AWAY out on the broad bosom of the blue Pacific,
just below the Equator, is a little coral
island, scarce six miles in circumference.
So low it lies that one can hardly see it
until close beside the encircling ring of
surf which shuts it away from intrusion,
for under that ring of white foam are cruel
sharp-pointed rocks which destroy whatever
may come within their power.
Not a blade of grass, not a green leaf, is
found on the white surface of the little
isle. Nothing grows there but a species of
beach grass, and this is dingy gray at its
best, and dismal brown at its worst and oftenest.
Many miles of dark blue water stretch between
the island and its nearest neighbor', miles
seldom traversed by vessels; for Jarvis Island,
the little dot of sand of which I write,
is far aside from the line of travel across
the ocean. Not once a month does a ship come
near enough to be seen, and not once a year
does one come near enough to sight the island,
for so low lies the land that a vessel can
be seen long before the island can be recognized
as land from her decks.
But remote and uninviting as seems the white
spot on the waste of waters, it was for years
the home of people who found within its contracted
circle much of enjoyment, and who spent many
happy hours roaming over the white sands
of the island and the rough coral rocks of
its reef, exposed at each tide.
Of these inhabitants three were white, a
woman, a man, and a child, -- a boy of three
years.
The man was the superintendent of the island,
put in charge by an American guano company,
to whom the island belonged. The woman was
his wife, and the boy was their only son.
Beside these three there were seventy or
eighty Hawaiians that worked in the fields.
The Captain went down so months before his
wife and son, but found it:' very lonely,
and as his wife was fond of trying experiments,
he asked her if she wished to try living
on a desert island. She thought the experience
would be very enjoyable, so agreed to try
for three months. Passage for mother and
son was taken); on an old English tub: the
Madura and the two left Honolulu on a fin
day in June' for their trip of twelve hundred
miles, which should have lasted but ten or
twelve days. It was after the morning of
the eighteenth day leaving Honolulu however,
before the bark was in the latitude of Jarvis
Island. The island lies so low that it is
not visible until close at hand. The sand
is white and all the buildings on it are
of the same color, so it, is not so easily
seen on the sparkling water's surface. On
the eighteenth day Captain Stan- ton, master
of the Madura, announced that they would
reach the island before noon, His passengers
were eager to catch a first glimpse of their
new home, and could scarcely leave the deck
long enough to eat. The sailors saw land,
and tried to point it out to the passengers
several hours before the Madam was sure that
what she called land was anything more than
a cloud, a sparkle on a wave, or a sea bird's
wing, for it looked as much like either as
it did like land.
But land it was, and by noon the Ma- aura
was close enough for those on board to see
the shape of the white-buildings); though
the island was so small that the houses looked
as if they were rising out of the water,
instead of standing on solid ground, --as
solid, that is. as you can call a coral island.
Hal was all excitement. He had been the busiest
man on the bark all the voyage, and had given
his mother enough to do to keep him on board.
He had tried every scheme he could think
of to get overboard, and now that land was
close at hand seemed to think that now or
never was his time to distinguish himself
He nearly succeeded in extinguishing himself,
for in his haste to escape from his mother's
grasp he plunge headforemost over the side
of the vessel.
Fortunately the wind had died down, until
the Madura was moving very slowly through
the water, so that the mate plunging immediately
overboard caught the boy almost as soon as
he struck the water, and both were hauled
aboard little the worse but for the ducking,
which, as it was unbearably hot, did not
matter m much.
Hal was rather quenched by his accident,
and made no objections to holding fast to
his mother's hand for a while. The Madura
was slowly drawing near to the land, and
those on deck could see, through a glass,
that preparations were being made on shore
to launch the boat. Soon it was off, and
across the water came dancing the tiny white
shell. It soon reached the vessel, and the
superintendent and his crew climbed lightly
up to the deck.
Hal fairly spluttered in his haste to welcome
his father, and tell him of his involuntary
bath. He wanted to know all about everything
at once, and it was several moments before
anyone else could get a chance for a word.
Finally he caught sight of one of the Hawaiian
boatmen whom he had met in Honolulu, and
darted away to interview him, leaving his
elders to themselves for a time. The superintendent
had been for three months without news from
the outer world, so he had many questions
to ask about what had been going on in that
time.
As soon as the boat had been made fast alongside,
the Madura's course had been changed, for
there was no anchorage at the island, so
a vessel had to lie at moorings, and the
Madura had been to Honolulu to get said moorings,
which were at that moment filling up her
deck, so it was necessary for her to keep
a respectful distance from the inhospitable
shore unless she wanted to stop for all time.
