The Audubon Societies QI 
They were told that a Japanese schooner 
would call for them some time along about 
April, t9r0. 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. 
One 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. 
_ The little revenue cutter then steamed 
westward, and the next sighted was 
Gardiner Island. This was also inacces- 
sible, it being wholly of rock formation 
and rising out of the sea to a height of 
about two hundred feet, and having 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 next 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- 
