The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-10-08
.SAMPAN IS SEEN
At BIRD ISLAND
From Thursdays Advertlsera

sampan lying FIVE miles off Bird Island,
which is about one hundred and twenty
miles off Kauai Island, the officers of
the transport Buford endeavored to get
an answer to their hail but without
success.
The big transport was coming up to-
ward Kauai after midnight yesterday
morning when Third officer Drewson,
who was on watch on the bridge saw
n light some distance away. He leveled
his night glasses on the light and saw
it bobbing about. He came to the
conclusion that it was the boat of some
castaways and notified the captain.
The latter coming up on deck took a
long look at the light and came to the
same conclusion as the third officer.
The transport was then diverted from
her course and directed toward the
light. On approaching nearer it was
seen that the light was in the cabin of
a boat. The officers hailed the boat
when within short distance of it but
got no response. Then they used the
searchlights and that intense glare
lighted up the boat which was appar.
emily riding at an easy anchorage or
merely drifting about on the water.
The light on the boat came from its
cabin, but with the searchlight playing
| all over it, with loud calls and the
fact that the boat passed within few
yards, not soul was brought up on
deck. The officers saw that the boat
was huge sampan and that her name
was the Keo Maru.
A Mysterious Ship.
Whether it was sampan out on an
innocent cruise for fish, or whether its
crew were ashore in camp engaged in
despoiling the feathered inhabitants of
their plumage, or whether they were
waiting for a sailing ship from the
Japanese coast to arrive and deposit
contraband cargo on the rocky shores
to be transferred by power sampan to
Honolulu, is unknown to the ship :
officers.
Reported to Authorities.
Captain Hall of the transport sent an
official report of the matter to Collector
of Customs Stackable, and the incident
may be followed up by the Treasury
Department. Captain Rees, U. S. n.
commandant of the naval station, had
not been notified of the matter, Off.
cially, to late hour yesterday after
noon, and was not in n position to
know what might be done. He is des
ignated by presidential order as il
charge of n reservation which includes
all islands under the American flag to
the westward to prevent illicit killing
of birds on any of them. AS such
officer he is entitled to make use of the
lroquois to patrol this reservation
The lroquois is not in a condition al
present to make such journey to in
vestigate the report. Whether or not
he can use the lighthouse tender Kuku
is question.
Thetis Is Ordered Here.
A few months ago it was said that
the United States Revenue Cutter
Thetis would be sent to Hawaiian wa
tiers when her services in the Arctic
seas were no longer available, or after
the winter season began. She SHOULD
come down here in a few weeks.
Japanese fishermen are building many
power sampans, the declaration being
that they are intended for deep set
fishing. They are equipped with high
power gasoline engines and are capabl,
of making from eight TO thirteen
knots. One recently launched in Mau
waters was about sixty feet long
There is also very large one employee,
off the coast of Kauai.