12 
The camp, on the east side of the island, consisted of four thatched 
roof shacks 'which were 'used for sleeping, cooking, storing food, and also 
bird skins. n Great quantities of dead birds vere lying in all directions. " 
The Japanese had been on short rations for quite some time, and had dried 
large quantities of tern meat against the day vhen their rice should run 
out. The 77 men an d their baggage vere soon transferred aboard the Thetis 
to be taken to Honolulu. The package of dried bird skins and vings vere 
left there to be picked up by a later schooner. The Thetis left Lisianski 
the same day. ; 
On the return trip Captain Hamlet questioned Tsunetare Sugiye, manager 
of the party, to determine the exact nature of the feat her-poaching operations, 
and learned the folloving information. The Japanese party landed on Lisianski 
9 
on 8 January 1904; no Japanese had visited the island prior to their landing. 
The party arrived at Midway in Yei.ju Ma.ru, hut were told they could not stay 
thdre without permission from Honolulu, so they continued on to Lisianski. 
There 38 men went ashore and built a camp while 10 remained on the vessel. 
About 18 January the Yei.ju Maru broke adrift in a heavy gale and was smashed 
on the reef, with the loss of her entire crew. In late February 39 additional 
vtk. 1 ' ' V ^ 
men were put ashore from the Taiyo Maru . She left Lisianski for Tokyo on 
1 
1 March 1904 with no cargo, Most of the materials for the buildings Were 
brought from Japan. The manager had previously been on Wake, hut no other 
American island. Mast of the parties collecting feathers for Japanese firms 
went to Guam or South Pacific islands belonging to Japanj At the time the 
Japanese vere removed from Lisianski they had collected 119 sacks of vings, 
* j , 
IGG mats of whole, dried birds, and 116 cases of birds and wings. Most of 
-Ghe birds killed were Sooty Terns, which, according to the manager, Vere best 
killed from mid-July to mid-August vhen they vere lean and easiest to preserve. 
. --.1 A 
