The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-01-23

appointment of a governor over them.
In fact, they are so far from anywhere
that even the most persistent office
seeker would scarcely accept an APP
pointment there. Rowland or Hol-
land island is the larger of the two,
and is separated from Baker island by
an arm Of the sea about twenty-five
miles wide. 1t is about two miles long
and a trife over a half mile in width.
1t was discovered by Capt. G. E..
Netcher, of the American bark Isabel
la, Sept. 8, 1912, and was formally
taken possession of by him the next
morning in the lame of the United
States. He raised a flag on the island
and deposited a box at the foot of the
staff containing a record of what he
had done. In 1857 the island was Wis
tied by the whaling bark Portsmouth.
The flag staff erected by Capt. Netcher
had been blown down by the winds,
but the bark's captain found the record
and promptly raised another flag. He
was determined that it should stand,
and how we'll he succeeded is shown by
hllC 0CNds .AS stump NAACA Gull olaAb0
there, though another flag staff was
raised some fifteen years later, on a
higher part Of the island, by Comman-
der Meade, United States steamer Mar
%ragansett. Capt. Netcher also dis
covered another island, quite noun
famous, and evidently of volcanic ORR
gin, about forty-fve miles north of
ITnu1oTI onI +A0l~ AA-rorcfnn Oe fhfC
also in the name of the United States.
Near the center of the island are
thickets of small trees covering
an area of many acres. The
eastern side of the island is composed
Of a succession of ridges, generally of
sand and shells. At earlier stages of
the islands growth these may have
successfully formed the weather shore.
Bits of pumice and driftwood are scat
tered all over the island. There are
no springs on the island, but water
may be obtained by digging a few feet.
In the center the island spreads out in
a plain containing about 400 or 500
acres. This is susceptible Of cultiva-
ton, but the island would be valueless
were it not for its coral and its guano
deposits. The guano covers the entire
middle part, from north to south, and
is from six inches to four feet in depth.
At the time of Commander Meade's
visit, in 1872, the guano export was
about 5000 tons annually. Consider
able coral was also being exported.
During the early fifties the British
ship Pelican was wrecked on a reef
heal Rowland island. The crew man
aged to get to the island in safety.
Some years later the huts they had
lived in and other traces of the trip, in
1872, could not be found. The men had
disappeared. What had become of
them will doubtless never be known.
Doubtless, tired of the eternal soli-
tude, and of battling with sea birds
and rats. with which the island
abounds, they built a raft or a boat
and put to sea, only to meet death in
the mighty waters.
Rowland island will never be Wis
tied by tourists for the sake of its
scenery. 1t is almost fiat, of coral
formation, and rises but twenty feet
above the level of the reef, only about
twelve or fifteen above the level of the
high tide. The western side of the
island is slightly depressed, and much
Of it is covered with an abundant
growth of vegetation.
S'S@rtly after the civil war the is