The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-10-08

in the paying out of the cable will be daily re-
ceived and sent forward by Mr.. Saward, the Sec
rotary of the Company, who will remain there
with the staff of manipulators until the compile
ton of the undertaking.
VALENTIA, Aue. 5.-The Niagara, Capt. Hud-
son the Susquehan,.a, Capt. Sands; the Aga
nemnon, Commander Nc dali ; the Leopard,
Captain Wainwright the Cyclops, Captain Ray
mond, have arrived at Valentia, all well. The
Arctic, Captain Berriman, and the Victory, Cap
tain Sluyteer, are at Trinity Bay, where they
will wait the expedition, and will then assist in
landing the Newfoundland end of the cable. Ev-
eryshing is in complete readiness for efiecting the
landing of the Irish end; a favorable spot has
been selected on the shore of Nalentia Bay, about
three miles from Cahirciveen, and the operations
will be commenced Immediately the weather will
permit. The Lord Lieutenant is at Valentia to
inaugurate by his presence the undertaking. A
grand BANQUET was given yesterday to his Excel
lency and the directors of the company by the
Knight of Kerry. The most complete confidence
prevails as to the undertaking..
New. of she Missing ..KamamaIu" via the
Spirits.
1t will be remembered by most of our readers in
Honolulu that the schooner Kamamalu left this port
on the 18th of March last, bound for Hio, and that,
after leaving Lahaina, she has never been heard of
since and no trace whatever has been found of any,
thing belonging to her. 1t has been supposed here
that she capsized in a squall in the Hawaii channel.
By the q. S. mail of August 20, which arrived last
Saturday, we received a newspaper published in Bos-
ton on that date, entitled the Banner of Light, in
which, under the head of The Messenger pur-
porting to be communications from departed spirits
through the medium of Mrs. ]. II. Conant, the fol-
lowing truly singular communication appears. The
principal facts are just as there stated, with the ex-
ception of the vessels name, and the m~istaking of
Ramehaha for Ramamalu is not surprising in a for
eigner, for it would appear that the spirits in this in
stance at least are not acquainted with Hawaiian.
We have heard that there were one or two foreigners
on board the schooner when she left Honolulu,
strangers from California, in addition to a large num-
Der of natives. but we have been unable to learn their
names. 1t looks somewhat curious that the spirit
did not condescend to communicate the intelligence
below until after the receipt in Boston of the Com
merciaI, which contained the news of The loss OF the
Kamamalu. This of itself looks a little suspicious
WILLIAM BENSON, LosT AT SEA- want to talk to
YOU. | was cook on board the schooner Kdmehahd;
we sailed from Honolulu, March, 1857. We were
bound for Hilo, and had some fifty souls on board,
passengers. We touched at several places, and, when
within perhaps two hundred miles of Hilo, we were
struck by a squall. were not able to stand the shock,
and we were all lost. Not one saved. not one--all
gone
NV name was William Benson, my birth place Bar
rington, England. | was thirty-four years of age
1 was me last surviving soul, and lived to see all the
others go down.
had heard of Spiritualism, and was determined,
if it was true, to come back. / have wandered to a
great many mediums, but have not found one till
this that [ could talk through. Now, sir, people do
not know the vessel is lost ; they suppose, but do not
know. 1t is no more than right that [ should return
to report. Now you don't know whether there ever
was such a vessel. Well, look at the foreign clear
ances, and see if you do not find her name as cleared
during the months of February or March. Then,
again, if a vessel is due at any place at a certain
time, and does not arrive. she is reported as missing.
We were never spoken, and every article seemed
to go down with her; some may have got loose and
foated since, but if not there is nothing known
of US.
/ have q brother, who was in France when last |
saw him. suppose he is there now. He was Sec
ond mate of the bark Helen. She sailed from Liver
pool, bound for Havre, the last | knew of him.. He
is probably there now, az they were to make a stop
there. L have a sister married somewhere in the
States, her name is Margaret Ellen; she married
one Warren. l think his name is James, but / am
not sure.
It's a mighty fine thing to come back to report. l
see that many spirits are aiming this way, but they
can't all find anchorage here.
1 wish you would look and see if any articles from
our schooner have been picked up. We never should
have started with such n freight. The schooner was
small, rather poorly rugged, and could not stand a
heavy sea- l knew it, and when I saw the trouble
coming, | knew it would be her last. When we
struck a rock, we leaked badly, and they would not
throw anything over, nor take to the boats. There
were only two boats, not capable of holding over
thirty apiece, and they would not take them. l
thought we had a bad freight, but I did not take on
at all, nor pray. l never like to pray from fear,
and | said God knows best what is right for me. and
if he takes me now, it is right and good; therefore,
Ihad no prayer to offer. l hope you viii prove me
true, and publish if you do so.
Here ends the spirit, and the editor goes on to
say
"we have been unable to prove this true, for the
reason that we have no papers giving accounts OF
disasters in that part of the world, to use as a key to
unlock the mystery. We publish it as coming from
an intelligence not our own; not having beer. taken
from our mind, nor having birth in the imagination
of the medium. She was plainly under mesmerc
c3ntrol-not ours-and there was no other person
present. If any person interested in nautical af-
fairs knows of anything to give light to this spirit
manifestation, we shall be happy to hear from HIM.
DEATH OF THE PoEr BERESGER--rhe national poet
of France, the eminent author of the songs that viii
last as long as the French language win exist, has
terminated his worthy career. at the age of II years.
Eighty-fve thousand soldiers we're under arms on the
occasion of his funeral, Of which the expenses were
paid by the Emperor of the French's private purse
A literary sympathy had existed between Bsranger
and one of our t~ownsmen, DR.. Frick, who showed to
US a letter which he received from the great bard,
ON the eve of his departure for the Hawaiian Islands
There is in it an alIusion that win no doubt awake ar
interest of apropos in our paper. The letter is ad.
dressedrt to DIR. Prick, aud We translate it as follows:
" On my return from the country, my dear sir,
find your letter. and hasten to express to you my re
eret to see you sent 30 far with your numerous fam
lily. They say that King Kamehamena Is u good
man. If he feels the want of an adviser, h0mme Dies
prif, you win perhaps succeed in liking yourself il
not to regret our old world. thatshas been % unjus'
towards YOU. whatever NAV be the form that We ulti