Arizona republican., 1909-03-20
NARROWED ON A CORAL ISlE7
Three Japanese Bird Hunters Res
 cued After Six Months.

| MarOoned for nearly six months on
 one of the islets of the Hermes reef,
 a thousand miles to the westward of Hawaii. three Japanese bird catchers
 were rescued last December by the auxiliary schooner F'laurence Ward.
 and were brought to Honolulu Janu | ary 16. The story of their sufferings, and the wretchedness of their eXis tence, is only relieved by the fact that their companions on the vessel
 that left them at the lonely island have probably perished. The Jap anese schooner Keloho Maru sailed | from Yokohama June of last year
 on a bird catching expedition to the and islets included between Laysan and Midway islands in the North Pacific, not far above the equator This stretch includes several hundred miles of neglected ocean to which sea
 birds of various kinds have for un- counted ages made their annual pill grimages. The plumage of these birds is sought by the London mar ket mainly for millinery. and Japanese expeditions furnish the sup ply.
 on July four men-Asanuma. Kikutchi, Showana, and Sigiyama-
 were landed on a little islet of the Hermes reef with a months provi- sions They were to gather seabirds
 and preserve their plumage, while the schooner sailed to leave other parties on other islets and to return in a month to pick up each party and its
 catch.
 The islet in question is about three quarters of a mile long and a quar-
 ter of a mile wide. rising only few
 feet above the ocean, and is covered
 with long grass, which grows in the coral sand. Soon after the men had made themselves comfortable. a storm swept over the low islet, destroying
 their tent, running a part of their provisions, and spelling their fresh supply of water. IL is believed that
 in this storm the Keioho Maru was wrecked. for she has never been seen nor heard of since, and it is probable that all on board were lost.
 Despite their wretched condition, the men continued to gather plumage eating birds eggs. the birds them selves. fish. and an occasional turtle. and obtaining water by distilling sea water in a crude appliance they had contrived. They built q hut out of the long grass.
 As days passed, and the schooner did not return. they began to suffer more and more. The birds migrated from the islet, leaving them without this source of food supply. It was often so stormy for days together that they could catch few fish. The boat which had been left with them was destroyed by heavy seas.
 Finally their matches gave out, and for several days they were without fire and unable to procure drinking water They felt themselves doomed to swift destruction. At last one of them bethought himself of his watch crystal, and with that. when the sun shone. they were able to start fire. using the dried grass for tow. But they were often for days without fire because the sky would be overcast.
 At last scurvy attacked them and Sigiyama succumbed to it. Life now depended on the slender hope that some passing vessel might see their signals of distress and rescue them. By day they kept flying such tattered pieces of sail and clothing as remain ed, ana ny HlBnt they hepl d lHe pldh- ing. They found on the islets the rotting timber of a wreck and with these they kept such fire burning as they could.
 The Flaurence Ward. sailing through this region on her way from Honolulu to Midway with supplies for the cable station in December. for tunately saw their signals of distress. ! Captain Pitts sent a boat to the islet | and the scurvy stricken, emaciated and | almost perishing catsaways were ta- | ken on board-A Honolulu Letter to | The New York Evening Post.