The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-09-24
THE VOYAGE OF THE ELsINoRE
Return Of Laborers TO the New Heb
rides.

command OF Captain jerks, arrived IN
port at an early hour yesterday morn
ing from Newcastle, New South Wales
Neither the vessel nor her genial skip
per are strangers here, for it viii be re- )
membered that during the early part Of
the present year the Elsinore lay at the
Honolulu wharf, and many were the re-
grets expressed at her departure. On
the 9th April she sailed for the New
Hebrides, and the circumstances which
led TO her visiting those islands renders
her trip thither OF more than ordinary
interest. The embarkation of "a coolies
for their native shores, upon the compile
ton of labor contracts, ranging in length
from one to three years, at Hawaii,
Maui, and other parts of the Kingdom,
is still fresh in the minds of most of our
readers, and it is satisfactory to learn
that they one and all expressed them
selves in favorable terms respecting the
fuIfillment of the conditions Particu-
larly were they embued with a friendly
feeling towards the Hawaiian Govern
ment, and the visits of His Majesty the
King to those of their number who were
in hospital while here, were by no
means lost sight of, repeated mention
being made of these kindly acts during
the voyage. The Elsinore is a vessel OF
Cos tons register, affording ample room
for the accommodation of the men, and
from our knowledge of Captain
jerks, we feel confident that moth
ing in reason would be omitted
which would in any way contribute to
their comfort. The coolies We're fine
muscular set of fellows; they shipped in
excellent health, which we are informed
they maintained throughout the voyage
of thirty days, not a single case of seri-
Gus indisposition making its appear
ance among them. Happiness and
cOntentment were stamped upon their
countenances, the only exceptions being
OF trifiing character, when some differ
ences arose among the laborers concern
ing their women, of whom there were
eleven. These disputes, however, were
promptly adjusted by the excellent tact
which Captain jerks is known to pos
sess.
The port of destination was Havannah,
so called after H. B. Majesty's ship of
| that name, said to have been the first
vessel which made its appearance in
| that quarter. The Elsinore arrived there
on the 9th May, but the somewhat oner-
GUS duties of her Captain in relation to
her living freight were far from being at
an end then. He had undertaken to
| convey them to their homes, and these
were situated in different islands OF the
group, only a small proportion OF the la
borers being Havannah men. With
these latter there was no difficulty in
! the way, but with those who had to find
their way to the interior it was other
wise. 1t so happens that the New
Hebrides are inhabited by number of
| tribes, who evince habitual hostility to
one another. The plan which it was
first intended to adopt was to land the
coolies direct from the Elsinore as near
to their several destinations as practical
BILE but inasmuch as it would not have
turn to Havannah with them in the event
of there being any difficulty about their
landing, they preferred an urgent request
to Captain jerks that he would not
leave them to take their chance in this
way. To be landed among a hostile
tribe, they represented, would be simply
counting murder, and such evident signs
of fear did they betray respecting their
probable fate in the event of such con-
tingency, that it was impossible to ig-
more the fact that there were substantial
grounds for their fears The testimony
of the resident missionary, the Rev. Mr..
Macdonald confirmed this view, and
Captain jerks accordingly arrived at
the conclusion that the only proper
course to pursue was to charter
schooner, which he did from a local
merchant, Mr.. Macleod, on whose integ-
rity he could place reliance. In this
vessel the laborers were conveyed to
their destinations in the various islands
of the group. One would naturally look
for many affectionate greetings upon the |
lies. Such at least would have been
the case with the majority of Hawaiians
under the circumstances, even in the /
early period of their history. Yet, al I
though the natives of the New Hebrides !
originally in all probability sprang from |
the same stock, and at the present day
speak language nearly akin to that of
Hawaii, their demeanor in this respect
was wholly different Some of their
number, it is true, were glad .
to reach home; others would have
been willing to return to our
shores; whilst not few were
10th to leave the Elsinore, and would
without the slightest reluctance have
accompanied her to Newcastle. Upon
leaving her hospitable board they were
loaded with an ample supply of pro-
visions-as much, in fact, as they would
bread, rice and salmon.
There appears to have been an excellent
I1DdorSfap din0 batuaaD tbaDo opJ No,4