The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-26
A SOUTH SEA porESTArE
A Castaway sailor Now = Chief.
with 8 score Of Wives.
Gan FraneIsco Sneciei

eau tkA8Sko~o kselCf1t
George Wright. who arrived at San
Francisco on the steamer Australia
day or two ago from the Caroline
islands, brings queer story of the
sudden rise OF a sailor 10 distinction
in the largest island of an archipelago
seventy-iive miles west OF Hawaii,
where Mr.. Wright has q trading store
THE sailor said Mr.. Wright, .'is
Carl BENJAMIN, and he has no less
than nineteen wives and fifty odd cop
per-colored children. He was wrecked
in the schooner Bombazaine off the
Ladrone islands nine years ago, and
iioasei az sea couple OF weeks before
he struck land. Ii you will look at a
map of the Pacific you win
find lying midway between the
Tropic of Cancer and the egua-
tor, GOO miles west of the Marshall
group, thirteen dots. On some maps
they are marked, Thirteen Islands,
well inhabited That is all there is TO
point out their significance. 1t is on
the biggest OF these, called BIZ the
sailor BENJAMIN Island, after himself,
that he has taken up his home. Ii Is
about ten by twenty miles in extent.
Well inhabited means that there is
quite a sprinkling of dark-skinned ma
tives there, as well as many more who
move 10 and fro in the archipelago
with boats. They eat bread-fruit, ban
anas, cocoanuts and fish. They don't
work at all. Benjamin had got 10 be
king. He had nothing al all to do but
so swimming in the surf, talk the ma
tive gibberish. which he has learned,
or ioll under palm tree. Sometimes
he has his wives fan him while he
laxily smokes his kascba leaf. which
GROVE plentifElly there, and which.
after one becomes used to it. is liked
better than tobacco.
Benjamin is doing some good work
there. however. lie carried three or
four books with him or his raft, the
last thing Won would have expected.
and he has eontriyed to teach the
natives English. Benjamin is an
American OF German or Jewish de-
scent. and is lover OF books. The
first thing he did was TO select an in
telIigeut native and teach him the
alphabet. The fellow learned rapidly
and soon began 10 teach it to others.
and number OF them can now speak
English. while the rising generation
immediately around are gradually
picking up a knowledge OF the Ian
guage. Benjamin is looked upon as a
sage. Tie chiefs. OF whom there are
four. come 20 him for points. and of
their own aesord they have made him
their ruler, the chiefs being q sert of
cabinet
Benjamin has picked out the hand
soonest women Tor wives. and they es-
TEEN il quite an honor. The king
lives in the biggest bamboo house in
the village of K. u struggling aggrega-
ton Ut native houses on q coral reef.
His children are Of ssll ages and are q
spFighsiv. lively lot. Nobody botheTs
mHeh with clothes in the South Pa
cite. still benjamin wears little
something. and is gradually prevailing
on the nafsyes 10 DO 80 too. He keeps
telling them that theec Is no eiviIiza-
ton without some clothes. Ben
ianaia j. about 30 years old
He vas formerly from Sewbnryport,
Mass. bat says that he no longer
has any desire 20 return 20 Amer
/ icss. He is the unly white man. with
one exception, fssr hundreds OF miles
around He has taken To wearing q
string OF shells arcand his neck Ike
! The natives, and &c sometimes fTni-
/ saies them and pats dots os blue paint
/ sci from native shrub on his face
This is only on state occasions, how
ever. when there l. - he discussion
of important questions with the chiefs.
The permanent population 81 his
island is aisout six OF seven hundrtd.
The islarsd is indeatcR with beautiful
bays. And Is dotted with trees and
shrubs OF > tropical growth. which are
for most OF the year covered with fra
gran; flowers. BENJAMIN island Ii
Aioat esl miles west Of the Marshall
group"