The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-02-16
.IWALANI EXPEDITION


and. Larson, who De- employed here at
/ the Marine Railway was cooper
aboard the vessel at that time. Nalua-
. ble supplies for trading were on the
/ whaling craft and most Of them were
gotten ashore by the crews Some
/ boats and other parts OF the wrecked
craft were landed. subsequently the
crowd was picked up by another whal-
/ ing craft and brought to oahu. The
! rescued crowd was placed aboard the
old steamer Kaala off BARRIERS Point
and brought to Honolulu by the steam
| er.
In 1892 a British man OF war, Captain
/ Rosehill thinks IL was the Champion
was in Honolulu. The vessel went to
/ Johnston island and formally annexed
that island TO the British empire. The
! proclamation OF such annexation was
officially published I'm the Honolulu
newspapers by the commander OF the
vessel Apparently nothing was ever
since done with the island by local
| people although it is understood that
the American Guano Company worked
the guano beds Of the island some
years ago.
Messrs. Underwood and Brown will
undoubtedly find traces of the wreck
of the whaling bark, as well as the
wharf and lighters and the abandoned
supplies on Johnston island. All of
those articles We're on the island at
the time of the visit or the British an
nexation expedition and It is likely
that the remains are still there. Cap
tain Rosehill tried shortly after the
whaling crew was landed here to get
some local people to equip schooner
and go to Johnston Island after the
abandoned goods as the goods were
worth thousands of dollars. Nobody
provided the vessel, ..owever so the
stun was evidently left to rot.
Just what action the British Govern
ment is likely to take when the facts
Of the Iwalani expedition become
known, is uncertain. 1t is highly prob
able that steps will be taken, however,
to protect her interests. If the title to
the island vested in Great Britain,
undoubtedly Messrs. Underwood and
Brown may find that their trip was
fruitless, for If ever the right to work
the guano beds of Johnston Island gets
tangled in the red tape of diplomacy
the time their children's children be-
come of age, provided of course, the
gentlemen may be so blessed. 1t is not
unlikely that the reason for desiring to
keep the destination of the expedition
so secret may have been due to the an
ticipation of possible international
complications.
They appear to have secured some
sort of authority from the State De-
partment at Washington to visit the
island, but to what extent this author
ity goes or upon what right of owner
ship, if any, it is based, can not be
stated. The present expedition is en-
tirely of preliminary character, how
ever, and if there be any prior claim to
the island which would prevent the in
terests of the two gentlemen from
. working the Johnston Island guano de-
posts, the matter will no doubt be TAX
en- up by the diplomats and matters be
Strengthened out one way or the other.
Evidently Messrs. Underwood and
Brown have received information
which causes them to consider the ISL
and rich i'm guano. If this condition
should be proved to their satisfaction,
they will no doubt, make strong efforts
to secure a concession to work the ISL
and. Great Britain may of course have
ceded the island to the United States
since 1892, bat nothing is known here
OF such an occurrence.
1t has been over two years since
Captain ROs hill returned rom his ex-
petition to Marsus Island and although
the question of ownership of that ISL
and was taken up by the State Depart
ment, the matter is still hanging fire
and seems likely to do so for years to
come A similar condition may result
in tho case of Johnston Island, should
Great Britain make any claim to the
place.