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Show TRYIXQ TO STEAL AN ISLAND, j Britons May Attempt to Take Possession of Johnston Island. Sax Fraxcisoo, July 30. Considerable prominence is given here to the statement from Honolulu that the British cruiser Champion left that port with the intention, inten-tion, it was understood, of annexing Johnston John-ston island to the British possessions. . The records at Washington show that the island . is under .theproteatio-n of The Am erican fl ag," having been taken possession of by Captain Parker of the brig Reindeer in 1792, who found there large guano deposits. During Dur-ing the year 1856 congress passed an act authorizing the president to issue a proclamation procla-mation and letters of protection to any person per-son who might discover the island covered with deposits of guano, and further to extend ex-tend the dominion of the United States over such places and give the discoverers a full and valid title of the island, provided pro-vided that when tho title was issued the work of obtaining guano should be diligently dili-gently prosecuted. In accordance Captain Parker in 1857 filed a declaration with the secretary of state at Washington and took in several others with him, forming form-ing the Pacific Guano company. In January, Janu-ary, 1858, the schooner Hale, under command com-mand of Captain Perrinian, was sent to visit the island and bring back specimens of guano. Captain Parker accompanied the expedition and landings were effected on Johnston island and on one smaller one known as Agnes island. On each island a flagstaff and cross were erected, the latter beinff inscribed with the fact that Captain Perriman haa taken possession in behalf of the owners. When the schooner returned to San Francisco the Pacific Guano company was incorporated and articles of inenrnnn. tion were tiled with the secretary of state at Sacramento. Messrs. Roberts and Mayers, who now claim to be Americans, of Johnson island, not only claim a thorough title from Parker but also own 6tock in the Pacific Coast Guano company, though what has become of that incorporation they do not know, and it seems to have passed out of existence. Captain Roberts aud his associates will now prosecute their claim to the title of the island. |