The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-01-28
H. B. NJ. S. coRMoRANT.
Interesting Letter from One of the
omcers-The Death of Capt. Nicoiis.


omcers-The Death OF Capt. Nicolis.
On arriving in England, and finding
budget OF Honolulu papers, ones
thoughts naturally turned TO that place,
and also as naturally made one wish
that slight amount of Honolulu's eli
mate might be mixed with ours OF De-
cember. We received Honolulu papers
at Coauimbo, and they were welcome.
The good old ship we left at Gibraltar.
She had carried us safely a, 2SS miles,
and our last look at her was with mixed
feelings. She did good work and car
ried our flag to many places. All the
officers and men are scattered. The
officers were given fifty-eight days leave,
the men ten days more. Looking ut
some OF the new warships with their
long thin bodies, hulls full OF ma
chinery and guns as numerous as can
be, think the old navy ships may be
considered the habitable ones. Our
new ironclads are just iron forts on self
propelling rats. All the old croakers in
the newspapers are telling the English
people that these ships are no good, or
half good, or fractional good, don't
know their exact terms) but you may
depend upon it that, when the time
comes for their use, they will give
good account of themselves. Old Adj
miral Hawkins ian Armada whipper)
was very rough on such wordy croakers,
for which see westward Ho" chapter
thirty The fact is, one who has been
away four years and half can see and
note the great improvement which has
been effected in our navy, better than
those who have been living in these i'm
proving phases and had their develop
ment shown by easy stages. But am
getting into the essay stage.
cannot say how pleased l feel that
the warm hearted people OF Honolulu
should so spontaneously set about rails
ing a memorial to our late captain. L
am sure that the officers and crew OF the
Cormorant will be much pleased.
consider it great honor to the British
navy that one of our captains, stranger
and sojourner among you, should thus
have earned your appreciation. His sad
death, when his career seemed so rosy,
has created widespread sympathy for
Mrs. Nicols and her two little fatherless
girls. The captains poor old father and
mother are much bowed down with
grief. Capt. Nicolls told me that he
much wished TO 90 to Rio Janeiro TO see
his brother. He had not met him for
some years, and he added, 81 might
never see him again" The poor cap
tain had got into low, Responding
state, and the fever caught him and soon
made havoc. He died the day after the
full moon in October at 5 80 P. N. We
buried him at S P. NJ All hands at
tended, for We don't let religious differ
ences trouble US on blue water, and no.
ticed several Roman Catholics who joined
with heartfelt fervor in the responses. 1t
was a scene long to be remembered.
The weather was calm, the moon bril-
liant. All hands gathered around the
gun port, the boats crew (his own boat
carried him to the port. Lieut.. Kings
mill read the service and Lieut.. st. John
the lesson. \ splash told us that all
was over. till the sea should give up its
dead. We were fortunate in that no
other cases broke out. The two men,
Story and Howes, who attended the late
captain were kept in quarantine in the
cabin for fourteen days. Mrs. Nicolls
sent them each watch. The sum OF
$50 was raised among the officers and
men, and at Mrs. NicolPs request this
has been used to endow cabin" (or
small bedroom) at the Sailors Home at
Portsmouth. Speaking as an individual
1 think that window in the St. An
drew's Cathedral in memory OF the three.
Capt. SHOEMAKER, Paymaster Arms
and Capt Nicolls would be more appro-
pirate. They were fellow-worshipers-
they all followed the sea. The two
American officers were so we'll known to
US, and doubtless to many more in our
navy, that a memorial keeping green the
memories of three who came from far
lands and often met in the cathedral,
would perhaps tend to further cement
the amity which l hope will continue
between the two countries through all
time. Poor Arms Paymaster Bedford
had letter from one OF the Calliope's
officers, which said that Arms was on
shore singing hymns on one Sunday
evening, while on the next Sunday he
was buried in the grounds of the house
and the same hymns were sung over his
grave.
l hear rumor that Lieut.. Kingsmill
is coming out to the Pacific again on the
new flagship, Warspite. She will leave
England early in February. My aloha
to all friends. w. ]. HARDING, X. n.