Time sped faster than anyone suspected, and
when at last the boat was ordered to take
the superintendent and his family ashore
the island was far away in the distance.
The captain of the Madura offered to stand
in again. but the superintendent dared not
trust her at night among the treacherous
currents, so he said he would not risk it,
but that his men would have no trouble in
setting him ashore, as they were fine boatmen.
They would have had no trouble if it had
been only setting the family ashore, but
unfortunately they attempted to tow also
behind them a small lighter which the Madura
had brought down for the island. As it would
be really easier to tow if lightly loaded
than when entirely empty, the Madam's trunk
and several packing cases were lowered into
the lighter, and just at sunset they were
off for the shore.
Darkness falls so rapidly in the tropics
after the sun sinks below the horizon, that
Captain Stanton advised the superintendent
at least to allow his wife and child to stay
on board till morning; but to this neither
would consent, so they left the ship just
as the last gleam of sunshine faded from
the blue surface of the waters. From the
deck it did not look so very far to the shore,
and no one made allowance for the fact that
while they talked the day faded, and the
vessel was gliding on the swift current much
faster than any one realized.
At last all was ready, and the boat started
for the island. Beside the trunks and boxes
there was a length of heavy chain in the
lighter which was not properly stowed, and
they found that the lighter was too much
down by the head; so the men were told to
arrange it differently. This took some moments
more, and when again the boat was headed
for the shore it was almost dark. Still there
was time to reach the land before it should
be too dark to see to make their way up the
narrow channel through the reef, but alas
they were only at the beginning of their
troubles. All at once Kimo, the luna,
or head man, who was steering, looked behind,
and cried out, "See, see, the lighter
is filling!" And filling she was; for
she was settling before their eyes.
Everything was done to keep her afloat, but
she was filling so rapidly that there was
nothing to be done but to save what was possible
from her freight and let the rest go, hoping
that something might float ashore and be
saved. One trunk and 3 small box were hurriedly
taken into the small boat, but with her passengers
beside the crew she could take no more, so
I Hal watched his particular trunk sink slowly
into the water as the lighter sunk lower
and lower, until with a gurgle and sucking
sound it sunk down into the depths.
There was nothing to be done but to make
haste and get ashore, being thank- for what
they had saved, and mourning as little as
possible for the articles lost. But where
was the shore? It was now dark, and from
the little boat they had not been able to
catch a glimpse of the shore, but bad been
rowing for the point where they knew land
must be. During the excitement of the lighter's
sinking the boat had turned and swung around
several times; the light had faded entirely
away, and the sky was all one dim blue, nothing
showing which point of the horizon had swallowed
the sun.
The Madura had tacked two or three times
since the boat left her side, so they could
not take a bearing from her position, and
hope to find the shore.
What could be done? It was so dark that the
boat could not be seen from the deck of the
bark, and as she was sailing away from them
with a freshening, wind it was hopeless to
attempt to reach her side again.
A consultation between captain anti men was
held, but that only made confusion more confounded.
One man thought land lay in this direction,
another felt sure it was in that. One said
this was the north, while his neighbor declared
it was the east.
It was a very disagreeable position. If they
kept moving they might be going home, but
they also might be rowing directly out into
the broad ocean, and when mowing came they
might find themselves far, far out of sight
of land. The captain groaned as he thought
of his delicate wife and young child exposed
to the heavy dews of the equatorial night.
He vowed that never again should his boat
leave the shore without a compass even if
it was only going to the edge of the reef.
If they had the compass they could easily
find their way to land, or at least could
keep near enough to be in sighs 'when morning
broke; but now they were helpless.
At last the Captain decided that the best
thing to be done was to keep as near their
present position as possible until light.
He knew about the speed of the current, and
could make allowance for it, and thus might
stand some show of seeing land when morning
broke, or at least of being within sight
of the Madura, and then it would be an easy
matter to get home.
The Madam had her keys in her pocket, so
the trunk was opened, a difficult job in
that little dancing boat, and warm wrappings
found for mother and child, and all settled
down to make the best of their bad predicament.
The bright stars of the beautiful Southern
Cross shone silvery white in the dark blue
of the sky, and the boat was headed for the
island as nearly as the position could be
judged from the stars. Hal settled down in
his father's arms, and the little company
of castaways chatted in subdued tones as
the long night hours crept away.
