The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-10-10

. seer anu OrACle, AND mas spiritual NY NiSAA QuaF
tiles which only a favored few can develOpe. In ap
pearance d" Planeheite Is a simple board shaped
like a heart. standing on three legs and moved about
on two pentagraph wheels by gentle pushing. 1t
writes with a soft lead pencil in a scratchy way. and
sometimes for some people coniescends to make most
astonishing statements The method is for one or
two persons TO lay their hands very lightly upon it,
meantime bending their will towards the object OF
making it answer their questions. When Il sympathy
is established, or the electric current started, the
wooden medium will answer any questions put by a
person, and sometimes proceeds TO make independent
statements o. its own. There are young ladies in
society who are acquiring a great reputation in social
circles for operating Planchette there are others for
whom the obstinate phenomenon cannot be induced
to utter one word. Ii is said to be a good plan when
Planchette will not do anything for you individually
to find some person of the opposite sex and temporal
ment and try your fortunes together. This idea has
not the merit or the charm of novelty, persons of op-
posite sex and temperaments have been In the habit
of trying experiments of that kind since the days of
Adam and Eve. 1t is, perhaps, best not to be too
curious in asking questions. particularly if Planchette
is graciously inclined. \ gentleman in New Bedford,
whose wife was in the country, sentimentally asked
Planchette what she was doing:
leone to ride with Il gentleman - said Planchette.
Isn't she expecting me-" asked the bereaved
husband.
"Not much,'' said the irreverent joker. "She's
going to a picnic to morrow and hopes you won't
come for a week"
The gentleman started for the country by the next
train.
We hear of two or three young ladies' in town who
have become quite expert in manipulating Planchette.
and as n consequence are able TO find out what is
going on in every part of the islands, and some of
the answers obtained arc certainly remarkable. The
apparatus is not expensive, costing but two dollars
for the plainest kinds, and from that up to ten dollars
for the finest glass model.
An ANTIQUARIAN 1TEM.-The antiquarian of the
Ga.ete has done good service in recording the Ha-
waiian myth concerning the origin Of the first human
pair on these islands, who, as he has rightly stated,
are said to have been created OH the sand-beach at
Waimanalo, Oahu. We regret, however, that the
story, in his hands, is despoiled of so much of the
poetry that appears in the original legend. We have
it as follows, from n descendant of one of the abor-
iginal chiefs of Oahu, who were conquered first by
Kahekili of Maui, and with him., in turn, by Kane
hameha l.:
The god Kane drew his image on the sand, and
called it TO life by the prayer oft repeated: e Ia
III au c ole, e id,''-' Live through my power"
1t became n man, named Huiihonua, or, g turning
e~arthward," as did the god when drawing the figure.
The man lived, and, being tired of his lonely
life, besought the god for n companion. The light
from the heavens, iani, cast his shadow on the sand.
1t became IA woman, and she was namel KeakahuIi-
iani, 9 shadow looking heavenward' (for its source,)
and not lie aka o huiihOHud, rs the aforementioned
writer has it, with the rather clumsy translation,
q shadow of Iu-search-of-land.' These were the
aborigines of Oahu, their names as above being
found in an old meie of the Oahu chiefs. Afterwards
another race would seem to have come in from
abroad, landing at Puma, Hawaii, where the likeness
of their canoes is still pointed out in the rocks
There are said to have been ancient names for the
leeward islands of the group, different from the pres
ent; the appellations Maui, Oahu, and Kauai appear
ing to have had n more modern origin, and were
perhaps brought in by this Hawaii race, which may
be supposed to be a subsequent colonization by the
same Polynesian race. This latter supposition how
ever we give for what is is worth.
\ PRoPHECY.-A native prophet has been predict
ing that a great tidal wave was about to deluge Ho-
nolulu. He fixed ON Wednesday night last for the
fulflment of this prediction, and scores. if not hun
dreds, of natives left their houses and retired to Pauoa
and Manoa Valleys for safety but the wave didn't
appear. The coming of tidal waves can be predicted
with about as much certainty as the millennium.
II The Str Rilduea was mt her wharf at an early
hour this morning. She reports the whaleships ca
miiia and Janus at Lahaina, the latter to leave to-
day for Honolulu. She brings as passengers Chief
Justin,e Allen and family, Mrs. Cooke, Miss Spencer,
Cant Hebron md Rev. C. B. Andrews.
PLANTATIONS FOR SALE.-On Molaaay next MT
Barlow will sell Mt public auction two sugar pIanta-
tons, advertised elsewhere, and located in kona,
Hawaii. -
~ Messrs. Adams & Wilder advertise an extern
sive sale on Tuesday next, of very superior goods
lately imported from San Francisco.
For SAN FnANcIsco.-A mail will be despatched
by the Cambridge, which leaves Monday. She
ought to arrive in San Francisco by October 31st.