The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-10-01

WHALERs AT FIu.-From the New Zealand papers
of a late date, we see reported a number OF whaiers
recruiting at an island called Mathwata, July 4th,
one of the Fiji group. The following are their names;
James Arnold, Briggs; Janet, Macy; Minnesota
Pierce; Louisa, SlOcum; James Maury, Smith; hun
ter. Chase; and two others, laying of and on. The
New Zealand journals report the tonnage OF all these
vessels, but strangely enough omit to mention the
the most important item-the catch-witho one excep-
ton, that of the Minnesota, which is reported as nall
ing 100 barrels, and as having lost her third mate,
Mr.. Greene, by sickness. The Robert Towns, Capt.
Edwards, of Sydney, was at FIJI, as was the rar
West, Capt. Cleveland lis ii Jakel) the latter three
months from Sydney, with two whales. AT the Isl
ands fifteen of the crew of the Far West stole n boat
belonging to a native chief and deserted, thus Grip
ping the vessel in a place where new hands are hard
to get. Fiji is a country where they eat people, and
rather a queer place one would think TO run away at.
1t seems also that the mountaineers Of Viii Lew, the
principal island of the group, have descended to the
sea shore and committed some terrible depredatons.
Hundreds of the christianized natives have been kill
ed and eaten, and some foreigners have met the same
fate. Those FIJI people require to be looked after.
A FAREWELL MEErING.-Last Saturday night, the
late proprietor of this journal, Mr.. Henry Nj. Whit
ney, and his amiable lady. received the calls Of the
printers and 8 staff - of the Commercial Advertiser,
at tea. The rooms were filed, and not only with
good things to eat and drink, but by those who knew
quite well how to use them-from the pungent writer
of a laundering leader, down to the Z" devil" who
10 hCNhllOucA ouPPOSOA W hhO"k@ ~ 49, wv
about the dark 50 art and mystery " OF the printing
business. Among the representatives Of the art
preventative .of-all-arts, was a native Hawaiian,
named Kamohai, who learned his trade from the late
Mr.. E. C. Rogers, the mission printer at Kawaiahao.
He made an excellent speech, in which he recited
the history of printing in these islands, from the
time when in January, 1872, Liholiho, (hamehame-
ha IL pulled the first sheet OF the translation OF the
Gospel by Matthew, and when old and young were
busily learning the alphabet,-down to these times.
when broad printed sheets are TO be found in every
1900 A. IL - A. a.. H.u..ssaa.
in their own language, the history of events all over
the world. The Rev. ID. Damon, who presided at
the beautifully spread tea-table, being called upon,
made a short but entertaining speech, he having
been a newspaper man-the publisher Of the Friend,
since 1S43. The whole affair was a pleasant reunion,
and much regret was expressed by the printers at
the parting with MIR. Whitney as employer.
THE GERMAN FUNp.-The Germans of this commu-
nifty have contributed very generously for the fund
intended to help the sick. the wounded. the widows
and orphans, of their fellow-countrymen during the
present war. Considering that there Is so sparse n
German population here, the sum Of $4,000 sent for
ward to |" Faderland :" seems large, when compared
with some $20,000 only, sent from San Francisco,
where there is a population Of Teutons that must
number at least 10000 souls. We hear that a fair,
or festival of some sort is talked Of in aid Of the Ger
man Fund, and we doubt not IL will be well patron
lied. Meantime the French residents here, who are
comparativ a handful, with the Germans, have
not been idle in putting together n fund for the pur-
pose OF assisting lnelr cOmpaLrlOlb WIN nav 30
bravely met the onslaught Of the German troops,
vastly outnumbering them. Little Hawaii, situated
away out in the middle Of the Pacific, has a great
heart, and while she nestles safely in the neutrality
consequent upon her own insignihcance, sympathises
deeply with the old countries dcluged with the hor-
rors Of war. -
The MITRALLEUsE.-In the London Globe Of n late
date, we find the following comprehensive descrip-
ton of the French Mitralleuse, or grape-shot gun, as
the word really means. This description is much
easier to understand than any other we have hereto
fore met with in print
The machine gun consists Of q cluster Of barrels
either bound together or bored out Of the solid, and
mounted on the principal Of an ordinary field gun.
At a few hundred yards, indeed, it would be difficult
to distinguish between these weapons, as far as out
ward appearance goes. To the barrel is attached n
massive breech action, capable of being opened and
closed by O lever. In the Montigny arm the car
tridges are carried in steel plates perforated with holes
in the barrel. This steel plate, in fact, forms the
vent piece " of the system. The central fire car
tridges being dropped into the holes in the steel plate,
stand out at right angles from ii, and the plates, thus
ready charged, are 80 carried in numbers and axle
tree boxes especially fitted for their reception. When
the gun comes into action the breech is drawn back,
and a steel plate full Of cartridges is dropped into its
corresponding slot, and the breech block thrusts for
ward and secured. The gun is now on full cock, and
contains from thirty to forty cartridges, which are
fired by q Sc barrel organ F" handle either one by one
as the handle works round click-clack, or in a voley,
by a rapid turn Of the wrist. When the gun is
empty, the breech block is again withdrawn the
steel plate, carrying the empty cartridges, lifted out,
and a fresh plate dropped in, If necessary. The ad-
vantage possessed by the machine gun over infantry
fire is that it is never in funk. Bullets may rain
around, bursting shells may fill the air, still the
thirty-seven barrels of the Mitraleuse shoot like one
man, and at 800 or 900 yards will pour volley after
volley of deadly concentrated fire into a circle Of from
ten to twelve feet in diameter. No boring or fixing
Of fuses is necessary, and the whole operation 10 per-
formed so rapidly that two steady, cool men could
maintain a fire of ten discharges per minute. On the
other hand the Mitralleuse could not well compete
with the field gun, and it is with this weapon IL will
assuredly be met. Its bullets would have COMPARE
lively slight effect at the ranges at which field artil-
lery p~rojectiles are perhaps most effective, while its
size would offer q very fair mark to the gunner.