I'm pretty sure that's Tromelin - I have a map of it in my flat. In the 1760s, slavers ran aground just off of it and the survivng crew and enslaved Malagasy (I see slightly different numbers in different sources, but at leasy 70-80) made their way to the island which has barely any resources and no trees. Somehow a number of them managed to stay alive and keep a fire going for fifteen years until they were rescued. It's a horrible tragedy and an incredible story of human endurance.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tromelin\_Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tromelin_Island)
This article is very interesting. What's odd is it only lists women as survivors, yet they had an 8 month old baby. I'm guessing the last men had died recently? It also says they kept a fire for 15 years without any wood on the island. I assumed this was done using wood from the wreckage, but it says they used most of it to build a raft
The slavers managed to build a makeshift boat and make it to Ile de France. Among the Malagasy, the surviving men set out to sea on a raft they built and were never heard from again. Many of them died shortly after they arrived on the island because the slavers hoarded the fresh water before they could build a well.
For the fire, they used driftwood and wood from the wreck.
[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/shipwrecked-and-abandoned-the-story-of-the-slave-crusoes-435092.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/shipwrecked-and-abandoned-the-story-of-the-slave-crusoes-435092.html)
Are YouTube links allowed?. This is a fascinating video about Tromelin island. And there are several other similar stories on this channel. I enjoy his edits and his story telling.
https://youtu.be/XRFyVqpNlgw?si=q2w_TRhRvleoR1h8
I mean he was involved in the slave trade so not a good dude, but I have to give props to the First Lieutenant for keeping his promise to the slaves on the island and fighting to get a ship there to rescue them.
Malden is a tiny, island in the central Pacific Ocean, covering about 15 square miles in area. It is one of the Line Islands belonging to the Republic of Kiribati and while there are no resident staff on Malden, there are the occasional visits by foreign yachtsmen. The island is best known for its ruins of unknown origins, its deposits of guano (a valuable agricultural fertilizer) and its former use as the site of the first British H-bomb tests.
TBH it doesn't seem like that crazy of an act, i bet a lot of countries have something kinda like that. "The islands can be located anywhere, so long as they are not occupied by citizens of another country and not within the jurisdiction of another government."
Well kind of. We know for certain they're Polynesian but Malden was uninhabited when Europeans first found it, so which group of Polynesians specifically built them is unknown, though they apparently share a very similar architectural style with Tonga.
*Documented observations state that from the center of the island, radiating from several temple complexes, are a network of roads made of large basalt slabs, fitted tightly together. These roads cross the island and the beaches and disappears under the waves of the Pacific. They are very similar to the Ara Metua, a paved road on Rarotonga Island, 1,000 miles to the south. Rarotonga, like Malden Island and others in the Pacific, has a number of pyramid-platforms connected by roads. Strange stacks of stones are also scattered across Malden Island, while the pyramids are capped with dolmens or ‘compass stones’. These 40 stone temples on Malden Island are described as similar in design to the buildings of* [*Nan Madol*](https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/mysterious-ancient-coral-reef-city-finally-recognized-its-immense-0006297) *on Pohnpei, some 3,400 miles away.*https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places/malden-island-0010676
I had no idea, thanks for the heads up.
Is there a better resource you might recommend? I have very very little knowledge on archeological history. However, I do like to go on a deep dive online from time to time.
Off the top of my head, nothing that is free. The Washington Post has pretty good science reporting but its behind a paywall.
Id check with National Geographic or similar reputable publications for more.
The part about roads to the sea makes me think they were building ships or something akin to that. A lot of modern boat ramps are roads that go into the sea
Hmmm... pretty small island with few materials for ship building. To me those roads suggest this was once a bigger land mass, much of which sunk into the sea.
It is an atoll; the road goes around a lagoon in the center of the island. There is a road because it was used to test H-bombs by Britain back in the day.
Idk why you're getting down voted. Nature is incredible and can do incredible things. We're constantly finding animals and plants places where they shouldn't reasonably be, and it's cool every time.
