The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-19
A BLUBBRR HUNTERS YARN.
Tha Sandwich Islands as Seen bv an
Old Whaler-Dissipated Rovaltv

Old Whaler-Dissipated Royalty.
Galveston Letter in Ne,o York Times.
Capt. John Delaney, chief inspector @,
customs at this port, is an old shelback If
the sea, and has been in the Sandwich
Islands a number Of times. Yesterday bs
discoursed as follows to the correspondent
Of the New York Times:
| Away back in 1858 l was on a vhalar
bound for the Arctic ocean, The skipnsr
was a genuine old 'sun-downer' from Nav
| Bedford, and the mate was tarred with the
same brush. or course they made it warm
| for the crew, and myself in particular, for
was pretty high strung in those days
1--WE made cruise into the Okhotsk sea
Bering sea and Kantchstka, and captured
| a number Of whales. AS soon as the lea
broke up 10 Bering straits--about July-Ws
worked south to Honolulu, where we hoped
to ship our oil TO the states by some home.
! ward-bound ship.
I'VE raised Oahu, about sixty miles
distant, all right enough, and when we 20,
near there | saw the island was pretty much
surrounded by coral reef. We worked into
harbOr, and came to anchor of Honolulu
in 1872 81 4S' W. long,, and 21' II So N,
lat.
1.-The natives came off to the ship in
swarms. None of EN- wore anything else
than big breech clout, like baby's diaper
| men and women. The Kanakas are an in.
telligent people; we'll built, fine looking,
with black eyes and raven black hair, Just
like an Indians. They brought US of yams
bananas, bread fruit, plantains, poi and
| fish, and all other stuff they eat | could
look from the ship to the mountains back
OF Honolulu and see the streams tumbliug
down to the sea.
II used to go ashore every time | could.
have gone to these mountains back Of town
and watched the natives swim down the
stream. They would be places where the
water would fall twelve or fifteen feet into
deep pool; then the stream would mesnder
| on a little, aud there would be another
waterfall. The women and men used TO 70
| up these streams and swim down, going
over the cascades just like fish. In the
water the men wore nothing but a smile,
| but the women kept on their tapas or
breech clouts. They are as much at home
| In the water as fish.
After few days in port got ashore
| one afternoon and ran away. l went upin
| the mountains and hid. l could watch the
ship from where was In hiding, and could
see the native policemen hunting for me-
but they didn't find me, and in few days
saw the old whaler sail out OF the harbor
and shape her course to the southwark
Then | went down to the town and slowed
| away on the American bark Francis Palmer,
Capt. Paley commander. She put to sea
and as she cleared the harbor and | could
feel the swell. l crawled out Of my hiding
! place and went on deck. The mate saw me
and said: i did not ship you told him
knew it, so be told me 10 go into his watch.
| 1--WE got to San Francisco all right, and
| shipped on the Francis Palmer TO return to
| Honolulu. WheL we arrived back III Oahu,
/ of course went ashore free from any fear
Of arrest, for was regularly shipped
on the Palmer. This was the 1Olst
"trip of Capt. Psley to Honolulu, SO the
authorities presented him with the first ha'
waiian flag, made for the occasion, which
was cross between the stars and stripes
and the British flag.
| 81 saw King Kamehameha often. He was
a big, black Kansks, who was dressed in
| European clothes. So did Primes Lol, bis
son. He was as black as coal, but very
sociable. Prince 'Bilr was a gingerbread
Kanaka, and a regular loafer, and would
hail a sailor and beat drink out Of him.
He used to go on drunk with every sailor
he could got hold Of VINO would buy the
liquor.
THE women of the city wore calico
| Mother Huhbards. but no shoes or hat. IL
was funny to see 'em ride the little native
horses straddle-legged, feet sticking cut
ahead, aud hair streaming behind.
I'm 1883, 1859 and 1860 the Americans
were on top in the Sandwich Islands. Inc
missionaries were nearly all from the United
States and every one knew them. They
would so around and pick the natives up
and take them along to preaching. Inc
costumes of the Kanakas on these occasions
would be enough to make a man die; plug
hat and long coat on a bare-legged man,
and perhaps eight or ten yards of calico tied
around the waist of a woman and the ends
hanging down to her knees. They always
aft
studied the fashions taaE the others had
| brought out"