The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-07-26
SPAIN AND THE LADRONES
POPULATION ONCE CONSIST
ED OF TWO PEOPLE.
That Was After Spain Had "Paci-
fed" the Rest of the Inhabitants
Short History of the Islands.

all area of 44o square miles, and the
population is reported to be 5000.
They were discovered by Magellan
OH March 6, 1921, and named by
him Islands of Lateen Sails" on
acc cunt of the triangular shaped
sails carried by the native canoes.
The Spaniards also called them
Ladrones, because they found the
natives to be incorrigible thieves.
In 1868 they were named Marianas
in honor of the widow Of King
Philip " of Spain, Maria Anna of
Austria.
The Spanish took formal posses
sion Of the islands in 1865, and as
they lay directly in the track of
vessels bound to Manila from the
Pacific coast it was usual for the
Spanish galleons to call at Guam
for water and fresh provisions. In
1868 Padre de Sanvitories was sent
from Spain to establish a mission on
| Guam and to convert the natives.
The influence of the mission soon
extended to all the other inhabited
islands. Savitores claimed to have
baptised IS, 900 and converted 2o,-
900 during the first year of his
labors. The mutual good under
standing between the natives and
the missionaries, however,, did not
last long and revolts became very
frequent, but European discipline
and firearms were too much for the
spears bows and arrows Of the poor
natives.
A war of determination and fore
ed emigration to other islands so
destroyed the population that when
Kotezbue visited the islands in 1917
there was only one couple of the alb
origines left, sad but true picture
of the mode in which the Spaniards
"paci6ed" the poor natives.
Commodore Arson visited these
islands in the Centurion in I742,
when on his way to Manila in
search Of the richly laden Spanish
galleons which traded regularly be-
tween that port and Acapulco.
Ages ago these islands must have
been thickly populated, judging
from the numerous tombs that are
to be met with, and there are still
some caves filled with skulls which
were the object of veneration before
the arrival of the Spaniards.
: Prior to the opening of the Jap.
anese ports these islands were
much frequented by American and
English whalers for the fresh pro.
visions so easily obtained. A large
portion of the inhabitants now liv-
ing there are light copper color,
with very light hair.
The temperature of the islands is
very much cooler than at the Phil
ippines, and they have always been
considered very healthy. 1t has
been reported that an immense lot
of treasure was buried on the
island of Pagan, one of the north
ern islands of this group; the story
is, however, too long to be intro.
duced here. 1t was cached by an
English captain in the year 1921
and was brought here from Peru,
having been placed on board of a
clipper brig called Water Witch fol
safe keeping by the rich citizens o.
one of the richest cities in PERT
when that country was fighting
against Spain for its independence,
The captain, however, watched
for chance and sailed off with the
entire outfit just as the Peruvians
were celebrating victory they had
gained over the Spanish. In the
vicinity of these islands a most ter
rible typhoon was encountered and
the brig had to be run on shore tc
save the lives of the crew.
After the treasure was landed the
crew managed to get away in some
of the native canoes, and eventually
reached the Pelew islands, where
they lived two years, finally escap
ing in New Bedford whaler called
Syren, Captain Coffin. This yes
sci, however, before she got away
from the Pelews, was savagely at
tackled by the natives; two of the
officers were killed and most of the
crew were wounded. The Syrer
reached New Bedford in the fall o
1923, The captain of the Water
Witch was the only survivor Of thi'
vessels crew when the Syren reach
ed New Bedford.