Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-09-08

of the Pacific, he and his crews were
brought to the last extremity before
! they finally sighted land. Three
months and eight days were passed
/ on the Pacific The crew ate the
last of the bread, and the little water
( which remained was yellow and foul,
! when, on March s, 1891. the Ladron
Islands appeared on the horizon
straight ahead.
| Magellan was kindly received by
the natives and the visitors would
have been satisfied to remain d con-
siderable time at the islands were
it not for the thievishness of the
natives. How ladians almost naked
could contrive to handle and carry
off articles Of the size of those
which disappeared was a mystery, bu,
they managed it somehow, tor axes.
4 heavy crowoars, and even guns,
vanished as though by magic Magel-
/ ian one day noticed one of the
Indians swimming ashore from the
I ship. A heavy wave was encouutel ell
by The swimmer He diyed under II
and as he came out ON the other
side a sharp steel point Catered for
a moment in the sun. AS a boat was
then alongs de, Magellau had The man
pursued, and when he was overtaken,
TO the establishment Of everyone, it
was found that he was carrying of
one of the longest lances on the
ship, weapon with an eighteen
fnnI shaft I4nljiner n hanpoth hD
/ water, he would have escaped with
his booty undiscovered had 1t not
been for the unusual height OF the
wave, which disclosed the head of
the weapon. Thencefo. ward guard
was placed over the ships, but to
little purpose, and finally, after pro
: viGing himself with food and water
| Magellan sailed away. and in disgust
gave the islands the epithet of Lad
roIes, or Thieves island.
! Not long afterward Magellan per
ished i'll fight which he and his
men provoked with the Philippine
islanders. OF his five ships oNly
one, with eighteen men, returned to
Spain. Many years elapsed ere any
attempts were made to occupy the
islands which he had discovered
Toward the end of the seventeenth
century military expedition from
Mexico took possession of the islands
and renamed them the Mariana
group in honor of the Spanish queen
The natives at that time numbered
at least 10000, some estimates plac-
ing the population as high as $4,000
but, following their usual custom
elsewhere the Spanlards soon ex-
tel minated almost the entire popula
ton. The present islanders are most
I ly descendants of settlers from
Mexico or from the Philippine is
lands. The most considerable town
on any OF the group Is Saypan, OIL
the island OF the same name, thu
houses of which. like most of those
i'll the south sea islands, being ele
waited on piles from two to four fee
above the ground. There are few
Spanish settlers on the islands ant
the hold of Spain upon the groul
has been for the mos part nominal
1t is singular fact, discovered b!
Arson, that there are evidences OF
several of the Islands of a former
civilization. Cyclopean ruins exist
the architecture aud dimensions o.
the stones closely resembling thu
great ruins found in the islands o
the Creek archipelago. These lionel!
isles must, therefore, at one tim
hovn hapr IF oiyilivntihn
A curious nautical fiction is asso
ciated with the island of Guam
Every year thousands Of vessels
clear at custom houses IN Asia ani
Australia for Guam, yet none eve
goes there, none, in fact, eve
meant to go there. When a shil
clears for any particular place i
must go to that place by the shortes
route Of sailing, gale and wreck eX
cepted, and any failure calls for al
explanation. Yet there often arise
cases where it is of advantage no
to declare the port of destination; i
may be that thus a skipper ma.
avoid being bothered with mail, OF
it may be that business rivalry seek
to conceal some point Of good trade
In such cases the vessel clears foI
Guam and sails away to its secre
destination. Although there is
Guam upon the charts, the vessels
which have cleared for 1t never lay {
course in its direction, and the Law
is none the less satisfied. How i
is possible that Guam can be such
port is based OK the old tradition!
of Spanish exclusiveness in thu
Indies, both East and West. 1t ha
only been as a result Of superior
force that the Spaniards havt
opened the Indies to trade. and thi
century was well advanced before thu
last of the Old restrictions was re
moved. BY some chance the Ladro0e
were not included, and in accordance
with the laws of the Indies every
vessel calling there without Spanish
leave is fortified. The penalty o
the law has not been exacted fo
many years, but the existence OF thu
law has made possible the legal fic