The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-07-18
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY. July !,

TO. This vast ocean. eight thousand miles long.
and quite a. broad, j. VeOpl-d by tribes who are
yet 70 BE- brought within ths range Of European
commerce and the contact o.; white races. There
are islands and whole archIpeIa-oes as vet shut
out from the grasping and extending commerce
Of Europe and America. We know that islands
OF groups lie there OF thereabOutz. and that j.
about all that Is known Of some PARTS of thi.
vast ocean. Every year adds TO our stock Of
information relating % the tribes inhabiting the
islands Of this ocean. many ofwhom are evident
" descended from once civilized ancestors. rs
ruins fart and skill are found among them. WIN
should not some Of the islands Of Micronesia
have been settled with cast-way sailors or vow
ayers . We'll ~ Pitclirn's Island. and a colony
or race spring from them?
The gold discoveries Of California and Aus
tralia have drawn immense fleets Of trading
vessels 10 this ocean, and increased it, commerce
a thousand fold. These vessels have been ever
on the alert for new openings Of trade. till the
shores o: China and japan. the AMOR, KAN
schatka, Sitka, and the entire coast from thence
to Cape Horn, with numerous groups Of islands.
are supplied with regular traders and coasters.
And yet the cry Is still for more room. for new
channels for the expansive enterprise Of the
nineteenth century. And these new channels
are gradually being opened, mme l. grad
ually extending its circuit, till eventually it will
bring within It's grasp every island and shore
PeoPled by human beings.
The public had an opportunity to hear Capt.
WALLER VI. gibson on Friday evening last, ON
this highly interesting topic, in q lecture de-
hyered by him at the Fort street church. The
discourse was an exceedingly interesting one
indeed 1t could not have been otherwise. COM
ing from one possessing such I worldwide
observation and experience n the learned lee
turer. And we were pleased 10 see 50 large
an audience rs was present, which went away
delighted and instructed by the hour spent
there. Ii II not often that our people have
the opportunity To listen to a lecturer who
has IA theme of such interest. and who has
the ability 10 charm his hearers Is the speaker
on this OCCASION. The lecture consisted Of an
account of his personal adventures, particularly
in Sumatra, and was throughout Of thrilling
interest. IL was no secondhand tale, but one
in which the speaker had himself been the ac-
tor and adventurer. Of these Malayian races of
which ne spoke, but little authentic information
is known, and their islands are now nearly as
much closed against foreign commerce and
sA~'N "1 49, "NAN "NNA - A"N bNNNA
have held an obsulute monopoly of the trade
with them, and most strictly do they guard
their exclusive privileges and keep out other
foreigners. Capt. Gibson is endeavoring by his
lectures and personal efforts, to effect a change
in their exclusive policy, and open up the East
Indies to the of the world, but par
ticularly to American commerce. Speaking of
him and his efforts. the Alta California says:
lie urges the propriety of examining into the sover-
eighty of the islands Of the Indian and Pacific Oceans,
and has discussed other measures, which would cause
us not merely to be large sharers, but chief carriers
of the East India trade.
The sovereignty of what is comprehensively termed
Oceanica must be investigated sooner or later, and
the closed ports of Il large portion of that region,
which in acres of islands exceeds the area of our own
country, must be opened TO the demands Of our eX-
panding commerce. The early policy Of European
countries, which has not been relinquished yet, was
20 set up claims of sovereignty everywhere where
their voyagers had discovered Il strip of stray terri
tory. Hence we hear of the French Islands here, the
British Islands there, and the Dutch Islands any
where. The early nayigators, many of whom were
little better than buccaneers, virtually purchased
exemption from their sovereign, for piratcal deeds,
by sticking many of these island gems in the broad
hand Of the crown, predicating the right Of sover-
eighty upon mere discovery.
In this way, France, England, Holland and Spain
have acquired 4 kind Of patronage over Oceauica.
The Dutch, who followed closely in upon the POrtu-
guese adventurers, have been particularly crafty in
this business. and their policy has been To shut of
all trade, except their own, from the chief portion Of
the Malay Archipelago, which contains a population
OF about thIrty-three millions OF souls. Holland.
with a shipping tonnage about one-twelfth part Of
our own, maintlins over this immense area. 80 i'm
pOrtant TO commerce., and over these people. 20 essen
tal 10 the worlds trade, no small sway. She claims
an intact and unhroken sovereignty over about two
thirds Of the entire territory, which. however. she
does not successfully maintain and plays a high
handel game. SUCH as she has hitherto displayed in
hnr ~.-.-a1 rurrc-,1y Of tIuu and ~ frll4 Of
course, II l. not reasonable To suppose that any great
nation should long behold 80 mon>trous "a monopoly, .
without making some effort 10 break up 4 system, 30
much AZ variance with the progress Of civilization,
aud the natural expansion Of commerce. The island
Of Java. over which Holland claims undisputed
sovereignty, i n closely shut 10 the world a. was
Japan. before the shipwreck OF American sailors on
that coast led TO the great measures which were
taken 10 break the seals placed upon her gates. For
the protection Of the independent island powers.
with whom our commerce i destined 10 an improved
growth, and 20 increase our trade in . region 20
prolific in valuable products, II IL important that
ship-builiing should be established and encouraged
On our coast.
We will not attempt here to give any outline
of the lecture. but will add a most graphically
written account of Capt. Gibson's various adven-
lures around the world, which we find in tie san
Francisco Bulletin. We trust he may be induced
to give us 4 course of lectures. say three OF four,
of his travels. and particularly OF the
Malay Archipelago and it, people
y MODERN kNIGHT-ERRANT IN TOWN.; is the
to wait till men are dead before writing
their biographies, but as the subject Of this sketch
Is not yet 40, hale and hearty, and as this Is a
age, We hope 10 be forgiven for " taking his life
in this blooilesS way. We doubt If the subject Will
thank Us, but he ought to, for our labor removes the
temptation Of some starving HisrGteuT 10 poison him
that he may write his story and turn the penny out
Of the copyright.
Walter VI. GibsOn-the " Captain Gibson - who Is
going 10 lecture To- nights almost as notable a spe-
Of the genuine rowing Yankee as ever turned
up; yet he va. not born in America at all, and he
has DO New England blood in him.
He was born on the Bay Of Biscay, was raised in .
South Carolina, kept an " old field school
at 10, married At Il and was a widower with three
at II, 1t which same ripe age he was master
Of the FIRST iron steamship ever built in the United
States. running from Savannah TO Florida. In lS4j
he planned an expedition 10 California, and bought