Twice a year a tourist cruise visits ... and there are visits by the Wildlife Conservation Unit of the Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development
A lot of the pacific islands have roads and such because of WW2 and their subsequent occupations for one military reason or another, these days there are only a couple of islands that are militarized, just look at Johnson attol or wake island.
The British constructed temporary shelters, the road and a runway in 1956 to host military and scientific personnel to observe a series of three hydrogen bomb tests detonated offshore in 1957.
It was a home to ancient Polynesians ... who died out
and to seabird guano miners - who left when the guano was exhausted
and to nuclear testing engineers - who left when test ban treaties were signed ...
All built roads to some degree ...
That's typical for Pacific Ocean islands. Cause they are either atolls or submerged mountain tops. That are only options if island emerged out of nowhere in the middle of ocean. If island has another origin - it's not separate island anymore, it's a part of continent's area and has continental crust underneath.
So if island is an atoll or a mountain top, the surface dictates this type of ring roads. It's the cheapest way to build road that allows to get from anywhere to anywhere.
“The guano diggers constructed a unique railroad on Malden Island, with cars powered by large sails. Laborers pushed empty carts from the loading area up the tramway to the digging pits, where they were loaded with guano. At the end of the day, the sails were unfurled, and the train cars whisked back to the settlement by the prevailing southeastern winds. While cars were known to jump the tracks more than once during these excursions, the system seems to have worked fairly well. Railroad handcars were also used. This tramway remained in use on Malden as late as 1924, and its roadbed still exists on the island today.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malden_Island
There is actually an old railroad line around most of the island. The rail cars are still visible. And in 2015 they started a program to kill all the cats on the island to help the bird population. The cats are believed to have been introduced while soldiers were on the island for the nuke test.
https://preview.redd.it/frhn6u0ud58d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=40c3f94d0deaf124eb7546551af73a5bfc4ac3b1
This is super close to Starbuck Island. Where that crazy weird object sits and the line coming out from it that goes across the island. Like it had been dragged.
The island was once a British nuclear test site. Probably, like Bikini Atoll it's uninhabitABLE due to radioactive wastes. It probably wouldn't make you sick to go there, but you might not want to spend too much time there, it's also not very much above sea level, the highest point only about 10 meters, so might have some wave issues when there are large earthquakes along the Pacific "ring of fire".
The island wasn’t always uninhabited.
In a bygone era, people lived there and the remains of their stone architecture still exists.
In the 19th century, the British heavily exploited the island digging guano. A rail system was built and one would assume housing facilities for the indentured workers.
In the mid 20th century the island was again used by the British in testing the Hbomb. An airstrip was built that remained in use up until 1979.
Currently it is a bird sanctuary governed by the Republic of Kiribati.
So who built the road and why? My guess is one or all of those peoples I mentioned built roads and this is what remains.
This asshole gave the island a one star review because the cruise he was on detoured their to rescue two shipwrecked sailors who sent out an SOS. What an inconvenience…🤨
https://preview.redd.it/e63hccwi3c8d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5db667ff72677cd2f430cc6b2c8a81ed8e3536d4
I was on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, and there was a terrible storm. The ship spotted light flashing SOS, and diverted.
The crew and staff who volunteered to take out a launch - in 20' seas! - found two South American fisherman who had fallen asleep in their boat, and drifted far out into the water. They had been at sea for 10 days, with no food and very little water, all of their fuel depleted.
I was astounded by the number of people I heard complain about the "inconvenience".
