The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-11-12

er'S edge, DeckOnlDg 10 ms DOaI crew
not To fire, while a savage is plunging
his knife into the christian sailors
back. The latter agrees most nearly
with the authentic narratives OF the
tragedy, and was drawn by Webber,
the cele brated designer, who was en-
ployed by Wedgewood. The same
man designed in 1889, ten years after
Cooks death, a very perfect medallion,
which is now in this collection. 1t
represents "Hope addressing Peace,
Art, and Labour," and is made from
clay sent to England from Sydney
Cove by Sir Joseph Banks. This
medallion carries US back to the very
earliest days of our young colony, and
had of the possibilities of the young
and unknown country that his friend
Captain Cook had done so much for.
The silver plate, the spoons, knives
and forks from the good ship Res
olute, and the silver buckles from
the sturdy captains shoes have all
a kind of significance for US,
as if declaring the common human
ity of the wonderful man, but
he comes nearest to us in a little
w''c 5oA, which was the first pres
ent he ever made to the lady who af-
forwards became his wife, the lady
years ago. AS we stan1 now in Col
fege street Museum and gaze on these
poor remainders of Captain Cook, we
seem to feel more keenly than ever
that he was man like unto ourselves
in all things, and that it is not a
mighty gulf of time that separates us
from him. There are wonderful me-
MORALS of many kinds in this collec-
ton, such as it is fitting should be
preserved by us in our city treasury
of wonders, but they possess new in
terest when we remember that the
man himself was a genius, hero of
whom we have reason to be proud.
He was one of the first of the great
sea captains who could take his ship
away for years and come back with
out the scurvy! He dealt fairly and
honestly by all men, even by his own
crew, even by the common sailors"
who were his fellow-voyagers, and
this is greater praise for Captain Cook
than the most glowing account of all
his mighty discoveries. He was a
mani These poor relics, his dress
sword, his compasses, his yokelines,
and the various little things that went
to make up his everyday life, are very
pathetic, and the autograph account
of the transit of Venus is suggestive of
Ills OuU thCy dAO OhlJ
BILE and interesting as we know the
man himself. Those who are familiar
with his life's history, with the story
of his boyhood and his young man.
hood, and his faithfulness to duty,
will feel inclined to uncover their
heads before these poor relics of dead
and gone day.
Those who can recall his life at the
grocer's counter, or on board of
"Geordie collier" will be able to ap-
preciate the glowing patent of Royal
title which is shown now at College
street. They will see the value of the
Royal Societies medal and the Admir-
atty medal conferred upon the son of
a poor day laborer in England, and
rightly read, these relics are priceless
to us. 1t seems a pity to leave the
suggestions of the relics without a
word about Mrs. Cook, who died so
recently. Her husband was killed in
1779, and she heard the news in 1880.
The same year her son Nathaniel, Is
years of age, was drowned on the man
of-war Thunderer, which went down
in gale of wind. Three years later
another son died of fever at the age of
II, and In the following year the eldest
son, commander of the warship Spit
fire, was driven out to sea in a small
boat and drowned. Her other children
had died young, and so in about four
years the old lady was left widowed,
childless and desolate. 1t was a ter
rible shock to her, but the world SYM
pathized with her, and King George
III gave her pension of e200 year.
She lived for so years after her hus-
bands death, and seems to bind our
own day to the day that appears so far,
far away.
The relics that have come to US now
are full of teaching power and full of
significance, for they recall the name
of the great and good sea-captain, and
show what is possible to dauntless
courage and the faithful discharge of
the humblest duty. and they tell to all
of a man who, "though dead, yet
speaketh." K. NJ.