Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
By 1880, the Pacific Island Company, a British firm) worked the island for guano (Pompey
1972c). According to Garnett (1983a), the Pacific Islands Co., Ltd. applied for a license to
work McKean, but the license was never granted. McKean was therefore never used by a
British firm.
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.
John T. Arundel Co. did not use or develop McKean (Bryan 1941 and 1942). They reported
no guano left on McKean.
NIKUMARORO (GARDNER)
On February 12, 1869, the U.S. Guano Company filed a claim to Nikumaroro (Gardner) and
received bond number 9, dated February 8, 1860 (Skaggs 1994). 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).
Nikumaroro (Kemins) was claimed by Americans under the U.S. Guano Act of 1856 (Bryan
1941 and 1942). This was probably to C.A. Williams (Garnett 1983a). However, there was
no exploitation or development on the island.
There was no record of guano being dug on Nikumaroro (see also Garnett 1983a).
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.
ORONA (HULL)
There was some confusion regarding the location of Orona (Hull) (Bryan 1941 and 1942).
This may have lead to Orona (Hull) not being claimed by American guano diggers as Manra
(Sydney) and Nikumaroro (Gardner).
Orona (Hull) was the only Phoenix Island never bonded to the American Guano Company, or
its subsidiary, the Phoenix Guano Company (Maude 1952 and 1968; see also Skaggs 1994;
Garnett 1983a). However, it was mined by the Phoenix Guano Company (Skaggs 1994).
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 published (Hempstead 1871). These included:
Abariringa (Mary, Swallow, or Canton), Birnie, Enderbury, McKean (Wilkes), Orona (Halls),
and Rawaki (Phoenix).
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