The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-05-30
NOTES OF THE WEEK.

CoLLEGATE-Th annual examination at the Oahu
College at Punahou, which took place on Tuesday
and Wednesday, was unusually interesting, and was
witnessed by a large number of spectators, interested
in the progress Of education at these islands, and in
the establishment here Of permanent scholastic priv
ileges for the rising generation. Compared with
previous examinations, the Improvement was so de-
ciiedly manifest in the various classes examined,
that the friends Of the Institution feel assured that
Pres. Mills and his accomplished lady are a great &C
QUESTION, and that under their skillful and thorough
training, it will rapidly improve aud become what its
friends have desired it TO be-a first class seminary,
adapted to the highest educational wants Of our
youth, both native and foreign. Without entering
into any extended sketch Of the examination, We can
not avoid noticing the class in Botany, taught 10y
Mrs. Mills. This study has been too much neglected
heretofore, and the interest shown in it by the
scholars, as well as the progress made by them, lead
Us to expect much from !, in future. The hundreds
Of wild flowers, ferns, MOSES and plants growing on
our mountains, open an attractive field for research
and study, which, if properly cultivated, will improve
and refine our young men and ladies, and prepare
some Of them nj a future day to undertake the task
Of scratching out and classifying our island fora and
sylvia, Of which very little is known. either here or
abroad.
- The calisthenic exercises, not inapprOprintely
called = Presbyterian dancing are a new branch of
study in the college, and most admirably were they
conducted. Indeed the movements Of some of the
young ladies were as perfect and graceful as those OF
our ballroom bellies.
- Several of the compositions ELECTED much COM
mendation, and were exceedingly well prepared. In
style and sentiment, it would be difficult to surpass
them, even in the best seminaries in America. The
exercises throughout were Of more than usual inter-
est. The institution has been quietly progressing
during the past winter and spring, but has attracted
very little attention. This examination clearly in
dicates that it is fast recovering from the shock it
received b. the withdrawal of Pres. Beckwith, and
that II will soon stand higher than it has ever before
stood. From Il printed catalogue, we observe that
during the past year, there have been SO scholars
connected with the Institution, Of whom four were in
the collegiate branch, - in the classical, and So in
the English. -
OUR AMERICAN MAILs.-It is not unlikely that
our newspaper mails TO New York may meet with
o interruption from the civil war disturbances
now rife in the States. The new daily overland
mail arrangement is to 20 into operation July LIST,
so that in case the Panama route becomes tenn
porarily obs,ruc,ed by Il withdrawal of the steam
ers on the other side, the overland coaches will have
10 bring the newspaper mails, which may average
tire1ty bags per dry. for each coach. We do not
anticipate any permanent interruption Of the news
paper mails. Letters will hereafter come principally
by the overland route. Com. Vanderbilt has ten
derei all his steamers TO the L. :. Government,
which has accepted the use Of two Of them, the
TaRdcr5H and ocean Queen, both Of which were
employed in the European trade. The Panama
steamers on the Atlantic side may be also taken for
government service.