Kimo was a fine singer, and several of the
others had fair voices, so they beguiled
the time for a while by their music. Songs
comic, sentimental, tender, or warlike, rang
out over the waste of water. Tales of olden
times were recited, news from far distant
Hawaii was asked for and eagerly listened
to, but still the hours from sunset to morning
were terribly long. It was past two o'clock
before silence fell upon the little boat,
but at length all were dozing, waiting for
the first gleam of light which it was hoped
would show them where the island lay.
At last a faint gray haze took the place
of the thick blackness which had encompassed
them around for several hours. Morning was
near. Soon the blessed sun would shine again,
and the long dreary, dismal night would be
past. Lighter and lighter grew the gray horizon,
farther and farther away it seemed. The ocean
had seemed all night to rise high above them
at a short distance from their little boat,
but now it resumed its proper place and position.
Soon pink lines shot through the gray haze,
the sun's messengers, sent to give warning
of his coming. Day was come, and the luna
rose to his feet to see if there was any
sign of the island. He gazed for a moment
, and then pointed to where a white spot
shone in the first rays of the rising sun.
"There's the Madura. We can get aboard
of her, and she will take us to the island."
The bark came rapidly nearer. Soon her decks
were visible, and now her men were plainly
seen. Soon one of them seemed to catch a
glimpse of the little boat. be pointed it
out to others, and in a moment all was bustle
on board. The course of the vessel was changed
to bring her nearer Barer, and soon the weary
company were again on the hospitable deck
of the Madura.
The story of the long night was soon told,
and hot coffee and hard tack was given them
to stay them until breakfast could be prepared.
The island was hardly visible, so far away
was it, but by the time breakfast was prepared
and eaten the vessel would be close to land.
The meal was soon ready and dispatched in
haste. When it was over all hands hastened
to the deck and found that the bark was rapidly
drawing near the island. It was intended
to lay the moorings from the deck of the
bark, and as the weather was fine and the
sea smooth it was advisable to make as much
haste about it as possible, so the vessel
was brought in close to the island. This
gave the strangers a chance for a closer
view of the place which was to be home for
at least a time.
From the bark the land looked like a low,
level stretch of white sand, with a square,
two-story white house standing in the center.
The island was so small and so low that one
could see clear across it, and watch the
surf break against the rocks on the farther
side of the island. There were several buildings
beside the big white house. A long, barrack
like building was the native house; that
is, it was the place where the men lived
when not at work.
The men had the boat ready soon after breakfast,
and another start was made for shore,-this
time a successful, one. A short pull brought
the boat to land, or pretty close to the
shore,-but it was very close to the land
underneath, so very close that it refused
to move farther, and still there were some
twenty feet of water between the wished for
shore and the feet of the longing passengers.
The Madam did not care for wading, especially
in water that looked as if it might be waist
deep, and was running like a mill stream.
The tide had turned, and was running out
so fast that the boat, which was of great
draught for its seeming size, was being left
each moment more certainly stuck on the reef.
Though the water was running swiftly out,
there was no hope for the voyagers, for in
the channel it would not be dry at all. It
formed a river down which all the water from
each side found its exit to the open sea.
The exterior reef was high above water then,
but the rock within the reef sloped in such
a way that the water had to seek the sea
by way of the straight channel which was
the only entrance to the island.
The Madam wondered what she was to do, but
luna Kimo did not stop
to wonder. Hastily stripping off his coat
and trowsers, he stood up, clothed only in
his blue shirt, and stepping over the side
held out his arms.
Had the Madam but just come from ultra civilized
lands, she would have been shocked by the
idea of being landed in this primitive way
by this half-stripped man; but she had silent
many months in Hawaii, where often men were
met "naked, and not ashamed," where
it is nothing unusual to meet parties of
them employed in the taro fields, dressed
only in the malo, or breech-cloth.
Being thus familiar with the native customs,
she quietly stepped forward, and Kimo raised
her in his arms as easily as if she were
a child, and waded to the shore. Hal followed
on the back of Nui Keoni, the biggest native
- man he ever saw, while the Captain rolled
up his linen trowsers and waded for himself.
Two of the natives offered to carry him,
but as he weighed two hundred and twenty-five
pounds, he did not have full faith in their
ability to fulfill the contract, so preferred
to take no chances.
As the superintendent had been expected back
the night before, and as the luna
was with him, the men on shore had been uncertain
what they should do, so had done nothing.
