The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-10-15
HISTORICAL FACTS.
The Discovery OF the Hawaiian
Islands.
lwRlrrns FOR THE DAILY HERALD

Spain dominated, without rival, the
waters Of the Pacific Ocean. Spain, in
prosecution of the labors of Colon,
searched for, and found the route to
the Oriental Indies, and bold and
courageous navigators, for the purpose
of expanding the dominion Of Spain,
and to add ustre to their fame, direct
ed numerous expeditions, whose imme-
date results we're the discovery of the
Hawaiian, Ladrone, PHILIPPINE, Solo
mon,- Santa Cruz and Marquesas
groups. The ponderous galleons Of
that period, which filed the ports of
Peru and New Spain (Chile), were
directed towards the coasts and islands
of Oriental Asia, and for the first time
the broad ocean was plowed by Vasco
de Nunez and the sailors and soldiers
Of Carlos l. and Phillip H., who dis
covered the greater part of the innum-
cradle islands which constitute the
marine world of Oceanica. With faith
in God, or destiny, adventurous, caring
nothing for misfortunes or accidents,
with true courage, they carried the flag
of their country and the emblems of
their religion throughout the islands of
the Pacific, and the coasts of Asia.
They also "prospected" the various
places for riches, whether superficial or
otherwise, and in many instances their
abors were richly rewarded, and to
their activity and intelligence, we of a
later time are indebted. One of the
first OF these expeditions, was that Of
Gen. Lopez de Villalobos which sailed
from New Spain Chile, in 1912 for
the Moluccas. The General was
accompanied by Juan de Gaytan
in the capacity of "pilot." In his
description of the voyage, he says. 'In
the first part of the voyage we sighted
the islands of the king-about 100
leagues from the coast of Mexico,
about 2,Ioo miles-which no doubt
are the islands rediscovered two cen
turtles later by Capt Cook and named
the Sandwich Islands. There can be
no doubt that the Hawaiian Islands
we're discovered by the Spaniards, as
the charts of the sixteenth, seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries contain
these islands, with Spanish names it is
true, and it is also true that they are
located in the same relative latitude
and longitude, allowance being made
for the imperfect manner of computing
time, etc, of that era. In the ''chart
of the world" of Ortelius issued If
1887, in latitude IS deg. to ~ deg
N, longitude aoa deg to 2I4 deg. d.
Hero, equivalent to Is4 deg. to I6c
deg. west of Greenwich of our day.
! lying S. E. and N. w. the island
: Desgraciada (unfortunate), Vezina lad
r jacent) ~, Mongas, or (monks), from
its brown appearance ~ La Farfana
: and los Volcans or Volcanoes, whose
y relative position show conclusively
that they we're these islands. Arson
chart of I74S presents group o
t islands in the same latitude as tn,
D Archipelago Hawaiiano," with thu
D difference of 10 deg. Cong, and man,
a manuscript charts now in possession O
n the Bureau Of photography in Madrid
n among which are those executed b.
the officers of the frigate Buenfn, il
Q which the islands Mongas, etc, ar
s called Mira, Ulua, etc, and ar
n located somewhat farther to the east
!. ward than the original chart of Gaytar
In one of the charts also appears tn
following: "The Sandwich Island
q were. discoveredoby Juan de Gaytan il
5 1855, and named by him, Mesa O
a Table Islands their apparen
e level SUBMITS" La Perrouse say:
"The island of Hawaii, called Maun
Loa, has the form of high mesa @
table land" There is no doubt tina
the expedition of Vilhlobos sighte
:, these islands in r54a, and called ther
- "Kings Islands" The proofs are unin
:, peachable that the islands Of Hawa
!; we're well known centuries prior t
= I1778. The "La Boletin de la Soci'
dad Geografca de Madrid" vol.
. page S47, gives an account of voyag
:" made by Don Alexandra Malaspina
:, from Acapulco to Manila, in which h
" states: "On or about the twentiet
. day from Acapulco, we were in sight {
:. the islands called Sandwich, name
= on our chart Mongas, Ulua, etc, whic
- were discovered in 1855 by Juan d
y Gaytan," but are somewhat more to Ii
= eastward according to the new positiQ
= given by the English"
" Mr., Ellis says: "There is no doul
e. that the Spaniards we're the origins
lie discovers of the islands of Hawaii
!, Capt Cook found on Hawaii iron in
l. plements, axes, lances, swords, armo
,e etc, which are now to he seen in tt
e. British museum. 1t is also well know
Ne that a large fleet of vessels were en-
10 ployed between Peru and New Spa
Y Chile, and later Acapulco and Ss
or Bias, and the Philippine Islands, al
nj the massive stone piers, wharves ar
4