The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-06-03
Statement of Capt. Adams Re-
Iating to His Lands.
Welded TO DAVIS DAUGHTER
With John Young Used Influence With
the King-Became a Great Favor.
fte-Lands Donated Him-He Came
Here Before the Missionaries.

In 1916 certain changes were made in
the land laws of the Hawaiian Islands,
and it became necessary for aliens to
make statements concerning the means
by which they acquired their holdings,
in order that the validity of their claims
might be attested. The following from
old Captain Adams, who was the Origi-
nal owner of all the land in the vicinity
of the Elite Ice Cream Saloon, and
what is now known as Adams lane, was
made in 1S4S and recently found among
some old papers. The property men
toned as being at Niu is still in the
possession of Captain Adams descend
ants.
AS 1 am getting old and infirm and
have a large family, [ wish, before 1
die, to give, in the shape of a declara-
ton, some account of myself, of my
services, and of my affairs, in order to
prevent, as far as lies in my power,
doubts and difficulties arising hereaf-
ter with regard to my lands, which, l
fear, are somewhat placed in jeopardy
by the new Sandwich Islands code, as
well as by the procrastinating impedi-
ments raised by the Land Commits
sioners in settling claims of old for
eign residents handed to them, as mine
were, upwards of two years ago.
| was born at Forfarshire, in Scot
land, in 1880, and served four years
apprenticeship, from my twelfth to
sixteenth year of age, in the brig
Zephyr, belonging to Messrs. Husson
& Co. of New Castle upon Tyne. [ then
went two voyages to Calcutta in the
East Indian Lord Walshingham Whilst
at the Cape of Good Hope, hOmeward-
bound the second time, l was made
second mate of the ship Castle of Good
Hope. On appearing before Vice-Ad-
miral Sir Roger Curtis, as seafaring
and other men were obliged to do at
that period previously to leaving the
port, he exclaimed, ooh! you and I
have been shipmates in the Mediter-
ranean; you are a man-of-warS-man.
This was mistake of the Admiral,
but it ended in my being sent on board
his flagship, the Lancaster, of sixty
four guns, Captain Larkins, who made
me captain of the fOretop. Afterward
[ was told that unless [ took the boun-
ty money l should not be allowed to
keep my rating, or have liberty on
shore. [ therefore very reluctantly did
take the bounty money.
[ served about eight years in the
Lancaster, on the Cape and India sta
ton, off the Isle of France, and at the
taking of Monte Video. In 1907 [ was
drafted into the Elizabeth. of seventy
four guns, Captain the Hon. Henry
CurzOn, and served in her on the
coasts of Spain and Portugal. at Rio
Janeiro, and in the river Plate. till /
1910.
I came to WOahOo in 1911. in the |
American ship Albatross, of Boston. |
Captain Wincheap. We continued our
voyage to Columbia river, n. w. Coast. |
and Canton, and returned to Woahoo. |
but the war between Great Britain and
he United States soon afterward break !
ing out, I refused to serve any longer |
under the American flag.
ThereupOn | took up my abode on
shore, and Mr.. John Young. the favor
ite and adviser of Kamehameha [, be- /
came my friend. Not long afterwards
the Kings Little Fleet, as it was called. !
was placed under my charge and direc- |
ton. At one time, when sandalwOod |
was plenty it consisted of nine square /
rugged vessels. besides fifteen smaller /
craft. And leave to others still living
on the Islands to say with what zeal
and good Will I labored in superintend- |
ing the rigging and fitting out and /
heaving down such of these vessels as
from time to time required it, I used to !
lake the King whenever he wished it. |
with his numeBOus attendants and fol- |
overs, from island to island I carried |
4 broad penant, the commanders of |
some of the vessels under my orders /
being also foreigners.
In 1917 King Kamehameha sent me
with the brig Kaahumanu, of 26O tons |
and Is guns, with a crew of 48 men. to /
AtoOi, to assist in expelling the Rus /
slams from that Island This was soon
md easily done, and 1 then proceeded /
n the same vessel and crew to China, /
With cargo of sandalwood, on account /
# the King, who by a letter consigned .
he vessel and cargo to the East India