The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-01-23
From Australia and New Zealand.

month not daily preserved. The mail leaves late. BY
reason Of the late arrival Of the incoming boat. But
though. during the present disorganised condition Of
the service. strict regularity may net always be at
tainable, the Governments Of New South Wales and
New Zealand are in accord in their resolution 70 keep
this mail route open until a hual decision has been
come 70 with regard 10 "a permanent service Under
the contract previously made, the permanent service
was to have commenced in February next; and it is
necessary for the Government 10 wait and allow the
contractors to make default, before inviting fresh
tenders; for, though the Cyp4rsaes has not, or this
return voyage 10 Sydney, done nrstclaSs service as a
despatch mailboat, she has done a passenger aud
freight business which gives additional evidence Of
the commercial prospects okpthe lae. There can be
on doubt whatever that thre Is a large trade to be
done between America and Australia; and the pro-
blem to be solved is, whether and to what extent this
trade can be made subseryient 10 the support Of a
mail seryice.-SydAey -MoTaiHg Herald.
Says the Herald Of the 2Sd December
The mails hence per Macgregor, 24th October last.
were delivered in London on the 10Th instant. being
the ffty-secOnd day after despatch, while those
which left here via Brindisi on tie LIST Of November.
eight days later than the Macgregor, arrived on the
18th. Notwithstanding that the Macgregor is one Of
the slowest boats used in the service, II will be seen
that the mails via San Francisco were conveyed to
London in only four days longer time than those via
Brindisi, whilst the time occupied via S0uthamton
would be four or five days more than via San Fran
cisco. This speaks well for the American route.
Our readers will be glad 10 learn that the result of
II 80 NA IA AdHEAA u NtuAcs Nu NN0-
nesday, at our own stations are highly satisfactory.
Three out of the four stations had beautifully clear
weather and successful observations. At Sydney,
the day was exceedingly fine and clear; and the oh
seryations at the Observatory were made with three
powerful telescopes. The ingress and egress Of the
planet were well Observed; but nothing like the
phenomena of the black drop, as described by the
English astronomers, was seen; and the perfectly
instantaneous breaking of it, described by the OBJ
servers in 1863 was wanting. Only one observer,
using q most imperfect telescope, which was a finder
only TO one of the larger ones, saw it as described in
books; all the other saw the planet gradually leave
the suns edge at ingress aud meet the edge at egress;
and the phenomenon was not by any means so instan-
taneous as they expected. Most valuable observa-
tons have been obtained. but the most important
results of the days work are the photographs, of
which about $50 have been taken, showing the whole
sun with the planet on the disc, and $50 photos Of
the planet at ingress and egress.
The Commissioners appointed for making sugges-
tons as to the best mode of representing Victoria at
the Philadelphia Exhibition have sent in their re-
port. They propose that an Exhibition shall be held
in Melbourne in August next, also that the Govern
ment should grant $4,000 in aid of the project.
Thakombau, the ex-King of FIJI. arrived at sgd
ney on II. B.. Ms Dido, November 20, in company
with Sir Hercules Robinson. On December 10, a
banquet gas given to Sir Hercules in Sydney, at
which Thakombau being toasted, responded in the
following speech
II ' uulNAIu VIM was iOuulN CuNeIeuJ IuCu u
dressed the company through an Interpreter. He
thanked them most heartily for the handsome manner
in which they had responded to the toast. Gap
plause.) FIJI was always tossing about like a ship
that was in a bad anchorage. (Applause) Many
white men had gone to FIJI, and they attempted a
Government, but were always going, moving about
one way and another, and they found it would not
answer. (Hear, hear.) After trying their own
Government for a long while, Commodore Good
enough and Mr.. Layard were appointed by her Maj
esty to come and inquire into the affairs of the
islands, and hear and see for themselves. In re-
spouse to a letter which had been written by Mr..
ThurstOn, for the chiefs, Offering to cede the islands
-(hear, hear)-his Excellency Sir Hercules Robin
son then came. and by the straightforward manner
in which he spoke to them, he gained their confidence
Immediately, himself and the whole of the chiefs.
And they came to the conclusion that it would be
the best they could do 10 give the islands up uneon-
ditionally TO Great Britain, having every confidence
that they would be treated justly. (Hear, hear.)
They, therefore, determined TO do so, and they did.
Up to that time there was great quarrelling among
the whites, and when the Governor went down there
it seemed to put a stop to all quarrelling and dissa-
tisfaction. They made up their minds to give Fiji TO
Great Britain. and now they could see already that
they had not made a mistake, and that it was a very
good thing. (Applause.) After all the business
had been settled the Governor left FIJI and took Ratu
Timoc; with him. The Governor said he would be
very glad to see him (Vunivalu,) and asked him TO
come up. He said he would. and had a mos enjoy
able trip up in the Dido. (Applause.) His Excel
lency took great trouble in making him comfortable
in every way, and since he had arrived in Sydney he
been round TO many places and seen all the wonders
that the whites had. He had come to the conclusion
that the whites were good, and that their land was
good also. (Cheers) He and the other chiefs in Fiji
had been, as it were, blind men, and for himself he
might say that he had just come out into the light
and begun to see. for that hitherto he had been per-
fectly blind. (Applause.) lie could see from what
he had already witnessed here that things would
prosper in Fiji. Everything seemed to 20 ON well,
and the great kindness he had received while in
Sydney had given him every confidence that the
future Of the Fjis would be we'll He wished all the
gentlemen present and chiefs of the white mans coun-
try not to forget FIJI and to do all they could for il.
because if they did the place would go ahead. Zap
plause.) Hitherto FIJI had been as il were a man
sleeping out in the cold in the bush without blankets.
Now they had lots of blankets as it were, and were
very comfortable. He thanked them very much for
all they had done for him. cloud applause.)
ATRARsIT-NoRTH AUsTRALIA-A correspondent
to the Herald furnishes the following particulars Of
this phenomena: One of the most brilliant and e-
traordinary occurrences, which is said to take place
every century, was seen By many of the inhabitants
of this town-namely, Venus passing Luna. II took
place on the evening of November 18th, 1874, as
seen at Cooktown with the naked eye. At about 6
P. NJ. 1 perceived the first indication OF the crescent Of
the moon by its assuming a bright orapge color,
showing a darker disc or circle ring on the opaque
side. Above the crescent, about fifteen minutes past
6, to my great establishment | perceived a bright and
glowing star appear in the centre Of the disc, about
midway between the upper edge OF tue crescent, this
star shows out with great e~lIulgence and power,
throwing prisms of light all round the moon. The
beautiful, clear, and distinct appearance lasted fully
twenty minutes, when clouds concentrated about and
INSTRUCTED the face Of the moon and star. About
ffty-fve minutes past six, the star appeared just on
the rim Of the ring on the upper portion. Ii again
showed out, TO all appearance, still brighter, and
appeared to form different angles Of light; in about
FIVE minutes the star suddenly disappeared and i'm
mense inky black clouds formed, surrounded and
covered the moon. portendinr a storm. They were
the blackest clouds, ike unto ink, | ever witnessed
they did not remain long, quickly dispensing, and at
about ten minutes past seven the star came out again
exactly on the tip of the crescent (west sidel. 1t
had all the appearance Of q drawn s~cYmitar, with a
diamond hilt. The star was OF a white shining de-
s~cription. 1t certainly appeared a strange and strik-
ing incident.
SKI BRIrANNIA."-The labor traffic Of Fiji has
(says the Times, since annexation, received a slim
illus from the freedom Of action enjoyed by the abo-
r;ninaI nat:yas uLn ha We shnun O ramarkahlUn ui.k