The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-10-08

well conducted in every respect. we were SO Mucn
interested in a visit which we made there, q few days
since, that we think our leader will be pleased with
a brief account Of the result of our inquiries. One
is surprised upon entering the prison to see how scru-
pulously neat everything is kept-the walls SO white
and the floor SO nice; and the lockups. the outhouses,
the cellar, the yard. and everything connected with
the establishment seem SO clean and orderly There
were at the tine of our visit 107 prisoners in condne-
ment-divided off into the various cells or lockups.
The lockups are s~ixty-four in number. arranged in
four different wards. ana over the door of each is a
grating, to admit light and air. Each has two in
mates, who sleep upon hammocks stretched length
ways. Aroused by the stroke of a bell, at FIVE O'Clock
in the morning, the prisoners spring from their slum-
bers, roll up their hammocks. and prepare for depart
ure. After an interval of five minutes. during which
time all the doors have been unlocked by the turnkey,
the bell sounds again, and forth march the prisoners,
in regular order, two by two, to the yard, from
which, after breakfast, they are marched out to their
daily labors on the esplanade. The food of the pris-
oners is generally poi and salmon. The white men
have a liberal allowance of bread and meat. The
cooking is done by a number of Chinese convicts, to
whom the special duty is assigned. During the abb
sence of the men, in the day, the female prisoners
are employed in sewing. The men return from their
labors in the afternoon, in season for a good bath all
round, in the big bath tubs of the prison yard. On
Saturdays they are marched to a certain place in the
valley stream and allowed to take a plunge in the run
ming water. There are some, however. among the
prisoners, who do not go forth to daily labor. A few
are sentenced to Imprisonment only; at the time of
our visit, there were thirteen on the sick list, and no
less than eleven lunatics, who with one or two except
ions, are allowed a certain degree of liberty, every
day. One old lady, one of the most crazy ones
among them, a few days since took it into her head
to assault Mr.. Brown, as he was passing through the
yard, where she was enjoying herself, and attacked
him with such vigor, that before he was well aware of
her object he found himself without q whole garment
to his back. As a general thing, the prisoners
are very quiet and peaceable. The Chinese OCCASION
ally prove a little refractory, but no difficulty is found
in bringing them to their proper bearings. The pris-
oners have clean change of clothing twice a week.
The prison is garrisoned by twenty-four soldiers.
The discipline is excellent. Mr.. Brown spares no
pains to perfect his system of government, and We
doubt not that under his supervision it viii continue
to be, as heretofore, a model prison.
SwIMMING-Eyery woman as well as every man
ought to know how to swim. 1t is a healthful, grace
full exercise, and not unfrequently a most useful ac-
complishment; and 10 one should neglect an oppor-
tunity TO acquire a knowledge of the art. Waikiki
affords an excellent bathing place, and we are glad
TO see that the amusement has become fashionable
here, as well as in the United States and Europe
where, in many places it is made as much a branch
of education as grammar or geography. At a cele-
brated ladies' seminary at Berlin, Prussia, recently
there was n swimming race, in which % young
ladies contested for the championship, the prize being
won by a girl of nineteen years of age. We don't
think Honolulu could turn out SO many competitors
at present, but hope she may be able to do much
better than that in the course of another year.
A New IsLANp.-The New Bedford Mercury con-
tains the following account of an island in this
ocean. discovered in January last by Capt. Eldridge
of the bark .4ma-oa. The account was received in a
private letter to that paper:
"It is in Et. 90 As north, and long. 176o So
west, very low and dangerous, aud is, | expect, the
last resting place of the crew of some of the ships
which have been missed in years gone by. l ran
along the lee side within pistol shots of the beach,
but it was too rough to land; and after convincing
myself that there were no living people upon the
island, squared away again. On the highest part of
the island is 4 flagstaff, at one end, from which still
the halyard- block. Near the house We're
everal little hummocks. each with a tall, upright
stone upon it, evidently the graves of the poor fellows
who had escaped from the wreck of their vessel, and
died on this dreary spot. where perhaps they had
spent months IN Nliniy looking Tor Il passing sail TO
relieve them from their weary prison.
The HosPTTAL-We are glad to Learn, that the
sphere of good influence exercised by this institution
is gradually widening. During the last month,
upwards Of 500 prescriptions were made up, against
400 in the month before, and the names of $50 new
door patients had been entered upon the books.
The expenses of the hospital during the mouth of
September, exclusive of the salary of DR.. Hillebrand,
to S156-of which amount $50 only was
devoted to furnishing the table Of the patients and
employees of the establishment All the eleven beds
Of the hospital were occupied by patients on Monday
-
\ COOP LAY.-The New Bedford Mercury says
A ship belonging to this port is soon to sail under
the command of one of our noted shipmasters on the
that he shall receive, after paying the ex-
OF the voyage, half of the results. For instance,
the ship and outfits amounted to $780, 600, all rising
that sum is divided between the owners and captain.
After sailing. all drafts drawn and all expenses in
CURED are to be shared between the captain and
owners Thus il will be seen the captain runs no
nconsiderable risk, but from his previous success in
he whale-fshery, We venture to say he is fully com
Detent to sustain them
We may add that the ship is the .flice FraSier
md under command of Capt. Washington t. Walker.
We have no fears about his making a good voyage of it.
A GOOD FAsHIoN--lt Is said that the latest Euro
bean fashion is that of dressing very plainly when
going to church. many of the most aristocratic ladies
going to worship in plain calico. This is for the
purpose of encouraging the attendance of those who
.annot afford to wear rich clothes. Such a fashion
IS this deserves, to a certain extent, to be introdue-
ID everywhere. There can be no stronger evidence
# taste than a '. dressy'' appearance at church.
And though this feature is perhaps less prominent in
Ionolul, n an I m otbar cit;ps tbaro i~ still mo .b;ct~
DOM for a little improvement.
The BARK MESSENGER BIRD.-Capt. Gilliat, of the
informs us that the runaway bark .Messen-
rer Bird of Boston, arrived off the port of Petropo-
in August. The Captain went ashore and
sked if there was any news. When asked what he
anne to that port for. he replied to get a cargo of oil.
Without coming to anchor, he squared away for parts
Unknown. 1t is quite probable that he will go to