The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-02-27

"a SooLhaA d aCAy duu puTSueu tue Ia
borious but useful life of a country
physician. Having sustained a very
serious loss of property from fire, DR..
Cowan turned his attention to journ-
alism, in which he was fairly success
full. He started a journal in his
native town, named "Frank Cowan s
Paper which became a reflex of his
individuality. But this field was far
too limited for his versatile genius
and well stored mind, although he
continued there for time. He aban-
doned the practice of medicine, and
served as District-Attorney for West
mOreland County, Pa. His wife
died about this time and left him
with one daughter, who survives.
His own health became precariOus.
During this untoward period he COM
posed and published very interest
ing and original book, entitled
"South Western Pennsylvania, in
Song and Story" with an appendix,
"The Battle Ballads, and other Poems
of South Western Pennsylvania"
and liz 1881, volume of short, quaint
stories, illustrating the habits and
customs OF the people of that little
known region. He also prepared
can American Book of Ballads, and
Album of Ancient Art" which is in
the hands of a London publisher.
DR.. Cowan, like all Americans, ran
for an office, his ambition being Con-
gress. He was defeated, fortunately
for himself and the interests of science
and literature. He then made up his
mind to devote himself wholly to
literary pursuits, and set out on his
travels. He has already visited every
European country, as a careful
student, and was in Tunis just before
the French occupation of the
Regency. He made a study of
the social conditions in Tunis and
Algeria; visited Greece, Sicily,
Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Palestine and
Asia Minor, and made an ex-
haustive tour through India, the
Malay peninsula, China and Japan.
DR.. Cowan was also the first man
of the Aryan race who visited
Corea without man-of-war to pro-
tect him, and he succeeded in pro-
curing valuable specimens of butter
flies from the Hermit Kingdom be-
fore Commodore Shufeldt arrived
there. An interesting narrative of
his visit to Corea has been published,
and his valuable collection is in the
States.
This distinguished naturalist also
visited South America, and made a
thorough exploration of the Amazon
region. He accumulated a great deal
of useful information regarding this
part of Brazil, which will uIti-
mately be published by him. On his
arrival at Rio Janeiro he lectured on
India before the Emperor Dom Pedro
H., the Empress and royal family,
the diplomatic and consular bodies,
nobility, clergy and learned societies,
and the Emperor took occasion to
publicly express his high apprecia-
ton of the lectures. The present jour
of DR.. Cowan is intended to wind
up his travels, and is to in
clude the Hawaiian Islands, New
Zealand, Australia, probably New
Guinea and Java, taking in South
Africa on his way home. Upon his
return to America, DR.. Cowan will
begin working up the very abundant
material he possesses, and publish
the same in volumes pertaining to
each country. Hawaii will have a
special place in DR.. Cowan's books of
travel, and it is possible that he may
be induced to repeat to Honolulu
audiences the lectures on India,
which SO delighted the Emperor of
Brazil and his court, as well as the
learned scientists of his Empire. DIR.
COwan sailed by the Likelike on it's
last trip, to visit Maui and Hawaii
Upon his return he will doubtless
favor us with his impressions of what
he has seen on the islands. Being a
keen observer, and a man of unique
experience in the field of travel and
investigation of natural phenomena,
his impressions should be valuable to
the Hawaiian Kingdom. He is an
admirable conversationalist and an
attractive lecturer. The following
are some of the lines in which he ex-
presses his impression of Rio de jan
Giro, the capital of Brazil:
Behold an overarching sky, as blue
And clear, and bright, as ever woman's eye A
Appear'd to bending lover, prying through
The lace and lattice of long curv'd arch.
Above the city's aggregated art,
Alone, in pairs, in groves, and endless rows,
a peerless palm in grandeur and in grace,
Uplifting, in its overarching frouds,
A royal crown of Gods own handiwork,
Unto itself and all that it o'ershadows-
The city spreading far, and fair as far
Upon the shore Of the communing sea,
Amid the chaos of granite mounts,
Beneath the sky Of love-lit, blue-eyed chances,
The City of the Royal Palm.
1...n.1-.1s@
OF JAPANESE LARORERS