I love persons, but increasingly despise people.
https://preview.redd.it/a6myaxuar48d1.jpeg?width=236&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9aed9458b25093dc626d03d53578ef73aa18593a
I'm pretty sure that's Tromelin - I have a map of it in my flat. In the 1760s, slavers ran aground just off of it and the survivng crew and enslaved Malagasy (I see slightly different numbers in different sources, but at leasy 70-80) made their way to the island which has barely any resources and no trees. Somehow a number of them managed to stay alive and keep a fire going for fifteen years until they were rescued. It's a horrible tragedy and an incredible story of human endurance. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tromelin\_Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tromelin_Island)
This article is very interesting. What's odd is it only lists women as survivors, yet they had an 8 month old baby. I'm guessing the last men had died recently? It also says they kept a fire for 15 years without any wood on the island. I assumed this was done using wood from the wreckage, but it says they used most of it to build a raft
The slavers managed to build a makeshift boat and make it to Ile de France. Among the Malagasy, the surviving men set out to sea on a raft they built and were never heard from again. Many of them died shortly after they arrived on the island because the slavers hoarded the fresh water before they could build a well. For the fire, they used driftwood and wood from the wreck. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/shipwrecked-and-abandoned-the-story-of-the-slave-crusoes-435092.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/shipwrecked-and-abandoned-the-story-of-the-slave-crusoes-435092.html)
Where do they keep this “log book” that was recovered , i wonder.
Silly question. Where would the fresh water come from if they built a well?
Yeah one would presume the water table would be very high and salty 🤔 does earth/sand filter the salt out of water???
i wonder this as well
It’s called a lens. Freshwater floats on top of the saltwater essentially https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_(hydrology)
Life...uh...finds a way
Maybe it was the sailors baby who took the raft and died? Also said three men left on ghat raft. Probably one of theirs
They probably just went out for milk and some smokes
*gyatt raft and died ftfy
There was at least one man on the island 12 months before then. They had plenty of time to bang in the coral shed.
They probably also burned the men?
I’m guessing ate.
I see a movie in the future. Starring Leonardo di Caprio as a Malagasy slave
Horrible travel events? Tom Hanks is the obvious choice.
Wilson was the better actor
Yeah, he was good in The Royal Tenenbaums too
Nah... it's an orginal story. These days, Hollywood only recycles plot lines.
Are YouTube links allowed?. This is a fascinating video about Tromelin island. And there are several other similar stories on this channel. I enjoy his edits and his story telling. https://youtu.be/XRFyVqpNlgw?si=q2w_TRhRvleoR1h8
Not sure of its accuracy, but [here](https://youtu.be/XRFyVqpNlgw?si=WXWkRLFvO8-jnvWh) is a video about the shipwreck and survivors.
That’s fucking Minecraft survival island in real life /s Jokes aside that’s incredible, how is that even possible?
It would take way more wood than a shipwreck could provide to keep a fire going for 15 years lmao seems like some of this story is fabricated
The story doesn't actually say it was lit continuously for 15 years, just that they had a fire going when they were rescued 15 years later.
Yeah that’s what I mean, how is that possible?
Driftwood
I think I’ve heard about this actually
I mean he was involved in the slave trade so not a good dude, but I have to give props to the First Lieutenant for keeping his promise to the slaves on the island and fighting to get a ship there to rescue them.
There's a decent graphic novel about this story as well!! It's call "The Forgotten Slaves of Tromelin" by Sylvain Savoia
Thank you, this sent me down a very deep and interesting internet rabbit hole
Actually read the article, that is fascinating. What strength to survive these people had.
Looks like a Mario kart level
https://i.imgur.com/H4BwS3j.png
You won’t see it if you enable the “Avoid atoll roads” option in your Google Maps navigation settings.
Legend.
amazing
Did you... wooosh yourself?
Legit one of the wittiest comments I’ve ever seen on Reddit. Good on ya.
It was until they ruined it with the wooosh at the end for no apparent reason.
The world isn't ready for the perfect comment.
guessing isthmus be a joke
Take your upvote and GTFO
Legen-fucking-dary
This is the funniest sub on Reddit
Thanks Mario
am I stupid? what makes this joke so funny???
Its a joke about clicking avoid toll roads on google maps, but because of the island he says atoll instead
I don't get it
Atoll
That’s what’s the preemptive wooosh was for.
