The San Francisco call., 1896-08-16
RULERS Of FAIR
TROPIC ISLANDS,
Arrival of Queen Emma,
the Empress of the
BiSmarckS.
Peril Which Her Husband, Lieut..
Kobe, Endured From a
Poisoned Spear.
Queer Experiences Among the Dusky
Natives Cotton and Cocoa
Nut Plantations.

Queen Emma of the far Bismarck
islands, German New Guinea, and her
husband, Lieutenant Peter Kobe, for
merly OF the German navy, arrived here
yesterday and are at the Palace.
They have been absent on tour of Eu.
rope, and went from their island home
via the Suez canal, and returned by way
OF New York and other parts of the East.
While in the East Queen Emma visited
her sister, Mrs. f. G. Malcolm, at Chat
ham, Mass, and was there accorded the
freedom of the city.
The notable lady is not a stranger to
San Francisco, for she spent six years here
while receiving her education. One of her
teachers was Mrs. DIR. L. G. Lane of Cooper
College. Queen Emma is cousin of King
Mataafa of Samoa. Her father was Jonas
NJ. Coe, who was for many years in the
early times United States Consul to Sa-
moa. He married into the royal family,
his wife being a very handsome and un-
usually accomplished woman.
Queen Emma has immense possessions
in the Bismarck Islands. Her fortune is
estimated at many millions. Her home is
on the Pommeranian Island of the Bis
marck group. Her island possession there
is so great that it takes four days of
steamer travelling to go round the island.
She owns many vessels, vast forests
of cocoanut trees and extensive planta-
tons of cotton and coffee.
Over 700 natives are constantly en-
ployed by her. In 1890 no less than 81 900
pounds OF cotton were produced and the
crop has since then materially increased.
There are 40 600 cocoanut trees of the age
OF 10 years and all producing handsome ely.
A full-growa tree produces eighty nuts a
year so it will be seen what an enormous
harvest there is to look after. About 100
natives are employed on the vessels which
the Queen owns.
She has also in connection with her
husband, who is the manager of her vast
possessions numerous stores. From these
are sold all kinds of goods used by the
dark-skinned natives.
Queen Emma is a rather tall lady, with
a full intellectual face, and with the raven
distant islands OF the Pacific She spent
much time IN shopping yesterday in COM
pany with her relatives, Mrs. Edward II.
Coe and Miss Coe of 1909 Union street.
Lieutenant Kobe, her husband, who is
a very pleasant gentleman, gives some in
teresting details in reference to life on the
Bismarck Islands.
islands," said he, land the majority of
them are cannibals. They break out In
internecine war once in a while, and at
such times they are very formid able.
About three years ago there was a war
which lasted six months. We had to kill
off about 10 per cent of those engaged in it
before it could be stopped.
''If they get prejudiced against you they
will make it hot. One of the chiefs at one
period offered a reward of about $3.50 for
my head. However, have managed to
stay alive, and l may add l am in nowise
afraid of him. However, l was once
struck by a poisoned spear, and had a
chance for recovery that was by no means
the best. Still l survived. The scar is
here on my arm now.
1.-THE natives all smoke tobacco. Even
the little children do this. The tobacco is
not grown there, and nearly all that is
used I import from the United States.
The cotton grown there is of fine quality.
l have been visiting some of the cotton
districts of the South lately in order to get
information of value to be put in use on
the Bismarck Islands.
"The Bismarck Islands consist mainly
of the New Pommeranian, New Mecklen-
burg, New Hanover and New Louenburg