The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-02-02
CAPTAIN ROSEHILL
Continued from Page one)

and states positively that there Is 10
harbor there at all There is a lagoon,
but there is thick coral reef across
the entrance, which effectively pre-
vents any boats entering the la, ION
The lagoon is said to be deep en- Ugh
to take any vessel that has yet len
built, but the whole trouble is hat
only a ships boat can get in, and that
at high tide. With the expenditm, OF
about 100000, Captain Rosehill
thinks that an entrance could be
made.
Captain Rosehill's Narrative.
Il called at Palmyra Island on my
return from the Phoenix group in the
schooner Norma in June, 1897, to get
firewood,' says Captain Rosehill. Il
found evidence of surveying party
having landed on the island. sticks
with white rags were flying in all di.
rections and empty provision tins We're
scattered about where their tent had
been. l found a weather-beaten board
on the ground with the lettering
partly obliterated ] made out enough
of it to learn that the island had been
taken possession of by a British man
of-war in the name of Queen Victoria.
On my arrival in Honolulu / informed
the late Judge w. l.. Wilcox of what
had seen at Palmyra. He answered
that he did not care what flag was
flying over Palmyra, but that the
island still belonged to him In fact,
he said that he preferred the British
flag to another less red type in con
nection with it.
No Sign Brought Back.
What did you do with the sign yol
brought back, captain?"
why, l never brought it back at
all; the cook burnt it before | got il
here. He used it for frewood. As
far as | can remember now, ! deciph,
cred that someone had written on the
board that the island belonged to
Great Britain and trespassers were
warned off. 4..
Palmyra Discovered by American.
How Great Britain can be said to
have a claim on the island / can't see
Palmyra Island was discovered by Cap
tain Sawle of the American ship PLAN
yra in 1902. He described it as four
teen miles in extent east and west
and about half that in breadth, fiat
with lagoon in it's center, sevel
miles long, in which the tide regularly
ebbed and flowed. The island was un
inhabited
The Palmyra anchored off the
northwest side of the island, three
quarters of a mile from shore, in TWEEN
ty fathoms of water. Turtle wer;
abundant, but no fresh water could b,
found.
I Formal Possession Taken.
Formal possession was taken o.
the island by the American Guanc
Company in 1859, and by the Hawai-
ian government in 1862. Captain Benz
in his letter to the Minister of the
Interior reported that the island was
ten miles in length, and six miles IL
breadth. The eastern end rises about
twenty feet above the level of the
| sea. The landing place is on the
west end, and a vessel could lie II
perfect safety in three fathoms Of
water. The trees on the island were
cocoa-nut, puhala, and a species Of
koa. All kinds of vegetables would
grow on the island, and he planted
some beans, corn, and 'water-melons
He erected a Westinghouse, and also
a curing house for bech-de-mer, leav
ing one white man and four Hawai-
ians on the island
Position-Captain Sawle made
Palmyra island in lat. 3 deg. 81 min
~, Long. 1862 deg. % min. ~, subse
quently it had been made in lat.
deg. 40 min ~, Long. 1862 deg. 20 min
~, Capt. Bent placed it inslat. deg
so min. N, long. 161 deg. SO min. w
Probable position, lat, deg. 81 min
NJ, long. 1862 deg. % min. W.,-but
the mean of all will be lat. deg IS
m.ni n, long. 1862 deg. Is min. w.
Samarang islets and reefs.-Thes,
were discovered by Capt. ]. Scott, o.
H. NJ S. Samarang, in 1910. He says
These islets are a group of abou
fourteen or sixteen, forming bel
round an apparently shollow lagoon
and are covered with fuurishing co
coa-nut and palm trees to the waters
edge. In the centre of the eastern
reef is small dry sand bank; anC
the reef itself extends from the east
ern islets nearly east about TIVE
miles, over which the sea break.
heavily. Another reef runs out from
the western islet about miles to the
westward; what distance they run II
that direction / did not ascertain. hui