490 SEA CHARTS USED IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. 



language, knew well the islanders, among whom he grew up, and was 

 also a good sailor. After Jochem had taken part in our conferences, 

 he remarked that Lojak did not get the matter quite straight, and 

 did not understand it all correctly; he did not say the same thing 

 every day; he was not competent to do that, because his chief assist- 

 ant in sailing was always a native of lower rank, called Laumanuan, 

 who was now living with Lojak. It did not seem expedient for the 

 present to use him to correct his chief when he was in error, but 

 Jochem could privately learn from him afterwards, especially at 

 home, the correct version. In this inquiry, when things were not 

 clear, I had a conference with Lojak in his hut while Jochem and 

 Laumanuan remained outside. At last, in this way, we succeeded in 

 clearing up the greater part of the doubtful points and securing the 

 interpretation of Charts [-IV, as well as the meaning of their sym- 

 bols. Moreover, we obtained, through our efforts with Lojak, a new 

 chart, numbered V, from Chief Langenat, of the island Mille, in the 

 Ratak chain, who was at that time a guest of Lojak's. 



As reported to me, the other chiefs understood little more of the 

 ancient lore, only Chief Muridjil, in the northern part of the Ratak 

 chain, had some reputation as an old sailor. From Jochem's state- 

 ment, this man's knowledge would turn out not much better than 

 Lojak's. Muridjil had a native named Burido as assistant and right 

 hand man, who was required to be versed in the sailor's art. In 

 Jaluit were also Chiefs Kabua, Litokwa, and Launa, who were skillfid 

 men, but Kabua was not there on my second visit. Litokwa and 

 Launa knew less than Lojak about interpreting the charts. 



General results have been enlarged for me in a valuable manner by 

 an aged man, Mr. Capelle, in Jaluit, known under the name of "the 

 old gentleman," a merchant living there, who had been already more 

 than thirty years on the islands, and formerly was one of the best 

 informed settlers in the South Sea. Misfortune had overtaken him 

 in business, but now he was getting on his feet again. Mr. Capelle 

 had, during his entire sojourn in the South Sea, kept a diary, from 

 which he had given me notes on the subject in hand, and out of which, 

 when it was properly classified, was furnished other interesting 

 material. 



In the same manner as to Captain Kessler and Joachim de Brun, I 

 owe also to the imperial magistrate, Herr Senfft; to the president of 

 the Jaluit society, Herr Huetler, and to other gentlemen of Jaluit 

 many thanks for their substantial help in my work, both through their 

 own efforts and their influence with the natives. 



The so-called charts do not deserve the name in our sense, but they 

 merelj' serve to bring to view the water condition, as well for the 

 instruction of the chiefs sons, who have to be initiated into the secrets 

 of navigation, as for the settling of differences between chiefs piloting 



