Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-27
PACIFIC A MODERN OCEAN.
At All Events 1t Is Very New to Men O
Caucasian Antecedents

At All Events 1t Is Very New to Men of
Caucasian An;ecedcnts.
1t seems rather curious 20 recall the fact
that very little more than 100 years ago
the Pacific regarded a Spanish lake.
That nation claimed it on the strength of Bal
boa's discovery in 1913, and insisted that it
should be regarded as a mare clausum. This
will bear comparison with the claim recently
made to a like effect by the United States in re-
gard to the northern part of the same ocean.
called Boring sea. When Sir Francis Drake
circumnavigated the globe his sailing across
these waters seriously resented by Spain.
which demanded restitution to her of the plumber
which he took, but Queen Elizabeth made a
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 COM
mandante of San Francisco to seize the Column
bia, the first vessel that carried the American
flag around Cape Horn. In 1899 two Spanish
men-of-war seized several English fur traders
on the northwest coast and war was very nearly
the result.
1t Is odd tina: the Spaniards. though dis
coverers OF new lands and waters. were among
the poorest navicatOrs of their time. After
coming upon the Solomon Islands they could
not ind them again. and they were lost for $50
years. The water supply of their galleons was
no. kept IN casks. but in big earthen jars. As
it was impossible to provide a sufficient supply
for six months voyage on board of n ship
carrying 400 or 500 people. they always took to
sea great numbers of mats. Whenever ii rained
the mats were spread to catch the drops. which
were drained off into jars through split bam-
boos. The mortality from sclrvy on long trips
was fTigntfuL
Cortez. after the conquest of Mexico. fitted
out three small ships to sail to the MoluccaS and
reinforce the Spaniards there. They were scat
tered by tempest and two of them were lost.
One of these is ims gined to have been tine
strange vessel which was wrecked on the ROCKS
of Hawaii al about the same time. nearly as
can be reckoned. According to tradition only
the captain and his sister saved. The ma
tives 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 portions they pleased foy
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 feudaiism. They furnished sup
! plies to their sovereign. aud in case of wal
were expected to take the fed with what fight.
/ ing men their estates could furnish. These
barons held almost desrosic sway over thei,
| domains. appor tioning the territory which they
l controlled among their followers according tc
| the whim of the moment the demands o.
policy. Every time a new chief came into
power there was fresh distribution Of lands
Thus the country was always full Of people who
were dispossessed and homeiess Kamehamehs
4 III overturned this system by granting to his
| people a bill OF rights which made their tenure
! OF the soil permanent