The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-07-29
Editorial Correspondence.
New YORK. June IS. 1865.

New YORK, June IS. 1865.
M DEAR Concentrations ere this arrives you
will have learned by telegraph or otherwise of the
safe arrival in this city OF the company of Island
voyagers who left Honolulu on the 81 of April in
the bark Comet. OF the voyage from san Fran
cisco TO this port a few remarks will not be out of
place. In the Constitution We found a noble and
commodious steamer. with every convenience and
comfort that the most fastidiOus traveller could ask
for. Commodore Watkins, who commands her, is
q fine old sailor, who has been fifteen years on the
route, and is proud of his ship. as every sailor
ought TO be and not less proud of his well-earned
title of d" Commodore - of the Pacific steam fleet.
An old Friend in a New Berth.
Capt. Caverly. formerly master of the clipper
ship ARglo Snron, which lay some two weeks re-
pairing AT Honolulu two years ago, and which was
afterwards burned by the pirate Semmes, is first
officer Of the Constitution Your readers may re-
member that he married a daughter Of one of our
Island merchants. and on that account has an inter-
est in the Islands and in travellers from thence. He
accordingly invited all who could be accommo-
dated TO sit at his table, and there we were. twenty
six in number. all seated around one board-a most
pleasant and sociable arrangement. which added
not a little to the pleasure Of the trip. Captain c..
has all the qualities OF a gentleman. and makes an
tAiill JIG L4Ct IL IL July Quitllllct 10 command
one Of the steamers, and his promotion to that po-
sition will add greatly to the popularity of the Pa
cifc Steamship Company's boats. Her other Off
cers and all connected with the Constitution deserve
commentator. In all my travels l have never
seen such uniform courtesy and attention towards
passengers as on this vessel, and have yet to hear
the first dissatisfaction.
The Passport Nuisance.
At Panama we were compelled to bid adieu to
the pleasures which VIC had enjoyed both on the
Comet and the Constitution, for from this point dis
comfort and vexation generally attend homeward-
bound travellers. Soon after entering the cars ut
Panama the rains set in and continued till we left
in the steamer at Aspinwall. At this port all the
passengers who had no passports, or whose pass
ports happened TO be in their trunks, were COM
PEELED to get ont new ones, at an expense of six
dollars each. Capt. Smith had to procure three,
and pay therefor SIS, which, if it really went into
Uncle Sans purse, might not have called out so
many curses, as if it went to swell the Consul's
fees. Over half the passengers were obliged to get
new passports, though many had them in their
trunks 1t is proper to state that this passport
regulation has been repealed by an order issued
from the Department of State last week.
A Crowded Steamer.
At As~pinwall we found the small steamer Ariel
waiting us. She Is about one-third the size Of the
vessel we had just left. with accommodation for
about three-fourths of the passengers who were to
go on her. The consequence was that some were
unable to obtain berths, or even mattresses TO sleep
on and TO the cOmpany's shame. be it said, even
ladies were unable to find Il place to sleep, save on
the cabin floor. or the deck of the vessel. And
those who were thus served had tickets emitting
them to the best accommodations on board the
steamer. One cause of this is the fact that the
agent nj Aspinwall is permitted to sell tickets there
to way passengers, thus depriving through passcn-
gers of the berths they had engaged and paid for
in San Fran cisco. The management Of the steam
ers Oh the Atlantic side could be greatly improved
by having larger boats and Il different system at
Aspinwall. SO lar Us the fare Is concerned. no
fault can be- found. 1t is all that could be desired.
Falling in with a West Pointer.
Our quondam friend, Capt. Jones. Of the old
Hest Point. which steamer ran among'the Islands
i'll 1854 or 1898. was in command Of the 1Fid but
even ties OF old acquaintance proved insufficient to
bring relief for the discomforts we were subjected
to. He appeared glad TO meet his old Island ac-
quaintances. and had many Il yarn L. spin of his
adventures IL kanakad0In. while plotting the IV,st
POirt through the reefs and among our harbors.
He had changed very little during the ten years.
save that time has s%prinkled his head with gray
hairs. and any one who knew him then would rec
ognizc him now. lie declared that ii was the first
time such q crowd of cabin passengers had come
aboard his vessel, and that usually there was room
enough for all. some were simple enough to swal-
low it. This state of things-crowded boats and
mistreatment of passengers-has existed on the At
lantic side for ten years. and there is no hope of
relief till the overland railroad is completed. OF
which | may here say, that there is some prospect
mt no very distant day. The railroad will be com
plctcd from ST. Louis to Pixies Peak. (Which is at
the foot of the Rocky Mountains.) by the end of
1866. And about the same time it will be in run
ming order from Sacramento to Virginia City. thus
completing nearly 600 miles.
But the voyage from Aspinwall is not a long one,
and few travellers lack the courage to bear the dis
comforts they meet. when continuing only for a
week. To the dircontcnted passengers from -Aspin-
wall the sight of the shores of Jersey. Sandy Hook. !
the Narrows, and the spires of the Empire City. is
all the more cheering after the maltreatment they
have experienced on board. and amid the excite
ment. noise and confusion of this great city. the
troubles of the voyage are soon forgotten. or re-
membered only as q remarkable adventure worth
occasionally narrating. Adieu till another mail
leaves. III. NJ. W.