, 1891-05-03

and fully $50 miles from land. They could
speak no ineligible language, and made
their wants known by signs. People who
had Travelled in foreign countries, and es
p~ecially among the islands Of the South
Pacific ocean, endeavored 20 talk to them.
but without success.
At last a young Englishmau named
auckland, who had lived for several years
on the Gilbert islands, in the South Pacific,
happened to visit the dock where the cast
Always were temporarily quartercd, and
spoke to them in Gilbert island language.
In n moment they replied. all chAttering
eNcitedly at the same time.
A chief Of inferior rank who was among
the party acted as spokesman. being ocCa.
sionally prompted by one OF the others.
He said that he and his companions lived
at Butaritari, "a village on one OF the isl
ands forming the Gilbert group. Ten days
before they had been rescued by tine sailing
ship a "blackhirding," or kidnapping, expe-
dition composed Of two vessels had ap-
peared near the village. Tn natives knew
the ships had called on business and hast
ened to escape to ~ueighbOring islands, IF
teen or twenty miles distant, but before
the party in question could reach n haven
Of refuge n storm suddenly came up n
drove them far out to sea, where they lost
their bearings. Their supply Of food and
water became exhausted, and for five DAYS
they suffered the tOrments of hunger and
thirst. During this time three Of the party
died. Then the signals OF distress hoisted
by the survivors were observed by the sail
ing vessel, which hove in sight and took
them to San Francisco.
Two weeks after their arrival they We're
shipped back to the Gilbert islands ON "A
vessel which intende to touch there.
The picture shown was taken in san
Francisco previous to the ISLANDERS de
parture for their tropical home.
Kidnapping to n large extent has pre-
vailed among the islands in the South Pa
ciic ocean for many years, and still exists,
although but little is ever heard in the
United States concerning the practice, ovy-
ing to the remoteness OF those islands and
the few opportunities afforded for com
munication with the more civilized parts
Of the world.
The smaller and more insignificant islands
are preferred by the professional man hunt
ers in which TO carry on their search. The
important Stands are avoided for several
reasons, one being that white men live on
some of them, and would forcibly object to
the stealing and carrying away Of the ma
tives. while the larger islands generally
belong to some of the European powers,
England, for instance, having "nnnexedf
alu EANth Ahht Us plolG1llhu Ellls lbllEA
and Raratousa; France owning Tahiti.
Spain the Caroline islands and Germany
the Marshall group.
1t is to the smaller, less civilized and
more remote stands that the man hunters
direct their attention. TIT New Britain,
Solomon, Gilbert, Mule and u few minor
groups offer especially inviting fields. The
kidnapping is usually Ion under the sem
blauce of law, but the result is quit. the
same As though no such observance was
had. Samoa Is a particularly attractive
market for the disposal Of human chHttrI-.
There are located many foreign firms, or
their agencies, engaged in operating large
plantations and conducting extensive gen
eral merchandise stores. one firm employs
over fifty European clerks in its store and
warehouses, while on the plantations il
owns and leases it employs "a number of
European oyerseers. The merchandise sold
In the stores is shipped chiefly from Europe
and Australia, some being sent from the
United States also. The goods are either
sold for cash to the Samoans and others or
else exchanged for "copra." It may be ex-
planned that coprn is the white meat Of the
c%ocoanut, which is cut out of the nut,
cured in the sun for a certain length OF