The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-02-03


Opwx.-By inquiry at the Custom House We learn
that since the 1st Of January this year, seven hun-
dred taels -amountinR to about nine hundred ounces
of opium-have been imported into this Kingdom.
At first glance this would indicate q large consump-
ton of that narcotic in our small kingdom. bat u NJ
nossible that this may be . six months or mcre
snpply. bought in San Franchises at . time when
prices were low. Opium, however, appears 70
be getting into use here, more and more every year.
and We have heard that the natives have IN some IN
stances. through the influence and example no doubt
Of the Chinese laborers, learned to drug themselves.
The importations during the past month to which We
refer above, were all by Chinese doctors or drug
g;sts.'' and it would be well, perhaps for our ponce
to keep an eye ON that branch Of business.
SAN FRANCISCO AS A WHALING DEPor.-The
Mercantile Gazette and shipping Register. OF Jan.
4th, 1859, in it's annual review, says OF that port;
s.The only striking discrepancies that are noticeaoleln
the foregoing data, tonnage movement OF the
port') consist first in the continued decrease OF the
whaling tonnage. The business has not proved iu-
crative, and we have to remark a continually dimln-
ishing quantity of shipping owned at this port so
employed from year to year. The high rates PAID TO
hands, and the large expense Of outfits do not admit
of our ~riualling the more economical expeditions fitted
out BIZ other countries The italics are our own. But
coming from such authority, we think the above IS
worthy of notice and we would cali the attention of our
whaling friends both here and at home to it.
EXERCISE OF THE FIRE ENGINEs.-We always like
to witness the Saturday afternoon drill of our FIRE
engine companies, for we think it tends to their i'm
provement and availability in no small degree. Last
Saturday, Engine Company No. 1, Honolulu"
made a trial of the power of their machine in front of
our office, which, although the company did not turn
out more than perhaps one-half their numbers,
proved to the satisfaction Of the bystanders that theirs
is n powerful engine. Through a length of hose of
about one hundred feet a stream was thrown about
sixty feet high. This may not seem very remarkable,
but when the number of men on the brakes is con-
sidered it may be called very good. We hope to see
more interest manifested by the public at large in
the management and prosperity of our Fire Com
panies. -
GRAND DIscovERY.-The Polynesian man, with
his usual vigilance, has just discovered that the
dredge has brought up some native AIDES from the
bottom of the harbor. supposed by him to have been
deposited there at low tide, in the time of the night
born gods.' If our contemporary will take the
trouble to inquire, we think he will find that similar
AIDES were brought up by this same mud-digger some
eighteen months or more before. The discovery at
this time is to be attributed solely to the enterprise of
that GO terrapin express which is got out occasionally
to scare up Sc news"
LARGE HIDE.-In our issue of the 18th ult., we
noticed a large hide from Kauai, weighing eighty
eight pounds dressed. Mr.. John t. Cover of Maka-
wac, writes that he has recently slaughtered an OK
bred by Mr.. b. ii. Snifin of Kula on Maui, which
weighed as follows:
Reef kidneys not includel... 1907 lbs.
Tallow, kidneys included 2Ol ="
Hide, picked and drained, ..............-. los "
Total lbs.
We think with our correspondent, that it will be
difficult to beat the above any where on these islands.
The above hide can be seen at W. A. Aldrich's Store.
~ Information has been received at the State De-
partment at Washington of the death of Samuel Burge
Rawle, ESQ.,, United States Consul at Macao.-M Y.
Times, Dec. 6.
This gentleman, for over forty years q resident of
China, was well known to many of our citizens here
by his hospitality and urbanity of manner. He was
the eldest son of Chief Justice Rawle, of Pennsylvania,
and a brother of Judge Rawle of Louisiana, q. s. A.
CLIPPER PAssAGEs.-We make a note here for fu-
ture reference, of several of the shortest passages
made on our ocean race-course between san Francisco
and this port. There may have been other short
passages in previous years, but we have not the data of
them
1855, ship Kingasher, Baker, hoo TONS. g days. 20 hours.
1855. ship Flying Cloud, Greasy, l7s7 tons. IL days.
1889, saTe BACK sseke sa S%,' Bowers saa tons iiSo tons: 3 3 days, = = hours.
The last named vessel, bears off the palm. Her
memoranda will be found in another column.
TALL. SUGAR CANE-Our ~neighbor, Capt. B.. Z.
Snow, showed US ome stocks of sugar cane the other
day, that in length and size. go ahead Of anything
we have seen before. The length of one of the stocks.
without the tasslc) is eighteen feet; circumference,
seven and seven -eighths inches. This cane is from
the prolific soil of Mr.. Titcomb's plantation, Hanalei,
Kauai; and we question whether its equal can be
produced in any other country or was ever excelled
here. -
MECHANIC FIRE COMPANY No. 2."-This useful
organization held the annual election on Tuesday
evening for the election of officers. The result was
the same as during the past four years-the re-elec-
ton of the old set of officers. Mr.. Gilliland, the
Foreman, is now again elected for the fifth time. We
are pleased TO learn that the company are in a pros
porous condition, and increasing in numbers.
CHEAP BREAp.-How to get cheap bread has been
the philosophers stone which politicians of every age
have worked hard to discover. By an advertisement
in to days paper it will be seen that Mr.. Robert
Love offers twenty loaves of good bread for one dol
lar. Cheap enough, surely. for these ATTITUDES.
The Honolulu GAS CoMPANY.-We learn that the
petition for an extension in time of the above COM
pany will shortly be brought forward in the Legisla-
ture, and if no needless impediments are thrown in
the way, Honolulu will be lighted with gas before
next fall. We trust the members of the lower House
will take the right view in considering this important
public improvement.
LARGE CABBAGEs.-Mr. George Clark of this place
has sent us a mammoth cabbage grown in his gar
den, weighing nearly ten lbs, q sample of a large
number of equal size, raised from seed sown in Octo-
Der last. Oahu is evidently preparing to dispute the