The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-04-16

PoL-This article, which with Hawaiians, holds
the place Of bread with foreigners, is just now very
scarce and dear. The cause of the high price has
been discussed on Z" the corner and elsewhere, but
1t IL as yet unsettled whether it Is attributable . TO
the war; to speculation. or rice cul,ivation; but
quite likely both the latter causes have had some
effect on il. Our friend - Kentuck'' recalls to our
memory an incident which many may remember as
having occurred in the good old days of AZ or 9,
when the Governors word was law and gospel.
There was a famine in those days, or rather high
prices prevailed, aud a calabash of poi, which former
ly commanded % cts sold for - CTS. The rise in
the price of poi, and the complaints of the people
soon reached the ears of Governor Kekuanaoa, who
said it was purely n speculation and must be stop
ped. So the next day. taking his cane, he walked
out to the poi market, where the calabqshes were all
ranged in q row, and the spectators in the staff
of life" were assembled and hawking their wares as
eagerly and noisily az brokers in a modern stock
exchange. His Excellency watched them a little
while, when, walking up to the first c~alabash, be
asked the price. . Ekolu hapaha'' as cts said the
owner, and the Governor drew up his cane and
smashed in the container, scattering its contents,
here and there. Passing ON to the second c~alabash,
he made the same inquiry and received the same
answer, when it and its contents were scattered in
Nv 5AnS nduhcI- ~ mat setter Wisely uTOpttu
his price to so cts, and the Governor spared his lot,
and found no one else above that figure. The price
of poi suddenly collapsed, and no further complaints
were heard Of the combination of poi dealers.
A FEMININE ADvENTUEER.-The whaleship Eg-
pirates sailed from lJew Bedford last fall. Soon
after getting to sea, the first officer discovered n boy
slowed away on board, who on being called up, hailed
from Westport. He was set to work as 4 steerage
boy and when the vessel touched at Fayal, was
regularly shipped in that capacity. Everything
went on quietly, except now and then a domestic
row with some of the Storage hands, in which our
adventurer, though apparently only a boy, invaria-
bly, gave them a smart dressing and came out victor.
When the vessel was off Chile. the suspicion of the
first officer was excited as to the sex of the stranger,
and he communicated his suspicious TO the cap
tain, who rather ridiculed the idea. II was not
long, however, before the captain and officers were
convinced that all was not right, so calling the
s. boy into the cabin, they questioned her. and
she confessed her sex, and that the love of adven-
ture had led her TO 30 as she had done. The captain
then obtained clothes for her, went into Talcahuano,
and sent her back to New Bedford by a ship which
was soon to leave that port. While the girl was on
board she kept on a long blue shirt and under it a
tight corset, which completely hid her form and gave
her q small OOyish appearance 10 those. on board;
but when once dressed in female clothes, she
appeared as a short, strongly-built woman. capable
of giving a black eye TO any one who troubled her.
She showed her spunk on more than one occasion on
board, and would doubtless have made a capital
whaleman, if usage permitted her to follow blubber-
hunting. --
TAPIoCA.-We have received from Mr.. II. B. Hol-
lister of KOlOa, a tin of Tapioca, manufactured by
him at that place from the cassada or tapioca plant.
1t is found TO grow well there, as it undoubtedly will
in ether localities Of these islands. The tapioca
made by Mr.. H., <of which his first crop was some
500 lbs.) is very white, as compared with the i'm
ported, and being fresh, makes a rich and superior
article for the table. The imported tapioca is gener-
ally dry and hard, and does not mix or dissolve free
Iy when cooked. We have given the Koloa tapioca
several trials, and most unhesitatingly say it is far
superior 10 any ever used by US. We see no reason
why large quantities may not be raised and readily
find u market on the coast, and even in other coun-
tries more distant, where it is generally high. This
tapioca is put up in convenient tins Of eight pounds
each, and can be found for sale at Mr.. y. D.. Cart
~wright's. -
bring our rext American mail. Two clippers and
the brig Josephine were advertised to lslve San
Francisco in April for China, possibly we may re-
ceive a mail by one of them.