The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-09-04
I The(dro|6ie5.
archipelago Which Spain
Failed to Develop.

As the comparative isolation Of the
Caroline Archipelago has kept the
characteristics OF the islands a sealed
book to the general reading public, the
statements made by F. w. Christian
OF the Polynesian Society, Of yelling
ton' New Zealand. are interesting and
important.
spanish Micronesia, according to the
treaty made With Germany in 1885
lies between the equatorial line to the
soutn and the eleventh northern par
anei and the meridians 139 degrees 12
minutes and "a seconds and 10 de-
grees IL minutes and "a seconds east
ern longitude. Six hundred and fifty
TWO islands lie scattered over this wide
stretch of sea. The Spanish do not
place the Mariannes Qadrone islands,
In Micronesia; the large southernmost
island, Guam or Guatan, lies some $50
miles to the north of Lamotrek. Tho
caroline Archipelago consists of thIr.
ty-six minor groups, Of which the nine
Following are the principal: The Pala-
os or Pelews, Zap, Uluthi, Uleai, Ma
monuito. Hogolen or Ruk, the East
and West MortIocks, Banobe or Pon-
ape, and Kusaie, otherwise called
Ualan or Strong's Island.
TWO HUNDRED ISLANDS.
The Pelew group contains some 200
Islands and islets. The principal ISL
and Is Bab-el-Thaob, which in area is
equal to all the rest put together. The
most important of the rest are Korror,
uruk-Tapel, Malk, Pelelu and Angaur.
The population of the Pelews is estl-
mated at some 5000, but is probably
much more. The language is a pecu-
liar and bizarre Malayan dialect. The
principal products are turtle-shell, CO.
pra and Beche de mer OHolothurial.
which in the Chinese markets brings
as much as $400 a ton. There is al
ways civil war going on in the group
between the various tribes. Captain
Butran of the Velasco. Qately sunk at
Manila), who visited the group in 1885,
gives these ratives a good rame. Cap
tain O'Keefe, however, a wealthy ira
der of Yap, gives them a doubtful rep
utation, putting them down as folk
of piratical and turbulent charac-
ter.
II olden time there was great com
mercial activity here. Bah-el-Thaob
is rich in good timber. Grea: quanti-
ties of yams. breadfruit and cccOanutS
are grown. Alligators. are found in
some of the creeks. and peculiar kind
of horned frog. There is abundance
of good pasture for horses and cattle
Goats are plentiful. The Spanish
have done next to nothing to show
their occupation, and everything goes
I'll much as before. There Is no 'pan
ish garrison. The country is well
worth opening up to honest and ener
| getic trade All that is needed here I:
a little firmness with the petty loca
rajahs. A fringing reef fifty-thre'
miles long from north to south sur
rounds the Pellews-a menace to nav
! igators which h9s destroyed many /:
Macao-hoy,nd vessel
YAI' is FULL OF RELICS.
Some 300 miles northeast of relew'
are Yap and the other islets of th'
group. Yap is surrounded by a cora
reef thirty-five miles long by five broad
There are hardly any rivulets, bu
inland are extensive swamps. careful
Iy planted with the watertaro (coloca
sia). The island is full of relics of
vanished cIviliZatiop-old embank
ments and terraces sites of ancien
cultivation, stone-paved roads; paes o
ancient platforms of stone, faced wit
huge circular quartz wheels. set up q
their sides; enormous council lodges o
quaint design, with bold. high and pro
jecting gables, and lofty carven pi
lars. Walls of ancient fish ponds an
stone weirs fill the lagoon between tn
reef and the shore. making navlgatio
a difficult proposition.
There are some 5000 natives on va
kindly, Industrious and general
speaking, quaint and peac'
) able folk, dark in color. an
speaking a barbarous dialect. I'll
} fruits of the soil are gwe'
potatoes, yams, of which there is
} great variety, taro Qak), mammee al
pies or pawpaws, pineapples, banans
! (pao), sugar cane (maquiD, Dreadful
(thau), and the tropical almond