The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-05-29


that ever left Yokohama will 60 for
naught. Down in the Paradise of the |
Pacific they have an idea that the Hal
cyon has unloaded an immense cargo of |
the drug on Liliuokalani's kingdom with |
out paying the $50 per pound duty and |
that the United States revenue cutters |
can cruise about the California coast I'M
til their coal bills make the Treasury De- |
partment sick without capturing single |
teal.
The Merchants Exchange correspond
ent at Honolulu sent up word by the
Australia that the Haicyon had been
lowering around the islands for a month.
For three weeks her identity was in
doubt, as she started her sheets and ran
away every time any of the inter-island
vessels approached her. Scarcely day
passed but some sugar boat reported
sighting her, and often she was fitting
ghostlike through the night with all
lights extinguished. Twice she was seen
at anchor, with her yawlboat industrl-
ously plying between ship and shore and
finally all doubt was removed by her be-
ing recognized by San Francisco cap
tain who had often sailed against her
when she was the pleasure boat OF
Joseph Grant and Robert Morrow.
BIG DROP IN OPIUM.
Opium began to pour into the island
villages, and the price dropped from $40
per pound to $23. With the identity Of
the mysterious schooner once settled, the
Hawaiian Customs authorities concluded
that the source of the opium influx had
something to do with the Halcyon and
ordered an armed expedition out to
10 into ,>orf Tho cfoorpor Clam
dine was pressed into service, and at 10
| O'Clock on the night of April 9th she left
| Honolulu, carrying thirteen Royal
| Guardsmen, six policemen and twelve
picked sharpshooters, all doubly armed
| and under the command of the revenue
officers. Scarcely had she cleared the
| harbor than three mysterious fires
sprang up on the mountain back OF
| Honolulu. Other fires had been seen on
| various peaks during the schoOner's
presence in Hawaiian waters, and for the
| first time it occurred to the authorities
| that they might be intended as signals to
the smugglers. Messengers were hur-
riedly dispatched to the fires; they
found them burning unmatched but with
all the evidence of having been carefully
prepared 80 as to secure the greatest
amount of blaze from the material.
OF course the Claudine did not catch
| the Halcyon. She cruised steadily for a
day and half often hearing of the yacht
| in "last week" sort Of way, but never
laying an eye on her smart hull and rae
ing canvas.
| TOO SMART TO BE CAUGHT.
| 1t was the I'd inst before she was
heard of as having returned to the ISL
| ho Hor
her hove to at the south end OF Maui
with lights out and the useful yawl boat
making fast trip to the shore. Another
cruise was made in search of the Hal
cyon, but the result had not been made
known at the time of the australia
sailing 1t was commonly expected to
prove futile, however, for the vessel,
according to rumor, completed her dis
charging on Maui on the I'd and cleared
out for good before daylight.
The Halcyon's managing owner, John
d. Whaley, who arrived in Honolulu
from Yokohama by one of the Japan
tramps that came to this port two
months ago, expected to leave by the
Australia up to the day of her sailing
but could not wind up his business in
time. One knowing individual an
nounced that some of the parties en-
gagged in handling the opium and get
ting it to market had taken advantage
OF the circumstances to refuse payment
knowing that there was no means O
forcing them to disgorge.
SAVED FROM THE JAPANESE.
Anyhow Mr.. Whaley remained ovel
for another boat. On this trip the Hal
cyon went ashore twice in the Japar
sea after clearing with her cargo, which
the Japanese Government seized each
time. The managers pulled through or
both occasions without aid from tn,
American Consul, and, no matter wha
their expenses were, the profit mus
have been enormous, unless the "hOl(
out' of the Hawaiian middlemen was
pretty nearly total.
Many interesting incidents occurred
; during the flooding of the islands with
, the drug. Maui, Molokai aud Lana
appeared to be the favored spots 70
landing it, and it required considerable.
ingenuity after this was accomplished t.
get it to Honolulu, Hilo and other center
Of population. A few days before tn,
Australia sailed T. E. Evans, business
man of Honolulu, was arrested for re
ceivIng two trunks from Lanai consigned
, as crockery, but full OF $50 tins of opium
John Gray, the purser of the steame
Kinau, was reported in the Honolulu
papers to have fed from Hilo on suga
vessel bound for this port because h
was short in his accounts, but late
, investigation showed his fight to be due
to opium His steamer was just from
Molokai, the leper island, and Gray was
marching up the street of Hilo carrying
, a valise, when he had quarrel with
half-caste Judge. Gray hit the Judg
across the jaw with the valise, which
burst open and spilled forty tins of bes
: Lai Yuen brand. The Judge was smit
, ten insensible, a Chinaman, who wa
the only witness to the fray, was scarce
into fit by having his cut off, and whel
they recovered Gray was aboard tn,
Consuelo, sailing out of the bay for Sal
Francisco.
, Off Koko Head, near Honolulu,
native fisherman had his attention at
> tracted by floating log with a line trail
| ing from it. He hauled in the line, an,
at the end of it captured sixty tins Q
opium in an oilskin wrapping.
MANY SEIZURES MADE.
A dozen seizures of the drug wer
made in various places, and it was s.
!, thick that the Hawaiian papers credite,
l the Halcyon with importing $50 tons @
! it. This is somewhat extravagant, a
: the Halcyon only measures sixty-thre
tons, and could not possibly carry owe
, one hundred.
! But the Halcyon does not seem t
, have been alone IN the business. From
all accounts the Annie Harley, from thi
: port, seems to have come very nea
to skimming the cream off the ventur
by getting in with three or four tons c
o opium just prior to the Halcyon's ar
Il