Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
arrived at Enderbury in about 1886 and found a horse and mule there (that had been left in
1877 according to Garnett 1983a). Arundel promptly caught both animals and yoked them to
rail cars to transport guano.
MANRA (SYDNEY)
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).
On February 12, 1859, the U.S. Guano Company filed a claim for Manra (Sydney) and
received bond number 9, dated February 8, 1860 (Skaggs 1994). The bonder was probably
C.A. Williams of Honolulu (Garnett 1983a). 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).
The Phoenix Guano Company operated at the southeast end of Manra (Sydney) (MacGregor
n.d.). They constructed a dock and tramway at the east end of the lagoon. A tram line was
constructed on the north side of the lagoon (Douglas and Douglas 1944). Another short line
ran to the southeast side of the island to the stone pier on the lagoon. A passage was blasted
through the reef (Hilder 1959). Operations were under Captain Mann with 96 workers from
Niue and the Cook Islands (Garnett 1983a).
American guano interests claimed Manra (Sydney). However, they made no efforts to collect
guano (Bryan 1941 and 1942).
In 1861, Arundel visited Mara (Sydney) twice in 1881 and left three laborers with 12 months
of provisions (Garnett 1983a).
In about 1882 or 1883, John T. Arundel obtained a lease to Manra (Sydney) from Britain
(Bryan 1941 and 1942; 1883 according to Hilder 1959; 1882 according to Tudor 1968; 1881
according to Garnett 1983a).
Between 1883 and 1885, 6,350 tonnes (7,000 tons) of phosphate were exported from Manra
(Sydney) (Garnett 1983a).
Between 1884 and 1885, guano was extracted from Manra (Sydney) (Bryan 1941 and 1942;
1883 to 1885 according to Garnett 1983a; 1882 to 1885 according to Douglas and Douglas
1994).
The guano ship Lorenzo was wrecked while loading guano at Manra (Sydney) (Bryan 1941
and 1942; Ellis 1937; in 1885 according to Hilder 1959; Rhodes 1936b; Garnett 1983a).
According to Rhodes (1936b) the Lorenzo’s cables parted.
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.
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