The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-26
LOSS TO BRITAIN
Honorable Career Of Sir John B.
ThlrStOn.
SHlPWRECKED ONCE NEAR FIJI
Rose to High Rank as
Commissioner.
SHIPWRECKED ONCE NEAR FIJI
South Sea Horror-Trader Killed on
His Schooner - Fortune Taken
From r. M. s. Oceana.

MELBOURNE, Fef. 9.-The remains
of Sir John B. Thurston, who died
during the voyage of the Burrumbeet
from Sydney to Melbourne, were re-
moved from the steamer today and
were conveyed to the mortuary al
Richmond. On Thursday the remains
will be taken to Government House
at 2 p. m. for the Melbourne General
Cemetery, where the body will be in
| TERED with military honors.
| Sir John Thurston suffered from an
affection of the spinal cord, involving
atrophy of the muscles, which impeded
both speaking and swallowing A
change of climate was ordered him.
and on his arrival in Sydney he had
so greatly improved in health that
hopes were entertained of his recovery,
but during the voyage from Sydney to
Melbourne he suffered a relapse and
died on Sunday.
REVIEW OF HIS CAREER.
BY the death of Sir J. B. Thurston,
K. G. NJ. g., F. i. S., F. r. G.. S., Great
Britain has lost one of her most cap
able colonial administrators, and the
foremost man in the Western Paci-
fic. His death was not unexpected, as
he had been ailing for a long time.
but when he left Sydney a few days
agO-having just previously arrived
from Fiji-it was hardly anticipated
that before the vessel reached Mel
bourne he would have passed away.
John Bates Thurston was born at
Bath, Gloucestershire on 31st January,
1886.
At an early age he went to sea. and
after sometime spent in New South
Wales, he was wrecked on one of the
South Sea Islands. He was a passen-
ger by a vessel which in the early |
about 800 miles to the north !
of Fiji. From there he and his COM
panions in misfortune were taken by /
The Rev. Mr.. Calvert, a missionary. to |
Fiji, with which he was ever after
wards prominently identified In 1866
Mr.. Thurston obtained a position in
The office of the British Consul for
Fiji and Tonga Captain Jones, V. c.,
afterwards temporarily filling the po-
;ition of acting-cOnsul for Agout six
months in 1869. In 1859 Thakambau.
he King or first chief of the island. in
consequence of the heavy claim made
against him by the American Govern
nent on account of damage done to
he property of the American Consul
some years previously, offered to cede
he islands to Great Britain on con-
litiOn that the debt was paid and he
vas allowed to retain his sovereignty
Acting on the advice of the special
commissioner, Colonel Symthe. the
,ffer was in 1862 rejected. Owing to
he American civil war, there arose a
5reat demand for cotton, and this de-
nand the plantations of Fiji in part
upplied. The increase of the planta-
ions brought with it a great increase
# the white population, so that the
European people in the years preced-
ng 1872 must have numbered quite
900 souls In 1872 an attempt was
made by the white settlers to set up
/ constitutional Government and a
Iabinet was formed, the chief mem
'ers being Messrs. Woods and Burt.
This was termed the quasi Govern
nent." Upon some difficulty with the
Parliament which had been created by
King Tbakambau, Mr. Thurston, by
he unanimous wish of the Europeans
nd the natives entered the Ministry
o which he brought a great amount
f strength. His position was that of
'hief Secretary and Minister for For
ign Relations. During all this time
n agitation had been proceeding for
he annexation of the islands to Great
'ritaj", and two years later, 1874,
GoodenOUgh and Mr.. Lay
rd, the Consul, were appointed Com
lissioners to inquire into the matter.
IN that occasion Mr. Thurston was
allied to the position of chosen and
pecial adviser" to the native king and
hiefs to confer with the Commission