Instead of starting, as usual, for the guano
field at six o'clock, the whole seventy were
on the beach to meet the new comers. Some
were men whom the Madam or Hal had known
in Honolulu, and these immediately came forward
to greet the two, who might have some word
for them from that far-off home to which
a Hawaiian always turns with loving thoughts
and longing heart.
The Madam at once went to the house, to take
charge of her kingdom, while the Captain
and luna went to work,
getting ready for laying the moorings.
The Madam found that her home was in a wide,
two-storied, white house, of four rooms on
each floor. The rooms on the upper floor
were to be used as living rooms, while the
lower part of the house was for a store house,
in which to keep the stock of provisions,
which could be replenished only once in three
months. For fear of accidents six months'
stock was always kept on hand, and food enough
to keep eighty men for six months requires
a fair-sized room for storage.
A wide veranda surrounded the house, giving
needed shade from the torrid sun, which has
a power here scarcely to be realized by denizens
of more temperate regions.
While the mother and son were settling their
belongings in their roomy abode, the men
had betaken themselves to the work of getting
the moorings laid before rough weather should
come. The moorings consisted of a couple
of huge plank cubes, strongly bolted together
and connected by a link and swivel. They
were held in place by two anchors, one below
the buoy, which held it from dragging inshore;
the other on the reef, from which a long
chain led out to, the connecting link between
the two boxes. This kept the moorings from
dragging out to sea.
The second day after the Madura arrived,
the schooner Joseph Woolley, which belonged
to the guano company, also arrived on her
regular trip around the islands belonging
to the company. At that time the company
owned three islands,-Baker, Howland, and
Jarvis. The Woolley made the trip to each
once in three months, bringing stores and
men, and returning took away the men whose
time was at an end. The men shipped for a
year, and usually, when the year was up,
they would go to Honolulu, spend what they
had earned by their year of hard work, and
generally they were ready to re-ship before
the Woolley was ready for her return trip.
The Hawaiians are a gentle, kindly race.
These men would work from the first gleam
of light until it was too dark to see to
work longer. Often after they had been handling
heavy bags of guano from four in the morning
until eight at night, they were called up
at midnight to haul the boats and lighters
up into safety, as the surf was rising and
the boats were in danger where they lay.
Of the seventy or eighty men not one ever
made a bit of complaint about the hardship.
They would run out singing, laughing, and
jesting, pull and tug until the heavy boats
were at the top of the bank, and then return
to finish their interrupted sleep.
Of course, they did not work such hours always.
It was only when a vessel was there that
they were worked so hard. Usually they worked
ten hours a day, but the Madura had already
been around the island over a year; once
she was driven off by stress of weather,
and suffered damages which necessitated her
return to Honolulu to refit Then she returned,
and in another storm dragged the moorings
loose, and they were lost: After that she
tried to take her cargo while laying off
and on, but after a month's work she had
not taken half her lower hold would carry.
Suddenly the scurvy appeared among her men,
and she was obliged to return to Honolulu
for medical assistance and fresh stores.
It was on her return from this trip that
she had brought the Madam to the island.
She also was chartered to bring down and
lay the new moorings.
While the men were so busy in first laying
the buoy and then giving the Madura her cargo,
the woman and child had ample time to become
thoroughly familiar with their kingdom.
Jarvis Island is nothing more nor less than
a large sample of the mushroom shaped coral.
It is like a saucer, in that the center of
the island is much lower than the parts next
the water's edge. This lower central portion
forms a lake during the rainy season, so
that work is entirely suspended for that
time. The guano is found in this lower part
of the island. It is not like the Peruvian
guano, which is deposited by innumerable
birds. The guano on these islands is simply
decomposed coral. It is offensive neither
to touch nor smell, but looks like sand,
and has no more odor than clean sand has.
It is found, some of it, close to the surface,
and then is shoveled up like any other earth,
which it resembles. There is a little of
another kind found on Jarvis Island, but
on ' none of the others. This kind is like
a sandstone. It is called rock guano, and
has to be dug out as if it was rock. It needs
no blasting, as, it is very friable.
The guano from the company's islands is not
used for fertilizing purposes, but is reserved
for chemical uses first; then it may sometimes
be used on land, but not generally.
In due time the Madura was loaded and took
her departure, having spent fifteen; months
in getting a cargo which would not pay her
sailors) wages for that time. It may be interesting
to the reader to know of her ultimate fate.
After leaving Jarvis Island the Madura made
a fair passage until soon after rounding
Cape Horn. T hen they were caught in a hurricane,
which damaged the vessel so much that it
was found necessary to put into Pernambuco
for repairs. Here the Captain, his wife,
and both the mates caught the yellow fever.
