safely board our
comfortable ship. man who appeared to be leader
gave thanks the Almighty ~i,h becoming
They then fell the deck in state Of utter sshaus
,ian- Brandy and other siimuanss administered.
Warn sea sesnsd to agree very we'll with OF t~e
she Refused brandy, On the ground thai ,hsy were