The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-03-08
[FRoM OUR REGULAR coRREsPoNpENTl
Monthly Letter from Europe-No. XIV.

LONDON, JANUARY 25TH. 1879.
NoTEs ON SUGAR-At Barbados and Trinidad,
the weather continues most favorable for the cane
crop. At st. Thomas, the crop promises to exceed
the estimated yield by 100000 tons, but in British
Guiana, (Demerara) the drought has caused a
deficit of 10000 h~ogsheads up to the end of 1873,
as compared with last year. A smaller crop than
last years may also be looked for in Pernambuco,
and all other sugar provinces of Brazil. The pro-
duction of beetroot sugar in France for the year
ending September 30th, 1873, reached a total of 398
millions kilogrammes, (of 2 Is TBS each), against
pa and 462 millions for the two previous periods
The total actual export last season was 55 millions,
with an additional 81 millions in October.
By order of the French Protectorata Government
of Tahiti, the port of Tubuai or Tapamanoa, west of
Morea in the Society Group, is open to foreign trade
from September 1st. The same government, has
also taken possession of the Chesterfield Islands, N.
W. of New Caledonia, in 200 S. lat, said to con-
tain guano beds of 100000 tons. The French now
have nearly 5000 soldiers in New Caledonia fighting
the natives. The number Of communist convicts
still left in that island by the recent pardons amounts
to 1918. Over 1000 were transported in 1871
The present free white population is nearly 5000,
while the total number of natives is unknown.
The British Government has chartered the clipper
Leonidas for conveying Hindoo coolies from Calcutta
to Fiji. Emigration from the Canaries to Cuba
still continues, the last steamer bringing 300.
Admiral de Horsey has sent a report on Pitcairn
Island, which he visited in the Shah on September
9Th, 1873. He says the present population numbers
so; namely, 16 men, 10 women, % boys, and 80
girls. There is but one survivor Of the generation
following the mutineers, viz: Elizabeth Young,
aged S8, daughter of John Mills, gunner's mate OF
the Bounty and of q Tahiti mother. The Oldest man
in the island is Thursday October Christian, aged
J 20 1ropdcon of Fletcher Christian tho master,e
mate and ring leader Of the mutiny. The deaths on
the island have numbered about II in the last 10
years. Pitcairn Island is governed by a magistrate
in subordination to the Queen of Great Britain
He is elected annually on New Years day, both
sexes above the age of II having q vote. The office
is at present filed by Mr.. James Russell McKoy
Collections are now being made in England to send
out supplies and two good whaleboats to the ISLANDERS,
their only boat having been lost in the rescue of q
British shipwrecked crew. The Admiral presented
them with q union jack.
Captain Tupman's final result of the Transit o.
Venus Observations, makes the SUMS mean distanct
90, 400, 900 miles. The SUMS total eclipse on January
18th next year, will crop out only on some islands
in the North Pacific, notably the Marshall Group
and perhaps just before sunset the coast of Cali
fornia. At the Archaeological Society last week,
the Rev. Mr.. Whitney CT Samoa read a paper on a new
nomenclature for the Indo-Pacifc tribes. Japan hal
followed Hawaii's example and engaged the services
Of a German band master for the government band
Dr.. Buchner, whose book on Hawa ali was notice.
last month, has started on an expedition TO Contra
Africa. The 9th Volume of the Transactions of tn,
New Zealand Institute, contains interesting paper
by Travers, on the traditions and customs Of TIL
Maori; Adams on Polynesia; Phillips on the civiliza
ton of the Pacific, and Barstow on Maori ~immigra
tons. The Rev. J. Butler has published, Fort.
Years in New Zealand, with an account of Maori
DOM" II. n. Moseley has written, Notes of
Naturalist on board the Challenger" and Il. d
Smyth describes, The Aborigines of Victoria" il
2 volumes. The Marquis of Normandy, now Gov
ernor of New Zealand, goes to Victoria, and 81
Hercules Robinson OF n. S. W is appointed Governo
of New Zealand.
NAVAL NEws-The new navy list gives the Pacih
Squadron 8 men-of-war and the Admiral's hag-shiI
The Commodore on the Australian station command
9 war vessels. The Shah is still on the South Amer
lean coast, but Admiral de Horsey's flag was shifte
to the Triumph, December 2nd. The Danae an