Mrs. Stanton and Mr. Williams, the mate,
died of the fever, but Captain Stanton recovered
and went home to England, with rather a poor
opinion of everything on this side of the
world. The Madura was, I believe, condemned
and broken up. It was an unprofitable voyage
for her owners.
After the vessel was gone the men were given
a week of holidays, and they improved it
to the best advantage. Of course a Hawaiian
finds his greatest enjoyment in the water,
so the men spent many hours of their play-time
in swimming, diving, and frolicking in the
sea. Several times at night they went out
fishing with torches. It made a pretty picture,-the
long line of blazing torches carried by the
naked bronze forms, which were now lighted
up by the glare, now shadowed by the smoke
of the torches. Each man carried either a
torch or a spear. The one with a torch would
walk slowly along, holding his torch high
above his head, while the spearman walked
by his side, stooping every few moments to
dash his spear down into the water, from
which he would raise it with an exultant
shout, bearing upon its point a finny captive.
These fish were of the most brilliant colors.
The reel mullet, the purple mullet, rock
cods brilliant with carmine spots,-for they
wear a brighter hue in tropical waters than
in the colder north, -silvery-sided, slender-bodied
whip fish; and once in a while a glowing
grass green fish. When they caught one of
these they at once retired from the sport.
They consider it a bad sign, but of just
what I do not know. One of the green fish
would cast the whole company into the dumps
for at least twelve hours, and that is a
long time for the mercurial Hawaiian to be
thoughtful over anything.
When the week of play was over the men returned
to their work with as much seeming pleasure
as they had found in their sport. The wharf
from which the guano was shipped lay on the
northern end of the island, and the guano
fields were nearly over to the southern side,
so there was a railroad built from wharf
to field; the cars were run by horse power,
or, if the wind was right, by sails; but
it was not often that the wind was steady
enough to be depended upon, so the two old
horses, which had been on the island for
twenty years, were used to haul the low flat
cars loaded with sacks of guano from where
it was dug to a level field near the wharf,
where it was spread to dry. From there it
was piled in long mounds, and left until
a vessel should come to take it from the
island.
While the men were busy with their work Hal
and his mother were enjoying themselves in
various ways. The island, though so small,
is the home of innumerable sea-birds There
are thousands of small birds that sailors
call " wide-awakes,"-the correct
name I do not know. Hundreds of the frigate
birds were also found here, and quite a large
settlement of the stupid booby, a bird that
does not know enough to get out of the way
until you kick him over, and then half the
time he will only lie and gasp, watching
you with fishy, lackluster eyes until you
roll him down the bank into the water.
The eggs of the frigate bird are fairly good
for the table, not being overpoweringly fishy
in taste, but those of the wide-awakes are
finer than hens' eggs. The bird is not larger
than a pigeon, but its eggs are but little
smaller than a medium hen's egg, and they
are finer food by far than the egg of any
other bird in existence, so far as my experience
goes. These eggs are, in the nesting season,
so plentiful that Hal and his mother would
take a bucket made of a coal oil can, and
fill it in a few minutes. The birds were
so tame that it was necessary to hold the-arm
before the face, to protect the eyes while
passing through the nesting place. Nesting
I call it; but the only sign of nest was
a slight hollow scooped in the ground, in
which were two, three, and sometimes four
eggs.
The frigate birds made a little more show
of nest building; still their nests were
very poor samples. They lay an egg about
tile size of a turkey's. It is eatable, but
not to be mentioned in the same breath as
the others.
When there were no eggs to be gathered, there
were fish to be caught, and Hal and his mother
proved to be prize fishers. One day Hal hooked
a rock cod so big that he and his mother
together could not land it, but had to hold
on with all their strength until the steward
could run down from the house and pull it
in for them. When it was hooked the Madam
thought the hook was caught in a rock of
coral, and as hooks were very scarce she
pulled this way and that, trying to free
the hook, but in vain. At last she and Hal
put a heavy, steady strain on the line, and
slowly brought the rock, as they supposed,
to the surface. Hal was next the water and
he nearly tumbled in as he saw the goggle
eyes of the fish rising up as the hook neared
the surface. The fish did not fight a bit
until it reached the surface, then it made
up for its previous inactivity. It dove down
again, nearly chafing the line in two on
the sharp edges of the coral, and then sulked
as it was slowly hauled to the top once more,
only to repeat the performance again and
again, until the line began to show signs
of wear. At last the mother sent Hal to call
the Chinese steward, and with his help the
fish was landed. It was a monster of its
kind. It was four feet long, so big that
it could not be cooked whole in the oven
of the large range. This was the biggest
fish caught on the island, but there were
numbers of others which would astonish people
who have not seen the size to which fish
that are small in northern waters grow in
the warm currents near the Equator.
