The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-12-24
+ OF THE WEEK.

one may to-day stand on . lookout in town and
count the ships in port. The following are all the
foreign whalers now in our harbor :-Conder, repair
ing damage done to her bows in the ice in Ochotsk
Sea; habefia. has stepped a new foremost and is re-
pairing bow SalamGndre, recaulked and new
sheathed bow; Sheffield, ready for sea; Daniel
Wood. putting lead ON the stem and recoppering
bow; South Seaman, ready for sea; Charles Phelps.
~re6tting; India, awaiting arrival Of the -Merrsmac.
when she will exchange captains and sail for home I;
the .Merrimac taking her place in this ocean;
Fanny, sails to-day. In three or four weeks all
Of these vessels win have taken their departure, and
the harbor and town will. il possible. be duller than
at present for o month or two, or until the spring
season opens.
KANAKA DrvERs.-The natives of these islands are
good divers, though perhaps they cannot 'dive as
deep and come up as dry as the celebrated pearl
divers of the Caroline and Chain Island groups. The
stone retaining wall of the new Esplanade is all laid
by native divers, who are hired at the rate Of 81 80
per diem. They work very steadily. each man taking
his turn of about two hours, and averaging q trip to
the bottom once in ten minutes. The water is about
fifteen feet deep. and they manage to lay about ten
feet of wall per diem. But for the Hawaiians on
board the Italy, last season, the greater portion Of the
bone of the wrecked ship Natches would not have
been recovered, as it could only be got at by diving.
ABscoNDED.-Some ten days ago, Capt. Anderson
Of the whaling bark Fortune, shipped a man named
Clifford as first mate for the season, giving him q
large bonus, amounting we understand to $500. On
Monday. the 14th instant, the ship being ready for
sen, Mr.. Clifford, without communicating his inten-
ton to any one, went ON board Of the Kamoi bound
for Lahaina. At the latter place it vas said he
went on board a schooner bound for Hawaii, where
he has a piece of land. Meantime Capt. Anderson
shipped another officer in his place, and having
reported Clifford as a deserter and defrauder, police
officer Jorudan started on Saturday evening per JMmoi
in his pursuit, and on Tuesday morning returned
with his prisoner. 1t is hard to imagine what could
induce a young man with first rate prospects of
advancement in his profession to act thus foolishly
and ~culpably, knowing, as he must have done, that
he could not so seclude himself anywhere upon the
islands but that he would be brought to account, and
punishment. On examination before Judge Girls
void, Mr.. Clifford was committed for trial at the
Supreme Court, and has since been liberated on bail.
The METHODIST PARsONAGE.-This building, flor
the erection of which our readers will remember, the
ladies held a fair last month"; will be ready for occu-
pancy on the first of the new year. 1t is a pattern of
neatness and convenience, and reflects credit upon
the architect and builder, Mr.. C. W Vincent, though
a lady, we hear, has been the ruling spirit through
out. The house is 31x42 feet on the ground, con-
tains five rooms and a verandah in front and rear.
1t is situated upon the same lot and within a few feet
of the Methodist Chapel. While viewing this beauti-
full cottage, with all its appliances for comfort, so
suddenly created as it were, one is forcibly reminded
of the fact that, in an enterprise of this kind the
ladies, after all, are the best business men. We learn
that one of our capitalists is so well pleased with the
new structure that he intends erecting two cottages
on the same plan, on the lot opposite the Chapel.
TELEGRAPH SIGNAL CARDs.-We notice a beautiful
specimen of the Telegraph Signals for the port of
Honolulu, printed in gold and blue on a card IL by
Is inches, with colored signals. Aside from its utility
rs a ready reference, enclosed in a gilt frame it makes
n handsome ornament for a counting room. Mr.. T.
McGeorge, of the Commercial printing Office has the
credit of getting up this really handsome piece of
work. -
A New FnM.-By reference to our advertising
columns, it will be seen that Messrs. r. Coady, P.S S.
Wilcox and Fred. l.. Hanks, have entered into a
copartnership for the transaction of a general CON-
mission and ship agency business, under the style
of r. Coady & Co. To those who know these gentle
men it will be unnecessary to say that their expert
ence and thorough business qualifications are good
guarantees of their success, and of the entire satisfac-
ton of those who have business dealings with them.
RETURN OF PRESIDENT Observation-Disclosures
returned from his visit to the United States on Tues
day last in the Caroline E. Foofe. We learn that
in consequence of the financial pressure in the East.
the project of an endowment for Oahu College has
been postponed. In the meantime the American
Board will sustain the institution. We understand
that the Institution will be ~re-opened Immediately.
81 Il 100000
Of Nov. 20, and will probably arrive here in the
Fanny Major, which vessel will be due about the
30th inst. -
For SAN FRANcIsco.-The favorite packet paque-
no, Capt. Newell, sails this afternoon, at 8 F. NJ. The
mail closes at 2 P. NJ. precisely, at the post-ofhce. In
addition to a large list Of passengers en- route from
Sydney, she takes several from this port. The Pa
quero will return to Sydney, leaving San Francisco
about Feb. 10, touching ut Honolulu.
HORSE SrEAuNG.-The boldest kind of horse steal
ing is becoming quite common in Honolulu. We
hear of two cases during the past week. in which
horse, saddle and bride, hitched for a few moments
while the owner made a call, have been spirited
away, and no trace rs yet discovered OF their where
abouts. The object no doubt is to secure the saddle
and bride, and then turn the horse adrift, and the
t~rappings, taken to another island, stand very little
chance of ever being identified by their owner.
FELL FROM ALoFr.-A young man named Ben
jamin, an officer on board the bark Isabella. lying in
the harbor ~re6tting, fell from the mizen topgallant
yard last Friday and struck on the deck, breaking
his left leg in two places. and otherwise severely
bruising him. He was Immediately removed to the
American Hospital. where, under the care Of DR..
Guillou, we learn that he is in a fair way to recover,
thouph of course with a permanent lameness.
PorAroEs.-Irish potatoes Of good quality are very
abundant in market, at 81 per barrel. Large guam
titles will rot on the hands Of the planters at East
Maui, there being no sale for them. The consequence
will probably be, that many of the native farmers
will become discouraged, and desist from planting for
next season. The present price realized at Honolulu,
deducting the cost Of transportation, leaves the
farmer just 25 cents per barrel for his potatoes on the