The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-12-27
NOTES OF Tile MEEk.

shower. The day had been selected for : trial Ct tbs
new Eagire d Mechanic Company, which wAs receiv-
II recently by the RafEy4 from Boston II Is a
large sr=, class u~lchin=, and probably - handsome
n engine a. ever came round Cape Horn. Abcu'
ten o'c'cck. the FIRE department, consisting O. tie
Hook AMI LaIisr Company, Honolulu No I, and
"Nacbauic NJ. ," turned cut n full force, With
beautiful ue~ uniforms. and parldei through the
rrinci pal streets. accompanied With q fine band ci
musicians, which iisc5ursei popular music. Reach
frr the rs-zry1fr u 'front.' Of the Post Dice the pro-
----i51 hal;el 70 try the machine" No. I ;oCk
hold q: the brakes first, and threw q stream Ers;
dosu Kaahumanu Street. and then perpendicular
over = flg=;az erected over Columns auction build
ing. This staff measured s. feet from the ground 70
the truck, and the company fund 10 difficulty i
throwing q stream about 30 feet over II, O. = total
height q lie 70 30 feet. Il the effort, the hose gave
way, but vas speedily replaced By . uew length from
the hose cart, wen the members Of No. = took hold
and gave the engine another trial, which resulted in
bursting the hose again. This being replaced BY q
new length, both companies took hold Of the brakes
and played tuo streams, bit the force was TOO strong
for the hose, and the couplings gave out The En-
giue easily threw a stream horizontally 40 feet.
The new hose Is made Of gutta percha, which i pro
baby not 20 strong as leather. Il i well that a trial
has been male, !or when a fr. calls on; an engine,
al us ELtlreS require 10 % PROOF Tor the he4Ty ser
vice needed in the hour Of peril
After the trial was over, the companies marched
tc the engine house Of No. ,. where 4 liberal caowder
repasc had been prepared for the members Of the de-
partment, and a few invited guests. The rooms be-
low AMI above had been ;astefuily decorated for the
occasion, and the tables literally groaned with the
weight % the dishes suited 70 the taste Of every one.
The best Of feeling prevailed during the entertain
ment, and nothing occurred to mar the festivities.
No. = vas never in a more prosperous condition than
at present, and numbers 81 members. II may well
be proud IF the engine which it has. Our entire
department never appeared - better advantage than
on Tuesday last, and though We hope their services
may seldom he required in battling with fires, yet our
people may rest assured that when necessity does
call them out, Honolulu has as noble a band Of FIRE
men 70 trust 70, as any city Of is size eau boast.
RIGHrs OF NATIVE hAwAuAXs N CALIFoEyIA-
The san Francisco Mirror Of a recent date makes
the following remarks on the rights accorded to Ha-
waiians in that State. The same rules apply TO
Oregon and Washington Territory
4 subscriber wishes to know whether a native Of
the Sandwich Islands can testify in the courts against
a white person, or II he can become a citizen -. The
34th Section OF the Act concerning ciriI ccsss. pro-
yides that "no IHfiGH or Negro shall be allowed
10 testify a. a witness in any action, etc, IA Lrhich
u lrhife person Is a party The l4,h Section OF the
Act concerning criminal proceedings, provides that
= no black or mulattO person, OF Indian, shall be
allowed to give evidence in favor Of. or against a
white man" Under these terms, Negro " In
dian" etc, IL has been held that Chinese, and every
other race, not of white blood, are included. 4
hanaka would. therefore, come within the definition.
But ii will be observed that the prohibition dos not
extend TO cases where al! the parties 10 the action
are Of Negro or Indian blood. And Judge Blake, Of
the Court Of Sessions Of the city and county Of san
Francisco, has held in proceedings in that Court,
that the Injured party, in a criminal proceeding, can
give evidence Of the injury suffered by him, even
though inflicted by 4 white person In that Coart
evidence u this sort has been repeatedly admitted,
and no appeal has ever been taken to tie Supreme
COur: from those decisions
The AMPuITuEAIER.-Thi has been the scene Of
attraction f0r the past week, the tent in front Of the
court house being generally filed. and on one or two
occasions crowded to OVERLOOKING. The great novelty
and attraction IS the Elephant Prince Albert, whose
performances are OF course new and different from
anything before exhibited here. On Saturday after
noon Of last week the tent was filed with ladies and
children, a special exhibition having been given for
their benefit HIS Majesty and several Of the mobiles
were present on the occasion, and the performances
were highly acceptable to the audience. The COM
pany remains here only 4 few days longer, having,
As We learn, engaged passage to Valparaiso on the
ship Triton. Those who have not witnessed the ex-
hibitious, should embrace the earliest opportunity to
do 50. -
SUDDEN DEATm-On Monlay afternoon, Mr..
V. speiden died very suddenly. He rode
in from the country on horseback, and on reaching
Queen street. feeling faint, got off from his horse,
and expired in a few moments. \ post norton ex-
animation showed that aueurism Of the aorta was
the cause Of his death. He had been q resident Of
Honolulu for over ten years. His remains were
taken charge Of by the Mechanic Engine Company,
=, of which he was an exempt member. The
funeral took place from their engine house, Dec.
18th. and the body was followed to the Nuuanu
Cemetery by the members Of the Honolulu Fire De-
oartment. Religious services p~er0rmed by Rev. E.
-orwin. -
THE CESsUs.-The statutes require the census OF
hese Islands to be taken during 1860, and every
ixth year thereafter. Owing to the death Of Mr..
to whose department the work was en-
rusted, it has been delayed till this week, during
which the census-takers are directed IL have their
districts throughout the Islands canvassed. We
notice that the returns are to be very meager, giving
imply the ages, sex, and whether married or single.
Sc regret that more statistics bad not been provided
or, when the labor would hardly ave been increased.
" half a loaf is better than none"
SIZING THE ELEPHANT"-This expression, which
las become a proverb in other countries, Is now a
natter Of every day experience to our population.
The natives who have heretofore been left solely TO
Imagination in picturing an Elephant, are all wonder
nd establishment, as, indeed, almost every one is
gho for the first time - sees the Elephant" And it
amusing to hear them describing his wonderful
ize and strength, to those who have been unable to
ct q sight Of him. We are glad that Messrs Wilson
Co. have visited Honolulu, and afforded its people |
n opportunity TO witness what to many is a wonder,
nd We trust that the enterprise which they have
hown, and the risk and expense they have incurred, I
4 coming here, will bs amply rewarded. 5