Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-23
ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS.
wonderful Prehistoric Remains in the
Carolines.

| cen years ago, under the title ESSAY
on South Sea Curiosities," which gave
Prof. kubary's description of the won
/ derful prehistoric ruins discovered in
the Caroline Islands. almost in the mid
racine. These ancient works are re-
markable not only for the fact that
| columnar shafts of basalt. MANY
weighing several tons each, were trans
ported from 20 to so miles to buiId nm
the defences. tombs and other struct-
ures. but also because the little islands
themselves on which the walls were
reared are mainly artificial in forma-
ton. having been built up out of the
shallow waters of the lagoon by the
neaplnS up of these shafts of baSalt
! VINO reared this solid. Cyclopean ma
sonry? No one knows but it seems al
most impossible that the work could
have been done by the ancestors of the
present inhabitants of the Carolines.
! Prof. Kubary's description of these
ruins was the first written account of
them. But he was able to visit only
part of them, and his studies on the
ground were necessarily very incom-
pete. AS the ruins are really among
the worlds prehistoric wonders. the
recent studies of Mr.. F. W. Christian
at Ponape Island. near the eastern end
Of the Carolnes, and therefore very
far removed from the continents east
and west, are particularly interesting
and acceptable. The paper he read
before the Royal Geographical Society
which is printed in the Geographical
Journal for February, gives an excel
lent idea Of these titanic remains Of
10 return to the Carolines TO continue
his Investigations.
POnape is the largest island of the
Carolines. 1t is entirely surrounded by
coral reef. with narrow openings here
ana there. and between the reef and
the land is 4 lagoon Of very shallow
water. most of it not over one to three
feet in depth. The ruins are in this
lagoon. off the east coast of the island
ana close to the south coast of the little
/ island of Tomun. This map is re-
duction Of Mr.. Christians sketch plan
of the artificial islands. which. with
the stone work on them. forms the re-
mains of the prehistoric work.
These islands cover an area of about
nine square miles. 1t will be observed
that most of them are rectilinear in
form. 1t happens that the break in the
reef to the east is here unusually wide
and heavy rollers would come in from
the sea if it We're not that Il number of
| long stone islands We're built on the
east, which serve as sea wall or
breakwater. The massive walls of this
breakWater are seen stretching south
ward for three miles. the masonry
showing here and there through the
dense tangle Of shrubs and mangroves
that crown and encircle the islets. The
dense tropical vegetation that covers
all the islands makes their exploration
difficult. A visitor who was not OBJ
servant might visit the spot and never
know of the existence of the remark
able objects around him. An immense
amount of work had to be done to see
the ruins at all. and photographs could
be taken only after a great deal of
clearing away of underbrush.
Not more than 90 persons are now
living on the three or four inhabited is
lands. The natives give this Venice of
the Pacific a pretty wide berth, for
they say that the place is haunted and
nothing can induce them to set foot on
certain of the islets, for they believe
that if they did the wrath of evil spirits
WOULD pNeTNHtllIl llltlll. MI III lSlLdl
induced several Of the natives to assist
him. but they thought the work was
perilous. one of them said to Christian
as he declined to work for the white
man any longer:
The eyes Of the spirits are watching
everything you do | know they are
angry They will not injure you be
cause you are a white man, but they
will punish US. | am very much afraid.
| cannot sleep at night and | wish to
go home
Paul. the king of the Metalanim tribe
on the neighboring mainland,is chull-
ish sort of a ruler, who now and then
uses some of the ancient tombs and
vaults on these islands as dungeons in
which to confine those who offend him.
| This punishment is greatly dreaded by
! the natives and made il all the more
/ difficult for Christian to get native as
! sistantS. When news of the eXcava-
! lions reached the ears of King Paul, ne
| at once put a stop to christians work
| Most unfortunately, his superstitious
| terrors We're confirmed by severe cpl
demic of influenza that attacked his
people shortly after Christians depart
ure. which viii probably add to the
difficulty Of resuming the explorations.
There are between 80 and 60 Of these
| artificial islets. AS the map shows
network Of shallow channels inter
scots the island labyrinth, the water ~
which. for the most part, IS deep
| enough merely to float canoe. All the
islets and the walls. tombs and other
structures on them were built OF basalt
columns. commonly known as coluih-
mar basalt, Of which specimens may De
found along our Palisades on the Hud-
son There is no basalt near the aftl-
fetal islands. and the enormous guam
titv that was required by the ancient
ibuiIders must have been. carried III
oraat canals or on RATS distance Oh
% TO 80 miles along the coast. CnliS-
fan found the great quarries Where
those pillars and blocks were obtained
The most distant of the two quarfles
l. ot Chokach. thirty miles away. Where
+bn columnar basalt formation IS very
strikinglv marked. Here all the shalts
LAND niIlars required were lying arou,l"
raadv SHAPED to the hands OF 'he
builders. They had TO be renloNea so'ilt
-. ,be sea from the daleS dt