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Name
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Kosrae
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Type of carceral site
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Blackbirding
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Dates of use
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1847 – 1906
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Quote
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Captain John Brown was the master of 'Genii' who left it at Kosrae in late 1852 'to try to form a settlement at the South Harbor.' Driven off Kosrae by order of the paramount chief, Brown put to sea in a whaleboat with 27 people on board, 'including a good lot of Strong's Island girls.'
Newspaper record.
MicSem Database. "Beachcombers, Traders and Castaways in Micronesia," citing The Friend, Nov 1860, pp. 82-84, https://micsem.org/pubs/articles/historical/bcomber/chuuk.htm. Accessed 16 June 2026.
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Bully (William Henry) Hayes was born in Cleveland. He traded in the Marshalls and vicinity during the early 1870s with his rendezvous at Mili. He stationed traders at many of the islands in eastern Micronesia, cheating them when opportunity arose. Hayes soon moved into blackbirding, sailing from island to island recruiting plantation workers from the local population. In early 1874 Hayes was stranded on Kosrae for several months after his vessel "Leanora" was grounded there. For the remainder of the year he used Kosrae as base of his operations.
Archival summary.
MicSem Database. "Beachcombers, Traders and Castaways in Micronesia," citing Moore 1872; Clune 1970; Hezel 1983 pp. 233-237, https://www.micsem.org/pubs/articles/historical/bcomber/marshalls.htm. Accessed 16 June 2026.
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The number of ships he stole cannot be accurately computed. The slaves he impressed must have run into the thousands [...] That he invaded peaceful ports and stole all the coconuts he could find, we know for sure. That he subdued and debauched whole islands we find reported by trustworthy witnesses. That he kidnapped and raped children is on record [...] Hayes was an unrepentant scoundrel [...] There's an old rusty sign in Utwe Harbor that attests to Hayes' infamy and the final resting place of the Leonora, only a few hundred yards away.
Treasure-hunting magazine writing.
Bentley, Tom. "The Bully and his Booty: Secret Disposal of Stolen Riches." Treasure Cache, 2006, p. 16.
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Authority
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Polynesian Labourers Act 1868 (Qld); Pacific Islanders Protection Act 1872 (also known as the Kidnapping Act) (UK); Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 (Cth)
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Archives and sources
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FSM Office of National Archives, Culture & Historic Preservation.
Kosrae State Historic Preservation Office (Kosrae HPO).
Kosrae State Museum.
Micronesian Seminar (MicSem Library and Photo Collections)
Trust Territory Archives Photograph Collection.
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Contact
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Jerry/Kieren
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identifier
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SITE-KOS