Hal and his mother took the contract to keep
the islands supplied with fish, and as Hawaiians
are willing to eat fish three times each
day, and oftener if you desire, it was no
sinecure. They fished an hour or two nearly
every day, usually standing on the rocks
of the reef at low tide and fishing in the
fissures, but sometimes taking the little
dingey with the house boy, Kala, to row them,
and going outside the reef to fish in deep
water. Here they caught the mullet, one of
the finest of fish; also a little pink-scaled
fish that had a peculiar taste, but of which
one became very fond.
Sometimes when there were no fish needed
the Madam would take Kala and Hal and row
idly along the reef, watching through the
water glass the beautiful forms of the coral
flowers that grew in the gardens far down
in the green waters. There is scarce a flower
in the garden that has not its counterpart
in these lovely water gardens. Just outside
the reef they grew in the greatest profusion
and of the finest forms. Prob. ably they
were sheltered from the force of the waves
by the reef beside then,. At any rate they
we re more lovely, seen through the medium
of fifty or sixty feet of ocean water, than
any flowers that grow in open air.
In and out among the glowing rock flowers
glided the many-colored, myriad formed fish,
and often it was hard to tell whether you
were watching a fish or some strange formation
of coral, until suddenly the fish remembered
an appointment he had made with some friend,
and with a swish of his glittering tail and
a dip of his glowing fins was up and off
before you could turn the glass to keep watch
of him and see where he was going in such
a hurry.
Hal used sometimes to get tired of watching
the coral, but his mother never did. She
would lie for hours with her face buried
in the top of the long tunnel, watching the
life under water. At first she wanted to
secure some of the treasures from the lovely
garden, and once she got Kimo, who was a
famous diver, to go down and pick off one
particular branch which she had long coveted.
He did so, but when he reached the surface
she could hardly believe that the dingy brown
rock he brought up was the one she had watched
him break from its anchorage. The specimen
was improved by cleaning, but it never looked
one half so lovely above water as it had
below, and its absence made a vacant spot
in her under-water garden, so she never asked
for any more of them to be brought to the
upper world. As with many other things, "
distance lent enchantment." and she
decided it was better to enjoy the corals
that she got on the reef and allow those
in her garden to stay there. While they were
there she thought them beautiful. Perhaps
when she got them close at hand they would
be but common kinds, after all.
Beside the corals that were found on the
reef it was a wonderfully fine place to gather
superb shells. When the tide was out Hal
and his mother, each dressed in a bathing
suit, would wander over the exposed reef,
finding here and there shells that were well
worth the notice of a conchologist. There
were to be found the harp cowry, --not many,
but still each day one or two,-the leopard
shell by the thousands, the rare strawberry
cowry, and millions and millions o f other
more common kinds. When they left the island
they had at least a barrel of fine shells,
which they distributed among their friends.
One day when Hal and the Madam were out "shelling,"
they met with an adventure that put a stop
for a time to that particular pastime. They
had been gathering shells all the time at
low water, and were slowly working home again,
wading through the deepening water, and finding
here and there another shell. Suddenly as
the Madam stepped across a pool where the
water was knee deep she saw at the bottom
of the pool
a magnificent leopard cowry. Elated at making
such a find, she determined at any hazard
to secure it, and stepped into the pool.
The water was rapidly rising, and when she
stooped to grasp the shell it covered her
arm and breast. But that was nothing; she
was nearly home, and could soon get dry again.
As she grasped the shell she was terrified
to feel a sudden shock alla to see a number
of snake-like forms spring up out of the
water, which was as black as ink in an instant,
and to feel the snaky things fasten upon
her arm, which was naked to the shoulder.
A shriek of terror broke from her lips, frightening
Hal so that he tumbled headlong into a pool,
and then added his screams of fright to his
mother's calls. After the first shock she
knew that the object which grasped her arm
was nothing but a squid, or as more generally
called, a devil-fish; but as she was stooped
with her face but a few inches above the
water, with the tide rapidly rising, and
could not move from her position while the
squid kept its numbing hold upon her arm,
her position was not very pleasant. Fortunately
the Captain was within hearing and ran to
the rescue. He caught hold of the arms of
the squid, and with one or two powerful jerks
tore it loose, and brought it to the surface.
