Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
In June 1870, Captain Hempstead arrived with 60 Hawaiian laborers under contract with the
Phoenix Guano Co. (Bryan 1941, 1942, and 1974). A railway tram and pier on the western
side of the island were constructed to move guano to awaiting ships (Abbott 1966). Houses
were constructed to house workers. In 64 days, four vessels were loaded and 5,443 tonnes
(6,000 tons) of phosphate were removed (Bryan 1941 and 1942; Garnett 1983a). For a
detailed list of vessels and guano amounts for 1870, see Pompey (1970).
The positions of Abariringa (Mary, Swallow, or Canton), Enderbury, Birnie, Rawaki
(Phoenix), McKean, and Orona (Hall) were published in Anon. (1871). In 1871, sailing
directions for the Phoenix Islands were also published by Hempstead (1871). These
included: Abariringa (Mary, Swallow, or Canton), Birnie, Enderbury, McKean (Wilkes),
Orona (Halls), and Rawaki (Phoenix).
A short account of the schooner C.M. Ward’s trip from Honolulu to Rawaki (Thoenix) and
Enderbury was published by Rickman (1871).
Phoenix Guano Company mined several of the Phoenix Islands including Enderbury,
McKeans, and Rawaki (Phoenix) (Skaggs 1994). On Enderbury, guano was dug and
exported during the 1870s (Abbott 1966; see also Boggs 1938). The price was USD 29 to 36
per tonne (USD 32 to 40 per ton).
In 1872, 4,375 tonnes (4,822 tons) were exported from Enderbury (Bryan 1941, 1942, and
1974).
In 1876, there were 4 foreigners and 55 Hawaiians working the guano on Enderbury (Bryan
1941 and 1942).
During the guano mining period, there was a mutiny aboard one of the guano ships two
weeks after it left Enderbury (Abbott 1966). No other specifics were provided.
Forts were built on Abariringa (Canton) and Enderbury to protect guano diggers (Wright
(1951). U.S. guano ships were sometimes pirated by Peruvians.
In 1877, guano collection on Enderbury ceased (Bryan 1941, 1942, and 1974; 1878 according
to Schuyler 1940). Enderbury had been worked for guano from 1862 to 1877 (Maude 1952
and 1968; 1861 to 1877 according to Tracey et al 1972). More than 90,720 tonnes (100,000
tons) of phosphate had been mined from Enderbury (Burnett and Lee 1980 citing Tracey
1979; Huchinson 1950).
Guano had been dug on the north side of Enderbury (Bryan 1941, 1942 and 1974). The area
now resembled a great mine dump.
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.
After 1881, J.T. Arundel & Co. worked guano deposits on Enderbury for several years
(Douglas and Douglas 1994; Tracey et al 1972). According to Skaggs (1994), Arundel
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