The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-05

grow the pearl oyster and the beche-de-
mer, which Cinnamon eat, and on the
sands great turtles come to lay their
eggs by night. Hence beachcombers
mysteriously wandering beyond the con-
fines OF civilization at odd times camp
on the bare islets in search of the wealth
or tortoise shell, pearl she'll and trepang
the sea affords. This is the story Of one
such colony on the desolate atoll OF SUI
NARROW, a tale whose events were com
plete in 1888, but have never yet been
made known beyond the combers Of
South Sea beaches.
In the early months OF 1857 Thomas
Charlton OF Martha's Vineyard, a run
away hand from a Nantucket whaler.
was living on the island Of Nlanahiki.
When he was fishing one day in a canoe
outside the coral reef a sudden squall car
ried him and his party Of islanders out OF
sight of land and left them adrlft and
undirected upon the ocean, South Sea
tradition is a mass OF tales OF such in
voluntary voyaging. With such help as
a sailor could get from dead reckoning
and a knowledge of the set Of the trade
winds, Charlton managed TO bring his
canoe to Suvarrow and there established
his colony OF Manahlkians. In addition
to his wife Sumaria, Charlton. or Tamu,
as he was called in the liquid speech OF
the Islands. numbered the census OF his
settlement on the sands eight souls
He and his wife. KOkorariki. a Paumotu
woman from The far eastern island away
TO windward Of Tahiti, and, as the event
proved shrewd and conscienceless wo-
man, kaitai and his wife. and the single
men Ngere. Iaarau, Volta. Otea and
Vaimau. With true Polyneslan apathy
these people made the best they could Of
bad affair built them houses near a
source Of water. and took up the thread
Of life where IL had been broken by the
squall at Manahiki, scores of leagues
away. There was food on the island
and water-that is enough for a colony
Of folk whose needs are simple
They were destined to live not long
alone. Captain Sustenance was sailing
those seas In his topsail schooner Dart
Captain Sustenance might not be classed
among the elect. He was not a good
man, even according to the standard OF
these waters, where the only good thing
a.foat was the "society's brig" asid So
clety being the London Missionary So
clety, which has pioneered the South
Pacific since Cooks voyages OF discovery
But Sustenance was such man as best
suited the early times of sea trading,
enough OF mere merchantmen to sat
isfy the curiosity OF the infrequent naval
fNH''A"
the sake Of the moral effect, enough Of
buccaneer TO have dollars to jingle on
the Circular Quay in Syndey before a
grand carouse in the Currency Lass pub
lie house. From end to end Of the PACT
fic Sam Sustenance was known by the
name Of Uru Uru, which the islanders
had given him. At Penrhyn Island. on
August 1. 1851 no engaged an English
beachcomber, Joe Bird TO superintend
tho Marty ~ M tive r,aayT Iftrare ttrhor,, no
shipped at the same time. There were
eighteen men and several women in the
party. The Penrhyn folk are widely diff
erent from the gentle and timOrous
Manahikians. Dour and gloomy at all
times. they are capable Of nourishing a
grievance and Of biding their time in
plot to wipe il out. Two days later Uru
Uru stopped at Manahiki long enough
70 take on board 1000 coacoanuts for the
food of his divers, and on August 18th
he anchored at Suvarrow.
According to the beachcomber's law
~ might is right. Sustenance and Joe
Bird with n fighting crew al their back
with score of fierce Penrhyn Islanders
were able 10 decree that Tamu and his
handful OF mild Manahikans should con-
fine themselves TO one islet and leave the
rest of the atoll 10 the pearl divers.
Still more company was coming. Within
month or six weeks the schooner Tick
Ter. Thomas f. Martin, master, visited
SuvarrOw and landed Jules Tirel,
Frenchman who was known 10 the IS
landers as Jules Farani, or French Jules
In October Of me same year Sustenance
revisited his pearling station and found
little shell yet collected It is likely that
he gave forcible expression to his disap-
pOintment. but be that as II may. the
main feature is that the three beach
combers were then and there with the
two native settlements Of Manahikians
and Penrhyn people and that all was
well In April 1858, the brig Charlotte
touched at Suvarrow and two Of the
Manahiki boys. Otea and Vaimau, went
on her to Somoa. Neither on the voyage
nor at Spia did they mention any white
men as having been with them on Suvar-
row and the master Of the Charlotte
knew nothing of the former actions Of
Sustenance.
That trader again visited Suvarrow on
June 18th ten months after establishing
his diving station and eight months after
his last visit. AS he stood up for the
passage through the coral reef first one
and then second canoe filled with PEN
rhyn Islanders boarded the Dart with
many expressions OF pleasure that they
once more saw their friend Uru Uru, for
the three beachcombers had long ago
taken their boat and sailed away
westward to Samoa. Knowing the
wild rowing rever which drives
the beachcomber hither and yon,
back and forth through the South
Seas. and their recklessness of the chanc-
es of voyaging. Sustenance saw nothing
unusual in the thought OF three men set
ting out In a small boat for an ocean
voyage OF hundreds Of miles. His two
mates suggested the possibility OF foul
play. but he pooh-poohed their suspicious
Az any rate the Penrhyn Islanders told
q consistent story.
on landing, Sustenance met the Pau
motu woman, Kokorarih, wife OF the
Manahikian Here. Her story was 20 the
effect that IN February the three beach
combers had painted the boat and made
a new sail. They had taken the small
cask filed with drinking water and
large supply OF dried eggs OF the sea
fowl which swarm on the islands, togeth-
or with variety OF food In the shape OF
fresh and baked cOcoanuts The boat
had been leaky. but was tight after the
new pasnting. They had sailed away 10
the west and before shutdown we're out
Of sight AS they had left their wives
behind she was sure that they intended
IN take ship in Samoa and go 10 their
own lands beyond the horizon. They had
taken all their trade goods except one
moi, OF printed goods which they had
divided among the Penrhyn divers.
For a savage this woman seems 70
have had a genius for lying. the otner
reonis agreed with her account, and the
Island, when carefully searched yielded