It had used three of its arms to hold to
tine' rocks and the others were fastened
to the Madam's arm.
As any attempt to pull off the squid was
excruciatingly painful, it was killed and
each arm cut off before it relaxed its suction
hold upon the flesh. Every one of the thirty
or forty spots to which it was fastened on
the arm was black for a week, and very painful.
The flesh was badly bruised, but it came
right in time. The fright was not soon forgotten;
the Madam never cared much for shelling expeditions
after that, unless the Captain could go along.
Soon after this the rains began. Rain! You
have no idea what such rain is. It does not
come in drops, it is almost solid, it comes
in such sheets of water.' In five minutes
as much water will fall as ever falls in
an hour anywhere else. And when it rains
it makes a steady job of it. - It will pour
down in sheets for hour after hour, until
one wonders if somehow things are not turned
round, and if the ocean has not got overhead,
instead of being out there behind that blinding
sheet of rain.
But it does stop, sometime; and when it does,
the sun tries his best to make you forget
what has passed. One naturally [expects that-it
will be very, very ho t on the Equator, but
Jarvis Island, only twenty miles south, is
much more desirable as a residence than many
places farther north. The trade winds blow
steadily every day and it is always cool
enough for comfort. During the time that
the islands were worked, some fifteen years,
there were not a dozen days when they were
obliged to stop 'work on account of the heat.
Those days were when the wind died down at
the change, and left nothing but one reeking,
blazing, flaming, scorching fire, under which
men and horses alike were helpless, and were
called in to lie in the hot water under the
wharf, and endure as best they could until
the saving wind should blow again.
No work was done during the rains, as the
guano beds were all under water; but the
sun soon dried up the water after the rains
were over, and things went on as before.
The first summer that Hal and the Madam spent
on the island there were five vessels loaded
there, so they did not suffer for company,
particularly since the captain of one bark
proved to be an old friend, who had no idea
he was going to meet friends on the desolate
little sand spot to which be had brought
his vessel in course of business. i He lived
on shore while loading, and the visit was
much enjoyed.
During the winter no vessels are sent to
the island, as it would be impossible to
give a cargo of dry guano, and it does not
pay to ship wet, so that the islanders passed
several lonely months.
Soon after the summer came, the Woolley brought
word that a vessel would soon reach the island,
as she was almost ready to sail when the
schooner left.
Of course Hal spent many hours each day in
the observatory, and his mother often went
up also, hoping to catch a glimpse of the
longed-for sail. At last, late one afternoon,
it was seen, but so far off that there was
no hope of its getting to the island that
night. Of course the captain could stand
away from the island until morning, as it
was known that the currents were very uncertain,
and that it would not be safe for a stranger
to come close at night. They watched the
vessel until it was hidden by the darkness.
The superintendent was a little anxious about
her, as she seemed inclined to come closer
then was prudent, but he finally concluded
that her captain probably had been at the
island before, and was coming down pretty
close, and then would stand off until morning,
and come directly to the moorings, without
waiting for a pilot.
All hands retired early that night so as
to be up at the first break of day, getting
ready for the visitor. Hal was the first
one up, and he ran out as usual on the verandah
to look for a sail. He came running back
calling,-
"Papa, papa, that ship is coming ashore
on the point, I guess! "
Everybody rushed to the door, and found that
the vessel was not coming ashore, but 'was
already there. She lay high and dry on the
point of the reef, and several of her men
were making their way toward the house.
When they reached the verandah the Captain
asked, "Well, boys, did you come to
make a morning call ? "
"No, sir, come to stop," was the
curt' reply of one of the sailors. "We've
piled up the prettiest bark ever floated
down there on your blasted reef, and how
on Earth it was done I don't know."
All hands were hurried out to help in saving
whatever was possible from the vessel before
the tide should rise, for fear that it might
carry her backward, when she would fill and
sink at once.
It seemed the captain had missed his reckoning,
supposed he was still some distance from
Jarvis Island, had not seen the land the
night before, and the first thing he knew
his vessel struck with a bump upon the rock.
A second crash and she was high and dry before
her crew were awake, almost. Evidently the
watch had been dozing, or the accident would
never have happened, as the wreck was not
half a mile from the buildings, and had the
men been awake they could not have missed
seeing the houses.
