469
Formosa by the members of this latter expedition, the newspapers there published sensational accounts of the wealth of Pratas, and a third expedition on a large scale was organised by a Japanese named Nishizawa, which arrived at Pratas in November last, and stayed long enough to get some 300 tons of Phosphate and a few tons of Shell. Their labourers and divers, however, suffered severely from "Berl-berl", as is generally the case with Japanese and Chinese whenever, living as they do on a diet of Rice and fish, they find themselves isolated under similar conditions to those existing at Pratas. They agitated to be taken back, and finally got out of hand and mutinied, with the result that the expedition was forced to return.
They, however, carried with them produce, in Phosphate and Shell, valued at $10,000, as the result of less than a month's work.
They hoisted no flag and left no sign of possession, neither did the Japanese Government back them up in any way with official assistance.
They were