The Hawaiian gazette., 1878-04-17

It is To make the day one Of pleasure to our citizens
We learn that the Trustees Of hapiolani Park have
already taken steps 10 do their part towards making
the day one OF pleasure of which our readers shall
be duly advised as soon as we receive information
~ The Italian war vessel, which arrived on
Monday last is the " Cristoforo Colombo" Count
Napoleon Canevaro, Commander, 10 days from Ia
hii. en- route for San Francisco. Salutes were ex-
changed yesterday morning by the Z. Colombo, aud
Puuchbow Battery. We indebted TO the
courtesy Of z. A. Schaefer, Esq, Italian Consul for
the following list OF her officers, etc
H. 1 Ms. AvisD Steamer Cristoforo Colombo, 5
guns and mitmilleuse-2OO men.
Commander Napoleon Canevaro,
EX. Oficer-Cav. Giuseppe Casanova,
-Lieutenants-C. Parascandolo G. B. de Ferrari,
Angelo Chionio, Ruggero Ferraciu,
Sub-Lieutenants-L. FAREWELL, G. della Chiesa,
Midshipmen-L Patella, Leone Strozz,
First Engiueer-Vinenzo Bernardo,
Second Observation-Disclosures Gargiula,
First Surgeon-G. Simola Solinas,
Assistant . Il Abbamondi,
Purser-G. Moro
RAIN AT LAsT.-On Saturday night last we were
blessed with a copious aud refreshing rain which
was grateful boon from heaven The rain com
menced early in the evening aud continued all
night, almost without cessation, till about O'Clock
Sunday morning, and thus the water famine, so
much dreaded by our people Of Honolulu, is dis
sipated to the winds. The rain Of Saturday night
blessing for which every heart should be
glad aud truly thankful to the wise dispenser of
every good and perfect gift We hope the
blessing, was extended to the other islands, and that
| now That it has commenced, we may have an abun-
dance of il, that both man and beast may rejoice
] together IN the bOunties of wise Creator. This
! latter rain is the only of any consequence in
I tits region for the past eighteen months.
New IMPRovEMENTs.-We observe among the
many Improvements going on in our city, that the
firm Of Messrs Castle u Cooke are erecting an extern
siye brick warehouse in rear of their store on King
street. II is As feet long, By 40 feet wide and one
story high. The work is being done under the super
vision Of Mr. J. II. Baker, who has already erected
1 some of the best and hendsomest buildings in HO-
! n0ulu. The warehouse Of Castle IL Cooke when
completed, will he of the largest private store
houses in the city. We pleased to notice also
a tine large brick fre-proof building in course of
| erection by Mr. j. Hopper, on the site of the Odd
| building, destroyed by fire last December. The
| new building understand, will be devoted TO the
l same business as the old one, namely: machine
| shops, etc This building when completed viii be
hTst-class IA all respects and permanent improve
ment TO that pat OF the city, well credit to
the enterprise and business energy of Mr.. Hopper.
| SINGULAR PIscAToRIAL PHENoMENoN.-We learn
from a reliable that within few weeks past
a singular pscatorial phenomenon has taken place in
the waters of the Hawaiian Group, which is worthy
.
natives of these islands, namely: the Uwiuwi and
the Aalauwa, both of which are natives of the
Arctic regions have been thrown upon the beach at
! the islands of Lanai aud Kauai, in countless mil
lions and in some places the surface of the waters
have been literally covered with the same species
all dead. II may be well to remark that these
fish only make their appearance in these waters
at long Intervals; but never before in such I'M
mense quantities and at no other period within the
memory of the Oldest natives, have they been
thrown upon the beach dead. There is q supersti-
ton with The native Hawaiian about The Uwiuwi
particularly, that is universa-to the effect that,
the presence of the above named fish is indi-
cation of the sudden death of some noted chief or
other calamity; and the circumstance of 50 many
millions OF the dead deBZens of the ocean, about
which this superstition exists having been SEEN has
excited the natives in extraordinary degree.
Whether well or ill-founded, remains 10 be seen.
There is one pertinent question which suggests it
self to our mind, while contemplating the phenOm-
anon we have just described, aud that is. To what
natural cause can the circumstance be attributed ?
We infer that it cannot be attributed to any extra
ordinary volcanic eruption at the bottom of the
ocean, BECAUSE if that were so, the results would
be the same 10 all other fish iulabing these waters.
The only plausible theory seems to us to be, the
prevalence Tor these many months OF the strong
northeast trade winds, which may have driven the
fish from their Arctic home TO the warm waters OF
this tropical region. But upon this subject we
leave the to be accounted for by naturalists
and scientists, such things are beyond our ken.
We simply chronicle ihe facts We have obtained
them, and leave Others solve the problem If they
Toe natives true to the traditions Ofther ancestors
and the snperstions of the race insist upon 1t that
some dire calamity is in the near future by reason
of the Phenomenon; and We do not know auy good
reason why the natives have not as much right 10
indulge their belief as others have. who might be
disposed to pooh-pOoh, their superstitions, espe-
cally when the latter unable TO assign salts
factory for the strange freak of nature refer
red TO in this article. Time, which tries all things
will no doubt explain what at present seems mex
plicable Therefore, let US wait, and see.