The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-12-15
THE HYACINTH RETURNS.

OF Survivors OF Two Shinxrecks.
H B. NJ. s. Hyscinth, Captain Ed
mund Bourke, arrived IN port from hsr
Important cruise on Friday morning
having annexed the Cook or Hevrev
group OF islands 10 the British Empire
as previously reported. A British Dro-
tectorate had already been proclaimed
over the group by the acting Consul al
RErotonga, Mr.. Exham, The ceremony
OF hosting the flag and reading the PRO
clamstlon being performed at noon OF
September both. This event was fuIlv
reported IN the ADVERTISER OF Novemhar
18th and the GAZETTE OF November 2Oth.
The scattered Hervey or Cook Archipe-
l2go-It may be recalled from that
accounts situated 700 miles southeast
OF Samoa and consists OF nine islands.
either volcanic or corallise, rendered
difficult Of access BY dangerous reefs and
The absence OF harb0rs. They are very
fertile and produce tropical fruits in
abundance. Their inhabitants are IN an
advanced state OF civilization They
al read the Bible, dress after the Euro
pe2n fashion, and i've IN stone dwell
Ings grouped N little townships under
separate chiefs. The present population
Is about ten thousand, but seemingly
diminishing, and SIX thousand OF the
number Sre dwelling on Rarotonga
alone. There exists an archaeological
wonder on OpRro, 8 small. sterile island.
IN the remains 81 native forts OF hewn
stone on the SUBMITS OF the highest
/ hills The stones are well squared and
smoothed, and joined with 8 hard
| cement. The natives have 8 legend OF 3
migration from Samoa. They peti6oned
as lar back IS 1864 for annexation 10 the
British Empire. Rssuming the request
with Importunacy recently, Captain
BOurke received orders from the Admir-
| atty 10 90 hence with the Hyacinth and
effect the desired annexation
Accordingly the Hyacinth steamed ont
] Of this port on October ID, reaching Ra-
rotonga on the 18th. There being three
1 Queens on that island, the flag had TO be
I boisted st three capital villages thereon
/ Capt. Bourke was landed Al the first
! place and ROYAL salute was fired by the
! ship as Queen Nlctoria's flag hosted 10
| the bresze. The Captain proceeded ID
/ carriage 10 the other two villages, while
/ the ship cruised along IN sight, repeating
/ the honor 10 the flag at each place. The
1 ceremony was repeated at the island 81
4 Mangaia On the 18th, Attn on the 29th,
/ Mitiere on the Slst, Mauki on Nov LIST.
! and Aitataki on the 4th The Hyacinth
! returned 10 Rarotonga On Nov. 9Th and
remained there three DAYS, during which
/ time three cricket matches were played
/ with native teams, who defeated the
/ Hyacinth team II two out Of three
! games and the third drawn game. On
/ Nov. Sth the ship left R2rotongs for Ia
/ hit, arriving there On the 18th. She
| left Tahiti on the Both, and lay of Pen
| rhyn Island on the 1st Of December
| This IS where Derby Hall, large Eng
lish ship, was wrecked four months be-
fore, when the Captains vile was
| drowned. She was bound for Australia
| and ran ashore on the weather side Of
/ the island at night. On December Sd the
| Hyacinth passed Starbuck island. which
is without inhabitants. She reached
| Maiden island, famous for It's gu2no de-
| posts, On the 4fh. There she found that
the German ship Hermann and the
( Swedish bark Virgo had b6cn wrecked
only a week previously. All Of the Her
| mann s cOmpany were saved but the Cap
tain. two mates and three men OF the
Virgo had persisted. All CT the survivors
OF both vessels, numbering twenty four,
were brought 10 Honolulu by the Hya-
cinth.
A statement signed by Capt. Binge OF
| conten porary, gives full account OF the
total loss Of the vessels with the sad loss
Of life from the Swedish bark. 4 violent
/ storm drove them on the reef on Nov
9th. When the Virgo began 10 strike
eight Of the crew landed with their ef-
facts safely IN a boat, but the second boat
unfortunately capsized IN the surf,
drowning the Captain, mate, carpenter,
! cook and two seamen. The Hermann :
company escaped by getting line on
shore and rigging q whip. They saved
during the few days before the vessel, an
| iron ship, broke up 9 quantity OF provIs-
! ions. expecting they would have TO re-
main on the island till about March, 1889.
The statement OF Capt. Binge shows that
| his ship had arrived on Nov. 24th from
San Diego, Cal. From the New York
Maritime Register IL is ascertsined that
the Swedish bark Virgo, Captain Sund-
borg. had arrived at San Pedro, Cal,
Sept. 18th, from Sydney, n. s. w. She
had about 700 tons Of guano on board foT
Europe when wrecked at Maiden Island.
There were also brought by the Hya-
cinth two distresse British subjects
Lascar from Rarotonga and an English
man from Tahiti-and an American
from Rarotonga. The Hyacinth did not
experience any doldrums On the way
I'D. She steamed all the way from Ia
| hiti, and had northeast trade wind very
strong since December 9Th. The Lieut.
enant who kindly furnished particulars
from the ships log for the foregoing re-
port, while referring 10 the absence o.
! harbors in the Cook Islands, said that al
the southeast corner OF Rarotongs there
is an island within the reef, and lagoon
between this small island and the main
land. The entrance is narrow, but small
trading schooners can get IN, the water
being twelve feet deep. Il good harboI
! NAV, however, be made there.
supreme Court-At Chambers.