The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-02-18
Buford Picks Up Crew
of Lost Jap
Vessel.

Thirty-seven japanese sailors, one OF
whom is a safling-master are aboard
the army transport Buford. having
been picked up in nid-ocean from q
sinking barkentine. The distressed
seaman will be sent ashore here and
placed in the care of the japanese
Consul
On the eth of February at S:45 D. m
the Buford which was then out five
days from Nagasaki en- route to Ho-
nolulu, sighted a barkentine in dis
tress. which turned out to be the Jap
sanese barkentine in distress, which
4 turned out to be the japanese barken-
tine Tonomoto Naru. She was COM
pletely dismasted and a jury rig had
been set up. She few signals of dis
tress. It was noticed that the vessel
was laboring heavily and she was
down deep in the water.
LACKED FRESH WATER.
The Buford sent boats to the dis
tressed vessel. and it was then learn
ed that the barkentine had been in
typhoon and her rigging was COM
pletely wrecked In addition. the yes
sci was on the verge of laundering.
The crew had sufficient rice but no
water The crew was in fact suffer-
ing for want of it.
The captain and his crew were taken
aboard the transport and the last sight
of the dereiict showed that she was
settling at the stern, and no doubt she
foundered that same night.
The Tonomoto Maru left Yokohama
for Marcus Island for guano and bird
feathers, so the sailors said at first.
WHAT WAS THEIR MISSION?
But there is something of mystery
connected with the shfpwrecked sea-
men When they were brought aboard
the officers wondered why there should
bA such a large crew aboard the bark
fntine, which was small vessel even
for that rig.
At first the japanese gave no sign |
that they could speak English. on
deck among the officers they appeared |
to have no idea of that language. In
a few days. while sitting at mess with |
the soldiers they seemed to thaw out |
and spoke English fairly well. That |
is. some of them did.
When asked what their vessel was, |
they replied that she was a japanese |
merchant training snip. Later TINS
was denied, and they stated that their |
mission was merely to go to Marcus |
Island for guano. Some of them said
their destination was Wake Island.
which happens to be an American pos
session. instead of Marcus Island,
where Col Tom Fitch of Honolulu led
i.,ta of
planting the American flag firmly on
its soil but was frustrated by Lieut..
Akinote of the japanese navy. the is
land being declared to be japanese
possession.
MAY BE POACHERS.
If the japanese were going to Wake
Island they were poachers. 1t is known
that for years Japan has had designs
pm Wake Island. Whether there are
Japanese now on the island is not
known Some time ago poachers raid
I'd Lisianski and other small islands 10
the westward, and were taken off by
an American naval vessel and their
bird skins cOnfiscated. J
1t would seem that the revenue cut (
er Manning. now stationed in Homo /
uIu, might have a mission to perform | {
~ making a tour of these islands to !
Iscertaia whether aliens are raiding
he birds and digging out the guano 8
deposits. [
n SAVED THEIR DOG. [
be members of the shipwrecked =
rev recovered their spirits few days +
lfter being rescued and they had all .
orts of Japanese sports on the decks,
principally OF jiu jitsu and wrestling
matches.
Although most of their belongings
-ent down with the barkentine. the
rev did not fail to bring along their
ct dog. a nondescript cur. When the