The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-08-29

d
the department desiring to bring the
latter vessel to Mare Island for much
needed repairs. It is deemed pru-
dent, however, to have an American
man of war visit Samoa as soon as
one can be spared for this purpose,
and there is talk of sending the
Alliance from Callao.
Meeting of Congress.
Congress met on the 7th inst. to
wrestle with the silver problem. The
indications are that they will not
come to a settlement of the question
for months. On the 9Th Cleveland
sent his message to Congress. The
battle that is on promises to be the
most bitter on record. Cleveland is
waving the administration whip for
unconditional repeal of the Sherman
bill and is being abetted by the
eastern democrats, Speaker Crisp
and others. The western and south
ern democrats have largely declared
against the administration. The adj
ministration is hopeless of securing
unconditional repeal. Numerous
bills are already up in the house
and the talk has begun.
Cholera and Fellow Fever.
Cholera has again appeared at the
gates of the United States. 1t was
brought by the Anchor line steamer
Karamania which arrived at New
York from Naples on August Sd with
Ala steerage passengers.
Three passengers died on the voy-
age and Health Officer Jenkins at
once put the vessel in quarantine.
The cholera soon appeared and sew
eral people died in quarantine at
Swinburne Island, New York. In
all nineteen cases appeared. Never
theless the disease never got ashore.
The Karamania was not docked
until the 14th.
1t is now known that European
governments, notably the italian
have been concealing the existence
of cholera in Naples and elsewhere.
Cholera is known to exist and to be
widely spread in Germany, Austria,
Russia, Turkey, Italy and France.
Yellow fever has broken out at
Pensacola, Fla, and there has been
a wild exodus from the place.
Annexed by Great Britain.
Fred w. Job, of the law firm of
McMurdy & Job, has gone to Wash
ington to intercede with the govern
ment on behalf of Henry j. Moore, of
Samoa, for the possession of two isl
ands in the South Pacific, now
claimed by England. They are the
islands of Sophia and Nassau, and |
contain rich deposits of guano.
Nassau island was discovered in |
1874 by Captain John Ellicott, an |
American trader who touched there
and planted cocoanuts. He went to
Apia and told the United States con-
sui there what he had done and got |
permission to hoist the American
flag. Captain EIlicott owned the isl
and from the time of his discovery
until 1890, during which time he
spent $4,000 in improving it. In
1890 he sold it to Moore, an Ameri-
can. His title had never been dis
puted in the sixteen years he owned
the island. Mr.. Moore bought the
island of Sophia at about the same
time, it having first been purchased
of the natives by Mr.. Williams in
1887.
About a year ago, after Mr.. Moore
had begun to make money off the isl
snds, Capt. Gibson, of an English man
ofwar, which was cruising in those
waters, touched at Nassau island,
raised the cross of st. George and
proclaimed the island to be under
the protection of the crown. Then
he steamed over to Sophia island and
went through the same process there.
Mr.. Moore, being good Ameri-
can, did not relish these proceedings.
In talking of the matter today, he
said:
"The two islands are about 1000
miles apart. Nassau island is about
ten degrees south of the equator, and
contains $50 acres, covered with
cocoanut trees, fruit trees, and has
several valuable deposits of guano.
1t is entirely detached from all other
and sits out in the rolling
ocean, triangular block of land,
to an average height of
thirty feet above the water When
[ took possession Mr.. Ellicott's fore
man was there with some fifteen ma
tives. found among the effects an
American flag that used to be hoisted
every time vessel of any sort came
within sight of the island.
"One day word reached me at
Apia, Samoa, that an English man
Of war, commanded by Captain Glib
son had landed, taken possession of
The island in the name of the queen
and hoisted the British flag. | did
not believe it at the time, but a few .
lays later at a dinner given by
Robert Louis Stevenson / met Cap
ain Gibson ubo noc Opa of tho