The San Francisco call., 1897-08-26
UNCLE SANS OCEAN EMPIRE.
Sixty Islands in the Mid-Pacific and
Several Others Are Ours.
Washington Pos.


Distributed over the mid-Pacific. IN the
neighborhood of the equator, are quite lot
o. small ISLANDS that belong to the United
States. Most OF them are from 1000 to 1000
miles to the south and southwest of Hawaii.
Some of them are near the Gilbert archipel-
ago, and there is considerable cluster just
about the lesser distance mentioned ana d.
rectly south OF the Hawaiian group, including
America, Christmas, Palmyros and other
islands of large size.
Christmas Island is rbout thirty-ive miles
long 1t got Its name originally from he fact
that the famous Captain Cook stopped there
on Christmas day for the purpose OF observing
an eclipse. 1t is an atoll, or ring, OF coral
formai lion, including lagoon OF water that
has become so sa,ty through evaporation
as TO be a veritable brine. Fishes thrown
over the reef by storms are picked in 1t, and
remain perfectly preserved and good to eat for
months.
These isles of the Pacific belonging to Uncle
Sam number sixty in all. They nave all been
annexed to the United States under an act of
Congress which became law August Is. 1856.
This law, which remains In force to-day de-
clares that whenever any citizen of the United
States shall d cover a deposit OF guano on any
island, rock or key not within the lawful juris-
diclion CT any other Government he shall be
at liberty to take peaceable possession thereof,
and such island, rock or key may, at the dis
cretlon of the President, be considered as ap-
pertaining to the United States.
The discoyerer is required to give due notice
to the Department of State, with affidavits, de-
scribing the island and showing that posses
sion of the same has been taken in he name
of this country. He is obliged at the same
time 10 give bond, which is filed in the
treasury.
The discoverer, at the pleasure of Congress,
enjoys the exclusive right to occupy his island
for the purpose of obtaining Puano, and for
this product he is allowed to charge only a
certain fixed price, namely, So a ton for guano
delivered at the ships side, or $4 ton for the
privilege of digging it where Ii lies Further
more. he gives guarantee by his bond to de-
liver the guano only 10 citizens of the United
States, and to be used in the United States.
The law also provides, curiouSly enough,
that all offenses and crimes on such islands by
adjacent, shall be deemed as committed on tn g
high seas on board a merchant ship of the
United States, and shall be punished accord
ingly. The President is authorized to use the
land and naval torces OF the United States to
pro the rights of the discoverer his heirs.
But Uncle Sans ocean empire includes a
great m any islands of far greater importance
than the guano isles referred to. In Bering
Sea there are several very large islands be-
sides the little Pribyloff group TO which the
seals resort. 4
This country owns the entire chain of Aleu-
tian Islands, which separate Bering Sea from
the North Pacific. The Inhabitants of these
islands, called Aleuts, are particularly intelli.
gent, much more civilized than the Eskimo,
and bear q close resemblance physically to
the Japanese.
Off the coast of Southern Alaska is a group
OF islands OF great size, on some of which live
most artistic sayages in the world, being skill
ful wood-carvers. Off the coast OF Southern
California is the Santa Barbara group, COM
priSing o number OF large islands.