The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-09-06
COCOS MONARCH
PROvINCKINGDOn
CIunIes Ross Files Royal Fa-
Tiers viii In London.
NO COURTS IN HIS DOMAIN.

Present Head of Indian Ocean Cocoa
nut Isles Is Fourth of Reigning Fam
lily and Graduate of English Univer-
sity-Misture of Scotch and Malay
Blood, Plebeian and Royal, In Veins.
John Sidney Clunies- Ross, now in
London, is figure as strangely roman
tic as was ever pictured by writer's of
the most lurid fiction. Just now he
Is well educated and wealthy gen
tleman, descended on one side from
an aristocratic Scotch family and on
the other from royal Malay blood, but
at home, in the Cocos islands, he is
monarch of all her surveys, and he sur
veys a good deal
Clunies-R Ross. whose father died
name to rule over the little group of
coral islands In the Indian ocean. The
story of his family is that Of man
who would be king who lived nearly
100 years ago.
The original Clunies Ross bore the
same name as his great grandson. He
was born in the Shetland islands.
whittier his family had fed. proscrib-
ed, after the failure of the Jacobite
uprising Ia the early eighteenth cen
fury. But he obeyed the call of the
sea, and in the course of his rowing he
fell in with one Alexander Hare, a
dissolute, imaginative, not overhonest
man. who had come under the spell
Of the east to the extent of adopting
most of its vices. He was In disgrace
with his employers and found a change
Of residence imperative.
Pick Out Kingdom.
In Clunies-Ross he met man as
daring as himself, though honorable
and straight living. He proposed that
the pair of them should seek out an
uninhabited group of islands and live
thereon like oriental potentates.
The young Scotchman liked the idea.
and the I've nreReeded to the Cocos
islanf 80 szzzs.s from other land. and
established themselves. together with
about 100 others. Hare took harem
along with him and prepared to spend
his days in riotous living Clunies-
Ross took his lawful family, was sat
fsaed with the primitive life and look
ed about for chance to trade.
He tried spices and coffee and failed.
Then he pitched on cocoanuts as his
best Investment and planted great
groves of the trees While they were
growing he traded as best he could.
and good many Malays, with a few
whites. were attracted to the island
Hare tried to ensIaye the darker por-
ton of the population, with such i'll
success that he was forced TO leave
the island. He went to Singapore.
where he died not long afterward, de
serted by his harem and .courtiers."
Fortune In Cccoanuts.
The cocoanuts grew, and Clunies-
Ross began to make money out of the
oil and various other products of the
trees Trade prospered In other direc
tons also and the island attracted
more inhabitants. The rule of Ross
was recognized and welcomed. He
was just aud kind and withal canny in
matters of trading.
Then John. having ruled twenty-sev
en- years. died IN 1854 He was sue
ceeded By John George, bis son. In
his time the territory was proclaimed
under British protection, but the
change was merely nominal Nobody
interfered with the absolute rule of
John George. He further strengthened
bis position BY marrying q Malay
woman of royal blood and fine char
acter, Together they developed the
Islands and saw justice done.
The chiefs six sons were all .edu-
Gated ia Scotland. for the cocoanuts
were bringing in tidy sum. George
was the eldest son. and he studied en-
cheering that bis islands might have
the benefit of his skill. When he sue
ceeded his father be devoted himself
not only to carrying on trade, but
to Derfecting the native arts, He in
turn married a native woman. who
proved as worthy d helpmate as the
wife of John George.
Al Educated In England.
Like his forbears. George Clunies
Ross had many sons, all educated in
England. He was in England with
them when he died, In June of this
year. His son. John Sidney. succeeds
to the kingship, or whatever it may
be called, and the property. There
has been trouble IN England over pro
batting the will. because there is no le- 1
gal machinery for doing such things
IN the Cocos islands. but this little /
difficulty does not affect the status of
John sidney The islanders. who mum
Der about 100, are well satisfied with
the justice of the Clunies. Ross dy.