The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-03-07
MEETING OF TIE HIS
- TORTCAL SOCIETY.
Address by A. Il. Atkinson.

A public meeting Of the Historical
Society was held in the Y. Nj. G. A.
Hall on Monday evening Vice
President j. S. Emerson took the
chair, and the routine business was
speedily transacted. Recommends
tions from the Board of Managers
were presented in regard to some
changes in the Constitution.
A list of persons proposed for mem
bership twenty SIX in alD was read,
and voted upon afirmatively by the
society. The following persons were
elected corresponding members: Gen.
j. Grant Wilson, Senator Chandler,
Senator Morgan, '. l.. Teuney, Esq
Chaplain r. r. Hoes, Z. S. N, re-
signed the Office of Librarian, and
DR.. G. L. Rodgers was elected in his
place.
Professor Alexander, the Core
spending Secretary, read an interest
ing letter from T. FL. Davies, Esq
giving some particulars that he had
ascertained in regard to the recep-
ton and death of Liholiho and his
wife, the Hawaiian King and Queen
who went to England in 1924.
Mr.. A. L. Atkinson then read the,
paper of the evening on early
Spanish Explorations in the Spanish
Islands" For the youth of the 10Th
century, of brave heart and vigorous
constitution, nothing had greater
fascination than. the broad e1panse
Of the Pacific, with its unknown ISL
ands and peoples, strange produc-
tons, fabulous wealth Of pearls and
gold, spices and vermilion. We who
have some knowledge of every part
Of the globe can have but faint con-
ception Of the excitement caused by
tales of the early voyagers. They
were received by our ancestors in
those days very much as news from
the planet Mars would be among the
newspaper reporters OF our times.
Young adventurous spirits broke
away from the restraints and tram
mels of Anticipated custom, and
in the freshness and freedom
of a new life found one of the best
gifts the West made to the East.
Every expedition was money
making scheme, but in connection
with this was the religious duty of
fighting the devil and converting
his subjects or diminishing their
numbers. Voyaging in the Pacific
has four welI-defned periods: ~
Anterior to historical records; (2)
spasmodic adventures, 1513-1776 ;
81 scientific, extending from Cook to
the recent expeditions of the present
century; az colonization, bringing in
new populations, new industries, new
institutions.
In the second period Mendano, in
his second voyage, seems to have
been the only one who acted upon
definite plan with definite object in
view. After giving a brief account
of Mendano's first voyage the lee
turer gave more detailed narrative
of the incidents and results of the
second voyage. 1t was on this voy-
age that he discovered the Marquesas
Islands, mistaking them, however, at
first for the Solomon Islands, which
he had discovered on his first voyage
and was searching for again to estab-
lish a colony there. Imperfect in
deed must have been the skill in
navigation which could make a
blunder in reckoning equal to one
third the breadth of the Pacific. So
little knowledge was there of the
real position and relations of the
various countries of the globe, that
Mendano gave to the group he had
discovered the name of Solomon ISL
ands, under the belief that King
Solomon brought part of his treas
ures from these islands! On this
voyage his wife accompanied him
with retinue of servants. Many Of
the $50 soldiers had their wives with
them. In the four vessels there
were in ali 378 souls. A very correct
account is given of the people of the
MarQuesas, their customs, and food,
especially of the breadfruit. The
Solomon Islands were never reached.
The colony was begun on an island
that was called Santa Cruz, name
retained to the present day. Tbs
chief received the new corners in a
friendly way, but dissensions soon
arose, and many natives, including
the friendly chief were killed. Then
affairs went on from bad to worse
Disease and famine decimated- the
Spaniards. Mendano himself fell a
victim to disease. His widow,
determined to leave, sail to
Manila, refit and return with new
band of Colonists. Her vessel safely
reached the destined port, but fifty
died on the voyage. A second vesse
came in, belated with a weak an6
dying crew The third vessel also
reached the Philippine Islands
striking the beach with sails full set
but only corpses on the decks. The
widows romantic history was closed
by her marriage with some Spanish
gallant, who went with her in hel
vessel to Mexico, and there the
couple disappear from history.
It was voted to request copy o
the paper for publication, aud tt
print it as one of the series of Hist
orical Society Papers. No. 3, Judg'
Dole's paper on the Evolution o
Land Titles, is now ready for distri
button to members Of the Society.