The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-11

the schooner Julia E. WhaIen returned
to Honolulu yesterday afternoon from
Marcus Island. Captain Rosehill and
party failing to obtain possession Six
teen armed Japanese marines from the
Japanese warship Kasagi were found
on guard on the island, under COM
mand of Lieut.. Akinote. The party was
refused a landing except in small de-
tacbments. Mr.. Sedgwick of the Bishop
Museum and three sailors obtained
and phosphates which average quite
high. After remaining on the island
six days the little party was ordered
off and instructions given to Captain
Rosehill to sail away, which he did. A
claim for indemnity against the Jap
anese government. will be presented by
the Marcus Island Company through
the State Department at Washington.
Lastly, the Julia E. Whalen will be
sold.
THE VOYAGE OF THE WHALEN
The schooner Julia E. whalen which
sailed from Honolulu on July 10 for
Marcus Island arrived there July 80,
losing one day in crossing the meri-
dian and making the run of 2S00 miles
in nineteen days, actual time. At 2
o'clock in the afternoon a boat contain
ing Captain Rosehill and Messrs. Bryan
and Sedgwick of the Bishop Museum
with two sailors effected a landing.
They were received by Lieut.. Akinote
armed marines drawn up in line at the
landing. Captain Rosehill presented to
Lieut.. Akinote, who could speak En-
glish, his license under the seal of the
! Department of State giving him the
right to remove the guano deposits on
Marcus and to occupy the island for
that purpose. HIS also presented a
document in Japanese obtained in Ho-
nolulu stating that he visited the island
for the purpose of examining the ex-
tent and value of the guano beds and
also to collect specimens of flora and
fauna for the Bishop Museum, and that
no interference would be made with
any rights that the government OF ia
pan or the Japanese fishermen on the
island might have.
The lieutenant received him courte-
ously and presented in turn a letter
from Minister Buck, the American rep
resentative at Toxic, which letter Cap
tain Rosehill has mislaid. The sub
stance of the letter was to the effect
that Captain Rosehill should precipitate
no conflict between the representatives
of the Japanese government and the
officers and crew of the Whalen, and
as far as possible remit all questions
of ownership to the island-or his rights
therein-for settlement by the State de-
partments of the two governments.
Captain Rosehill was also presented
with the following communication from
the japanese Imperial Minister of For
eign Affairs:
JAPAN's OFFICIAL CoMMUNICA-
TION.
The Minami Torishima,
July 29th, 1902.
Dear Sir,
Toward the middle of this month Mr..
Takahira His Imperial Japanese Majes-
tvs Minister at Washington wired to
his government reporting that accord
ing to some American papers you were
leaving Honolulu on the 18th Inst. in an
expedition to Marcus Island to which
you had just been granted title by your
government
Immediately on receipt of the above
intelligence, the Imperial Government
on the one hand telegraphed to their
representative at Washington instruct
ing him to inform the United States
Government of the legitimate previous
acquisition by Japan of the Island,
and have decided, on the other hand, to
dispatch to the spot a fast cruiser with
an official of the Foreign Office on
board her, for the protection of their
rights and in order to meet you and
explain to you an account of our ac
QUESTION of the Island and also in or
der to avoid any possible misunder-
standing between the Japanese subjects
on the island and your crew.
It was under such circumstances and
with such ends in view that the "Ka-
sagi'' of the Imperial Navy was ordered
to this island under the command of
Captain Sakamoto and that was COM
missioned here on board her.
On the eve of our start, Colonel Buck,
the United States Minister to Japan
under instructions of his Government
asked Baron Komura, the I'm
perial Minister for Foreign Affairs, for
the transmission of his dispatch ad-
dressed to you through the official he
was then sending. 1 was accordingly
instructed to hand you the despatch
which now beg to enclose to you here
with.
The ''Kasagi'' left the Bay of Toxic
on the 23rd Inst. and it was on Sunday
last that we arrived at this island.
Upon your arrival which we estimat-
ed would soon follow ours supposing
you had left the Hawaiian port on the
18th as reported, 1 was particularly in
structed TO see you and explain TO you
our title to the island based as it does
on the following facts
THE island popularity known as
Marcus Island has been, since compar
ativeIy early times, not unfrequently
spoken Of among the Japanese sailors