Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-08-17

settled on the island The natives used to
| be we'll supplied with muskets, which
they used principally for shooting the
pigeons that exist in extraordinary num-
| bers in the woods. Religious differences
| in 1890 caused them to turn their weapons
! against one another and their Spanish
masters, and owing to the spirit of ruth
less retaliation, habitual to Spanish SOL
diers, few were left to tell the tale OF their
| wrongs.
1t is impossible for any one who has not
seen this island to form an idea OF Its
beauty and richness. The interior is al
together uninha bited. 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 and earthworks of stu
pendous description. The trade in former
years was principally with whales hips.
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 to China
The resources of the island are enormous
IIogaleu is great atoll, west of Ponape
The lagoon is about 300 miles in circuit
There are three main channels of entrance,
safe at all times for the largest sailing
ships. Within the lagoon are four great
islands, each from twenty to thirty five
miles in circumference, and more than
twenty smaller uninhabited keys covered
with cocoanut and other trees. There are
still water and good anchorage every
where inside the outer reef.
The inhabitants are tall, strong, and
light complexio Their estimated
number is from 5000 to 10000. They are
people who, if treated in an honest, man
~, straightforward manner, need not be
feared. The great lagoon contains i'm
mense quantities of pearl oysters of the
largest and most valuable kind. Besides
many kinds of valuable trees, the coco,
the sagu, and other palms. there are wild
oranges, citrons, mangoes, sassafras, nut
megs, massey, and sandalwood. This is
land presents to the commercial adven-
turer an opportunity such as is scarcely to
be found elsew here in the world.
Nuguor, Monteverde and zap are quite
as rich in South Sea products as the is
lands described. Dense groves OF bread
fruit trees, cocoanuts and betelnuts cover
the last named, the inhabitants of which
in 1884 numbered about 10000. They are
peaceable, handsome people, of light
brown complexion; they chew betelnuts
and smoke cigarettes. They live in the
midst OF every kind of material comfort
and abundance. Their towns and villages
are neatly constructed, and some roads
and landing places are paved with stone.
The Maranas group consists OF about
twenty islands mountainous, well wa
tered and wooded, and very fertile. At
the time of their discovery the population
was reekoned at more than 10000 souls
In 1874 there were only about 800; to-day
their number is small indeed.
At a distance of $50 miles east OF the
Philippines there is the Palaos, or Pelew
group OF about twenty islands, which
form a chain running about 100 miles from
south-southwest to north mort beast. The
estimated population in 1881 was about
10000 in sixty seven independent yllages.
The people are Of dark, brown color,
well formed, and of quiet, genial dispo-
stion. They have king, or head chief.
Horror is the principal harhor. The en-
trance to it is through an opening in the
coral reef that surrounds thu island and i
not more than fifty metres wide
At the western extremity Of the Caro-
lines the depth of water inside is from
eight to ten feet, so transparent thai the
fantastic forms of the brilliantly hued
coral branches beneath, with the teeming
population of mollusks and fishes, can be
distinctly seen.