The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-04-27
THE PACIFIC
Commercial 9O6ertiser,
SATURDAY, APRIL 27.
An OIdtime Labor Speculation
in Polynesia.

The business of kidnapping the natives of the
Pacific Islands has of late become of such world
wide notoriety, that anything relating thereto is
regarded with interest. A universal expression
of righteous Indignation has been echoed from
the press of Europe and America at the relation
of some OF the horrors of the new slave trade
which have appeared in print. The New Zealand
and Australian journals received by the last
arrival, state that the British Government had
become aroused to the necessity of interfering
forcibIy and putting n stop to the outrageous
labor trade, as the business of kidnappers was
termed, but we have so far failed to learn of any
definite or decisive action taken in the premises.
Meantime there is no question but that the man
stealers, warned of coming interference in their
business, are improving the present time in pro-
curing as many cargoes of the live stock as posi-
BILE. The cotton and sugar plantations of Tahiti,
FIJI and Queensland imperatively need labor, and
the South Sea Islands constitute the only avalla-
BILE source of supply at present.
A gentleman residing at present in Honolulu,
and who took a part in the scenes described, has
furnished us with the outlines of the voyage of
the FIRST ship that ever engaged in the business of
procuring labor in the South Seas, which, as
DclUR Oh lllGItel III lbAo NOllAlCNNlOls We ALS ~
The ship Sophia, of six hundred tons burthen,
built in Calcutta, owned in London, and COM
manded by Captain Elley, sailed from London in
the year 1927 on a trading voyage to the South
Seas. In due time she arrived ut the Bay of
Islands, New Zealand, and there obtained a part
cargo of lumber and spars for Honolulu, paying
the natives for the spars in the " trade of the
times-muskets, powder, fints, axes, blankets
and rum. Twenty natives were hired from the
chief of the Bay, TO assist in working the ship,
which made her crew amount to forty men.
Leaving the Bay of Islands, the ship proceeded
to Tongatabu, one of the Friendly Islands. Heer
FIVE hundred men were procured from the chiefs
to go to Erromango, one OF the New HebrIdes
group, to cut sandal wood. These d" contracted
Iaborers F." were all comfortably provided for be-
tween decks. The ship however was well ar
ranged for protection against any difficulty which
might arise with her living cargo. The three
tops were each provided with twelve muskets and
ammunition, and the poop and top-gallant fore
castle commanded the upper deck by brass six
Founders, placed so as to enflade all approach of
a hostile character. At Rotuma, three hundred
more native laborers were procured. Arriving
at Port Resolution. on the Island of Erromango,
IDeSc udllNSS htIC All Nillucu v Incl hOIk u u
providing the ship with a cargo of sandal wood.
The inhabitants of Erromango were very wild
and hostile, consequently a fort was built, on
which was mounted six brass guns. Twelve men
from the ships crew, volunteers, were placed in
charge of the settlement and to superintend the
procuring of the wood. Some considerable
quantity of the best quality of sandal wood hav-
ing been obtained, the Sophia sailed for Honolulu,
leaving the shore party still at the island engaged
in cutting wood. Arriving at this port in the
year 1923, she was flowed into the harbor by
whaleboats, and anchored near what is now the
foot of Nuuanu street. \ schooner was chart
cred to take the sandal wood to China, and the
New Zealand spqrs and lumber met with a ready
sale here. Two passengers who came in the ship
from New Zealand, sold their knowledge of the
sandal wood island 10 parties in Honolulu, and it
was through the exertions and influence of the
latter that the disastrous expedition of Boki was
fitted out, an account of which is given in Jarves'
History of these Islands. Two vessels were dis
patched, the Kanehanleha. supposed to have been
blown up at sea with two hundred and fifty
Hawaiians, and the Beckett, which returned with
a decimated and starving crew, and without 4
pound of sandal wood.
The Sophia, on leaving Honolulu, proceeded to
Tahiti for a supply of salted hogs and yams for
the wOOd-cutters on Erromango. At Tahiti, fifty
more natives were shipped as sandal-wood cutters,
and at Rotuma three hundred more, and all
landed at Erromango, to carry on the hungry
hunt for the valuable wood. But while at anchor
at the latter place, a gale came on, and the ship
with four anchors down, went on to the reef.