The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-05-14
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser
SKETCHES OF
gitt in tbe Yamaitau gsImOs. Go. J.
CROSSING THE CHANNEL.


months, when the weather becomes a few degrees
warmer, and clouds of dust and strong winds,
sweeping and careoring over the town, create de-
sire for change to the luXuriant fields and cooler
breezes of Kauai which lies somewhat nearer q
colder cline, numbers leave the dusty seaport for
that Island. Oahu has hitherto borne the character
OF being the garden of the group but let the reader
follow in my wanderings Kauai and
think that he Will agree with in asserting that to
that island more properly belongs the distinction
In voyagng from island to island, there is but little
choice in the means of conyeyance canoe, or a
miniature vessel of few tons burden, and but little
better, being the common resort; unless luckily, q
stray whaler i'll passing should give the happy
grant 6 lt.'' Necessity, the strongest curos-
ity alone tempts to trust himself to the craft
which usually does the honors of that passage. She
is a frail thing yclept the Pilot, manufactured i'll
the forests of Tahiti and day, after buffetng the
tropical for two months, found herself in the
Harbor of Honolulu. In any other port she would
have astonished the inhabitants almost as much as
the barks of Columbus did the simple natives of
Guanahini. But Honolulians are accustomed to
Snbad feats of sailorship The virtues of the Pilot
being well tested, she formally Installed as
regular &c liner,' under the command OF the expe-
rienced Captain Spunyarn. As no opposition e1-
listed, most exorbant price was charged for the sat
isfaction of making feow-beng as completely mis-
erable for day week might be, foul air,
min, and sea-sickness could render him. No dis
credit to the worthy captain, however, for he
clever fellow, having under his orders mate and
cook For several years had he commanded this
stout schooner, and he knew every wave by sight,
and every change of wind and variation OF current
by instinct If any one doubts his seamanship, let
him go no farther; for his face it was the very
picture of inward satisfaction. He could not have
been happier prouder had he commanded a dash
ing frgate To be sure, he had capsZed her once IN
seuall, but being near land she was towed ashore
and righted. And as for drowning POlynesan, you
might as well try to drown iying-fsh On another
occasion, whale rising alongside created surge
that well-nigh enguled her, but still she survived,
and still continued to sail crowded with passengers,
oanhO 1pav her deVOutlV
that might be the last time their feet should cross her
gnngway Visions of stately ships, swift steamboats,,
and every other variety of decent conveyance fitted
through my mind, as, after having screwed up my
courage to the embarking point (although the while
felt it an undertaking to be compared to nothing
but crossing the bridge of single hair which leads
to the Mussulman's paradise,) wended my way to-
wards the wharf where the Pilot was tied up. Her
sails were hoisted; without further ado, L jumped
aboard, and bidding reluctant farewell to Honolulu,
soon found myself out Of the harbor, and running
before brisk trade along the eeward side of Oahu.
Now, as traveller visits HG1odii nei, without en-
countering like mine, shall give the reader,
who may have designed a similar excursion, glance
at what he will have to encounter, by way of encour
3gement Let him not because he has crossed
the Atlantic, doubled Cape Horn, and cheated old
father Neptune of his tribute, that he will defraud
him now. 0, No! Down upon your back upon the
deck as straight four feet by will allow, with
the privilege of shifting your quarters every few
hours to go about. Hapless victim, the penalty Is
upon you.
Talk about the horrors of the Sc mid passage No
slave pent in his vile hole, settled more unw
ing account with his brneship than did in the
mid channel.'' Just picture the comfort to be
enioved in litte-decked vessel, sort OF amphbous
craft not so large as frgates launch, whrled and
tossed in the froth of the like mere feather,
now under water, now out again, shaking the spray
from itself, much like old water-dog The few
feet deck is shared with dozens of natives the
near contact of whom allows you only room to curl
up square possible in. No abolitionst can have
less antipathy to the various coored cutcles that
cover our race, than | have, but when my next
neighbours shins in close contact with my cram
ium and that neighbor is a swarthy, naked Hawaii
an with skin well furrowed with disease,
remedy for which quacks have been exertng their
advertising powers since the days of NOe L
confess little senstveness But in the effort to
avoid Scyla [ fell upon Charybdis, in the shape of
of the fairer sex, whose attire IS Just sufficient to
convince even the most sea-sick, that woman un-
adorned is not GI1oays adorned the most Her hair,
ah that's just the thing endeayoring to avoid,
for living reasons which can gainsay-so not
another word on this topic. few stout hogs, the
pot companions of their masters, completed our mess
Let turn up his nose at even swinish fellow
yOyager.
A friend of mine and his family had the misfortune
to be out ten days in the least of all these cookie
boats, in making the passage from one island to
another. Towards the last of the time it began to
be serious affair, and hunger stared them in the
face. To such an extremity were they driven, that
they held consultation to what they should have
to eat The result was, that of their number in
order to save the lives of the remainder doomed
10 cut the tnroat-Ol porheT, WHOSE layers OF Iat,
the result of many years high feeding, supplied them
with fuel to cook the lean withal-a Jack sprat pro;
cess which would have shocked Epcurus, if he had
not been as hungry as my worthy friend.
The wind not proving fair, our voyage was pro,
onged with all the usual dsagreeabeness incidental
to such trips At times the breeze would die away
entirely, and leave the vessel pitching, and rocking,
and twisting about in the vexed waves, much like
spoiled child who attempts to show his of in
jured dignity, by throwing his puny form upon the
floor and sprawls legs and arms into the air, while
he distorts his body into thousand inexpresible
shapes. extremely consoling to himself, but not par
hcuiariy edItying to any else. Equally vain
would 1t be to make such urehn stand without his
WILL as 1t was for us to stand with the best of wills.
Ihe frequent and rising sensations in the epgastrc
region seem to have sympathetic connection with
Hogarts line OF beauty for all my notions at least
were in curynear direction, until having enlight-
ened the scaly dweers of the deep to the utmost of
my abilities, as to the nature of my diet for the
previous week, curled myself up into the smallest
compass possible and, under the protection of mat
Did defiance to the scorching sun, and the rain
squalls that occasionally discharged their humid
contents upon us. Reader, were you ever in such
'uation-dId. your nose acquire extra ''turn