The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-11-14
pIlnl nis Pint Literary SlU]'
neIs IN Hawaii.
sunnInc Of sulp HsRxE1
001vlvoss Sailed 1000 miles to Dc.
selsls-usd Q essrfsi Experience.
LeesI nistery.

his debut as literary person and the
story might as we'll have been dated
Honolulu.
The first high-clAss work done by
Mark Twain. so he says. had It's pub
lication In New York. MY article was
about the burning OF the clipper ship
Hornet on the line, May 3, 1866. There
were thirty-one men on board at the
ti0e, end was In Honolulu when the
fftsen lean and ghostly survivors ar
rived there after . voyage Of forty
three days in an open boat, through
the blazing tropics, on ten days rations
a food. A very remarkable trip; but
tt was conducted by q captain who was
Q remarkable man; otherwise there
would have been no survivors. He was
. New-Englander OF the best sea-going
stock Of the old capojle times-Captain
Josiah Mitchell.
II had been in the Islands several
months when the survivors arrived. ]
uas laid up in my room at the time,
and unable to walk. Here was a great
occasion to serve my journal, and not
able to take advantage OF II. Neces-
sarily ] was in deep trouble. But by
B<Soo suSh HE A$AICuSuCy aubOH
game was there at tie time, on his way
70 take up his post in China, where he
did such good work for the United
States. He came and put me on a
stretcher and had me carried to the
hospital where the sEipwrecked men
were, and | never needed to ask
question. He attended, o all Of. that
himself, and ! had nothing to do but
make the notes. Il was like him to
take that trouble. He was a great man
and q great American, and II was In
his fine nature to come down from his
high Office and do friendly turn when
ever he could.
I'VE got through with this work at
SIX In the evening. ! took no dinner,
for there was no time to spare II
would beat the other correspondents.
spent four hours arranging the notes
IN their proper order. then wrote all
night and beyond Al: with this result:
that had very ling and detailed ac-
C0ont Of the HOrn.t episode ready at
nine In the morning, while the cOrre-
spondents Of the San Francisco Jour-
mails had nothing but brief outline re-
OOrt-f0r they didn't sit up. The now
aad-then schooner was to sail for San
Francisco about nint; when | reached
the dock she was ire" forward and was
Just casting on her stern-line. My fat
envelope was thrown by strong hand,
and fell on board all right. and my vic
tory was safe thing. All In due time
the ship reached San Francisco, but It
was my complete report which made
the stir, and was telegraphed to the
New YORK papers, ~ Mr.. Cash; he was
IN charse OF the racine bureau OF the
New YORK Herald al the time.
when ! returned to California by
ana by' went up 10 sacramento and
presented Dill Tor general correspond
ence AT Nv week. IL was paid. Then
presented Dill Tor special service
ON the hornet matter OF three columns
~ Solo nonpareii a: $loo a column. the
cashier didn iaint, out ne came rather
near u. ne sent ior the proprietors
Snc tney came ana never uttered pro,
te9- Ihey only .aushed In their Jolly
iesnion, ana SAID IL was ROBBERY. Du'
no matter' II was sraha scoop tune
VII OF my hornet REPORT; aidh Kho"
cr' TS' pay ~. Is al rlsh, A.
, Inc ,iolnet survivors, leaeheu th'
1sndwich lsiahds tne loth OF June
Iney were mere SKIM! skeletons;
tnear CLONES hung imp about them
ana nttea them no better than a mas
nts the nagstan Ia a calm. But they
were well nursed In the hospital; the
people OF Honolulu Kept them supplied
with all the dainties they could need;
they gathered strength fast, and were
presently nearly as good as new
Within a fortnight the most OF them
took ship for San Francisco; that Is, II
my dates have not gone astray In my
memory. ! went In the same ship, q
sailing- vessel. Captain Mitchell of tn,
Hornet was along; also the only pas
sengers the Hornet had carried. Thes,
were two young gentlemen from STAN
ford. Connecticut brothers: Samue
Ferguson, aged 2S, a graduate OF Trim
ity College, Hartford. and Henry Fer
gusOn. aged Is, q student OF the SAM
college, and now at this present writin,
. professor there. a post which he hal
held for many years"
Two OF the three boats from thu