But whether by carelessness or not, the vessel,
the Ada Venner of Newburyport, was a total
wreck. She had sailed fair against the sharp
coral edge of the reef, and it had cut a
hole in the side big enough for her to fill
in a few moments, whenever she should sink
back where the water could get full swing
at her. As she lay she might still remain
for some time on the reef, until a rough
surf should get up, for she had gone ashore
at extreme high tide, and was lying at low
tide entirely out of water. But it is always
impossible to predict when a rough sea will
get up, so it was thought best to put the
whole force from both vessel and island to
work stripping her of everything valuable,
for fear she might be washed off by the first
tide.
Fortunately the sea remained smooth for three
days, and the busy force got nearly everything
of any account off her before the rough weather
came. The first and most important was the
simply of food, for the sailors could not
live on the poi and salt beef which was the
principal food of the laborers, and of course
a supply that was ample for three white people
would not last very long when fifteen men
were added to the number.
One morning, I believe the fifth after the
ship struck on the island, when the men went
out of the house that had been given up for
their use, they rubbed their eyes and looked
around in astonishment. There was not a stick
belonging to the Venner in sight.
An unusually high tide had lifted her enough
so that she had slid back off the reef, and
sunk in a hundred and fifty feet of water.
The water is deep close up to the reef, as
in many cases in the southern part of the
Pacific, so that the vessel had sunk out
of sight close by the land. As most of her
rigging had been taken out the day before
it did not matter much.
As the Woolley had but just left the island,
not to return for three months, there was
nothing to be done but to keep the crew until
she returned. At first this was rather enjoyed
as a change from the monotonous life of the
past few months, but idle sailors are hard
to get along with. Fortunately there was
but little liquor on the island, or there
might have been more trouble; but as it was
there was enough. The sailors had been very
friendly at first with the Hawaiians, but
before long little quarrels broke out, and
soon there was an undercurrent of ill feeling
gathering force each day.
The captain of the Venner had no authority
over the men. They coolly told him that they
had nothing more to do with him. They were
on American soil, and he had lost his vessel,
so had no right to dictate to them in any
way. Whether this was law or not I do not
know, but if they would not obey there did
not seem to be any way of making them. There
were twelve of them, and they were all in
rebellion.
This state of affairs was rather unpleasant,
especially with a woman and child on the
island. Finally the captain and the superintendent
held a consultation, to which they called
the lunaand one or two of the best men among the
natives. It was decided to have the natives
seize the sailors the first time they could
get the chance and handcuff them. This was
done that very night. The sailors were all
sleeping in the house set aside for their
use, and a company of the men led by the
luna Kilo stole softly in, and before the men
knew what had happened they were all secured.
It was nearly a month before the schooner
was expected back, and it was rather hard
to keep the men handcuffed so long, but it
was done. They threatened dire vengeance
against both captain and the superintendent,
but when they were informed that they would
be taken to Honolulu and imprisoned for trying
to incite the natives to an insurrection
they changed their' minds. and when the Woolley
landed in Honolulu they shipped and got out
of reach as soon as possible, for fear they
might find themselves in more trouble than
they cared to face.
Life on the island moved quietly on after
the crew of the Venner was gone. The same
old story, day after day; getting eggs, birds,
fish, or shells, by day; sitting on the verandah
in the evening listening to the songs and
stories sung and told by the men, and sleeping
soundly and dreamlessly through the night,
watched over by the silver moon and the Southern
Cross.
Another year passed in this way, and then,
owing to misrepresentation, the company in
New York decided to abandon the island, as
they were told by the manager that the guano
was exhausted, and there was no more worth
shipping. l his with several thousand tons
already dug on the island, higher in phosphates
than much that had been sold at a higher
figure. It was a job put up by interested
parties, who intended stealing the guano
and selling it in Australia. One cargo was
so taken and sold about a year after the
island was abandoned, but the vessel was
lost as she drew near the Australian coast
with her second cargo.
As orders had come to leave the island, the
superintendent had nothing, to do but obey,
so when the Woolley returned to Honolulu
she took with her all those who had spent
so many peaceful months on the little coral
island, which though scarcely as large as
many a farm in the States, still afforded
scope for many pleasant (and some few unpleasant)
occurrences, which are often talked over,
even at this day, long after the tattered
flag that was left flying, nailed to its
staff, to show that the island was a bit
of America, had been blown from its halliards.
The Woolley sailed away on a pleasant morning
soon leaving the island far out of sight,
and in a short time she landed her little
band of returned exiles on Hawaiian soil.