Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1859-03-26

salute is returned by the latter. This, however
Is courtesy to our flag, and not to American in
dependence.
We should drop this loneliness, and let our
countrymen learn to respect the feelings of our
British neighbOrs when they desire TO gratfy their
own. An ANER1cAS
SHIPS SNAPDRAGoN AND JUNloR-The Govern
ment of the United States has instructed its rep-
| resentatiVe In London to demand satisfaction and
compensation from her Majestys Government for
the detention, in Sydney, of the United States
merchant ship SnGpdragOn, and the arrest of the
master and mate of that vessel under process of
the Supreme Court. The case was briefly this
The captain and chief officer of the Snapdragon
were arrested and held to bail, under judges or
der In dn action for assault and battery ut the suit
OF one Dlrks, seaman, who had served on board
this ship. Against the captain there was also a
second action, by Dirks, for wages, on which there
had been likewise an arrest, and holding to bail
On an appeal to the Supreme Court the securities
given to answer the action for wages were released
upon the ground that there had not been a full
disclosure OF the case upon the plaintiff affidavit
The Court however, maintained It's authority to
adjudicate III civil actions for trespass on board
foreign ship, or even IN a foreign territory and
between foreign subjects, provided both parties
were here at the time the action was commenced
Although therefore, the trespasses here declared
upon, or some of them had occurred upon the
high seas, the Judges held that they had power
to try the Case giving effect only, as matter of
defence, to any foreign law which might amount
to Justification or excuse. The arrest and hold
ing To bail of the captain and mate were accord
ingly sustained, although the proceedings were
| subsequently dropped by the plaintiff, or those
| acting for him. 1t was maintained by the then
Consul for the United States that this decision, by
the Judges of the Supreme Court, in violation
OF international law, and of the rights, under
such law, OF the Government and citizens of the
United States. The same view was taken by the
present Consul, and by Others who acted with
those gentlemen. There was consequently, a
formal protest and demand Of compensation from
the local Government. The opinion of the AttOr-
ney-General was understood to be adverse to the
decision of the Supreme Court this question of
jurisdiction, but that decision was one, of course
which could not be further disputed or appealed
against here. Consequently, full report was
made to the Government at Washington and also
We believe, to the Colonial Office in London. The
case having been fully considered by the proper
| authorities in the United States, the formal de-
mand of satisfaction already mentioned has been
the result. The protest against the decision of
their HOnOrs, and the grounds upon which such
protest based, have been sustained by the Ie-
gal advisers of the United States Government.
The course of action taken in the memorable
case of the mutiny on board the Junior has been
fully approved by the United States Government.
| -Nel0 ZeGiander NOu. l3.
JOKE RELATING TO THE SUsAN's PAssAGE.-The
sailors of the Susan deserted before the vessel got
out of the bay. There were none but landsmen
on board, except the Captain, and is traditional
at sea it is not easy to convert a landsman into
sailor at short notice. The sea-dOgs have phrases
| of their own which are Greek to the others. To
obviate this defect Captain Maury resorted to a
| novel and ingenious expedient. Every man on
board, we suppose, knew how to play cards, and
the captain, taking advantage of this skill, tied
card to each of the ropes of the vessel The or
ders then ran somewhat in this fashion 90 Haul
on the ace of hearts =" Let 90 the king of dia-
mOndsl'' 90 Belay on the deuce of spades ~ sc.
By this means the extemporized sailors soon got
the hang of the ropes, and affairs went on pretty
smoothly. Exchange paper.
1t would seem however that the Susan was lost
through the imperfect working of this system.
The hemsman when told to " trump the Jack
with the Ace" (put his helm hard DOWN, revers-
ed the order, and trumping the Queen on the oppo-
site side, ran the Susan reef, where she broke
in two, and spilled her cargo OF flibusters
A New ExrERPRIsE-The Journal of Commerce
says that a company has been recently formed IN
New York city, which proposes to obyiate the de-
laws dangers and difficulties of the passage round
Cape Horn by establishing line of powerful tug
steamers to tow vessels from ocean to ocean
through the straits of Magellan; and that provid-
ed the Government Of Chile agrees to certain pro-
posals which the company has already addressed
TO them, steps will be immediately taken to carry
the design into execution The projectors OF the
enterprise are very sanguine of its success, and
assured of it's beneficial results They assert that
the passage of the Straits may be made quickly
and safely by vessels of any tonnage with the as
sistance of steam tugs and they calculate that the
saving of time to vessels passing the Straits, as
compared with 4" doubling the Cape" would, on
an average, be fully 20 days basng their calcu-
I Stat
rage time required for rounding Cape Horn Is %
days They calculate that the saving Of ~ days
in interest and insurance on vessels and cargoes,
and the wear and tear of vessels, Sc, would be
not less than 81 ,0OO,0 ,0OO
In the conpany's memorial recommending their
project to the favor of the Chilean government,
variety of points are noticed illustrative of the
great advantages it will confer, not only Chile,
but on the commercial community of the world.
The colonization of the Northern coast OF the
Straits by Chileans the working of the extensive
deposts of coal in the neighborhood OF Punta Ar
enas, and the development of the now dormant
resources of the country bordering on the Straits
of Magellan are alluded to as among the immedl-
ate results of the establishment of the tug steam
ers because the feet of about 500 vessels which
would pass the Straits annually, would create
market for wood, COAL water, provisions and other
articles of primary necessity, and give employment
to a vast number of persons.
The conditions which the company require the
Chilean government to grant are
/. The payment of an annual subsidy of Sl25.-
900 for ten years, and then of $4,000 for an ad-
ditional term of ten years.
9 A lease at a nominal rate of all the coal de-
posits at Punta Arenas, for ten years.
g. A grant in perpetuity of the lands required
for stations along the route.
4. A lease for ten years at a nominal rate OF
such wood lands as may be required for the COM
q vrapf in of all lands