The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-09-08
JOHNSTON ISLAND.
Captain Perriman Tells What He
Knows About the Place.

The following is an Associated
Press despatch. Captain Perriman
is well known in Honolulu, as not
long ago trading here in the barken-
tine Discovery. From his account
it would appear that Hawaii surren-
dered the island to the United
States:
San Francisco, Cal, Aug. 6.-Ac-
cording to the records of the State
Department the United States has
title to Johnston Island through
Captain r.. Perriman, for many years
master of a vessel sailing out of this
port, but now retired from active
service. In an interview regarding
the annexation of the island by the
British Government Capt. Perriman
said.
"This is not the first time that add
verse possession has been had of the
island, the Hawaiian Government
once claiming possession of it, but
after brief diplomatic correspond
ence the claim was withdrawn, and
| think the outcome will be the
same in the present instance.
Regarding the claim of Captain
Parker to the island, the facts of the
case are these:
'ln 1907 the British frigate Corn
wallis, Captain Johnston in com
mand, passed it, but none of the
frigate's crew landed and took pos
session.
"The commander of the frigate
jotted down on his chart the APP.
proximate position of the island and
called it after his vessel, but the
name was afterward changed to that
of himself In 1852 Captain William
H. Parker, at that time in command
of the brig Reindeer, sighted the
island while on trading expedition
to the South Sea Islands.
He jotted down its latitude anC
longitude, and some four years after
ward while in San Francisco, h,
came to the conclusion that the
island would prove valuable, as h'
had noticed it was covered will
guano. He claimed he had takel
possession, and in December 1871
sold a five-eighths interest in thu
island to parties who subsequent,
formed the Pacific Guano Company
"This company chartered thu
schooner Palestine, of which | wa
master, and dispatched her to tn
island to bring back cargo. Whel
| landed there was no evidence tina
any white man had put his foo
there before me.
81 raised the American flag ant
erected crosses, on which was paint
ed notice that | had taken posses
sion of Johnston Island for tn
owners of the schooner Palestine
in the name of the United State:
James Buchanan, President, am
Lewis Cass, Secretary of State
Parker did not land on the islam
at all during that trip, though h
was on board the vessel. We brough
back quantity of guano on tina
trip and sold it here. Since tina
time / have made three other trip
to Johnston Island.
'The last trip was in the Code
Fleece about ten years ago. On tina
occasion | brought back 200 tons {
; guano and disposed of the cargo i
this city
"After my visit on the Palestine
: Sam Allen, now residing in Hone
5 lulu, visited the place, and knoclin
r down the crosses | had erected, too
. possession in the name of the H;
waiian Government.
after brief diplomatic CORE
= pondence, however, the latter go
a eminent relinquished its claim. I'll
1 island might be of use to the Unite
: States as a coaling station.
. "The harbor is not a good one,
: that it is a roadstead which, durin
4 two or three months in the year,
| open to the winds from the soutl
west. One of the islands grei
r drawbacks is the lack of water.
e "Below the guano is sand an
then rock foundation hard as fin
, Coral grows there with almost ma
a yelous rapidity."