The Audubon Societies 



91 



They were told that a Japanese schooner 

 would call for them some time along about 

 April, 1910. They were instructed by 

 the agents before leaving to have their 

 bird-skins prepared for shipment by this 

 time. 



In killing the birds, the Japanese say 

 that they used sticks, and after dead, by 

 the aid of knives, removed the skins and 

 secured the plumage. In other instances, 

 the birds were either killed or stunned by 

 knocking their heads against the sand. 



()ne of the Japanese was identified as 

 a laborer who not very long ago was one 

 of a party engaged upon Laysan or Lysian- 

 sky Island, at the time when guano was 

 being taken from these islands. 



The identification, however, was made 

 by one who had recently visited Midway, 

 and was there shown a picture taken on 

 Laysan Island, in which it is claimed one 

 of the captured Japanese then figured. 



The matter of complicity will, however- 

 be threshed out in the courts. 



The Thetis was unable to make fast 

 time because of much bad weather. 

 Captain Jacobs, however, was highly 

 pleased over the success of the cruise. 

 He spoke at considerable length to visiting 

 newspaper men this morning. 



Bird Island was the first stop made by 

 the Thetis. This lonely spot in the Pacific 

 was found inaccessible, though it was the 

 nearest to the Hawaiian group. At this 

 season of the year, but very few birds 

 were found there or hovering over the 

 rock. It was found impossible to land 

 upon the rock, owing to the strong north- 

 east gales and heavy swells, the surf dash- 

 ing high against a sheer precipice two 

 hundred feet in height. 



The Thetis, after cruising about Bird 

 Island, and her officers seeing no evidences 

 of human beings upon the lonely rock, 

 then proceeded to Neckar Island, where 

 the revenue cutter made a stop; but 

 it was discovered that there were no 

 more birds there. 



Bad weather prevented a landing be- 

 ing made at Neckar Island, owing to the 

 strong northeasterly gales which prevailed, 

 with heavy seas. 



'ihc link' revenue cutter then steamed 

 westward, and the ne.xt sighted was 

 Gardiner Island. This was also inacces- 

 sible, it being wholly of rock formation 

 and rising out of the sea to a height f)f 

 about two hundred feet, and luning a 

 diameter of nearly two hundred feet. A few 

 albatrosses were noted hovering around 

 the rock, but to land a boat there was en- 

 tirely out of the question. Captain Jacobs 

 was of the opinion that about the only 

 way that a human being could visit this 

 isolated spot would be by swimming 

 through a raging surf. 



Laysan Island was the ne.xt mid- 

 Pacific islet visited by the Thetis. It was 

 here that the first seizure of bird plum- 

 age was made, and the greater num- 

 ber of Japanese poachers were found. 

 The bird skins were confiscated, and the 

 Japanese placed under arrest. 



The first signs of civilization discovered 

 at Laysan, as the Thetis came to anchor, 

 was an American flag which was seen 

 flying from the upper part of a small 

 water-tower or lookout station. Though 

 a high sea was running at the time, a boat 

 was sent from the Thetis, in command of 

 an officer with a crew of picked and 

 armed men, and a landing was effected. 

 The officer was instructed by Captain 

 Jacobs to learn the number of men upon 

 the island, and the Thetis officers were 

 also directed to secure information con- 

 cerning the amount of bird skins then on 

 the island. 



The Thetis men rounded up fifteen 

 Japanese on Laysan, and these were oc- 

 cupying thirteen buildings and shacks. 

 In some of the buildings was found a large 

 quantity of bird skins and plumage. It 

 was on this island that two small sampans 

 were found. The little craft were evi- 

 dently used in taking the men from the 

 Japanese schooner to the island. Accord- 

 ing to the statement from the Thetis 

 officers, it would be impossible for the 

 Japanese to have made any distance at sea 

 in such small vessels. In the possession of 

 several of the Japanese were documents 

 purporting to have been given them from 

 local people, in which they were author- 



