Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-07-16
For the Ellsworth American.
A Voyage to Bakers Island.


sti idH'itu anu tii own up ny tDe surf 10 take
root liz the new soil and become a living
tree, bearing fruit. which the winds shall
scatter around; and in that manner one
more green island shall be added to the
many that now dot the surface of the Pa
chic ocean.
The foundation of this island was laid
sud the structure was reared from the un-
fathomable depths of the sea by little cor
al architects. who are yet busy upon the
reefs which surround it, 1t will never
cease to be subject of wonderment and
admiration to thinking minds, that Great
ures SO small build SO securely and erect
such vast structures. Gathering materials
from the waters about them, they begin,
al the bottom of the ocesn where the
fsthom the depth. Ia fashion huge subma-
| rine mountains whose crests upon reach
/ ing the surface become coral reefs. The
/ ocean by It's CCaseless motion piles upon
/ the reef fragments broken from 1t. and
I drift wood, trees. shells and sea weed and
| it becomes barren islct, the dry land ap-
/ pearing Myriad> Of fishes with fin, and
Z shells are attracted to il BY the favorable
I conditions ii affords for their >u>tenauce
I and multiplication birds in numbers beyond
4 computation art attracted to it 10 feed up
I on the fishes lay their eggs, hatch ana rear
their young. and by tie deposit they make
7 help To rear the surface above the level Of
the sea and make guauo.
Thus we mu>,d and reasoned as We
I strollcd about the shores Of Bakers Is
land, carrying it forward in our imagiua-
tiou 10 the time when its coral surface
would he carpeted with grccusward and
shaded by forest of cocoa nut trees. in
readiness for the abode and home of the
hauakA-bul civilized man from the far oil
regions OF the United States steps to the
foreground. reroyeS the guano under the
avs AMI usagc> OF trade and commerce,
them and make them more productive, and
thus spoils our picture.
The duties Of man anG of all created be-
inss are wisely ordered by the Creator Of
the universe, whose laws must be ooeyed
50 that muse and speculate as We may
about them they remain liked and I'M
changeable. We read from the good Book
that on The morning OF creation, "God
created great whales and every living
creature that moveth which the waters
brought forth abuudantly after their kind.
and every winged fowl after his kind ."
And God blessed them. saving. BE fruit
ful and multiply and I'LL the waters In the
seas, and let the fowl multiply in the
earth That the fishes aut the birds have
fulfilled the command to the letter, no one
VIII dare 10 deny who has visited Bakers
Island. And God said, let us make man
in our own image; in the image Of God
created he him. male and female created
he them. And God blessed them, and God
said unto them, be fruitful and multiply
and repienish the earth aud ,ubdue it, aud
have dominion over the fish OF the sea,
and over the fowl of the air and every ly-
Ing thing that mo,cth upon the earth. 3"
Man ha- dominion over the labors of the
coralite, fish and fowl. by making the
guano which they have been the mean, Of
producing, -ub-ervicnt in subduing the
earth To bring forth crops for his susie
nance and comfort. And yet, how IN
mindful is the ordinary man Of the pro
nf nat tF N,h hat
has done and is daily dong for his com
fort and enjoyment,
Strewed along the shores of Bakers Is
land were the broken timbers Of the ship
Virginia" wrecked there before the oc-
cupation If The island by the American
Guano Company. The history connected
with this wreck was related 70 Us by Capt.
Hutchinson While We were seated upon
the broken timbers, and we here give it IN
detail, a. a sketch Of the island would
seem to US imperfect without ii. The
'NirgInia' was built at East Boston hy
Donald Mckay and sold to firm in Liver
pool, where she belonged at the time of
her loss. On the voyage previous to her
loss she was laden in England with a car
90 for Sydney, Australia. made her voyage
thence and landed her cargo. There she
was provided with large launch and with
her usual number of officers and crew,
sailed for some newly discovered guano
islands in the South Pacific, to take on
board q cargo of guano for England.
Touching at several islands she at last
came here, where she was hove aback and
her captain landed in one of his boats for
the purpose of examining the guano as he
had done at other islands. After satisfy
ing himself in regard to it, he returned to
his ship, hoisted up the boat and rilled
away. The ship was near the reef at the
time, but the captain, regardless of that
fact, ordered the helmsman to fluff"
knowing the consequences that would fol-
low if he obeyed the order, and thinking
that the captain had made mistake, the
helmsman put the wheel up instead of
down. The captain saw that his order
was disobeyed, flew into a rage, stamped
his foot on the deck, and with an oath or
dered the man to do as he was told He
complied, the ship lutfed, shot upon the
reef, knocked a hole in her bottom and be-
came wreck. Her stores, provisions
and such articles of her furniture and
equipment as could be saved were landed
but the fresh water, except small guam
tity, was lost in the ship. The launch was
the only boat saved. That was fitted with
spars and sails and everything necessary,
including provisions and water, and was
anchored on the reef clear of the shore to
prevent her from being stove. They were
several days upon the island. living and
sleeping in a tent made from the ships
sails during the time, while preparations
were being made to leave the island and
the scene of their disaster. Everything
having been made ready the captain an
nounced that they would start the follow
ing morning. He distributed among his
crew that night wines and liquors saved
from the wreck, and bade them drink, say
ing, This is to be our last night upon the
island and we may as well have merry
time Of it, for no one knows what priva-
tions and haIdships may be in store for
ne Sailors raouira liffla nrUion 70 arink