The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-01-04

few sprouted cocoanuts and q row Of
ironwood trees
The sand on the island. he remarks
is almost pure white. OF very fine era IN
and extremely dazzling 10 the eyes.
Il shifts continually with the vin7
covering ana destroying the veget -
ton, besides leaving the trees and
shrubbery exposed to the elements.
this probably accounts for the scanc
and n2eagre growth there.
II was on this island that the
Wandering Minstrel was wrecked in
1855 and portions Of the vessel lie on
the beach today. together with the
keel and ribs Of the boat which Cap
tain Walker attempted to build and
in which he expected To leave the is
land. 4 vel dug by Captain Walker
IS still in use The island is free OF
mosquitoes, but flies and ants are very
numerous Birds are very plentiful in
the season, which begins about the
middle of October. at which time
great quantities of aIbatross migrate
there, build their nests on the sand.
and raise their young. Wilder noticed
heaps of dried birds skins. feathers
and bones. and was informed this was
the result Of the recent visits of the
japanese bird catchers who had
slaughtered them for their wings and
feathers.
The cable station is in charge of Mr..
B T. COlley, whose wife is the only
woman on the island. They occupy one
of the four large buildings, and their
home is very comfortably fitted up.
Besides the managers house, there is
one for the office, in which are the
cable instruments and machinery, an
other for the operators, and in the
fourth is the general dining-room and
kitchen There is a fine library also
a piano with pianola attachment. the
personal gift of Mr.. Mackay. In a
detached building the servants are
housed. All these buildings have mod
ern plumbing in connection with
sewerage system leading into the
ocean.
The company have an iee-making
plant, and cold storage house where
their fresh meats are kept: cattle and
sheep are brought on the hoof two or
three times q year.
With a boats crew Of japanese. Mr.. /
Wilder sailed across TO Eastern Island,
which is one and one-quarter miles
long and one-half mile wide. and only
from six to twelve feet above the sea /
level. The sand here is very coarse. /
not SO shifting as on sand Island. and /
the vegetation grows readily. The IS /
land is thiekly covered with wild /
grasses and low snrubbery. Here the /
Gable Company have put a pair Of
lonkeys. and few sheep; all are fat /
4 x ht4iT
life there,
Birds of many varieties are plentiful. /
the Iva or Mano'war bird (Aquila +
-rigata) builds its nest of rough twigs /
On the tops of the highest shrubs. +
1t lays but one egg This Iva is the
pirate of the Bird Kingdom. does little
II no fishing for himself, but swoops
Town upon the Bos'n CPhaethon rubri-
,auda), and thereby causing such
right to the poor bird. that he dis
yorges the fish which the Eva appro-
pirates 10 his own use. These pirate
birds We're SO numerous and tame. that
Wilder had 10 push them aside as he
walked across the island.
The Bos'n bird deposits and matches
Is eggs in the sand under the bushes
The Cannot (Sula cyanops) lays its
ggs in the bushes.
The Mutton bird digs a hole at the
cots Of the coarse bunch grass and
orus for himself a very cosy nest
here: this nest is difficult TO find IN
ass. as happened to Mr. Wilder sew
raj times. one steps into the holes by
mistake. The wingless birds which are
bout the size of a common sparrow,
we're plentiful here. these birds are the
escendants Of but three or four which
ne Walker Brothers Of Honolulu car
led from Laysan Island on one Of
heir recent visits.
Mr.. Wilder liberated here a dozen
.aysan canaries which he brought
18th him. These were the gift of Cap
ain Schlemmer to the Gable Company
Other interesting articles in the IS
ae are The Menace Of Insect Pests
, Agriculture" Water Bufaloes,
Notes from the DIvi-
ion of Entomology of the Board OF
gricultare and Forestry Notes on
fversified Industriee in the West IN
les Goat Keeping" Meeting OF
Re Farmers Institute" DIR. n A
Obj The Banana Industry Of Costa
lea Official Regulations Regarding
i've Stock