New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-31
THE CAROLINE ISLANDS.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTENSIVE DE-
LOPMENT-PECCLIAR CUSTOMS
Of THE NATIVES

zealand n well-known explorer in the Central Pa
clfc The letter contains an interesting oescr'p-
,ion OF the Caroline Archipelago. ard is given IN
part az follows:
u,fh germany in 1885 lies between tho equatorial
line 10 the south apd the eleventh northern parable,
ionsitude Six hundred and hfty-two islands lie
scattered over this wide stretch OF sea me spah,
in Micronesia: the large southernmost island r,h
Guam Guajan. Hes some $50 miles 10 ,he nssts
of thirty-s!x minor groups OF which the hIhe ros
lowing are the prncPaI the rda oo,e or or R~S
the East and West Mortlocks. Bonabe or ponape
and kusaie, otherwise called ualan or STRONG
The Pclew contains some two S h Rs
islands and sles The principal isiand Is t TO-
sether Tho most important OF the rest are h The
Ier Mps pef l es ana Hnfaa at some
three thousand but is probably much more ti,ran
dialect somewhat akin to that of the Sulu Aren't
pelago The principal R5oduets are wpich IN the
Chinese markets brings as much as $500 goid per
ton There is always civil war going on on IN the ne
4 needed 10 keep things in order here Captain
Butran OF the Veasco gate!y sunk al M tsyas
good ne me Captain O'Keefe, however, a wealthy
trader OF Yap gives them doubtful repT nd r
Ki,ent character The enormous quartz wheels:
the famous and curious stone ,ba ela5d Of Koka
In oden time there was great commerca , ao1Va, ivy
here
Thaob is fich in good timber Great quantitIes of
Il no Spanish garrison. The country is well worth
opening up TO honest and energetic trade; a., As
eetty local raiahs as with their cousins of British
North Borneo and the Dyaks, whom tney i1 i
resembe a fringing reef, ffty-three miles long
rom north to south surrounds the Peews-a
menace 10 navigators. whch mas ues'ioSe' many
Nacao-bound vessel
RELICS OF A VANISHED CIVILIZATION.
go ela aug ire
Yap and the other isets OF the group of which Ra-
ynunr to the north president trader, Captain Brug-
manu- and Tarrang TO the south PRESIDENT trader
Captain O'Keefe). and Engnoch PRESIDENT trader r.
Oppenheim- Girard OF the Jauit Geseilschafp are
the principal Zap is surrounded by a coral reef reef
are hardly any rivIiets. but inland are extensive
seoiocssia) The isand is full Of relies of
ished civzation-od embankments and ter terraces;
or ancient platforms OF stone. faced with huge CIR
cuar quartz wheels set up at tnsf fh S6d high an
projecting gables. and lofty carven pillars Ihere
are e ssS rensrs2 oE
of the soil as follows: Sweet potatoes vans, OF
apples or pawpaws, pineappes. bananas paol, sugar
cane (naauD, breadfruit Ghaul. and the tropical
ported mostly through the German traders. 4 var
a sas results nn e gDGT M tree IS the
anu, fetau or kamani OF south Sea ISLANDS, me Ga,
:Hoi Tomii Hsrbor is the place of the European
settlement the seat of the Spanish Governor Of the
Sundfed soaeT with pfoba5y hundred
and hfy political prisoners captured IN te ae
station Yan Is rich in beautiful scenery the groves
1 Ss
bush and the nights are brilliant with frefies Nir,
there are Br but s and 6orse the
The uluthi or Mackensie group lies little 70 the
Is the chief port and trading place There 1 ,. is
trade ed ss here n Thf e NATIVES since
ancient times subject 10 zap and come down
s sS Of om and ry
dustrous and great m the 10 eas ne
ward. who have an III name as merciless and
-.reacherous pirates throughout the length and
The Uleai natives are better. but not quite trust
srodn lies IN m S east oneud dsp There
eight mxed Win s The
people OF oiimarao Lamotrek and satawai have
similar traditions customs and language l..
the SOUTH Of which Puiawat and Puio-suk are the
chief islands are only to be visited with consid-
war to visit here and warn the petty chiefs against
pratca oaEs or cutting of pesSef bn adng
little notice Of several treacherous murders
committed Of late years and seem DISPOSED 10 let
The next group eastward Is called Ruk or TUX,
e dfS The of the oft IN the
group consists of some seventy islands lying In
The lagoon is 20 kilometres O304S miles, round.
chorage for vessels of large draught There is a
great annual output of copra. Pearl shell. turtle
known island preparation Of talk" a red cos
metic: is made made here There are thirty Japanese
trading firm of Jaut sends many vessels to Al
ten The aSS haS peS OF
whom they call In the various Caroline dialects,
There has been a certain amount of civil war here
OF late. much to the prejudice Of local industries.
CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE NATIVES
The natives both Of Ruk and the neighboring
group Of the Mortocks. have the curious custom
remarked in the Visayas Of the Philippines the
Peruvian Indians and the Taringa- Roroa aboriglnes
OF Easter Island. of piercing the lower lobe of the
and forcing II to grow downward In a huge
unsightly flap. The Mortlock language is the Lin
qua Franco Of the Central Carones. Here is found
a very large Polynesian admixture The island OF
Losap. some eighty miles east OF Ruk has an I'll
reputation OF late. II colonized by rowing
band Of pirates from Chokach or Jekoits on the
ponaPe Coast and is said to have all the old saw
groups; Lukunor Lagoon. containing eighteen ISL
circuit. the hsrbor. Port Chamsso. being in 1862
10 "a" east longitude and % 2V north latitude The
sns @ sTSIS nd Il is IN 5 s.
east longitude and 50 II" north latitude The third
Is Eta, comprising eighteen low coral islets, sur;
situated IN isS' / east longitude and $ 80 north
some two thousand The products are copra and
beche de The Germans take great pains TO
develop industry here.
We now come 20 the far eastern groups In the
great chain, where the 10th north parallel divides
the Spanish possessions from those Of Germany.
The most important is that of Sonia vina. Bonabe.
Ponape. which includes the Ant and Pakin ISL
ands and the large island of Ponape dn native
"Panu-Pei." or the Land OF the Holy Places. So
called from the remarkable Tvics OF ancient civil
ization found near Metaanim Harbor. on the east
coast. 1t is situated between north parallels 70
and e s.. and meridians i6S as and 1914 81 east
longitude. The Island of Ponape occupies 1000
square, kiometers Q10S2i square niles. II Is sur
rounded by extensive reef. shutting in wide
lagoon. studded the north and southwest with
many small slets. The country is occupied by five
wei or tribes under their hereditary chiefs: to the
north, under their Tchpau titular king. a great
friend OF the English-speaking folk: MeJalanm 10
the east, ruled by their Ichipau. King Paul. a
gloomy. morose Old man. a great hater of the
''macha puotopuot." or white faces and the pro-
motor Of all the late troubles of bad faith