Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
By the mid-1880s, John T. Arundel & Company held British leases for untended American
guano islands (Skaggs 1994) including: Birnie, Abariringa (Canton), Enderbury, Nikumaroro
(Gardner), Orona (Hull), McKeans, Rawaki (Phoenix), and Manra (Sydney). All of these had
been claimed by U.S. Guano, but none had been worked by them.
In 1887, Ellis took samples of guano for analysis (Ellis 1937). The quantity was insufficient,
but of it was high quality.
RAWAKI (PHOENIX)
In 1859, a list of 48 islands was published by the New York Tribune that listed Pacific
Islands with guano deposits (Hague 1862). The list included Birnie, Rawaki (Phoenix),
Enderbury, Manra (Sydney), and Abariringa (Mary). Hague (1862) noted that the guano
quantity was not very extensive, but was said to be of good quality.
On February 12, 1859, the U.S. Guano Company filed a claim for Rawaki (Phoenix) and
received bond number 9, dated February 8, 1860 (Skaggs 1994). In addition, the Phoenix
Guano Company filed a claim for Rawaki (Phoenix) on May 14, 1859, and received bond
number 6, dated December 27, 1859.
All of the Phoenix Islands, except Orona (Hull) were bonded to the American Guano
Company, or its subsidiary, the Phoenix Guano Company (Maude 1952 and 1968).
Between 1857 and 1860, American companies took possession of McKean, Rawaki
(Phoenix), and Enderbury for guano extraction (Morrell 1960). In 1859, C.A. Williams and
Co. (later the Phoenix Guano Co.) filed notice that Rawaki (Phoenix) had been taken as a
possession of the U.S. (Bryan 1941). A sign board had been erected and a bottle containing
papers had been buried there.
In 1859, the American brig Agate departed Hawaii to set up a base camp on Rawaki
(Phoenix) (Bryan 1941 and 1942). Landing was too difficult, so the ship went to McKean.
Rawaki (Phoenix) had habors affording safe anchorage for large ships (Anon. 1859e).
However, in the notes to this article, it was noted that Rawaki (Phoenix) did not have a harbor
for large ships.
In 1859, a group of Hawaiian workers who had worked on Enderbury, McKeans, and Rawaki
(Phoenix) sued C.A. Williams for greater compensation due to the hardships (Skaggs 1994).
They lost in court.
In 1860, guano collection operations began on Rawaki (Phoenix) (Bryan 1941 and 1942;
1862 according to Garnett 1983a). The Phoenix Guano Company erected a hut, shed, and
tramline to assist in guano collection (Maude 1937). They also released rabbits on Rawaki
(Phoenix).
The locations for McKean, Rawaki (Phoenix), and Enderbury were published by Anon.
(1861b). However, according to a note to Anon. (1861b) by Ward (1967e), the positions
were not very accurate.
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