The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-03-14
FANNING'S ISLAND.
The Most Isolated Family Group in
the World.

The schooner Jennie Walker will leave
Honolulu for Fanning's Island next Tues
day, commanded by Captain Anderson, who
succeeds Captain Holland.
Captain Anderson was formerly mate of
the trading schooner Premier, from San
Francisco, which ran ashore at the entrance
to the Tanning lagoon about a year ago.
The vessel stuck there for eight months,
being afterwards repaired and taken to San
Francisco. Captain Anderson remained on
the island, having married one of the daugh-
ters Of Mr.. Greig, who has lived there for
about thirty-fve years, and owns Fanning's
as well as Washington Island, seventy-fve
miles distant in a northeast direction.
FANNNe's ISLAND
Is about 1000 miles south of the Ha-
waiian group, and is a true coral lagoon
island. 1t is a tolerably regular oval in
shape, the belt Of habitable land averaging
about half a mile in width, with an elevation
above the sea of from six to ten feet, en-
circling splendid lagoon that for the most
part is filed with coral reefs.
This oval belt runs about northwest and
southeast. It is broken through on the
with deep water leading into the lagoon.
On the south side Of the channel is the
group of houses where Mr.. Greig and his
family live. Around the houses, and in fact
over the whole island, cocoanut palms grow
thickly to height of sixty or seventy feet.
There many thousands of these trees which
would yield large crop of dried coeoanut
meat (coprah) if a business was made of
gathering it. But the chief income derived
by Mr.. Greig is from the beds of guanO that
are found scattered over the island. One of
these, on the west side, yields about 1900
tens per annum, which is taken away by
vessels from Europe. This deposit has been
worked for number of years, and there is
still great quantity of gaano in sight.
Another deposit is near the dwellings, on the
southwest side of the island, and still others
are found along the whole belt of land.
Mr.. Greig has about thirty Line islanders
working for him on Fanning's Island, and
few'more taking care of Washington Island. |
Twice year the Jennie Walker visits Fan
ning's, and returns with such coprah and !
cocoanut oil as has been prepared in her alb |
sence. Generally some member of the
ing educated in Honolulu at the Roman
Catholic Mission School. Mr.. G. B. Greig, |
who returns to his home on this trip of the
Jennie Walker, is a fine appearing, intelli- |
gent young man, who has had a sound bust !
ness education, and the airs and manners |
of man of larger world than the micro
scopic speck in the broad Pacific that is his !
birthplace.
In making her way to Fanning's Island
from here sailing vessel is wonderfully
favored as a rule by steady wind, that Gu
ables a straight course to be run both
in going and coming. On the last trip down
the Jennie Walker ran south by east for five
days, south-halfwest one day, and west
southwest part of another to the anchorage,
off Mr.. Greig's place, making an average of
16O miles per day. On the return trip the
course was N. N. E. one day, and north for
the remaining six days to Honolulu. The
average distance apart of these two nearly
parallel lines was $50 miles, and the
chart they look like steamer tracks instead
of those followed by sailing vessel.
WASHINGTON ISLAND,
Lying, as has been said, seventy-five miles
northwest from Fanning's, is totally differ
ent from the latter. 1t is an oval of about I
four miles in length by one ana one-haf in
width. This is no lagoon, and therefore no
harbor. The island lies nearly east and /
west, and it is only in fine weather that YES
sells can anchor off the west point and boats /
reach the shore. On the island itself there /
is an abundance of good water, and the soil |
is deep and rich. Every fruit commonly |
grown in the tropics does well there, and /
Washington Island is perfect little gem
set in the midst of the broad ocean. 1t Is, !
as it were, pleasure resort for Mr.. Greig |
and his family. 1t is to be doubted whe ther /
elsewhere in the world is to be found civil
lied and enlightened family living in the
midst of such isolation, and yet real comfort
and pleasure, as that on Fanning's Island.