Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-29
TRIP TO PLEASANT ISLAND
LAND IN PACIFIC NAMED FOB
NATIVES AMIABLE TRAITS.
Scarcely as Large as an American
Township-Rises Out Vast
Depth Of Water.


From the New York Sun.
The solitary little island Of Nauru rises
from Pacific depths Of about 1900 feet
some 400 miles west Of the nearest land Of
the Gilbert group. It is scarcely a. large
as an American township and It Is an aAoll.
but it differs so much from nearly all the
other atolls of the Pacific that 1t has at
tracted much attention.
The atolls rise only q little above the sea
level. and after the traveller has seen two
or three OF them he concludes that they are
very monotonous. But a part Of the outer
rim Of Nauru is a verdant ridge about 200
feet high. and what was once the lagoon
encircled By coral reef Ia now q plain,
slightly rolling and strewn with coral frag-
ments.
This atoll evidently had a peculiar history
that made 1t different from many Of the
other atolls. Here and there are bits Of
volcanic rock and vestiges Of ancient era
tiers that help to explain this history.
The time was when volcanic forces lifted
the submarine mountain on which stood the
circle. of coral and the lagoon within 1t I'M
til the lagoon was above the sea level and
Its waters drained away, leaving q dry
plain. So here we see an atoll lifted into
the air SO that its whole formation may be
studied above the sea level.
Gilbert Islanders.
Nobody knows when emigrants came in
their small boats to settle on the little Is
land but there Is every reason to believe
that they sailed from the Gilbert Islands.
Their habits and arts are very similar to
those Of the Gilbert Islanders, and there are
striking resemblances between their LAM
guages- Their names for many plants are
almost quite identical with the names
for these plants In the Gilbert archipelago.
1t was a case of the migrations. voluntary
or accidental that have brought human In
habitants to many Pacific isle. Probably
a boat two were driven out Of sight of
land In a storm and the castaways finally
landed on this unknown strand. the progeni-
tors Of the few hundred natives who now
inhabit the island.
When white men came less frequently
than they do now the natives used to throng
the beach. welcome the visitors with glad
shouts and lavish their best hospitality upon
them. There were factions among them
and they were often at war until they were
disarmed by the German warship Eber after
the island became part of the German Pa
cific possessions
Agreeable Natives.
Every visitor for years past has said that
they are the most gentle. peaceable and
friendly people that could be imagined. and
these attractive qualities induced some
English seafarers to give a new name to
the island by which it is now everywhere
known. Even on the German maps are
found both the native name Nauru and the
name now in use, Pleasant Island
Considering it's smallness the island has
become remarkably conspicuous in a COM
mercial way. No other island OF Its Size
produces so large an amount of copra, the
dried meat of the cocoanut.
Several years ago great phosphate beds
were found in abe interior, and they are
proving gold mine to the German Jaluit
company. which is working the deposits in
connection with an English company. The
latter discovered beds also in Banaba Is
land about hundred miles away, and the
two companies are working both deposits
together.
They had hard work getting the phos-
pilates on board ship at Pleasant Island
during the first years Of the industry, but
the steel bridge they now let down over
the hold of vessel as she lies a little way
from the shore, dumping 100 tons an hour
into the ship. Is the greatest wonder in the
world to the natives.
There Is an island in the Caribbean which
Is similar In its history to Pleasant Island.
1t is the Dutch island Of Curacao, which
was once an enormous atoll. but was lifted
by subterranean forces till the rlg around
the lagoon was hundreds of feet in the air
and the lagoon became dry land. On tine
south side of the island large deposits Of
phosphates have been discovered and the
beds are now the scene Of an important in
duStry.