The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-14
.PEgK-A-BO0 ISLAND.
1t Rises Out of the Sea Long Enough to be
Claimed and Then Sinks,

Falcon Island, lonely but pictur-
esque mass of earth and rocks, situated
in the Tonga group below latitude &c
degrees south, has been playing hide
| and-seek with three nations ever since
1889 The coming and going of Falcon
| Island has been termed by the South
| Sea traders "the right pulse of the
universe" Reports concerning Falcon
Island have been brought to civiliza-
\ ton from time to time for years and
years back. 1t was not until 1889,
| however, that anything really peculiar
was noticed about the place, but since
that time the rocks have been leading
England, France and the Tonga govern
| ment lively chase.
The latest news from Falcon was re-
ceived in this city some days ago by
the United States photographic office.
| The information furnished this govern
ment came from Pilot John organ of
Apia, Samoa. The pilot also sent a
detailed account of the modern aspect
OF the mystic isle to a seafaring friend
here
To tell the odd story of Falcon II is
necessary to go back TO 1889, when the
British corvette Egeria was sent on a
cruise among the South Sea Islands
and instructed to seize any heretofore
unknown coral reefs or islands and
take possession Of them In the name of
the queen. The Egeria fell across Fail
con The island was noted for miles
at sea, for at its southernmost extrem-
ity rose commanding bluff 1853 feet
above the sea. Palm trees grew on
the height, and at the north end OF the
island the land gently sloped down to
a beautiful white sand beach, fringed
with tropical vegetation. The place
was veritable gem of the seas, typi-
cal South Sea retreat, apparently as Sc
cure as the rock of Gibraltar, The
Egeria's commander took possession Of
the land and planted the flag of Eng
land at its highest point, then the war
ship returned and reported what it had
done
A year late a transport was sent to
Falcon and found nothing but a low
lying reef against which the sea beat
necessarily. The lofty cliff had disap-
peared. as had the palm trees and the
sand beach Englands flag had sunk
with tie'iand. which appeared to- have
been swallowed up by the. ocean.
Very little attention was directed to
Falcon until 1892, it being believed that
the island had simply sunk into the
sea. as coral islands often do. Ships
and sailing vessels passed the latitude,
and some would report that the island
was still there. and that its cliff had
again lowered heavenward, while 9TH
ers would note that only fiat shoal
marked theaspot. These reports we're
extremely confusing.
France In 1892 was looking for islands
to annex, and so sent the cruiser Ouch
affault, Captain Mauceron, on cruise
after territory. The Duchaffault steam
ed to Falcon. Then instead of finding
a sunken reef, whitened with the foam
of breakers, the vessels crew discover
ed an island almost the exact shape
of that found by the Egeria in 1889,
only the southern promontory was but
rs and q feet high instead Of 1853 feet.
The palm trees were gone, Of course,
but the rocks were covered with
growth of green bushes and ferns.
Ashore went Mauceron, who, though he
had not 10000 men, ordered his Jack
ldlD 10 hIdW lhGll SWOltAS dltd pAl lilEAAt
back again, claiming the island at the
same time in the name Of the French
republic. The tri-color waved from the
twenty-five foot cliff when the Duchaf-
fault churned north and homeward to
the booming of a rifle gun.
Scarcely two years had passed since
the Frenchman's visit when the British
schooner Ysabel, borne along by an cas-
terly breeze, came about at the easterly
end Of the island. This was on April
49, 1894, according to the records kept
by the United States government. The
Ysabel's captain consulted his chart
and found that the strip of sand at his
port beam was all that remained of the
elusive Falcon Isle. He was aston
ished; he made a note in his logbook,
and later reported to his home govern
ment that "Falcon Island now has the |
appearance of low streak or reef, and |
Is dangerous to navigation, as 1t cam
not be seen on dark night. Danger
Gus reefs and rocks surround it,"
French and English naval officers
were much taken back by this report,
but the Tongan government was not |
daunted. 1t sent party to the island |
y
The expedition left Tonga last Decem- |
Der and only returned about one month |
ago, or in time to allow Pilot Organ |
to write his letter and forward it by |
the steamer Australia to this city from |
Apia Perhaps Englishmen and |
will smile when they read |
that "the expedition took possession of |
the Falcon Island in the name of King |
George of Tonga" Several cocoanut |
and other trees were planted. A hut |
was erected on the southern or raised |
end of the place, which is mass of |
rocks, shells, and queer red clay. 1.-THE |
STAND was found to have bold, steep |
sides, with deep water all around and
no shoal water in the vicinity, though |
liscolored water extends four miles
southeastward and three miles north
west. The highest point of the island
S fifty feet above the sea.
When Tonga's claim to the jumping
ack of the tropics has been wiped out
oy the sea it is suggested that the Unit
ID States try to secure the island for
orief term.