The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-17


| a woman of the Caroline Islands-and
| how, returning to Honolulu, he had
| vainly endeavored to enlist capitalists
! in equipping q vessel to exploit the
guano deposits on Marcus Island
His claim had been sent to Secretary
Blaine where it was duly reG-taped and
deposited in the archives of the State
Department, and there it slept await
ing the trump of some resurrecting an
gel.
AAA
I was the Gabriel of the occasion.
Papers were prepared, an application
under the Guano Act of Congress was
made and the right to remove the
guano deposits on Marcus Island was
granted under the broad seal of the
United States to Rosehill as discover
er, conditioned upon his filing bond
for fifty thousand dollars that he would
comply with the requirements of the
Act of Congress concerning guano ISL
ands. Peacock the Pirate gave the
bond and was made President of the
Marcus Island Guano Company. l
was chosen constitutional adviser and
Secretary of War, and Rosehill was
made General Manager and Lord High
Admiral. We bought the schooner
tools, provisions and supplies and these
supplies included blush to say it
a large, very large supply, of Kentucky
wines and BLUE Ribbon Pabst." We
employed chemist and bought an as
saying outfit with which to test the
guano deposits. We gave passage to
bugologist sent by the Bishop Mu-
scum to explore the fauna, flora and
bird life of the island. We shipped a
double crew, so as to have workers at
the island, and learning a few days
before sailing that there were Japanese
fishermen on Marcus Island, who were
sharing and skinning our guano birds,
we equipped the Lord High Admiral
with a bag of Japanese yen with which
to placate them, and looking to the
possibility of their being irnplacable,
Somebody always suspected Pirate
Peacock-placed on board the 'Wha-
LEM two cases of Mauser rifles with
several hundred rounds of ammunition.
The schooner sailed leaving a hole
in our bank accounts that would have
taken about seven thousand dollars to
fill, but we were content, for if the qua
no proved to be there as reported, we
would all be multi millionaires.
4 A A
was there or not. The vigilant Jap
anese Consul at Honolulu wrote to the
Consul at San Francisco giving a full
account of our movements-which in |
deed We were so injudicious as not to
conceal. This functionary wired the |
Japanese Minister at Washington and t
that august official induced Secretary |
Hay to cable Minister Buck at Yeddo |
to send word to Captain Rosehill not to
have any difficulty with Japan, but f!
to be peaceful and "get our if the /
laps required it, and that the United |
States would protect his rights
through diplomatic channels
AAA
How was the message sent? By an
American messenger on an American
ship? Not by any manner of means.
It was given to a Japanese Commits
'ioner, sent by the japanese Govern
nent on a japanese war vessel, with
he avowed purpose of forcibly pre-
-enting Captain Rosehill from landing.
This war vessel reached the island
wo days before Rosehill arrived. It's
aptain landed a force of sixteen ma
ines in command of a lieutenant to
yhom the japanese Commissioner en-
o Rosehill, and the Mikado frigate
hen sailed away one day before Rose
ill arrived.
AAA
If the 'Wha1enf' had been two or
hree days faster, ID would have immor-
allied Rosehill, and the chemist and
he bugologist, and several of the crew.
or, after landing men and supplies, the
essel would have proceeded in charge
( the mate to Yokohama Rosehin
Tould have paid no attention to the
apanese bird-skinners unless they had
tempted to interfere with him, and
hen he would have paid a good deal
f attention to them. The officer of
he Japanese war vessel, when she ar
ived, would have found Rosehi1 in
ossession, with papers from the State
apartment authorizing him to remain,
nd with the American flag flying and :
is vessel gone. Rosehill would have
elied upon his papers and not. regarded :,
ne letter from Minister Buck sent
trough Japanese channels. Then the "