The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-06-01
II PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY,. JUNE /.

left May L.. She brings No papers. but from Capt.
Woods, We learn ONE items. The United States Ship
Tascarora arrived there about May l., having
touched on a rect. Finding she hal received no seri-
Gus damage, she was 10 sail again on the 18Th for the
Fills. From that group her Captain intends To leave
for san Francisco and Mare Island, a the vessel
needs repairs. She VIII probably touch here on her
passage thither. The British Ship Clio was still At
Papeite repairing. No other shipping in port except
coasters. The large cotton plantation Of Messrs.
Stewart * Co. was n perfect success. Over one
million pounds Of Sea Island Cotton had been gath
cred during thief FIVE months prior to May l, worth in
London from 500, 900 to $4,000. Fifteen hun
dred laborers are employed on the plantation, which
is devoted entirely TO the production Of cotton.
- Respecting the reported cruelty practcel to
wards the coolies and laborers on Stewards Planta-
ton, copiel 10y Us a few weeks since from the San
Francisco Times, We learn that there is not the
slightest foundation whatever for the statement. The
story was got up by an ignorant fellow who went TO
Tahiti for employment, and on his return, disap-
pointed and yexed, narrated in San Francisco a yarn
which he had heard while at the island, the origina-
tors of which were triel and sentenced to three years
imprisonment. Capt. Wood visited the plantation
several times, and assures us that a more orderly and
well regulated establishment was never seen. The
coolies are engaged for five years, at four dollars per
month, are provided with good houses, food and
clothing, and required to work only nine hours a
day. Out Of work hours they cultivate small garden
patches, where they raise for themselves the finest
of vegetables. lie never saw a finer or healthier set
of laborers anywhere. The regulations are strict.
and no one is allowed to leave the plantation without
leave. All offenders are turned over to the local au-
thorities for punishment, and any overseer who
abuses his men, is dismissed instanter. In short it
is a model plantation, well regulated, and is now
paying n handsome profit. This refutation of the
San Francisco statement is due to those engaged in
the plantation, and we trust the Times will copy it.
HAWAIIAN HAT MAKING.-It is interesting to no.
tice the many beautiful and ingenious manufactures
of straw and other fabrics for the head wear that the
Hawaiian females are learning to make. They dis
play Il remarkable degree of skill and taste in pre-
pairing and braiding the straw that in many
instances fairly distances the imported article.
If these industrial tendencies of the native women
could be by some means encouraged and directed,
under skilled instruction, they could not only supply
the entire home demand, but manufacture hats for
expectation. The fabrics they use are, n kind of
grass that grows on the hill sides; sugar cane bios
SONS; rice straw; a deep brown colored shrub called
itcai1ca, which grows in highly elevated spots on the
mountains of Hawaii; a species of palm, callel by
them louiu (hence one of the native names for an
umbrella); and last, and strangest of ali, the fibre
of the common pumpkin vine. This makes up into a
beautiful hat of n delicate lemon llor and as light
as a gossamer. -
ARE ANIMALS NEVER THIRSTY Now that pro-
vision is being made to quench the thirst of the BIZ
pels of Honolulu the question is asked, why should
not the quadrupels be provided with horse troughs.
There is not a town or a village in both Old and New
England which has not its horse trough. In our boy
hoods days they were either fashioned of stout planks
or followed out of log, but in these times they are
made of iron. In Observing the landing Of cattle
from coasters, we have frequently noticed the eager
ness with which they have sucked up any little pud-
dies of water on the esplanade. and it has occurred
to us that if they could get a good drink of water on
landing, it might have a soothing effect, and that it
would obviate the necessity of driving them through
town at such a mad pace. At all events it is reason
able to suppose that it would improve the quality of
the beef. Had we a society for the prevention of
cruelty to animals and there is certainly ample
room here for the operations Of such a sOciety-it would
be their province to take this subject in hand.
\ COMET has been visible, though very faint, for
some weeks in the northeast. 1t was seen by sew
eral persons, about ten p. NJ. one evening lately, just
over the Koolau mountains, during the late cessation
of the trade winds, when the sky was cloudless. As
A' 1IBAANhA t'hA - 'Nh"AAN 'hhAN aN sung II
rises later each evening. 1t probably cannot be seen
in Honolulu now except after midnight. 1t has a
nebular head Ono star discernable in i) with a
spreading tail eight or ten degrees in length. When
last seen, the comets head and tail were so faint as
to he scarcely discernible. In this respect it differs
from the description given below in our exchanges
NJ. Stephen, the Paris savan, describes the new
comet as exceedingly brilliant, of "a rOundish shape,
and II strongly marked nucleus. 1t nevertheless ap-
pnopnI On condensed on m Silp a - To Load him to .
suspect that there might be something like n fan
shaped tail on the other. He thinks the comet is
gradually increasing in brilliancy.
ALARM OF FIRE.-At about Il quarter past nine on
Wednesday evening, the bells sounded the alarm of
fire. 1t proceeded from n matched house on Mauna-
kea street, which caught fire by ONE means unknown,
but which was Immediately extinguished by the
natives living in the vicinity before it had made any
progress. There was fortunately no wind at the time.
Had the trades been blowing, a serious confagration
might have been the result, as that part of the town,
bordering on the Nuuanu stream, is built of very in
fammable materials. The Fire Companies were
promptly out, but their services we're not required.
Their promptness showed that they are on hand when
duty calls. -
Stock IN CAIIFoRNIA.-One of our exchanges
states that from the assessors returns, it is enter
tanned that California contains 100000 sheep, 50O,-
900 head of cattle, and 250, 900 hogs. The value of
those slaughtered in 1866 was six and n half million
dollars-halfo of which was devoured in San Francisco.
The number of stock in these islands, according to
the census report, is as follows: Cattle, 1898 !;
sheep 100, CPS ; goats Sc $50. The tax table for 1860
gave the number Of horses, mules and dogs as fol-
lows horses, 27,737 mules 2,7s3 and dogs 1885. .
\ ROYAL TRAvELEE--Late European papers state
that the British frigate Galdtea, under the command
of the Duke of Edinburgh, Victoria's second son, has
sailed from Plymouth, TO make the voyage around
the world. 1t is stated to be the princes intention