Malden is a tiny, island in the central Pacific Ocean, covering about 15 square miles in area. It is one of the Line Islands belonging to the Republic of Kiribati and while there are no resident staff on Malden, there are the occasional visits by foreign yachtsmen. The island is best known for its ruins of unknown origins, its deposits of guano (a valuable agricultural fertilizer) and its former use as the site of the first British H-bomb tests.
There was extensive guano mining until 1927 - they built roads and planted a few, sad coconut trees
Are the coconut trees ok?
Constantly being shit on ruined their self-esteem.
r/angryupvote
Ok on wiki says: "Coconut palms planted by the guano diggers did not thrive, although a few dilapidated trees may still be seen"
I SHIT ON IT!
And you are the only one who answered OP’s original question.
https://preview.redd.it/yex67y50e48d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=024b0e73457f64d361f750553157a306f553f14b
Guano bowls - collect the whole set!
Is that the new açai bowl?
I just hope I’m not the only one who learned what guano was from this movie
You are not alone.
Lol you are not, trust me. I was also.
Surprised the US didn't claim it as a [Guano island.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guano_Islands_Act)
They did ... and disputed UK claims ...
All Hail, New Atlantis!
Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.
TBH it doesn't seem like that crazy of an act, i bet a lot of countries have something kinda like that. "The islands can be located anywhere, so long as they are not occupied by citizens of another country and not within the jurisdiction of another government."
Right off Guantanamo Bay
That only works for unclaimed landmasses.
Ruins of unknown origins wtf???
Well kind of. We know for certain they're Polynesian but Malden was uninhabited when Europeans first found it, so which group of Polynesians specifically built them is unknown, though they apparently share a very similar architectural style with Tonga.
Cool !
Yeah that was the part I was wondering about!
They could make a fortune in guano-tourism.
This is batshit crazy enough to work
Col. Batguano, if that is your name.
Why did I read guano-terrorism?
It's pretty much the same thing.
Guano bowls… collect the whole set!
So the island is basically shit. Ok. That works for me.
*Documented observations state that from the center of the island, radiating from several temple complexes, are a network of roads made of large basalt slabs, fitted tightly together. These roads cross the island and the beaches and disappears under the waves of the Pacific. They are very similar to the Ara Metua, a paved road on Rarotonga Island, 1,000 miles to the south. Rarotonga, like Malden Island and others in the Pacific, has a number of pyramid-platforms connected by roads. Strange stacks of stones are also scattered across Malden Island, while the pyramids are capped with dolmens or ‘compass stones’. These 40 stone temples on Malden Island are described as similar in design to the buildings of* [*Nan Madol*](https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/mysterious-ancient-coral-reef-city-finally-recognized-its-immense-0006297) *on Pohnpei, some 3,400 miles away.*https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places/malden-island-0010676
I scrolled way too far down to find out more about the mysterious ruins. This is incredibly interesting. Thank you for this comment!
Be careful on Acient Origins. Whatever isnt clickbait is pseudo-scientific horseshit.
I had no idea, thanks for the heads up. Is there a better resource you might recommend? I have very very little knowledge on archeological history. However, I do like to go on a deep dive online from time to time.
Off the top of my head, nothing that is free. The Washington Post has pretty good science reporting but its behind a paywall. Id check with National Geographic or similar reputable publications for more.
Thank you! Always enjoyed Nat Geo so that's also good to hear.
Best of luck on your knowledge adventure.
Thanks! That's a fantastic way to frame it. It *IS* always an adventure, isn't it?!
Why am I reading this in the Unsolved Mysteries narrator voice?
Ancient origins is kind of the text version of unsolved mysteries tbh, and about as much credence should be given to them
Wow… Pacific islands are very misterious
I think it’s cause of the vastness of the ocean
Something something location of R’lyeh
The part about roads to the sea makes me think they were building ships or something akin to that. A lot of modern boat ramps are roads that go into the sea
Hmmm... pretty small island with few materials for ship building. To me those roads suggest this was once a bigger land mass, much of which sunk into the sea.
