The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-02-25

0a'bSabo~
chiefly confined to small lizards, cent
pedes, spiders, frogs and harmless
snakes.
In the Solomons the crocodile is me
with, both In fresh-water streams an
In tidal estuaries, but here this sauria
reaches its easternmost limit as 1t OF
ours nowhere else in the island group
| beyond.
From this brief description Of tn,
physical and climatic conditions Of thu
Pacific islands, 1t must be clear that M
place could be more ideal for tn,
abode Of man than this great and en-
chanting oceanic region, the dream Of
romantic youth, the home Of early buc
caneering enterprise, and the scene OF
great human struggles in tribal war
fare, when the cannibal feast was
deemed a fitting celebration of victory
on the field Of battle.
The people of the South sea islands
may be divided broadly into two
groups: the Polynesians, well-built,
light-brown, with straight black hair
and the Melanesians, an inferior race,
sooty black in color, broad-nosed, with
frizzly black hair.
AS to the origin Of these Pacific Is
landers, there are various opinions,
some students of the matter suggesting
affiliations with various races, includ-
ing the Aryans, the American Indians
and the Papuans. There is one theory
that the islands of Polynesia were
peopled by Phoenicians, who
may even have reached the coast Of
Peru.
Strange Ruins In the carolines.
The remarkable ruins Of ancient set
Element In the Caroline Islands are one
Of the mysteries Of Polynesia and will
never be solved When 1t is
considered that some of the stones
'orming the walls Of those extensive
'uins are of immense size and are sup
POSED to have been brought from other
stands Of the group across storm
ossed channels and placed in their
present position with precision and
nasterly skill, 1t II apparent that all
his could not have been done by peo-
lie akin to the present inhabitants, but
nust have been the handiwork of
killed craftsmen similar to the build
RS Of the ancient ruins in Peru and
fexico and perhaps, also, Africa.
These ruins are a mystery to the
resent inhabitants of the Pacific is |
lnds, who have no knowledge Of the
TT of building in stone and are ig-
GRANT of architecture, apart from
leir own primitive huts. Even native
addition is singularly silent as to the
-igin of the inhabitants and their NIL
-atory movements among the island
roups.
In natural resources these Pacific is
nds differ to some extent from Aus
ALA, New Zealand, and New Guinea.
Iere being, so far as is known, an abb
nee of great and rich mineral de-
,sits; but the soils are extremely rich,
I'd for the production Of sugar, cotton,
bber, coconuts, bananas, coffee, CO
a, rice. pineapples, and many varie-
IS of fruit and vegetables they are
ninently suitable and probably I'M
rpassed. 1t would indeed be difficult
name any product Of tropical origin
at could not flourish in the fertile
lis Of Polynesia.
Among the greatest Of all the nat
al resources of these oceanic terri
ries the enormous deposits Of high
ade phosphates on several Of the
lynesian islands are Of prime i'm
This Is especially so In the I
So Of Nauru, or Pleasant island, a
all, isolated spot half degree south 1
the Equator and rising about twenty
It above sea-level. It Is estimated /,
DR.. Paul Hombrun to contain 1917
1000 tons Of the richest phosphates t
be obtained anywhere. the quantita-
e analysis giving from SO to 80 per I
It of tricalcium phosphate.
Is an outcome Of the defeat Of the
ltral powers and the distribution at
ris Of the control Of enemy colonial
sessions, the Australian mandate :.
es to that commonwealth complete +
ltrol over Germany's former Pacific 0
ritories, with the exception of u
noa, the Marshall, Caroline, and n
riana islands. and the phosphate p
,osits of Nauru, the ownership Of :,
last named being shared with
lat Britain and New Zealand. Ger N
n Samoa was placed under New d
land mandate. te
he Japanese hold the Marshall. the %
riana Except Guam, and the Caro- t.
, islands under the peace confer st
e mandate. II
IF