The San Francisco call., 1897-08-27
EDEN IS STILL
WITHOUT ADAM
Some of the Hunters for
Dusky Brides Returned
Bachelors.
Their Ship Wrecked on a Coral
Reef by Tropical Hur-
ricane.
Inglorious and Womanless the South
Sea Expedition Game to
Disastrous End.

From story told by mem Der OF the
Percy Edwards expedition, who arrived
here this morning in wearied and
broken down condition, it would seem
that to plan an expedition to colonze the
South Sea Islands and to carry out these
plans are widely different propositions.
The brig Percy Edwards, it will be re-
me m bered, LETT this City on the morning
OF February 25 with 101 passengers on
board, bound for the Solomon Islands,
said to be an Adamless Eden, where it
was intended to plant colony, load the
ship with products of the island and re-
turning dispose Of them and divide the
profits equally among the colonists and
some few stockh holders.
1t tappears from the story that the stock
holders went aboard for the pleasure of
the trip, but as soon as the vessel was we'll
on it's way trouble tesan between them
and the colonists, who were a hetero-
geneous collection of men OF all nationali-
ties picked from various parts of the
country.
Hostilities commenced when, on the
first night out, a dog belonging to one of
the stockholders was thrown overheard.
This was small thing in itself, but it
was the beginning of the end. The next
day protest came from some halfdozen
miners who were in the com pany and had
formed faction Of their own. They OBJ
iected strongly to going to the islands at
ALL and wanted the vessel headed for
some of the mining regions of South
America Majority ruled, however. and
the miners and their faction were in
formed that they could stick by the ex-
petition and go TO the South Seas or get
out and walk. They chose the former
course in a very disgruntled manner
which promised trouble.
Things were verv quiet for awhile, and
on the 14th of Apri! they anchored off
Honolulu, where IL boat was sent ashore
for some needed supplies, and on the 18th
of March they arrived at the port Of Levu-
| ka, one of the Fiji Islands. Here wet
| blanket was thrown over them by the
! British Consul, who informed them that
they could not land on any of the Solomon
| Islands without the permission of the
| British land agent, and in case the priv
| iIege was granted they would be Obliged
! to pay duty on all goods shipped into the
| islands.
This unexpected setback caused all the
| petty chickering's to break out afresh, and
| at one time serious trouble was anticl-
! pated One faction wanted the ship taken
! to Auckland, where she might be sold and
| the money equally divided, and others
| wished to set the British Government at
| defiance and go ahead and colonizs with
| out permission. At this juncture Brit
| ish man off, war came into the harbor and
| the commander came aboard the Percy
| Edwards and advised the prospective col-
| onists to take no rash steps, as the islands
were under the protection of the British
Government, and no one could coloniZe
without permission from the proper
sources.
Adviccs were also received from the Gov
ernor of the Fiji Islanos at Suva and the
| American Consulate, stating that they
| could make no interference in behalf of
the colonisis. BY this time the most of
| the crew had deserted, the exception being
| the captain and TWO sailors. and the ma
iority OF the colonists had sIgneu three
year contracts with planters in he vicinity
| to work on plantations. Some few took u p
small plats of land and will try their hand
| at farming. 1t WAS then decided to take
the vessel to New Zealand, sell her and d.
| vide the profits.
| A British vessel arriving in the harbo-
about this time discharged half her crew,
and these were secured 10 work the Percy
TO Auckland. Trey set sail on the 2Sth OF
| Nav, but on the 1st of June encountered
a hurricane They ran before 1t for three
days and finally made the port OF Noumea,
with the vessel almost wreck.
The few remaining mem bers of the ill
starred expedition then separated and
started to make their way back home as
| best they might.
| Some few are working their way on
| coasting vessels, while seven are still in
| Auckland waiting for their friends TO for
| ward enough money to bring them homo.