The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1878-05-08
WEDNESDAY. MAY 8. 1873.
Written for the " Gazette.''I
Australia.
BY J. y. INGRAM.


loss of their navy. They have been so unfortu-
nate as to lose their war vessel" the Elizabeth.
Lately Sir Arthur Gordon. Governor OF FIJI.
proceeded to Samoa, in pursuance Of previous
diplomacy. to receive negotiations from the Sa-
moan Chiefs in high counsel assembled, TO hear
and receive terms of British protectorate on
behalf OF Her Britannia Msiesty's Government
and TO conclude the payment OF S66OOO lndem-
nifty, for some unwary Samoan who unfortunately
by mistake let his musket go of at the English
Jack The chiefs declined, with thanks, to come
down with their coin, and at signal. the Brit
ish naval soldiers suddenly aud simultaneously
seized upon their "war vessel" Elizabeth, called
Katy for short, and htchng her TO the rear OF
an English iron-clad, Apa was favored with the
comcal picture OF British man-ot-war steaming
out of the barbor with Samoan war vessel IN
tow, with the wise-loOking natives standing on
the shore under the cocoanut trees with their
hands IN their pockets and their caps on one
side of their heads. watching the novel and ro
mantle spectacle of their naval feet-a war yes
sci of one gun, about the size of the " Pele or
=" Robbie"-dsappearin from their waters in the
wake of an iron-clad. 1t recalls the combat of
the lion and the mouse They now without
war vessel" aud Russia may come down and
shell their cities. as Elizabeth is no more and
Katy is numbered among the things that were.
SIR Arthur refuses to relent. The British iron
clad arrived safely at FIJI with her prisoner in
tow. where she will make a valuable addition to
the Pacific feet to protect the high seas; good
for Katy.
Kennedy and Cheevers, known at Honolulu,
have had periodical engagements at Melbourne.
Kennedy has been fat on his back for several
weeks with rheumatlcs. Australia is situated
like the hub Of wheel. with each spoke con-
Quoting draughts OF different tempered wind :
some, freezing cold from the icebergs of he
South Pole: others, hot from the equator !;
others. dry and parching from the blazing des-
serts of the Notwithstanding vortex Of hot,
cold, intermediate and Indifferent vapor baths
that stir up revolving whlrlwind perpetually.
The climate is fearful in destruction, of light
ming rapidity IN its changes, whose ravages are
Sufficient to wreck the constitution of metal
statute, and whose furious winds blow of all the
flesh that man brings out Of the tropics with
him. | have been thinking about hiring myself
out as a fag-pOle.
Braham aud wife had brief engagement at
Sydney; then he shook of the dust and set out
Tor old England.
The aboriginals of this great continent are as
black as pitch, and as fierce and savage as the
wild hogs in the timbered heights of Manua Loa
uHexplored red and unknown interior, crowd on
the streams and water courses, and subsist on
| game, fish. nuts. berries and roots, with an &C.
casional white man that they pick up to vary
| their diet. They receive all Overtures toward
civilization by sending back the Committees
! bristlng over with arrows like pin cushion.
They live in bark huts in the tops Of the trees.
You can find one hat swarming with little wild
naked black rsscals like birds nest or litter
! of pigs. almost all the same size. They are
| ferocIous and untameabe, and STEPPED in the
! lowest depths of superstition aud degradation.
| They worship snakes, the moon and stars, fight
and kill each other, and are 10 constant war
with other hostile tribes. They are the lowest
race on the earth. Their only accomplishment
| is TO hurl the javelin. and throw the unexplan-
able and uninIelligible boomerang, which is the
monarch of savage races. An aboriginal can
| enfuse life into this diabolical implement and
make 1t perform miracles. By revolving
series of evolutions be can send it around a tree,
! kill bird flying on the opposite side, and have
| the barbarous witch come back and fall at his
feet. He can miraculousIy buH it aronnd a
house, kill q man behind it, and call it back and
knock down man on the other side, and then
! come back and lodge in his hand. This skillful
| piece OF wltchcraft lie accomplished by long prac-
| tice, careful studying Of weight, shape. turning
J
and motion Of the arm, and a calculation of evo-
! luton. that would reflect credit on graduated
mathematician, with the astonishing accuracy Of
its rOtundary motion. By early settlers this
wonderful apparatus was considered to be pos
sessed of an evil spirit. 1t is iE the form of a
SICKLE, and hairs weight would destroy its equi,
librium. The aborginals hold to their savage
customs, feasts, dances and orgies Their camp
fires light up the great inland prairies, and illu-
inmate the interior woods. and frontier travellers
guided by their beacon lights gre them a wide
berth. Sometimes they FIRE the praries for miles
around him and smoke and burn him 10 death
They treat schools with contempt, consider
churches only fit to cook their meals in, and
preachers useful only as a roost; you may catch
little black scamp in his infancy aud lock hin
up in a trap for ten years, then like q wild duck
be will run away the first chance he gets and
take to the woods like fish TO water. The New
Zealand natives are of higher type of beings
New Zealand has the most attractive noun
tain scenery in the antipodes. Its fords nets
sounds, mountain walled lakes are picturesque
1t has higher mountain ranges than Australia
While at Auckland | went out to the gold minei
plaza dlggings there, but about dug out
! also visited their boiling springs, and climbed
their lava covered crater aud threw rock il
their little volcano. 1t sends up an occasiona
Whit of blue smoke large enough for hat banC
and the oldest inhabitants" point to it as ont
of the wonders of the world. With the remem
brauce of Holeakala lingering in my mind it did
impress NE very forcibly. If these colOniali
would see Kiauea in her glory [ think they
would die Of papitation of the heart. The crate
rises up in cone (fOrest crowned, its top Law,
capped to height of 5000 feet, and stands oil
the left OF the bay as you enter Auckland. as
prominent land mark. Mount Cook 5000 feel
high snow capped. their highest mountain
towers among the blue ranges aud uplifted peak:
farther eastward. Tasmania has some attractive
scenery. There is great Jealousy and rivalry anC
bitter sectional feeling existing between thi
different colonies. They levy heavy duties OF
all COLONIAL productions crossing the border from
adjoining colonies. There is no colonial eoufed
Grafton each colony has distinct and separate
government, overruled By the British Lion q
random. Ii the restrictions of the crown gov
ernment were removed, the colonies would SCOT
be al war with each other. They have periodi
cally threatened to break through the reins snC
fight anyway. Victoria and New South Vale:
are inveteraie old enemies, and have been long
sporting for tussle, but have SO far only stood
on their respective sides of the river and shook
their fists at each other. 10 Melbourne on every
street corner is petition as long as 6shiagToC
calling out like corn doctors for signatures to
memorial addressed to Her Most Gracious Ma
jesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India, Defends
4 Of the Faith &c, to overthrow and suppress the
own Government. Her Majesty turns deaf ca