The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-09
TALES FROM HAWAII.
A NAVY OFFICER FROM THE SAND
WicH ISLANDS TALKS.

an American lieutenant Cultivatin
the Good ,,ature of the Hawaiian Pea
pie-Yarns About Other Kings.
An officer Of the navy who recent,
returned from a cruise of the P.,cig,
squadron. and who spent many month
cruising amongthe Sandwich Islands. re
lates All interesting story in connection
with the convivial habits of some Of til,
monarchs OF that kingdom. He SAYS thai
the navy department, at the request Of
the state department. has been specifi,
In IT'S instructions since the civil wal
that commanding officers and other of.
ticers of the navy should as far as pos.
slble cultivate n most friendly acquaint-
ance with the Hawaiian people. He
went on to say:
There was n time when it was an.
parent that the people Of those islands
had not any desire to have friendly in
tercourse with American navy officers.
That was when Lieutenant Cater Rear
AdmiraD William Reynolds was naval
storekeeper at Honolulu in 1857 and staid
there W or three years. He had a man.
ner that made him many friends and
also laany enemies, and King Kane
hamet,a Ill was especially offensive to-
ward the lieutenant. The king sought
every opportunity to show his dislike of
Lieutenant Reynolds.
AT that time the latter was on the
reserved list of the navy, and the king
concluded that he was not Obliged to
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-
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
a person detailed on the Lackawanna to
q shrewd piece of detective work-to
secure copies of the dispatches of Cap
tain Reynolds to the navy department at
Washington. The person employed for
this clandestine work was enamored of
one OF the Hawaiian women of noble
and considerable wealth. and Bill
a kanalsa and one of the smart
est politicians in the kingdom and a man
Of great power and influence in the royal
encouraged the lover in his de-
sire TO marry the young woman and
promised him ultimate success if he
secure copies of the confidential
correspondence between Captain Reyn-
dds and the navy department.
The correspondence was secured and
to Ragsdale, who then informed
lpon the young man who had played
alse to his commander. and instead of
marrying the girl he was court martialed
nd sentenced to Imprisonment on the no.
orious Dry Tortugas. Ragsdale after
ward had to be sent to the island of No
okai, where all lepers are exiled and
where he died y few years ago..
1.-The ~Lackawanna was succeeded by
s~loop-of-war Mohongo, of which the
ate Rear Admiral Edward Simpson was
commander, and the latter, by his diplo-
latic tact and keen judgment. soon won
ling kamehameha over, and the officers
t the Mohongo became very popular at
ourt and received every attention and
ourtesy during the dozen months that
he vessel was in Honolulu harbor. King I,
was succeeded on the Ha-
allan throne by his brother Lunalilo,
opularly known as Whiskers Billy. Ee- /
OF his fondness for his beard, which
as OF luxurious growth. Lunalilo also
al a fondness for that which would in
but as there was a no license i,
is, SO far as selling liquor to IA >
Hawaiian was concerned he !,
ade it a practice to visit friendly war !
lips to satisfy his appetite. b
"Lunalilo lived only a short time. Ka- q
took Lunalilo's place on the v
rone, and he was a fair successor and G.
cceeded pretty well in sustaining the h
putation of his predecessor as an anti :
He also was fond of a
cd game of poker, and when simply =
ince David he engaged in many an in
game. Billy Emerson, the me-
o minstrel, had as one of his gags
the stage in San Francisco that he
ce sat in a poker game with FIVE kings.
ow's that: said the middle man. Why,
ED four and Dave was the other said IL
lly. This was a game in which it is Oh
d the minstrel held Kalakaua for a al
u amounting to Z $500. ri
In 1874 Kalakaua visited this country. Ii
ming to San Francisco on the war YES CT
Benicia. Upon the arrival of the =,
at San Francisco, Lieutenant Com 70
.nder W. H. Whiting, recently on duty :.
navy yard, and who has been or vi
to command the Alliance, now at :.
nolulu, was detailed to take charge of :"
royal party and escort it to San Fran =
A good round sum was provided /.
its entertainment by the state depart .
Mt. and the king and his party had q
ut royal time.
You will nc doubt recall the Joke
lch the officers have had on Lieuten-
William S. COwles, who is now ma
attache at the London legation, ever
70 the visit Of the Queen Dowager
to this country a few years
He had command Of the junketing
4 DiGOatci. Uhap tho u,,oop ~ <oIxo.