The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-11-30

lamented friend, Mr.. Warren Goodale.
was read before the Society on the I'd
or July last, together with a paper by
the undersigned on the uncompleted
treaty of Annexation of 1854, which
latter has been published Mr.. Good
ale's paper will be published with a
supplement in the next annual report
Since then an interesting paper has
been contributed by Hon, Paul Neu-
mann, on the visit of Capt. Bouchard
and the mutineers of the Santa Rosa
to these Islands in 1878 which was
expected to be read this evening.
During the coming year we hope to
receive contributions from Rev
Stephen Desha on ancient Hawaiian
poetry, from E. G. Hitchcock, Esq, on
the famous scorcerer, Wailiilii, and
from NJ. K. Nakuina, J. c. Searle, S.
Kanakanui and others on subjects to
be selected by themselves. 1t gives
me great pleasure to state that DR..
Emerson's translation of David Malo's
Hawaiian Antiquities is completed
and ready for the press. The full and
scholarly notes and appendices attach
ed to it, greatly increase it's value for
all POlynesian scholars, and we hope
that it may soon be published. An
other esteemed member of our society,
Miss Teuira Henry, has made good
progress during the past year in writ
ing her long looked for history of Ia
hiti, which will fill an important gap
| in our knowledge of Polynesia. Her
researches in conjunction with those
Of S. Percy Smith, Esq. and ElsdOn
Best in New Zealand have thrown new
| light on the ancient connection be-
tween the Maories of New Zealand and
the people of the Society Islands, as
well as the aborigines of Hawaii nei
I'm mportant additions have been of late
made to our knowledge of the aborigin-
al tribes of New Zealand and the Cha
than Islands, who inhabited those ISL
ands before the advent of the ferocious
Maories from Hawaiki
Our esteemed correspondent, Judge
Swan of Port Townsend, in acknOwl-
edging the receipt of a copy of Peter
Corney's narrative of his early voyages.
gives some interesting "reminiscences,
which go to confirm early statements
made in that work. He writes as fol-
lows:
When l first went to Shoal Water
Bay, (now Willapa HarbOr), in 1852,
saw a sister of Comcomly, the one
eyed chief, whose name was 'Carcum-
cum very old woman. who was ac-
companied by her son Ellewa, and his
| wife and slaves, all of the party hav-
ing come from Chinook to Shoal Water
| to gather oysters for the traders. I
had many conversations with old Car
cumcum about old times. She remem-
bered an uncle of mine, my mothers s
brother, VIM. Tufts, who was super
cargo of the ship 'Guatamozin' of Bos-
ton, Capt. Glanville, from 1906 to 1910.
| She was wrecked on Seven Mile
Beach, New Jersey, Feb. Sd, 1910. My
uncle used to relate his adventures on
| the Northwest coast to myself and
| brothers, and l in particular was much
interested in his descriptions of the
Columbia river, and of Comcomly, the
one-eyed chief, and when l met old
| Carcumcum, and found that she could
corrOborate what my uncle had told
me many years before 1 became in
terested in the study of the natives of
the Northwest coast, an interest
which | feel to this day. Accordingly
| | read with peculiar satisfaction Mr..
Corney's narrative. l feel a great in
terest in the study of the native races
| of the Pacific, and if I had resided in
the Islands, I should have joined with
you in studying everything of interest
relating to the natives and their arts,
their domestic life, their traditions
and everything pertaining to their past
| history
| But let me add that what remains to
be done must be done quickly. The
few who still possess some knowledge
of the ancient folklore of Hawaii, are
| fast passing away. The ancient Ha-
waiian poetry is already unintelligible
to most of the present generation. AS
Mr.. Elsdon Best POLITICALLY says, "The
old trail to TIE Regina Tor Hades) will
soon be traversed by the last of the
Tohungas," and in the onward rush
and stress of the twentieth century
civilization, the legends. the poetry and
religious beliefs of the olden time will
cease to exist except in libraries and
museums Then we may be justly
blamed by future students of Priml-
tive Man, for the meagerness of the
information WHICH we nave SdlucIco
and preserved regarding the thoughts
and deeds of that primitive and iso
lated race which first settled these
! Islands.
In her report to the Society Miss M
A. Burbank, the Librarian, said:
The report for the year is as fol
t lows: The pamphlets, which had beel
) arranged in pamphlet cases, by Dr
, Hyde, have been catalogued; the set o
l picture of Honolulu in the "ffties
presented by the late Mr.. Warren Good
ale, has with the Society's stamp bee
r hung in the reading room of the Lib
' rary Association, where they can
= seen by a greater number of peopl
than if left in the Historical Society
}, room. The Mission Children's Societ
!. have contributed their papers as
: loan to the Historical Society, and ar
J. placed in their bookcase in the rool
d Of the Historical Society.
Il Freycinct's Voyages in large an
: beautifully illustrated volumes, Wit
i maps and charts, has just been II
s qeived from England, purchased o
:, the Society.
II Small donations of books and pampf
O