The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-01-16
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
January &c.
Correspondence.
HoNoLrLr, January lO. 10.

HoNoLULU, January 10, 1863.
To James II. UoIsioEsc, Esq. II. VI. COMMISSIONS
and Consul General, Honolulu.
SIR With reference TO the complaint ~containe,
in my letter Of 2sth ult., as it Is your opinion tina
no redress is demandable for the unjust treatmen
which l have received, and, as you say that a repor
Of the case viii be forwarded to H. VI. Government
in England, I have the honor to inform You that
shall abstain from taking further measures agains
the Board of Health, trusting that when the circum.
stances Of the case are represented TO the authorities
in England, such redress may be awarded as may b
considered proper and TO show how public opinion
comedies with mine, l have been advised to 60 tc
law, and offered voluntary contributions by inhabi-
tants Of Honolulu, all perfect strangers to me.
In order that the case may be properly represented,
I beg to lay before you the following details, referring
you to the sick pantry-man (now in quarantine
for corroboration Of such as relate TO him, and, for
the others, l beg to state as follows, viz:
That, on 9th ult., when on board the steamship
Idaho, l wrote a letter to you, similar to that of 18th
ult.. and that (while looking for a messenger) DIR.
Hutchinson came on board, and was pointed out to
me as being the President of the Board Of Health.
That 1 showed him my letter, and asked him to
read it so rs to explain matters, and save time.
That he did so, and went with me into the steeragc,
where he remarked the number of berths, and asked
me to whom they belonged to which 1 replied. they
belonged to the crew and steerage passengers, exclu-
sivc Of two Chinese, "a woman said to be sick, and
her brother who were in the forecastle, with the
sick pantry-man.
That DIR. Hutchinson expressed his surprise at seeing
the sailors berths in the Storage, and appeared I'M
aware that the crew slept there and that, ON my
asking him TO release Give Europeans) from quaran-
tine, he replied. = that when he came on board he
saw three people in the forecastle, (these being the
two Chinese, and the sick pantry-man,) and that the
quarantine was intended chiefly on account of the
Chinese, adding. that he would go ashore and consult
with the Board of Health, as TO the ~propriety of re-
leasing us
As regards this speech l beg to state:
FIRsT-That DR.. Hutchinson admits having seen
three people in the forecastle when he went on board,
and when it was decided that saloon passengers might
90 ashore, and that the others should be placed in
quarantine but at this time, If he had made proper
inquiry he would have found that this decision should
have been reversed, as the crew and steerage pas
sengcrs were not in contaminated parts. which the
following description of the ship will show, viz:
notwithstanding two Chinese and the
smallpox case, no one excepting the captain, purser,
and chief-steward having entered it, and it being
cut of from the Storage, by a bulkhead, this bulk
head) having on either side of it, water-closets,
and store-rooms, and being only ap-
proachable through the hatchway.
MISUNDERSTANDING crew, steerage passen-
gers, and spare baggage of ~frst-class passengers,
cut of, Gas shown in ~ from the torecastle, and its
occupants not being allowed to go aft, unless on duty.
C--4fer-part-containing saloon passengers and
their attendants, inclusive of the following likely
causes for producing smallpox, viz:
!. Saloon PaSSeHgerS-who always lived aft, and
were constantly mixed with stewards, sc.
.. Captain and Purser-who (when at anchor
outside the barr went into the forecastle to visit the
pantry-man.
8. Chief SfeIcGrd-whO was in daily attendance
ON the sick man in the forecastle.
4. Cabin-in which the smallpox broke out, and
in which the pantry-man slept for three days after
he became i'll.
5. Captains SerraRt and 2i Sterard-who oc-
cupied berths in the above cabin.
6. BORN which the sick man had clothes which
he wore when in San Francisco, which (box) re-
NAMED aft, till it was sent with him to the quaran-
ground, where the smell from it was so bad that
ION our opinion being asked) we advised that it
should be burnt, with the clothes.
SECoND-Dr. Hutchinson states that the quarantine
was chiefly on account of the Chinese on board, for
getting that there were two japanese in the saloon,
who during part of the voyage) lived in the Storage.
THRD-As TO DIR. Hutchison's consultation with
the Board, as he had not the common ciyility to send
a reply, l can only attribute it to that which
seems to be the universal opinion, viz, " that he
ound that he had made a mistake, and that he pre-
erred abiding by it Cat our cost to admitting it ="
md the circumstance of the two Chinese (who had
for days in the forecastle with the smallpox
,ase) being allowed to return into the steerage, where
hey were mixed with the crew and natives from the
shore, rs well as that of their being afterwards put
nto the house with us on the quarantine ground,
without having undergone fumigation or change of
clothes, &c, shows an indifference on the part of the
Board of Health to the safety of those whom it calls
tself bound to protect, and bears out fully a remark
aid to have been made to a steerage passenger on
he quarantine ground by n medical man, that they
we're only trying this by way Of an experiment, and
oOks very much as if the Board of Health wished
to break out among the steerage passengers
o save its reputation.
/ beg further TO mention that the sick pantry-man
tates Gas | am informed) rs follows, viz "That at
San Francisco he lived in q house in which three or
people died of smallpox. That, when he went
IN board the Idaho he took with him q box containg
lothes, which (bOx) when opened in the quarantine
ground, smelled so strongly of smallpox, that he was
.dyised to burn it, with its contents. That, when he
vent on board the Idaho, he was put into a cabin
three berths, the other two being occupied by
he second steward and by the captains servant.
That, after being on board some days, and while
.utting bread for the saloon passengers, he was taken
and, being very weak, changed from the top to
he middle berth, from whence (after about three
lays) he was removed to the forecastle, the captain
gone to see him in his cabin, and having
Good God it is smallpOx-he must be
AIKEN forward That, when in the forecastle, he
,ad with him two Chinese, but that he had no COM
nunication with any person excepting the captain
md purser, (who came TO see him on the 20th,) and