The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-11-12
NOTES OF THE WEEK.

one of the circular reefs which abound in the South
Pacific, is in South lat 180, West long. 1929, and is
generally considered as belonging to the Paumotu
group. We are indebted to Capt. Bell, who came
passenger from Tahiti in the Emma, for the follow
ing statement of facts. About eighteen months ago
a brigantine belonging to Bremen, name unknown,
with a German captain and crew on board, together
with o French priest, and two children of a Mrs.
Stevens, of Tahiti, as passengers, sailed from Gambia
Island for Tahiti. She never arrived at the latter
place. Some time in June last, Capt Durham of the
schooner Julia landed ON Bligh's Lagoon and found
the natives in possession of several articles of chill
dren's clothing, and wearing necklaces braided from
the hair of white men; besides which there were rem
nants of a wreck on the reef. On this being reported
at Tahiti, the French war steamer .Meian was dis
patched to the island, but upon her approach the ma
tives secreted themselves, and after burning a single
hut the steamer returned to Tahiti. Mrs. Stevens at
once chartered the Julia, and with a party of Society
islanders proceeded to the island, where they landed,
and by means of setting fire to the pandanus trees,
which is the only vegetation there, succeeded in dri-
wing the people from their hiding places and taking
prisoners sixteen out of twenty-five, which comprised
the entire population. Two were killed and four es-
capped. They found the skulls of the two children,
respectively six and eight years of age, in the morae
or sacred enclosure. Lie WreCk ~ Dttu ~
up that it could not be identified, though no doubt
existed that it was that of the missing vessel. The
natives were taken to Tahiti, and the women were in
the family of the English missionaries.
MECHANIC ENGINE Co. No. 2.-This is enc of the
best voluntary associations of the kind in Honolulu.
The Company at present comprises a list OF forty-hve
active members and about fifty honorary members.
The assembly room above the engine room is very
neatly and extensively fitted up, the cost of which
has been betrayed entirely by the Company, with the
exception of a number of pictures, etc., which have
been from time to time presented to them by resi-
dents. Their well-selected library consists of about
three hundred volumes of voyages and travels and a
number of scientific works. The room is always open
to the members of the Company, and a steward is in
attendance to show attention to visitors. Such asso-
Citations as this are invaluable as a means of keeping
up the esprit du corps of the fire department, and
should be literally encouraged. Honolulu is liable
at any time to need the strenuous exertions of its
fremen. While on this subject we will mention that
the Hook and Ladder Company is in course of eff
cient organization, numbering already some forty
members on its roll. At the last monthly meeting
of the Representatives of the Fire Department the
Hook and Ladder Company was formally consti-
tuted. -
tUC itNhio StOH3SA u hOh OoA. -e1t
issue was the notice of the purchase of two hives of
bees by the Agricultural Society for 500 per hive.
These with the two other hives belonging to Captain
Lawton, are placed in charge of DR.. Hillebrand in
Nuuanu. Would it not be better to send one or more
of them to the other islands and station them at
higher elevations, say at Makawao In New Zealand
it is only a few years since bees were introduced, yet
we are informed by captains who have recently Wis
;ted tbara that hoes have multinlip1 So rapidlv that
they are to be found in nearly every valley of the
island. They do not require any care, but bu lid
their nests on the ground or on the sides of cliffs.
And when honey is wanted, q native will return in
an hour when sent for it with a pail full. In San
Jose, California, they increase very rapidly. and we
noticed in a late paper that one hive there had fur
nished fourteen new colonies of bees in the course of
a few months. We see no reason why the increase
here may not be as rapid. So
DIsMAsTING OF THE BARK IsABELLA.-The Ameri-
can whaling bark Isabella, Capt. Lyon, which left
Lahaina on the 10Th of October for a cruise off New
Zealand, returned to Honolulu on the 10th inst, I'M
der jury-nasts, having lost fore-topmast, with head
of foremost, Observation-Disclosures, and mizen-top-
mast, in a 8 . white squall,'' Oct. 10Th. The Isabella
had reached the latitude of 7 , N, and was expert
encing squally weather, though not of a very severe
n1turp Inc OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES utu Dttn w uoWI
for a passing squall, and three men were sent aloft
to secure the sails, when almost instantly, and with
out any perceptible wind on deck, the spars were
wrenched off and the vessel reduced to a dismantled
wreck. Two men, natives of these Islands, who
were aioft forward, were saved, landing in the rig
ging, but the one on the main-topgallant yard was
never seen after the squall. He was a native of New
Jersey, named Edwin Wilson. The Isabella will
procure new spars at this port without delay, and
sail again in a few days for a cruise on the line.
VOYAGE OF TUE CYNTTIA.-No vessel that sailed
ont from this port last winter elected more general
interest than this bark, owned by Messrs. King &
MIntyre. Although her voyage was a most unfor-
tunate one, and the loss from it considerable, yet her
owners have, with true Scotch courage, determined
not to 9 give up the ship" Were it not that she re-
quireJ to be wholly re-coppered, she could be sent to
sea Immediately with no great expense. When re-cop-
pered. she will be one of the finest whalers sailing
from this port. We are glad to learn that the SER
vices of Capt. Sherman (late LIST officer of the Japan
and Mr.. Kelly (late of the Chds. Carroli) have been
engaged for the Cynthia. We are assured by those
who are acquainted with them. that better officers
could not be had in any whaling port.
DEPARTURE OF THE JOHN LAND-This fine clip
per, whose cargo list we published last week, set sail
at Q O'Clock on Tuesday morning last, Nov. 10, with
a strong breeze from the north. She was detained
three days by poor winds. We understand that bets
run high in certain quarters on her passage to New
Bedford. We can safely say that she got an excel
lent start and will probably make the run to the
equator, in four or five days and the shortest passage
to Cape Horn ever made from this port. We shall
look for her arrival in New Bedford in ninety days
passage or about Feb. 10. As we stated last week,
she carries out the most valuable cargo ever shipped
here, amounting to $685. 500. Bills of lading of her
cargo went forward by the Fanny Majors mail.
STRONG TRADEs-Last Tuesday from morning till
midnight, " rude Boreas'' had everything his own
way in and about Honolulu, causing the ships g off
and on to carry small sail. These strong northerly
winds must have the effect to dissipate everything like
miasma that may accumulate from the stagnant