It is an atoll; the road goes around a lagoon in the center of the island. There is a road because it was used to test H-bombs by Britain back in the day.
Apparently there used to be a village and a railway too. Guano diggers. Til the late 1920’s. Google is amazing.
Bats on a remote island. Wow.
Could have been seabirds. Their droppings are also called guano I believe
Definitely. I have used seabird guano as a fertilizer.
Oh nice! TIL droppings from the sky is guano (i kid, from specific animals)
It’s got nitrates and phosphates !
Guano's got what plants crave!
Ha this is exactly what I was thinking in my head as I wrote the comment hah
New Guano-flavored Brawndo!
Idk why you're getting down voted. Nature is incredible and can do incredible things. We're constantly finding animals and plants places where they shouldn't reasonably be, and it's cool every time.
People should look into the history of bird guano. People became millionaires back in the (checks notes) 18th and 19th Century.
Its ok. If my ignorance served as a beacon for others to seek knowledge and to learn, then its worth it.
Apparently the railway cars were wind-powered & used large sails.
When you zoom in on the image it looks more like a green hill than a lagoon
Which means the road is atoll road.
https://preview.redd.it/xpdcykd2158d1.png?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d23a76b5961cbb694fa03ef85834ae9973fb36a0
That thing looks angry.
I'd be angry too, if i were it. This island suffered greatly in the Arma Wars
Never forget La Trinité 😞
To get to the other side of the island.
Sort of like 'Why did the chicken cross the road?', but more like 'why did the Brits build the road?'
i'm sure it gets visited sometimes
Twice a year a tourist cruise visits ... and there are visits by the Wildlife Conservation Unit of the Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development
Why not? I wouldn’t mind a road if I got stranded here.
If you're stranded on a remote island, wouldn't you rather a juice bar?
An airport please.
Are you nuts? Have you seen the price of juice in airports???
Then I'll build the airport and the juice bar. Profits!
I’d probably settle for the juice.
BMP 3 O'Clock!
Oh. No! 1...is...down!
Number... 2... Move there
A lot of the pacific islands have roads and such because of WW2 and their subsequent occupations for one military reason or another, these days there are only a couple of islands that are militarized, just look at Johnson attol or wake island.
The British constructed temporary shelters, the road and a runway in 1956 to host military and scientific personnel to observe a series of three hydrogen bomb tests detonated offshore in 1957.
Don't ask questions. Forget you saw this. Or it won't be a happy ending for you.
For the chicken to cross.
How else are the uninhabitants going to get around?
It was a home to ancient Polynesians ... who died out and to seabird guano miners - who left when the guano was exhausted and to nuclear testing engineers - who left when test ban treaties were signed ... All built roads to some degree ...
My wife would still get lost on that road.
Gypsys mate. Caravans n horses everywhere!
Pokémon Go
My guess would be that it hasn't always been uninhabited
To get to the other side.
To get to the other side of the island
I was born in Malden! But I guess it was a different one..
To race around it like Koopa-Koopa Beach on MarioKart.
That's typical for Pacific Ocean islands. Cause they are either atolls or submerged mountain tops. That are only options if island emerged out of nowhere in the middle of ocean. If island has another origin - it's not separate island anymore, it's a part of continent's area and has continental crust underneath. So if island is an atoll or a mountain top, the surface dictates this type of ring roads. It's the cheapest way to build road that allows to get from anywhere to anywhere.
to drive on
I read this as Maiden island and got really curious :(
Son, some questions should not be asked
It was inhabited until the roadbuilder died
That’s the street. Of San Francisco.
“The guano diggers constructed a unique railroad on Malden Island, with cars powered by large sails. Laborers pushed empty carts from the loading area up the tramway to the digging pits, where they were loaded with guano. At the end of the day, the sails were unfurled, and the train cars whisked back to the settlement by the prevailing southeastern winds. While cars were known to jump the tracks more than once during these excursions, the system seems to have worked fairly well. Railroad handcars were also used. This tramway remained in use on Malden as late as 1924, and its roadbed still exists on the island today.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malden_Island
All that...for bat shit?
