Wake Island, a comparatively unknown spot inthe Pacific, is well in the news as a result of iis use a 9 base for the China Clipper, which is fying from the United Staies to the Philippine Islands. Little is known about the island but the crew of the. aeroplane should be able to augment whatever scanty knowledge is por-sessed. According to a recent edition of the "United States Coast Pilot," the island, which is roughly half-way between Honolulu and Manila, was [discovered in 1796 and its position was fixed by the United States Ex-loring Expedition under Wilkes in 1841 and was taken possession of for the United States by Commander Taussig. of the Bennington, on January 17, 1899, "It is described as being a group Jof three islands not more than ten to twenty feet above the sea enclosing 2 lagoon stocked with fish.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.