The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-18
FACTS ABOUT
THE CAROLINES.
People, Fertility and Possibilities Of
the Beautiful Group.
RANK NEXT TO THE PHILIPPINES
Some Have Been Dcpopulated by the
Spaniards TO Settle the Ladroncs'
Others arc Still Very Populous.
Little Civilization.

Among SPANS possessions lh t4' i-'''
next in Importance 20 the philippines anu
| I'm some respects even more hnpOi 'ai''
are the Carolines This archipelago les
between latitudes degree and II degrees
| Fl minutes north, and longitudes l5' de-
groes q minutes and 1872 degrees, ~
minutes exact from Greenwich, 10 the
west Of the Marshall group. covering 'he
sea from the Rullick chain to the falapS
or Pclew Islands. distance az more
| than 1000 miles. 10 contains more IMAM
800 islands. most OF which are but very
| little known. Some especially tho7e 20
ward the west. have been depopulated by
the spaniards for the resettement oil tne
Ladrones. others are very populous and'
executing the cluster known as the SEN
ravlnos. at the eastern end Of the archi-
pelago. and zap, al the opposite ettrem-
jtv. have happily made, till recently but
little acquaintance with civilized man
and his ways.
The principal islands under direct
Spanish control are Ualan. Ascension
Bogalen. or san Estevan. Nuquor. Mon
teverde. and zap. The remaining ISLANDS
and island clusters Of this group, 10
the number of more than thirty are
comparatively unknown, and some are
not even marked ON the maps.
SOME NATIVES
ITALIAN IS situated I'm latitude degrees.
u minutes north and longitude 163 de-
grees. minutes aest from Greenwich.
II IS about eighty miles in circumfer-
encc and has two secure harbors for the
largest vessels. The inhabitants in 1914
numbered about 1000. were reduced I'm
1854 10 400, and are now nearly extinct.
They are Of a light copper complexion,
intelligent, industrious. and we'll dis
dosed. although TO some extent democrat
lied by contact with whalers and beche-
de-mer fishers They were hospitable,
and often. when the guest was a Euro-
pean, insisted upon serving him FIRST,
contenung themselves with the remains
of the meal. The island is very produc-
tive and covered with valuable timber,
from the shore to the summit OF the
mountains. Some Of this wood is N the
best quality for ship-building purposes.
perfectly straight and OF great length.
Ina addition its durability IS remarkable,
and it is impermeable by the saltwater
worm For these reasons the contract
ors for the drydock and wharves in
Shanghai obtained the piles needed in
the work from here and from Ascension
and the timber has given great satisiac-
ton. Most Of the land lies idle. the ma
tives do no more than the unavoidable
amount Of labor to provide themselves
with food, which in great measure
grows spontaneously.
DEPOPULATED BY DISEASE
Ascension. or Ponape, as 1t IS some
times named, is like Ualan. of a volcanic
basalt formation. but much larger. JOS
situation Us about Z degrees north lati-
tude and l5s degrees east longitude. This
island contains very considerable tracts
Of comparatively level or sloping land,
and IS clothed from the beach 10 the
mountain tops with every kind OF the
most glorious tropical vegetation and
forests of magnificent timber trees
There are many streams in all directions
with cascades for the turning OF mills
and I'm the valleys below of sufficient vol
ume for the floating of RATS and naviga-
tion by boats. The population is fast
disappearing. Tn 1853 there wOt fewer
than 1900 inhabitants on the island
when "a whaling ship visited 80 and left
the germs OF disease. In 1874 there were
fewer than 200 inhabitants, who in 1854
had dwindlcd 90 1900 souls. The people
do not go much 90 sea. They are kindly
disposed and peaccable. and though they
have often been decimated by hordes of
laWless ruhans from Manila Guam. and
Peru have remained hOspitable eencr-
Gus, and industrious. The women are
handsome and coquettish. The island
has received the not very nattering title
Of "beachc0mber's paradise
GOOD HARBOBS.
There are three good harbora on Ascen-
sion Metallanim, Rouan-Kiu and Joko-
itc-so that there is shelter az AN times
according to the prevailing winds, each
of these harbors being within "a coral
reef which provides double security
Some white men and Lascers have
long been settled on the island. The
natives used 90 be well supplied with
for shooting the pigeons that exist I'm
extraordinary numbers in the woods
Religious differences in 1890 caused them
To turn their weapons against one am
other and their Spanish masters. and
owing 90 the spirit OF ruthless rctaiia-
ton. habitual 10 Spanish soldiers. few
were left TO tell the tale OF their wrongs.
Ii is impossible for any one VINO has not
seen this island 10 form an idea OF it's
beauty and richness. The interior is
altogether uninhabited. There are many
ruins the remains of the work Of some
ancient people. In some localities hum
dreds of acres are covered with ruined
walls. canals. snd earthworls OF stu
pendous description. The trade in form
cr years was principally with whaleships |
Many small vessels from the Hawaiian |
and Samoan islands resort here. The |
principal articles of export are pearl |
shell of very fine quality, tortoise shell. |
beche. copra, oil. and fungi. Europeans |
have planted cotton and large quantities |
Of valuable timber are exported 10 China. !
The resources of the island are enor- |
nous and under the enlightened and lib |
eral government of the United States 90 /
would be difficult 10 overestimate It's |
value
Hogaleu is a great atOll, west Of Pom |
ape. The lagoon is about 800 miles IN |
circuit, There are three main channels |
of entrance, safe al all times for the lar |
gest sailing ships. Within the lagoon arc |
four great islands. each from twenty 90 |
thirty-hve miles in circumference. and |
more than twenty smaller uninhahited /
KEYS covered with cocoanut and other 1
trees There are still wood and good |
anchorage everywhere inside the outer I
reef. The inhabitants are tall, strong. /
and lcht-complexioned Their estimat- |
ed number is from 1900 20 20ocO They /
are people who. If treated in an honest. I,
manly. straightforward manner. need /
not be feared. The great lagoon cou- 4
tains immense quantities Of pearl oys-
ters OF the largest and most valuable |
kind Besides many kinds Of valuable /
trees the COCO tho sagu. and other
palms. there are wild oranges. citrons /
mangoes. sassafras. nutmees, massey /
and sandalwoOd. This island presents
TO the commercial aGyenturer am onpor-
Wnity such as Is scarcely 90 be found
elsewhere I'm the world.