The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-09-16

Since the sailing of the last California packet,
the Fanny Major on the 9th ult., six numbers OF
the Commercial have been issued, and will be
found to contain all the news of the past month
and full and reliable reports from the Kodiack
and Arctic fleets Of whalers. 1t seldom occurs
that we are so long a time without an opportunity
to despatch a mail to San francisco. Since the
arrival of the first whaler of the season, on the
9th of July, twenty-one ships have arrived at the
different ports of these islands from the Kodiack
and Arctic Seas, bringing an aggregate of IL ,s95
barrels oil, averaging about 600 barrels to
each ship. At the corresponding date in 1857,
six whalers only had arrived at the islands, re-
porting an aggregate catch of 1880 barrels, or an
average of 765 barrels to each vessel.
The reports from the Arctic are unusually dis
couraging this year, the best catch being that of
the Harmony, of Honolulu, reported as having
700 barrels on the Doth of August, while the
majority of the ships had one whale. and a num-
Der were s. clean" In Bristol Bay but one whale
had been seen during the whole season, and he,
of course was we'll chased and became a :. marked
individual" But it is considered quite probable
by Captains with whom we have conversed, that
the Ochotsk feet will make amends for the short
comings of the other grounds, and therefore it
would be advisable to suspend our opinion as to
the ultimate success of the season until an arrival
from that sea. Quite 4 number of those ships
which have had poor success in the Arctic, will
make n long season on New Zealand, and, Judging
from the good fares obtained there last season
may make amends for the failure of the Arctic.
With such, the 50 season. at the islands will be
in the spring, when they return to reft for the
North.
Some remarks have been made in regard to the
anticipated interference by the Russians with the
operations of the whaling feet in the Northern
seas. Capt. Bryant in the America. reports that
he was boarded by an officer from a Russian
steamer in Bhering Straits. close in with the land,
whose professed object was merely to ascertain the
name of the ships and amount of oil on board.
Capt. B. does not appear to entertain the belief
that the Russians will enforce any new regula-
tions in regard to Whaling on their coasts.
Quite an event has occurred in the political
world in the action of the Hawaiian government
on the French Treaty. The treaty was at first
rejected by the King, and his action met with so
much applause that a salute of 100 guns was
fred by a committee of the citizens of Honolulu
over the event. A few days after, however, the
treaty having been altered and the approval of
the King having been warmly sought by his Min
listers and the French Commissioner, he finally
Welded to their e~ntreaties and ratified the docu-
ment. The treaty. is universally condemned by
citizens of every class as oppressive and unjust to
this weak nation. The main points yielded to
France are-that the French language is to be
placed on a level with the English The duty on
liquors to be reduced from SIS to So a gallon
vessels in the Hawaiian kingdom are to be
placed on the same footing az Hawaiian the
French Consul is allowed TO exercise judicial
functions belonging of right to the Hawaiian
courts. The ratification of the treaty was effected
by a rick-in attaching to it a supplementary
as a . 6 rider which no one believes the
French Emperor will sign or even notice. This
article being rejected, the treaty will be consider
ed in full force. The enforcement of the treaty,
it is supposed. will cause an annual loss in the
revenue of the Hawaiian kingdom of between
thirty and forty tho usand dollars.