The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-01-01
Letter from London

LNNNNNs NNhNAAANA AHtas "te
The following bin has been offered TO The German
FEDERAL Council in regari to the transport aud en-
ploymcnt e native Polynssian laborors Whoever
shall &C, contrary 10 The regulations established BY
the Emperor. With The consent 81 the Federal Coun-
Gil. prohibiting or restricting the conveyance. in
German ships. q native laborcrs from The folynosian
Islands. aud the employment % such laborcrs. or q
prisoners in German settlements %, viii be liable 20
q 6ne no, exceeding COCO marks (slJ0O). or to a
term Of Imprisonment, whether the oaeuse shall have
been committed q; home or abroad"
An accompanying preamble sets forth that in
several groups q Polynesian islAnds-esPeeially the
FIJI. Samoa and Tonga Cor Friendly Islands, it has
become the custom. en- account q the aversion Of the
native population for agriculture, 70 import laborers
from other islands, particularly the solomon. Gilbert.
Marshall and Ellis Groups. The Europeans settled
in those islands, among them some Germans have
interest in obtaining this assistance, bat abuses.
bordering 10 fact upon 4 regular slave trade, have
ensued; that the British Government has lately
taken steps against them. and also. several years
ago, asked Germany TO place German ships, Tor the
transport of natives. under similar control
The above bill has. therefore. been introduced.
and follows the provisions Of the penal code against
the slave trade. Il is only to be regretted that the
humane example set by these two powers has not
been universally initiated. There is little doubt,
that Kidnapping Of South Sea Islanders is the prin-
cipal cause Of tina, fear and detestation with which
Europeans are regarded throughout the a~rehipela-
goes. The steps now taken should be followed up by
a confederation Of states 10 put an end TO the trans
port and hire Of lAborers, by European vessels. for
any purpose whatever, and 10 any country, no
matter what the inducement.
II II ~ - - n.s.N.. - ...s..l "a G.stl..1
October 18th, to pay Of, having been more than
four years in commission on the Pacific station. The
officers have received the thanks Of the Admiralty
for their services at the Hawaiian Islands. in con-
nectiOn with the late transit Of Venus.
In January. an expedition Of Two hundred men,
under the command Of Lieut.. Armit. r. n. leaves
England for the purpose Of colonizing New Guinea.
El200 have. thus far, been subscribed for their sup
port; they also possess a vessel Of 1900 tons, and q
steam launch, sixty feet long. They are the pick of
over one thousand men who volunteered. principally
retired soldiers, sailors and mechanics. IL is ex-
pected that the government viii assist them. They
will receive no pay. but an outfit and daily raiions.
and a grant each Of four square miles Of land.
Good order will be maintained by the leaders, chap
lains aud medical officers, until the island. or a part
of it, shall be annexed by Great Britain.
The German war sloops /" Vineta" and 4" Louise"
left Europe, last month. for the Pacific.
From the returns Of English troops in the colonies,
il appears that neither in Australia or New Zealand
there is, to-day, as much as a line regiment. while
the company Of Engineers stationed at Fiji act more
as surveyors. telegraphists and signalmen than rs a
garrison.
During September, six government vessels left
England for New Zealand with 1913 emigrants; 10
October, the anne number with 1884 colonists.
"a Memoir Of William Ellis, Missionary in the
South Seas by his son, has just been published.
From a letter, 10y the late Commodore Good
enOugh's surgeon, to the Lancet, it appears that the
method Of poisoning arrows, among the natives Of
Santa Cruz, is to keep the arrow-heads in contact
with q dead body in an advanced state Of decom-
position.
The total number Of miles Of railway open and
working in the English colonies Of the Pacific is as
follows New South Wales, 4O25; Victoria, $50;
South Australia, 1884; Queensland, 2G3. Total for
Australia. 1888. Tasmania, 45; and New Zealand.
238. win the iron horse ever run along the shores
Of Hawaii? r. Is.