The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-10
OWNED BY UNITED STATES
UNCLE SANS ISLAND EMPIRE ~
THE PACIFIC.
Sixty Isles Which Have Been Annexed
Under the Law of August Is, 1S56--
Some Valuable Property.

The Washington Post says: "Distrl-
buted over the mid-Pacifc. i'm the inn
mediate neighborhood of the equator,
are quite n lot of small islands that
belong to the United States. Most of
them are from one thousand to two
thousand miles south and southwest
of Hawaii. Some of them are near
the Gilbert archipelago. and there is
IA considerable cluster just about the
lesser distance mentioned and direcr-
ly south of the Hawaiian group, in
Guiding America, Christmas, Palmyra
and otner islands of large size.
christmas Island is about thirty
five miles long. 1t got its name origi-
nally from the fact that the famous
Captain Cook stopped there on Christ
mas day for the purpose of observing
an eclipse. 1t is an atoll, or ring, of
coral formation, inclosing a lagoon of
water that has become so salty
through evaporation as to be a verit-
able brine. Fishes thrown over the
reef by storms are picked in it, and
remain perfectly preserved and good
to eat for months.
"These isles of the Pacific belonging
to the United States number sixty i'll
all. They have all been annexed to
the United States under the act of
Congress, which became a law August
IS, 1856. This law, which remains in
force today, declares that whenever
any citizen of the United States shall
discover deposit of guano on any is
land, rock or key, not within the law
full jurisdiction of any other govern
ment, he shall be at liberty to take
peaceable possession thereof, and such
island, rock or key may, at the dis
erection of the President, be considered
as appertaning to the United States
The discoverer is required to give
due notice to the Department of Stat.
with atfdavits, describing the island
and showing that possession of the
same has been taken in the name o.
this country. He is obliged at tn,
same time to give a bond, which i:
filed in the Treasury.
The discoverer, at the pleasure o
Congress, enjoys the exclusive righ
to occupy his island for the purpos'
of obtaining guano, and for this pro
duct he is allowed to charge only I
certain fixed price, namely, SIS a toi
for guano delivered at the ships side
or 81 ton for the privilege of dig
ging it where it lies. Furthermore
he gives guarantee by his bond to de
liver the guano only to citizens of th
United States, and to be used in tn
United States.
"The law also provides, curiousl,
enough, that all offences and crime
on such islands by persons who ma,
land thereon, or in the waters ada
cent, shall he deemed as committee
on the high seas, on board Il merchan
ship of the United States, and shal
be punished accordingly. The Presi
dent is authorized to.use the land an
naval forces of the United States t,
protect the rights of the discoverer o
his heirs.
''But Uncle Sans empire includes
great many islands of far greater i'm
portance than the guano isles REFER
ed to. In Boring sea there are severa
very large islands, besides the littl
Pribylov group, to which the fur seal
resort.
"This country owns the entire chat
of Aleutian islands, which separate BE
ing sea from the North Pacific. TIL
inhabitants of these islands, called tn
Aleuts, are particularly intelligent
much more civilized than the Eskimo
and bear a close resemblance phys
cally to the japanese.
"Off the coast of southern Alaska
group of islands, on some of whic
live the Thlinket Indians. These II
, dams are the most artistic savages i
the world. being skillful wood carver
Off the coast of southern California
the Santa Barbara group, comprisin
a number of large islands,"