Under the Southern Cross [pp. 205-216]

210 Under t/tc Soutkeui Cross. [Feb.
the islands belonging to the company. and. She also was chartered to bring
At that time the company owned three down and l~y the new moorings.
islands,- Baker, Howland, and Jarvis. While the men were so busy in first
The Woolley made the trip to each once laying the buoy and then giving the Main three months, bringing stores and dura her cargo, the woman and child had
men, and returning took away the men ample time to become thoroughly familwhose time was at an end. The men iar with their kingdom.
shipped for a year, and usually, when Jarvis Island is nothing more nor less
the year was up, they would go to Hon- than a large sample of the mushroom
olulu, spend what they had earned by shaped coral. It is like a saucer, in that
their year of hard work, and generally the center of the island is much lower
they were ready to re-ship before the tban the parts next the water's edge.
Woolley was ready for her return trip. This lower central portion forms a lake
The Hawaiians are a gentle, kindly during the rainy season, so that work is
race. These men would work from the entirely suspended for that time. The
first gleam of light until it was too dark guano is found in this ]ower part of the
to see to work longer. Often after they island. It is not like the Peruvian guano,
had been handling heavy bags of guano which is deposited by innumcrable birds.
from four in the morning until eight at The guano on these islands is simply
night, they were called up at midnight to decomposed coral. It is offensive neither
haul the boats and lighters~up into safe- to touch nor smell, but looks like sand
ty, as the surf was rising and the boats and has no more odor than clean sand
were in danger where they lay. Of the has. It is found, some of it, close to the
seventy or eighty men not one ever made surface, and then is shoveled up like any
a bit of complaint about the hardship. other earth, which it resembles. There
They would run out singing, laughing, is a little of another kind found on Jarand jesting, pull and tug until the heavy vis Island, but on none of the others.
boats were at the top of the bank, and This kind is like a sandstone. It is
then return to finish their interrupted called rock guano, and has to be dug
sleep. out as if it was rock. It needs no blast Of course, they did not work such ing, as it is very friable.
hours always. It was only when a ves- The guano from the company's islands
sel was there that they were worked so is not used for fertilizing purposes, but
harU. Usually they worked ten hours a is reserved for chemical uses first; then
day, but the Madura had already been it may sometimes be used on land, but
around the island over a year; once she not generally.
was driven off by stress of weather, and In due time the Madura was loaded
suffered damages which necessitated her and took her departure, having spent
return to Honolulu to refit. Then she fifteen months in getting a cargo which
returned, and in another storm dragged would not pay her sailors' wages for that
the moorings loose, and they were lost. time. It may be interesting to the
After that she tried to take her cargo reader to know of her ultimate fate. Af
while laying off and on, but after a ter leaving Jarvis Island the Madura
month's work she had not taken half her made a fair passage until soon after
lower hold would carry. Suddenly the rounding Cape Horn. Then they were
scurvy appeared among her men, and caught in a hurricane, which damaged
she was obliged to return to Honolulu the vessel so much that it was found
for medical assistance and fresh stores. necessary to put into Pernambuco for
It was on her return from this trip that repairs. Here the Captain, his wife, and
she had brought the Madam to the isl- both the mates caught the yellow fever.