The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-09-17
SEARCH FOR LOST ISLAND.
THE STRANGE MISSION OF THE
SCHOONER VINE.
Thirty Years Ago Valuable Guano
Island was Found in the Pacifc-lts
Location is Secret.

Nnen the schooner vine, captain
Jone +. Burns, owner, sails for the
south after her arrival from st.
Michael, she will be sent on a unique
cruise i'm the Pacific. which, if sue
cessful, will make her owner rich. \
thousand leagues or more to the west
of the coast of Central America, and
not far from the tropical ATTITUDES of
the Hawaiian Islands, there is a little
black spot on the Pacific. according TO
Captain Burns, which does not show
on any map that has ever been pub
lished. This land was discovered in
1865 by Captain Williams, of the bark
Leonidas, who was driven out of his
course by a hurricane. Known to be
rich in guano. this mysterious island
has never been seen since, ii is be-
lieved. by mortal man, and it is to
find it again and to develop its latent
wealth that the prov of the handsome
schooner Vine will he turned towards
the setting sun after her arrival
Captain Burns believes that the is
! land is worth 81 100000 at least Qua
no is a fertilizer in great demand in
California, where it is extensively used
in the orange orchards of that state.
| In fact. its use is absolutely essential
crops. Captain Burns believes that if
he finds the island he will be able to
market the guano at big profit in
| San Francisco.
The story of the discovery of this
! island as told recently by Captain
Burns, is most interesting. Its loca-
ton is known only to him and to
friend in San Francisco. This is the
/ CT fol ht- N pf-i, M
by the way. is known from Mexico to
Alaska by all shipping men.
ut was thirty years ago" said Cap
tain Burns, beginning his story, that
the bark Leonidas sailed from a Cen
trail American port for San Francisco,
with mixed cargo of tropical pro-
ducts Her master was Captain Will
lams, splendid navigator, and ia
miliar with every inlet along the coast
of the Gulf of California. On that trip
the Leonidas encountered adverse
winds and she was finally driven many
miles out of her course. Then came
calm weather and the ship drifted
about in southern ATTITUDES for days.
One day the lookout spied land to the
west. A little black speck stood up
over the sea, not more than two or
three miles distant. The ships helm
was put a-starboard and she bore
down on the island.
Captain Williams went ashore. He
found, according to his reports made
after his arrival in San Francisco. IL
low, barren island, inhabited solely
: by wild fowl. 1t was four miles in
length and destitute of vegetation.
Captain Williams walked over a por-
ton of the island, which he found was
: covered with a rich deposit of guano
of great thickness. Samples were dug
from the island and taken back to San
Francisco. 1t was analysed and found
: to be of very high grade.
Captain Williams realized the i'm
portance and value of his discovery
None of the existing charts or maps
showed this island. He had taken a
note of its location and this he con,
tided to a business associate in San
Francisco. \ few weeks later he died
and his secret rested for twenty-five
years with the man in whom he con.
fided. He in turn told me of the dis
coVery by Captain Williams, and four
years ago | went in search of the is
land in the Vine. Before l reached the
point indicated by Captain Williams, a
hurricane drove me far out of my
course and | abandoned the search for
the time being.
AS Captain Burns ended his nara
tive, he drew from his wallet a small
slip of paper, worn as a result of
many foldings and stained yellow by
age. 1t was pasted together in many
places, showing that it had been car
ried for years. He would not allow
the reporter to see the contents of the
paper, but said it was the latitude and
longitude of the island written by
Captain Williams himself. Captain
Burns guards this little slip of paper
as if it were thousand dollar note
This will not be the first adventure
Gus mission of the Vine. Not long
ago she carried a treasure hunting
party to Treasure Island, where two
British warships with crews of men
and much machinery attempted year
ago to find a deposit of gold and sill
yer, said to have been placed on the
island more than half a century age
by British ship. The treasure came
from the capital of Peru during the
war between Peru and Chill.