Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-05-25
TALES FROM HAWAII.
A NAVY OFFICER FROM THE SAND
WIcH ISLANDS TALKS.

I
the Good Nature. of the Hawaiian PEG
ple-Yarns About Other Kings.
An officer of the navy who recent,
returned from a cruise of the Pacif
squadron, and who spent many month
cruising among the Sandwich Islands, re
lates an interesting story in connection
with the convivial habits of some of tn
monarchs of that kingdom. He says tina
the navy department, at the request o
the state department, has been specific
in its instructions since the civil wa
that commanding officers and other of
ficers of the navy should as far as pos
sible cultivate the most friendly acquaint
ance with the Hawaiian people. HI
went on to say:
There was a time when it was ap
parent that the people of those island
had not any desire to have friendly in
tercourse with American navy officers
That was when Lieutenant Qater Real
AdmiraD William Reynolds was nava
storekeeper at Honolulu in 1857 and staii
there two or three years. He had man
ner that made him many friends an(
also many enemies, and King Kane
hameha III was especially offensive to
ward the lieutenant. The king sought
every opportunity to show his dislike ot
Lieutenant Reynolds.
-At that time the latter was on the
reserved list of the navy, and the king
concluded that he was not obliged tC
show him the same amount of courtesy
that would be due to him if he were on
the active list. But in 1861 Lieutenant
Reynolds was, upon his own application.
put back on the active list, and after the
close of the war, in 1866, he was sent to
Honolulu in command of the sloop-of.
war Lackawanna.
1.-The Lackawanna remained in Homo
lulu harbor for more than a year, and
her long stay there excited the distrust
of King Kamehameha, and he employed
person detailed on the Lackawanna to
do shrewd piece of detective work-to
secure copies of the dispatches of Cap
tain Reynolds to the navy department al
Washington. The person employed fol
this clandestine work was enamored of
one of the Hawaiian women of noble
birth and considerable wealth, and Bill
Ragsdale, a Kanaka and one of the smart
est politicians in the kingdom and man
of great power and influence in the royal
family, encouraged the lover in his de
sire to marry the young woman and
promised him ultimate success if he
should secure copies of the confidential
correspondence between Captain Reyn-
olds and the navy department.
"The correspondence was secured and
given to Ragsdale, who then informed
upon the young man who had played
false to his commander, and instead Of
marrying the girl he was court martialed
andsentenced to Imprisonment on the no
torious Dry Tortugas. Ragsdale after
ward had to be sent to the island of Mo
lokai, where all lepers are exiled and
where he died few years ago.
"The Lackawanna was succeeded by
the sloop-of-war Mohongo, of which the
late Rear Admiral Edward Simpson was
commander, and the latter, by his diplo-
matte tact and keen judgment, soon won
King Kamehameha over, and the officers
of the Mohongo became very popular at
court and received every attention and
courtesy during the dozen months that
the vessel was in Honolulu harbor. King
Kamehameha was succeeded on the Ha-
waiian throne by his brother Lunalilo,
popularity known as Whiskers Billy, be.
cause of his fondness for his beard, which
was of luxurious growth. Lunalilo alsc
had fondness for that which would in
ebriate. but as there was a no license
law-that is, so far as selling liquor to a
native Hawaiian was concerned he
made it a practice to visit friendly war
ships to satisfy his appetite.
"Lunalilo lived only short time. Ka-
lakaua took Lunalilo's place on the
throne, and he was fair successor and
succeeded pretty well in sustaining the
reputation of his predecessor as an anti
prohibitionist. He also was fond of
good game Of poker, and when simply
Prince David he engaged in many an in
teresting game. Billy Emerson, the ne
gro minstrel, had as one of his gags
on the stage in San Francisco that he
once sat in poker game with five kings.
How thatP said the middle man. why,
| held four and Dave was the other, said
Billy. This was game in which it is
said the minstrel held Kalakaua for a
pot amounting to s., 800.
''In 1874 Kalakaua visited this country,
coming to San Francisco ON the war YES
sci Benicia. Upon the arrival of the
vessel at San Francisco, Lieutenant Com
mander W. H. Whiting, recently on duty
at the navy yard, and who has been Or
dered to command the Alliance, now at
Honolulu, was detailed to take charge of
the royal party and escort it to San Fran
cisco. A good round sum was provided
for its entertainment by the state depart
ment, and the king and his parry had
right royal time.
"You will no doubt recall the joke
which the officers have had on Lieuten-
ant William S. Cowles, who is now ma
val attache at the London legation, ever
since the visit of the Queen Dowager
Kapiolani to this country few years
ago. He had command of the junketing
boat Dispatch when the queen was taken
ON trip down the Potomac, and in his
address of welcome on board he paid this
eulogy to her, Most noble
and beautiful queen, l ask your majesty's
gracious permission to address you In
asmuch as Queen Kapiolani was thecolor
of chocolate, the other officers who heard
it thought it little strong, but then the
speech was entirely impromptu. New
York Tribune.
Lifelike Stone Camel.
One of the most curious rock forma-
tions in the world is to be seen in Ari-
zona. 1t is short distance east of the