The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-15
WAS HERE
YEARS AGO
j. CorWin Revisits
Honolulu
Scenes.
HERE AT THE
| CRISIS OF 1872
One OF the Americans Who Raced
With Enslishmen to Crown
a King.

4 MOEG the Gaelic's passengers
i from the Orient was Mr. John
IA Corwin, whose name will be re-
dents. Mr.. Corwin has visited Homo
| lulu on two occasions, having spent
six months here during the year 1872
as naval officer on the steam frigate
California, which ran the famous race
with the English vessel Scout to these
Islands that year, and again touching
here two years ago, when the transport
Solace passed through en- route to Ma
Mia, when the trouble with Spain was
at It's height.
| Mr.. Corwin was interviewed on board
the Gaelic yesterday and gave some
| Interesting "reminiscences. When We
landed here in 1872" said he, things
were very different than they are to-
day At the time the old California
was to be sent here there was trouble
brewing over the Islands. and the fric-
ltion between England and the United
States over the northwest boundary
line started rivalry as to relations
with these Islands between the two
nations Both countries were making
diplomatic moves, and the California
was in process of being fitted out ele-
gantly for the purpose of taking King
iKamehameha to San Francisco, whence
he was to be conducted on a tour of
the United States by the Government
when word was brought to San Fran
| cisco by a sailing vessel that the old
king had died.
| There Immediately ensued a great
hustling on the part of both England
and the United States. There were, as
/ understand 1t, two possible heirs to
the throne at the time, and for certain
| reasons England wanted Prince Will
| liam Lot crowned while the United
States desired to see Prince Lunalilo
made king.
| Vessels We're fitted out by both ma
tons and there was a race across the
ocean. England sent the Scout from
Vancouver, with a commission of Eng
iliSl officers who were stationed there,
| ara the United States sent the Califor-
MIA We had a merry race. and Uncle
Sam won out, getting in a day ahead
| and succeeding in having Lunalilo
lcrCwned. However, even had not the
ICalifornia won the race, the American
man-of-war Benicia dropped in here
| few Gays before, and the Americans
would have been in possession of the
ground anyway.
We stayed here over six months, and
l became quite well acquainted in Ho-
noluu. 1t was a beautiful place and
most interesting one at that time; so
| it was a matter of regret to us all when
orders came for setting sail.
When I passed through here two
years ago en- route for the trouble in
| the Philippines the impression made
upon my mind by the wonderful
Ichanges car better be imagined than
described. However, since looking
around the city today, l can say that
the changes and progress of the two
years that have elapsed since my last
visit are almost as astounding. The
number of new buildings going up and
the spirit of business activity every
where speak eloquently for the progress
Iof this beautiful and modern city. In
the process of undermining, too, one can
say that Honolulu has not lost its
lquaint charm for the visitor from for
leigh shores and the beauty of scenery
and cline will always be the same. Ha-
wall is certainly a dreamland, and the
recollections of the Pacific Isles must
ALWAYS be a delightful memory to those
whose good fortune it has been to visit
Them"