The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-11
DECIDED NOT TO FIGHT
CONTINUED from page onel

Continued from page one.)
not go down there to get into any trou-
Die with the Japs. If they wouldn't let
me land why then that was all there
was to it, L would have to come away.
Il did not blame the Japanese officer
who was there. He was simply sec
ond lieutenant or some petty officer
who had his orders to follow, and he
followed them. He had been instructed
TO let some of the crew ashore for their
health. His instructions also said for
him to let us repair the boat in case
she had been in distress. Bryant of
the Bishop Museum and Sedgwick, the
chemist, went ashore and stayed for a
couple of days and then some of the
crew went ashore to help them in their
work. l visited the island a number of
times duruing our stay.
1T was Impossible to explore the
place carefully and find out much
about the extent of the guano deposits.
We could not make anything but a
hurried search. We got some very
rich specimens, however, but the eX-
tent of the beds we did not learn. While
the Japs did not work the guano beds
or send any of the stuff away While |
was at the island, l am sure that they
have done so, Tor they are working eV-
erything there that there is any money
in. They are killing the birds by the
thousands and stutnng them and send
ing them away to Paris or London
where the birds are used to trim hats,
l think The Japs get Sl.5O a pair for
the birds. Why they even kill off the
big birds. The bodies of the birds are
burned and the ashes sent to Japan for
fertilizer. The Japs had two big sam
pans and several smaller boats like the
Japs have here. Some of the coolies
went out regularly and fished, although
the majority of the coolies were at
work killing and stufling the birds.
while L was there two schooners
came from Japan. Those boats are
running regularly with the birds and
dried fish that the Japs are getting.
There were still plenty of fish about the
island, although not so many as when
L was there before. Inc isIanu is COW
cred with trees and is a fine island 1t
is much smaller than l thought. The
island takes the form of triangle.
During our stay there was south
erly squally weather prevailing and
during the nights l would get under
way as it was not always safe to re-
main close in shore. There is no lagoon
about the place, but the island is sur
rounded by reef which extends about
shore The Japs told me some thing
that looks as if the island was rising.
They said that about year and half
ago, big storm came up and after the
storm had subsidized, the southern shore
extended about As feet further out than
before.
''The Japanese officer told US when
our time was up that we would have
to leave, so after being there six days
we sailed for home. The crowd expect
ed the warship to return soon, but eX-
actly when they did not know. The
marines were then to be takeh off the
island as there was no further use of
their remaining.
'"What will we do now about the isl. |
and? Well, l do not know about that |
part of it. That is something that the |
United States Government will prob |
ably settle. / believe now that the .
schooner is to be sold and we will wait |
until the title to the island is settled by |
the government"