E. Bailey’s Report, The Representative of the Hawaiian Board, to the Micronesian Archipelago.

The anchor was raised and we sailed outside the bay of Kusaie, on the 28th of September. There however was no wind; the skiffs were let down to row, but this was not possible due to the very strong currents, and we were nearly taken and shipwrecked on the reef flats. However, the captain made great efforts to turn the prow inward. The aliʻi’s skiff sailed along with eight canoes of commoners, and we were pulled in, and the anchor was let down once more in the evening.

On the 29th there was no wind. And on the 30th, we sailed out once more and went all the way to Ponape. There was a fine wind that night; and at two o’clock in the afternoon on the 1st of October, we sighted Pinlap. We decided to land there, because we believed that Mr. Sturges resided there, and was waiting for the Hoku Ao, but when we approached the island, a stormy wind blew and there was no way to sail. In the evening, the wind was terrible, and there was a lot of rain. The island could not be seen. And one more thing, Kaai, one of the men at the helm threw up blood and died.

He was a sickly man before, and we believed that he was cured, but he died in no time.

Because of all those troubles, we gave up on our idea of landing on Pinlap and sailed on to Makil. In the morning we were right in between Pinlap and Makil. The body of Kaai was buried at sea. That day, the stormy winds and the rain reappeared, and we almost did not reach the tiny island of Mokil. That evening it was sighted. We came up to it, and at eight o’clock at night, a haole from Honolulu, John Smith (Keoni Kamika) by name, disembarked, and then we sailed once more for Ponape.

On the 3rd of October, we entered the bay lying to the east of Ponape, inside the barrier reef surrounding the island.

This is a high island; it is slightly larger than West Maui, but it is shorter. It is only 3,861 feet. It is a verdant land like Kusaie. There are many hills and valleys. We sailed first by skiff to the house of Rev. Mr. Sturges at Oua. He is currently living comfortably with his wife. The works of God go well at his place. There is a college here. There are boys as well as girls.

The teachers who went to the islands of Mortolok and Pinlap are from here. The works of this servant of God are extensive; he has grown old here; all of his students have moved away.

From the year 1857 until now, he has put up with difficulties—his church was burnt in fire, he faced opposition from the chiefs, and great were his troubles from exhausting work. And now the sun has come out. His current students are Rev. Mr. Logan at Kenan, and Mr. Rand at U, and their wives. Mrs. Logan went with us to Honolulu, and she went all the way to America because of her debility.

The brethren at Ponape are efficient at building churches. They also build large buildings, and stone buildings, and wooden buildings as well. Their houses are unusual, they are not like the rest of Micronesia. There are thirteen churches in Ponape, and there are 500 brethren. Some of them wear clothing, but the majority are partially clothed. There are a great many chiefs in Ponape, and so there are many factions. Some chiefs are against righteousness. Most are avaricious and lazy. Yams and breadfruit thrive here. There also is a fine palm plant as well. I climbed with Mr. Rand atop the mountains, and saw the entirety of the land. It is beautiful!

Mr. Whitney folks lives on Ponape, north of Mr. Sturgen, and we sailed for the islands of Mortlock, on the 10th of October.

It took a whole month to sail there and return; we returned to Ponape on the 6th of November. We entered at Kenaro from the northwestern side of Ponape. It is there that Rev. Mr. Logan lives. There is a large church there and a fine schoolhouse.1 There are many who live there. I went to N on Sunday, and went once more to Oua. I went to visit the astonishing grounds on the eastern side of Ponape. It was built by people from long ago perhaps, for the locals do not know who built them. They do not say, “It was our ancestors who built them.” Maybe they are older than the heiau here in Hawaiʻi. It is believed to be a cemetery, and not a place of worship. There are holes covered over with long stones; perhaps it is there that bodies were deposited. Currently, they are overgrown with large trees: hiu, ulu, hau, kou, banyan, etc.

I spent two Sabbaths meeting with the people of Ponape, at Konaro as well, and at N also. I gave them the aloha of the brethren of Hawaiʻi, and they gave their aloha to you all. It is as if I am meeting once more with the people of Hawaiʻi nei of earlier times.

When I see the people of Ponape, there are some things about them that is clear to me. They are stubborn. Should they be wrong, they are stubborn about it; and if they are right, they are stubborn about it. Here is another thing, they are lazy and avaricious. Their laziness comes because food just grows. Fishing is done in calm areas as well as from the reef flats.

There are a great many worthless haole living here who lead the people into wrongdoing. There are good people as well. There are also Hawaiians who reside here.

The population of Ponape is 5,000. It was greater before, but with the introduction of gonnorhea and smallpox, only a fraction remains.

Rev. Mr. Sturges and the two Moses and their wives boarded, and we sailed west, on the 10th of October.

One Moses is from Ponape, but he was born a Kilipati. The other Moses is from Mokil.

We sighted the islands of Mortlock on the 15th, and landed on the island of Lukanwar.

Here’s something! These are strange people; they are not like all the other Micronesian people.

This is what is noticed first: they smear themselves with ʻōlena, from head to toe, and some on their kapa. Some smear themseves with oil until greasy. The hair of the men is fragrant like that of the women. Without a beard people would think they are women. Their necks are covered with lei and earrings. Some wear Japanese hats. The people who wear clothes there are few. The men wear a malo and a kīhei like a kīpuka, and the women wear pāʻū. Their clothing are plaited hau bark. Their homes are squat, but they get together to build fine large canoe houses. There are many of those canoe houses.

There lands are divided and fenced off, and it is unlawful to trespass into a person’s land. Their food is coconut, breadfruit, and fish. The land is fertile; there is much rain, and there are a lot of mosquitos. Their canoes are large and fine, and they sail powerfully.

They are skilled at building those large houses of theirs; canoe houses and churches. In the houses are carved and painted idols: on the posts, the rafters, and the ridgepoles. But they are not idols that they worship.

Breadfruit is the wood that is most used for canoes and house building.

When looking at these people and their work, I believe they are Malae. Yet it is not very clear, being this is the first time I have looked at them carefully. The teachers have lived there for only three years. Because ships do not sail there, they are not supplied with commercial goods. There are a lot of coconuts there, and copra could be sold—that is the dried flesh of the coconut. And sponges are abundant there; they are completely whole and are not cut up like those from the east.

The population of the Mortlock people is thought to be 3,500. They trade with the people of Ruk—some islands about 80 miles to the northwest.

They are believed to have the same language as those of Mortlock—Nanuluk is 30 miles to the northwest, and Losap is connected to Ruk.

What remains is the clarification of our travels to and our interaction with the people of Mortlock.