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SECOND MILITARY DISTRICT.
INTELLIGENCE REPORT ON JALUIT.
JALUIT, the Port of Entry to the Marshall Islands, like the rest of the group is a low-lying coral Atoll. These Atolls consist of small coral islands encircling an expanse of calm sea water, into which boat and steamer passages are found of varying depths.
JALUIT is the best lagoon of the Southern Islands of the Marshalls from a shipping point of view, the entrance being deeper than the rest, and the passage fairly well-defined. The extent of the land in the island encircling JALUIT lagoon is not great and does not rise much more than 10 to 12 feet above sea level. The Settlement is on the island of JABWAT at the main entrance to the lagoon. The GERMAN population may be put down at easily under 50. No Military or Constabulary Force is established.
Rise and fall of TIDE about 5' ft.
The JALUIT Company, a GERMAN firm of some standing, is well established here, and conducts its Island trading with 3 auxiliary schooners; they also own the s. s. "GERMANIA", a steamer of some 1096 tons register, now detained in SYDNEY by the Australain Naval Authorities. Thus vessel trades between SYDNEY and HONG-KONG regularly every four months, calling at RABAUL (NEW BRITAIN), NAURU, JALUIT, PONAPE, and YAP on route both ways. THe Jaluit Company also charter Norwegian barques to freight WESTPORT coal to JALUIT under contract for the Imperial GERMAN Navy, and it can be safely said there is always a reserve of at least 1000 tons coal stored in shed at JALUIT.
THE WATER SUPPLY is provided by large wooden tanks filled from extensive catchment roof areas. The rainfall of JALUIT is heavy, being 365 inches per annum or 1 inch per day but