The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-01-01
A Hero's Last Moments.
SOME Particulars OF rHE pEArH OF COMMODORE
ooOpKNoVcH.


The circumstances Of the treachcrous killing Of
Commodore Goodcnough OF the British navy,
and two Of has officers, by savages OF the Solomon
Islands with poisoned arrows, were contained Ia
our columns nt the time Of the occurrence. OF
his last moments the London correspondent Of
the Pittsburg Gasols thus writes
We have just received particulars, and while
they make us mourn that such n man should
have been lost 20 the world, they are n refreshing
contrast 20 the sickcning catalogues OF plumbers
and accidents and crimes OF which we usually
read. IL seems that tho was one OF
those grand men, such as l~layelock, Pattison and
Sclwyn, who seem 20 be created 10 render faith
IN the early Christian heroes easier Cor ne IN thcse
degenerate days. Every one loved him, aud his
secretary, Mr.. Perry, like n second Queen
Eleanor, sucked the poisoned wound, although he
had a sore mouth az the time, in hopes OF ca
tracting the poison. For this he has received tho
rank OF Paymaster in the royal navy. One OF
the officers Of the Commodore's ship, In a private
letter, has rccountcd some particulars OF tho
good mans last hours. that | have copied hero,
ut the risk Of seeming tedious " Everything was
wonderfully calm yesterday, and all on board tho
ship quiet but for the noise Of tho engines.
shortly before 4 O'Clock these were stopped, and
the Commodore sent for all the officers 20 bid
good-by 10 them. lie spoke calmly OF bis APP
preaching death. and begged them 20 remember
nlh eufncht uuNlCc 10 thtm W bubt W Wv thhhttN
love and wisdom Of God, and 10 find happiness
in doing that which they knew 10 be right, ana
abstaining from evil. lie then bado each one
goodbye, each one kissing him nc his request.
lie then, although much too weak 10 stand, and
although every movement gave him pain, had
himself carried out on 30 the quarter deck, where
all hands assembled 10 meet HIM. lie was laid
on n bed on the deck, his first words 20 the mon
being. [" Don't look ffigh~tenod-smilo." When
laid down, lac said, " III the men will sit down,
l can sec their faces. .
want 70 sec all your faces 20 bid you goodbye"
Then, after a considerable pause, he called out,
he being almost the only man not In tears My
men, have come out on 30 the
quarterback 10 say goodbye 10 you
because | am going TO die. Dr. Mcsser tells mo
am going to die, and, AZ We all know, he !. the
best judge. God is very good 10 me everything
il made easy 10 me / have many Kind, faithful
friends around me. The reason why ! have como
out on the quarterback 10 bid you goodbye be-
fore / die, besides good fellowship, H. 10 impress
upon you the love and goodness Of God for you.
his infinite love. his infinite wisdom" lie re-
peated this more than once about the goodness
and love Of God. lie then adjured the men 20
remember these, bis last words, when tempted 90
commit sin, that they would think OF him and
what he was saying 20 them, and put the tempta-
ton from them. His voice grew weak az ne
said, " love you all. / have always loved my
men. There is n foolish weakness Ia my voice
which makes il sound as IL l was crying. But l
am not crying, and I want you all 10 hear me.
| hope you all can hear what I say 10 you" lie
went on TO address the commander as a young
man advanced 10 command, and begged OF him
and all others who were in any way leaders 90
never hesitate in their daily life 10 step forward
and say, Z" This is right" or " This 10 wrong"
&" viii you do this? II will be very kind OF you
il you will"
As for the poor fellows who gave me this wound,
what their reason, their object was, I don't know;
no one knows. They may have been injured BY
some other ship, at some time we don't know.
It's no good talking about IL. 1 hope at some
future time, it may be twenty or thirty years
hence, some good Christian man will 70 among
them, and find out what In oil means. love
you all. ] have always loved you all, but In
carrying on duty We sometimes make mistakes
and il any Of you think Of anything where 4
have been wrong | want you 70 forgive me. Don't
ask how much i was wrong, how much you were
wrong, but just forgive me-" lie asked them 10
join in saying, God bless him, and then said hc
would like 10 shake hands with the petty officers,
nearly all middle-aged men, who came 10 him
sobbing.
don't know how IL il with other people, but
10 me such a death as that seems worth living
for. The man that could die that way must have
won his way in the world honestly. don't bO-
lieye that he had many dealings with rings and
corners, brides and embczzlcments. lilo was not
modern enough for that.