'Pleasant Island' Isn't So Much Anymore

Lying between Australia and Hawaii, the island of Nauru is as far from Europe as any place on earth. It wasn't until November 8, 1798, when a British ship called the Snow Hunter was passing en route to the China Seas, did any European record seeing the island. Hundreds of Nauruans canoed out to greet the sailors. The captain of the Snow Hunter, John Fearn, did not permit his men to disembark. Nor did any Nauruans venture aboard. Still, the welcome charmed Captain Fearn, as did the warm winds, the island's green central plateau, the swaying palms, and the white-sand beaches — so much that he named it Pleasant Island.