The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-10-23
A Deposit Of Guano Discovered BY an
American all That Is Necessary.
UNCLE SAM OWNS MANY ISLANDS
They nro Scattered Over tho Pacific
Ocean aud fn tho West Indtes-One
ofthc Prettiest is Christmas Island
nnd Lies Ono Thousand Niles south
of Hawaii.
Baltimore Herald.)

OF acquiring distant lunds, but confine
Its growth to the continent.
They are oblivious OF the fact that
this country Is already in possession OF
many Islands scattered over the Pacific
Ocean. owns several islands In the West
indies land has in the Aleutian Islands
possessicels nearly 1000 miles farther
from the American Continent than the
Hawaiian group.
These islands of the Pacific and the
West Indies over which flies the Ameri-
can flag, while only a handful of the
American people are aware Of their eX-
fstence. are nearly all guano Islands or
have been so at one, time. This. Of
course. does not apply-id-the Kleutian
Islands. 1t Is the forgotten islands-the
scattered Islands realm of the republic
which Is under consideration. a British
man of-war went about the Pacific re-
Gently picking up unimproved pieces of
real estate after the good old British
manner, and to the surprise of every
body-probably as much so to the United
states Government as 10 that of Eng
land-it was found that many of the
little islands were already In the pos
session Of this country and American
citizens were living on them.
| In 1856 Congress passed law which
still remains in force, declaring that
any citizen of the United States who
shall discover q deposit of Euano ctl
any island. rock or Key" shall be at
liberty TO take possession of such place,
and such island, rock or key" may.
at the discretion, of the President of
the United States, be considered as be-
Ing part OF the United States.
The discoverer can sell the guano on
his island cclly to citizens of the United
states, and the price which he shall
charge is regulated by law. Crimes
committed on these islands are punished
by the United States Government, and
are considered as If they had been COM
United on an American merchant vessel
on the nigh seas. The President is au-
thoriZed to use the land and naval
FORCES OF the United states to protect
Inc discovcrer and his heirs in their
right OF possession of these islands.
Under this law annexation ITO the
oEMted S;ales went rapidly on in the
lHatdfc and THE West Indies Some of
dE!e guaRo islands were abandoned soon
ailer their discovery, but of those taken
possession of Illegally by the citizens of
t.:ts Country and still a. part of it-un-
less tine President chooses to relinnuish
'9he risnt-'here remains sixty in the
| laaciac, and In the West Indies is the
| f''aHn ct NaNassa. Navassa Is OF fair
| size and lies between the southwestern
extremity of Haiti and Jamaica, just
10 the south of the Windward Passage,
and i'll the direct passage of vessels
bound TO and from the ISthmus of
Panama and New York If 1t had a suit
able harhor 1t might be OF great value
| as a coalinS station.
line Pacific islands lie in the region of
the equator. There is a group about
l'ooo miles south of Hawaii. and others
| are about 1000 miles from Hawaii, oyc,.
| near the Gilbert islands. Then ther, is
| Clippertcn island, southwest of Mexico.
| On the recent ALIASES published in Flu
| rope THE fSland lis marked as belonging,
TO flance. Ut rs, however, Il possession
or the United States. and Is worked by
the Pacific Phosphate company.
| Three mnrHths ago Captain McMur.ry.
OF the British ship K!nkora, came
along and announced that he was going
to hoist the British fleg chi thc island.
The captain saw visions of fame before
nina knigithood, Cr. possibly 4 baro-
ny-nor extending the domains Of His
| Most Gracious Sovereign" He already
imagined himself as being addressed as
Lord Clipperton," not n had sounding
'tttle BUT there were Yankees on the
Island, and they hoisted the American
| nag and told the captain ,hhat if he
| dared 10 hoist fhe British flag there
was going to he. a fight. The Kinkora
was wrecked on the coast of the island
ard the three Americans saved almost
| a 'riIlion feat of lumber which was
| washed ashore. Then the British man
| cf-war Comus came along and took
away Captain McMurtry and his men,
while tho Yankees Kept khe island and
| the lumber
One Of the abandoned islands in the
| Pacific which the British claim and
which they are welcome to- is StaTnuck
island. lying SOUTH IL our Christmas is
ia1:d group, to phe southwark or Ha-
| wall
| IT is l9ttlc more than n knoll rising n
barren hoad above t'hc waters of tho
ocean. Last week news reached the
unhea States OF this island and of hts
nci2hhnr, also American property. So
phia island. The Norwegian bark Sale
con went down near Sitarbuck island
and her crew took to ithc beats and
| sought refuge on ahc inhcsIt.,,l,le
shores. They found Mt.le 10 suppor.
life shore and n scanty supply CT wa
ter.
After much suffering they abandoned
S:ar5uck and rowcd to it's northern
nciGhhor Sophia. Island. Several OF tho
crew died, butt the reat managed to live
for a Year on the lonaly bit of land
| They found water in plenty and trcri-
oal fruits and rotEs In abundance s'i-
nally They were taken off by n passing
vessel and last week landed ait Auch-
land New Zealand
Che G! The pr;'tt!t< Of the island pcs
sessions Of the CEitad Sttv:ss in the Pa
clflc IS Christmas island which lies
about 1000 miles soti:h of Hawaii. 1t is
an "atol1,' or ring of coral formation,
aooui fhi!7sy-fivc miles long. In the
centre is n lagoon OF water. which. If
We may believe the af1idavhs OF sea-
farinG msn, is 50 salt fisgn constant
evaporation that fish thrown into it be-
| come picked and will keep for weeks.
even in that tropical clamite. Near