The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-05-26

| Shortly after o'clock yesterday
afternoon the news was circulated
around town that the Iwalani was
| going to leave port on a mysterious
mission. Where she was going, or
why, seemed to be totally unknown,
and the powers that be absolutely re-
fused to give any information on the
subject.
All kinds of rumors were afioat.
Several people were positive that
file of soldiers were to be taken on the
trip, and that two GatIing guns had
already been taken aboard. Others
said that the little steamer had gone
to Kauai, and was carrying the SOL
diers to settle some difficulty with the
japanese laborers on one of the PLAN
| tations.
Several of the Cabinet officers were
on the wharf just prior to the sailing
of the steamer. w. o. Smith, when
asked what the destination was,
smiled and said the steamer was go
| ing to Kauai. He refused to give any
| clew as to the reason for the trip, and
denied the fact that there were any
| soldiers, guns or ammunition on
| board.
Mr.. Hatch also denied that any
| warlike preparations were being
made, but declined to give any infor-
nation whatever as to the trip.
| Shortly before o'clock, Minister
King drove down to the wharf and
went aboard the steamer. He had a
| large satchel with him and rifle
case. When asked where he was
going, he said he was sailing under
| sealed orders, and had no idea what
| his destination was to be.
These statements, of course, put
people to thinking, and an ADvER-
| TISER man at once set out to find
what was the cause of the trip. But
| no one seemed to know. The different
rumors that were started, each had its
little crowd of supporters, and each
was ready to substantiate his theory
| with absolute facts.
None of them were true, however.
The actual reason for the trip was dis
covered later in the evening, and puts
very different aspect on the affair.
1t seems that one of the passengers
of the Warrimoo, named Robert Reid,
had, during his short stay in Honolulu,
| a conference with the Executive Coun-
Gil. During this interview, it is said
that Mr.. Reid disclosed plan of the
British Government for leaving Ha-)
| waii completely in the cold in the
matter of the coming cable. This
plan was that the cable, which it is
supposed that England proposes to
lay in the near future, was to touch at
Johnson Island, which at the present
time seems to belong to nobody. It
was also stated that the Champion
was, on her supposed target practice
trip, to go to this island, and hoist
the English flag, thus acquiring an
other bit of land for Great Britain.
These facts were serious matters for
the Government to contemplate, and
it was decided to send one of the ISL
land steamers to the Island, with an
official of the Government on board,
who would have the power to plant
the Hawaiian flag there. This was
done, and Captain Kings mission is
to get them before the Champion does.
This will, in all probability, be accom-
plished, as the Iwalani started some
time before the man-of-war had her
anchors up.
Part of the cargo was a big flag pole,
and it was this fact that led to the dis
covery of the reason for the trip. Two
navigators were taken, one of them
being the mate of the James Makee.
The. Champion left shortly before
o'clock and the last seen of her, she
was in hot pursuit of the Iwalani,
although some distance in the rear,
Their course was the same. It is said
that a man who arrived on the War |
rimoo, and who is interested in the !
expedition, was on board the Cham
pion, and was in charge of the present |
trip. This, however, could not be
substantiated.
Whether or not the Champion will !
catch the Iwalani before she arrives,
is matter for great speculation. The |