Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-01-03
MYSTERIOUS ISLANDS
Little Dots of Land in the Pacific
That Are Hard to Find.
CIippertOn, whose Ownership Has
Been Claimed by Four Coun-
tries, ut Last Definitely
Located

Much attention has been given OF late
to what we may call the strange case
Of Clipperton island. II is not more
than three miles in circumference, and
it lies in the western Pacific something
like 500 miles west OF Mexico. In the
wide expanse Of the Pacific ocean it
shows like a mere speck, so small as
to be Of no value, seemingly, save as
a refuge for a few Of the army Of beach
combers "who have burst all bounds
OF habit and have wandered far away
in the course Of their downward prog
ress. But the ownership Of Clippocton
sland has OF late been claimed by nc
fewer than four countries-Mexico, the
United States, France and Great Brit
ain; and when il Is added that the is
land is a fayorite haunt Of Sea birds,
and TINT many tons Of valuable guano
are waiting to be picked up, the reason
for this unwonted solicitude, even in
an era OF Iand-grabbing, viii be ap-
parent.
Clipperton island Is Of interest in an
other direction. II is one Of those nu-
merous stretches OF land set in the
midst Of the seas. sunny and otherwise,
which. after their first discovery, for
many years elude all endeaycrs to To-
cate them again. II has now been, as
il were. nailed down in one particular
spot IN the ocean--that is 10 say, its
exact position has been finally deter
mined by wnrships sent out for the ex-
press purpose Of searching for it and
settling all doubts as to its existence
and the only thing remaining now is
that the question Of ownership should
be settled. II happens that there Is
another lslnnd about 400 miles south
west OF Clipperion, and rich in the
same deposits that make that place
worth possessing. for which adyentur-
ous miners are al this moment looking.
As late as July last vessel named
Moonlight left Altata, Mexico, on a
soyage in search Of this latest mysteri-
aus island, and spent 80 days OF fruit
less labor toward this end. Her cap
tain failed TO find the place, and, fear
ng that his provisions and water would
run short, returned home to report that
either the rough charts OF old Capt
Martin and his associates were in err
ror or else that some strange seismic
phenomenon had caused the lost isle
to disappear years ago, perhaps, for all
that mortal soul knows. Spice is add
ed to this romance by the fact that
mother Frisco captain located the
place definitely II year or two before,
and found a small colony there, which
ronoy is still on the island, shipping
guuno in their own schooners, manned
by numbers Of their own party, to the
leading ports on the Pacific slope OF
North and South America.
Quite number Of expeditions have
Of late been made with the object of
wrestling this valuable secret from the
handful OF men in whose possession it
is, and of participating in the spoils;
and one Of these days we will, no doubt,
hear Of a sangunary fight for the SUI
premacy between the present colonists
md "A party Of maruuders Although
the stories told about the unknown is
land vury considerably, they all agree
that it exists somewhere about 400 or
800 miles southwest OF CIippcrton. in
a low coral atoll covered with the rich
est phospiatcs. The place also has its
legends OF pirates treasures. which
mny or may not have bad any iounda-
tiou iu fact, One OF the expeditions Of
recent date, which have been fitted
out TO look for The island, was the Vine
expedition. That ,essei's owner claims
to hnyc secured his knowledge OF the
place from the old sea captain named
Martin, above referred to. who died
some years ago, and who lefl nn old
chart among his belongings, which told
Of small island in the south Pacific
not down on The regular charts, enor-
mously rich in guauo.--N New Zealand
Herald