The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-28
SMOKE COLUMNS
Mysterious Signallers In
the LadroneS.
Many COrjeCtureS as to the Identity
of the lnha bitants-istand
Near Guam.

Three days of terrific tvphoor
weather. which sent the barometer
down eighty points and almost caused
the Transport Siam" TO take the same
downward tendency, had driven us
hundreds of miles out of our course
and although We were again steering
West" by the compass, yet the direc-
ton seemed an indefinite quantity as
far as knowing just where we lay in
the broad eXpanse of the Pacific.
On the bridge-deck of the transport
the few passengers, (army people,
lolled, slept, or read as the ship rolled
lazily on in the smooth aftermath OF
the typhOon-swept ocean, awaiting the
moment when an observation could be
taken. We cOnjectured that we must
be somewhere in the vicinity of Guam
in the Ladrone Group. Suddenly di-
rectly ahead of us, as the dense clouds
began rising, we perceived the outlines
of an island; indistinct at first. it's out
lines soon became clear through our
glasses; the sun broke forth through
a rift of clouds; the mates, sextants in
hand, hurried to the bridge. and in a
few moments we knew we were ap-
preaching Saipan. It's rugged volcanic
mountain slopes were covered with
deep green tropical verdure; a rift in
the peak showed the formation of a
crater, evidently long extinct. 1t was
beautiful island, more beautiful in our
eyes at that time it seemed than any
landscape We had ever before seen.
We wondered if it was inhabited, for
ed by nature for the habitation Of man
must be in the possession of some ma
tive tribe. The chart was consulted
but gave no evidence that man dwelt
upon it; volume of sea-vOyages, para
and parcel of the ship itself, made no
of this island other than that
it belonged to the Ladrone Group. Per
haps few ships had visited this island
since the days Of Magellan, when, in
his diminutiye 100-ton vessel, he dis
covered it, the first land he had seen
since rounding Cape Horn.
Slowly we rounded the island on the
north; sheer precipiceS rose straight
from the sea which broke an2riiy at
their bases; then little coves were no.
ticeable, beach and a grove Of luXu-
RANT trees in the background: here
small cape, and then more preclpices.
and from the other completely.
The scene finally became lnonoton-
Gus one and we were about to leave the
bridge, when a column of thick, white
smoke shot high into the air from the
center of the grove.
"A shipwrecked sailor, Captain.
some one shouted.
III bet it's a sailor wrecked in the
typhoon,' cried another.
Wait: see if the signal is given
again." calmly replied the Captain.
We did wait, glueing our eyes upon
the grove OF trees. The Captain, with
his glasses sweeping the shore line,
stated his belief that the signaller was
a native. and merely smoked a re-
cognition. Our fancies, however, build
ed up a Robinson Crusoe, and we
persisted in venting our reasons for be-
h III
felt disappointed that the castaway, or
whomsoever the person might be, did
not renew the signal, when suddenly
our patience was rewarded by another
signal of smoke.
There. what'd l tell you; he has
added fuel so as to attract our atten-
tion,' said one.
Lets lower a boat and go after
him." chimed in another.
The Captain, however. seemed in
credulous and stolidly held to his opin-
ion that it was native, as he felt Ger
tain that the island was inhabited
Mans inhumanity to man makes
thousands mourn" was quot
ed somewhere in the group in sub
dued tone. and caused us to rally the
Captain for his lack of confidence in
the mysterious signaller. Our group
finally resolved itself into council Of
war and a ways and means committee;
we reasoned that perhaps it was d
castaway who had been upon the shore
of that island for years; perhaps even
the last storm. which nearly sent us to
the bottom of the sea, had wrecked
some unfortunate vessel, and this I'M
known signaller was its sole survivor
and so we argued.
You have relatives sailing ships in
this part ofthe world, haven't you Cap
tain was inquired.
Yes, my brother is master of the
"Fiume," but he should be in Singa-
pore now he replied.
So that settled it; even the Captain 5
sense of sentiment cOuId not ha reach