The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-28
COMPARATIVELY A NEW OCEAN.
The Pacific Regarded as a Spanish
Lake Until About q Century Ago.
From the Washington Star.

Lake Until About Century Ago.
From the Washington Star.
1t seems rather curious to recall the
fact that very little more than 100
years ago the Pacific was regarded
as a Spanish lake. That nation claimed
it on the strength of Balboa's discovery
in 1913, and insisted that it should be re-
garded as a mare clausum. When Sir
Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe
his sailing across these waters was seri-
ously resented by Spain, which de-
manded restitution to her of the plumber
be took, but Queen Elizabeth made
naughty reply. Not long before the
close of the last century the Spanish
crown again began to make fuss because
its monopoly of the Pacific was infringed
on. 1t ordered the commandante of San
Francisco to seize the Columbia the first
vessel that carried the American flag
around Cape Horn. In 1889 two Spanish
men-of-war seized several English fur
traders on the northwest coast, and war
was very nearly the result. 1t is odd
that the Spaniards, though discoveries of
new lands and waters, were among the
poorest navigators of their time After
coming upon the Solomon islands they
could not find them again, and they were
lost for $50 years. The water supply of
their galleons was not kept in casks, but
in big earthen Jars. AS it was impossible
to provide a Sufficient supply for IA six
months voyage on board of a ship carry
ing 400 to 500 people they always took to
sea great numbers of mats. Whenever
it rained the mats were spread to catch
the drops, which were drained off into
jars through split bamboos. The NOR
tality from scurvy on long trips was
frightful
Cortes, after the conquest of Mexico
fitted out three small ships to sail TO the
Moluccas and reinforce the Spaniards
there. They were scattered by a tempest
and two Of them were lost. One of these
is imagined to have been the strange yes
sci which was wrecked on the rocks of
Hawaii about the same time as nearly as
can be reckoned. According to tradition,
only the captain and his sister were
saved. The natives received them kindly
and gave them food. They intermarried
with the Hawaiians and be-
came the progenitors of certain
well-known families of chiefs In early
times the control of land on the Hawaiian
islands was held by the ruling chiefs, who
reserved what portion they pleased for
their own use and divided the rest among
the leading men subject to them. The
position Of the latter was analogous to
that of the barons of European feudalism
They furnished supplies TO their sover-
eign and IN case of war were ex-
pected to take the field with what
fighting men their estates could furnish
These barOns held almost despotic
sway over their domains. apportioning the
territory which they controlled among
the followers according 10 the within Of
the moment or the demand Of policy
Every time new chief came into
power there was fresh distri-
button Of lands. Thus the coun-
try was always full Of people who were
dispOssessed aud homeless. Kamehameha
III. overturned this system by granting to
his people a bin Of rights which made
their tenure % the soil permanent
Hamnooks and Sun Hats