The San Francisco call., 1897-02-26
COLONISTS MAKE
A GOOD START
The Percy Edward Was
ToWed to Sea Yes
terday.
Every One of the Ninety.Nine
Passengers Was Very
Hopeful
Their Destin alton Is One of the MANY
Islands tf the E1.ice Group,
Near F j.

The brig Percy Edward got away yes
terday morning, and there were at least
1000 people down TO see her off. Not one
of the voyagers apparently had friend in
the world, as there was no handshaking
and no tears when the vessel moved away
from the wharf
Manager Reinhart was at first in bad
humor over what the newspapers had
said about the expedition. I'VE are on q
legitimate enterprise" said he, land ]
don't think we should be ridiculed. We
are going to Funafuti in The Ellice group,
and l am confident that we will have no
trouble in getting the permission of the
Governor OF Fiji to settle there. The
place is one of the most beautiful spots in
the southern seas and can support twice
the number of men we have aboard. 1t is
only one of the group of islands that are
awaiting colonists, and l intend coloniz-
ing them. From Fiji TO the Ellice group
is only days run for a steamer, and I'll
bet you a new hat that inside of twelve
months we are in direct communication
with Australia and New Zealand. We are
on no wild-goose chase and are after no
'Adamless Eden as you boys have been
making ont."
nation of the adventurers is taken from
the Melbourne Leader OF last January:
The atoll of Funafuti was discovered by Cap
tain Peyster, in the Rebecca, on the 18th OF
March, 1919. According to observations OF
Captain Wilkes it lies in deg. 80 min. 45 sec.
south, 179 deg. 13 min 80 Sec east, position
which may otherwise be described as due
north of Fiji. and precisely halfway between
that and the equator.
The nearest high land is the small island OF
Rotuman, 260 miles 10 the southwest, but the
nearest land OF any considerable size is Vanua
Levu, 450 miles south.
7 On nearing Funafuti, as with any South sea
atoll. a long low line of vegetation on the hori-
zon gives the first intlmation Of the approach
10 land. Looming larger the tallest palm trees
show their plumed heads sharp against the
sky. Nearer. If TO windward the dense yege-
tation is framed by long white line of ever
breaking surf; to leeward beach of sand, daz-
zing white in the sunshine, limits the forest
Not till the observer has entered the lagoon
by one of the pavigable channels does the
atoll as q whole extend before him..
TIE outline of Funafuti is that of a pear, the
curved stem of which is directed sou uthward.
On the east or windward side the outline is
gketched in most firmly, the thread of reef and
palm being here almost continuous; but on
the leeward side so many and so wide are the
gaps that the 1nterspaces of surf far exceed
those dots where the atoll rim emerges as dry
land The lagoon, a noble sheet of water about
ten miles long and eight broad, thus bounded,
is plentiiully besprinkled with shoals, many
OF which rise 10 the surface and "break" It's
maximum epth is thirty fathoms, the genera
level of the floor being about twenty, whence
it eeply rises 10 the beach.
more motley crowd surely never
started on such an expedition. The average
age was about 35, but among the ninety
and nine who went as passengers there
were men who were well up to the three
score-and-ten limit and boys who had only
cast their first vote. When it came to a
rolicalI in The early watches of the morn
ing there was one man missing. Later on
he showed MP and demanded his money
back. 1t was given him and the vessel
proceeded to sea- All along the front
the vessel was cheered and many of
the tugs and steamers saiuted her as she
was towed past by the Ida w. The crowd