Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1851-02-08
ITO be continued.
From the Honolulu Times. |

Mr. EDITOR Lately during the Silly
hours of the night have amused myself de-
cyphering an old faded MS. which accident
ally fell into my hands some few months
since, evidently written in the days when ink
was scarce on these islands, and in days in
which suppose the Islands were not nearly
so much frequented as they really appear 10
have been, the MS. although mere dry de-
tail of accounts of sales, principally on ac-
count of his majesty Kamehameha the first,
is amusing and interesting TO those fond OF
commercial statistics, showing what were
the wants of that great man, and hence the
bent of his incinations, also pointing out the
different value of articles during series o.
years The earliest notice 5y the venerable
writer in his cid fashioned, quaint style (he
was born in l744) is Of the visits of Vancou-
yer in 1892, 8 and 4, alter which warlike
expedition was undertaken, and we hear no
more than of list of merchant vessels as
they touched here, with the names Of their
commanders, until the lst of Sept. 1895, when
he proudly writes, 81 came from Oahu TO
Hawaii after the capture of that island bv his
majesty Kamehameha' s troops. In July, 795,
,ve took Oahu" The next entry of interest
is the loss of Capt Henry Barber, on the s.
w. point of Oahu, (Barber's point) on the
lst Of October, 1896, when the pride he had
in the strict rule of the old King peeps out
and also shows his kindness to strangers, for
he adds ''there were but 500 otter skins on
board when she was cast away, which he
carried with him to Canton" 500 otter skins
in those days were worth some % to $40. 600.
Desultory notes fill up the book until 1904
when he appears determined to have kept
note Of all his trading transactions. The
first note in August of that year.is the EARL.
est written notice of horses, he says that the
Capt of the Silley-bird left with him one
mare, and two with the king al Lahaina; we
soon after arrive at the current price OF the
different articles Of traffic, the first articles
are Iron, Copper, forge complete, and
| Gun; next we have the almost omnipresen'
Demon Rum, price Is hogs per barrel, and
that probably pretty well diluted; next we
find the price of Tar, holding pretty steady
at 4 or s hogs per barrel. this with iron are
two of the articles most frequently purchas.
ed. Duck comes next, that is now hog.
per bolt; in September, we find that Powder
is worth only hogs per barrel; Gun th'
same price, while hogs are given for Z bar
of iron. The price of watering ship. th'
water being brought from the mountains II
calabashes, is only 8 bars Of iron. In June
1906, we find that the price of a hog IS tive
fathoms of iron. One Capt. receives II hog
| for I bars of iron, but then he was bene
VIOLENT being, for he made his majesty th'
royal present OF one coat, one waistcoat, ont
! shirt, two pair of breeches, two PAIR of stock
ings, one cravat, one spy glass, and on'
! reading glass, very serviceable present il
! those days no doubt. Next in September
we find the current value Of chintz, (probabl.
! calicol as we are told that 7 hogs were give'
! for ~ fa,homs. Articles Of luxury now be
/ Gin to be introduced. Great coats are bough
a, one hog each, while tar, duck, and iro'
are still predominant We nov tnd coat