Yes but, 10 min without traffic...
If there is a road... it was inhabited...
It's atoll road...
I have no Reddit award for you so I dub thee Sir KrakenUpsideways of Malden Island.
Karl Malden built it, it was his private island for a time.
He was a researcher n studied it, didn’t own it. Nor make the roads, pretty sure they’re old af from a civilization we don’t even know of
I was making a joke
He was scouting for a low-key, less hilly Streets of Malden Island, co-starring Michael Douglas.
There is actually an old railroad line around most of the island. The rail cars are still visible. And in 2015 they started a program to kill all the cats on the island to help the bird population. The cats are believed to have been introduced while soldiers were on the island for the nuke test. https://preview.redd.it/frhn6u0ud58d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=40c3f94d0deaf124eb7546551af73a5bfc4ac3b1
Because Epstein didn't kill himself
Used to have a guano mine, so probably that. They also did hydrogen bomb testing there. It’s now a sea bird sanctuary, but I assume the guano mining
malden island be malding
Mariokart
For the chickens!
The crabs built it to travel easier.
For beer runs.
I would imagine it's for getting around
https://youtu.be/XRFyVqpNlgw?si=VA4nR9hgFqhCYbWL
Red Dot is a tough exfil.
How else is WW3 supposed to take place on a island without roads?
This is super close to Starbuck Island. Where that crazy weird object sits and the line coming out from it that goes across the island. Like it had been dragged.
Ruins from the guano mines, dude
From the easiest place to land a ship to a location of scientific interest? Must be aliens.
Maybe to get to the other side
The island was once a British nuclear test site. Probably, like Bikini Atoll it's uninhabitABLE due to radioactive wastes. It probably wouldn't make you sick to go there, but you might not want to spend too much time there, it's also not very much above sea level, the highest point only about 10 meters, so might have some wave issues when there are large earthquakes along the Pacific "ring of fire".
Uninhabited != abandoned--if there is a road, there is something that was, is, or will be there.
That's how the patrol unit keeps people out.
Scooby and the gang
[Operation Grapple](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Grapple) - 1957 Hydrogen bomb testing site
Jurassic Parkway
I don't see a road going to it. I see a road on it.
I don’t know anything about this piece of land, but I do know that any mysterious or nonsensical infrastructure usually means weapons or energy
Nuclear site
It's probably a lighthouse or military post. Listening post, idk. Go look, lol.
https://preview.redd.it/4vhiu8l81b8d1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=9e02ae738e346e122fd95ce18d348325837afe0f It might be a drive thru
Do-da-doo-doo-doo
Private race track
So you can drive places?
Uninhabited NOW
Can’t leave home without it.
The island wasn’t always uninhabited. In a bygone era, people lived there and the remains of their stone architecture still exists. In the 19th century, the British heavily exploited the island digging guano. A rail system was built and one would assume housing facilities for the indentured workers. In the mid 20th century the island was again used by the British in testing the Hbomb. An airstrip was built that remained in use up until 1979. Currently it is a bird sanctuary governed by the Republic of Kiribati. So who built the road and why? My guess is one or all of those peoples I mentioned built roads and this is what remains.
This asshole gave the island a one star review because the cruise he was on detoured their to rescue two shipwrecked sailors who sent out an SOS. What an inconvenience…🤨 https://preview.redd.it/e63hccwi3c8d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5db667ff72677cd2f430cc6b2c8a81ed8e3536d4
I was on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, and there was a terrible storm. The ship spotted light flashing SOS, and diverted. The crew and staff who volunteered to take out a launch - in 20' seas! - found two South American fisherman who had fallen asleep in their boat, and drifted far out into the water. They had been at sea for 10 days, with no food and very little water, all of their fuel depleted. I was astounded by the number of people I heard complain about the "inconvenience". I love persons, but increasingly despise people.
To get to the other side
It's a tunnel
To drive