The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-01

OF The PAST
Story of the Chase
of the Yacht
Themis.
CARRIED AWAY AN
HAWAIIAN GIRL
Late Marshal Parke Pursued an
English Captain Who Vio-
lated the Law.

From "reminiscences of the late Mar
shall Parke.l
On Saturday, January Is, 1866, the
yacht Themis, of the Royal Thames
Yacht Club, arrived in Honolulu on a
pleasure trip. She was owned and com
manded by Captain Thomas B. Hanham,
retired officer of the English navy, who
Hanham had visited several ports in the
Mediterranean, and was making a trip
around the Pacific, to visit some of the
places with which ne was familiar when
acting as a midshipman on board H. B.
NJ ship Carysfort, commanded by Lord
| George Paulet
| The Themis was an iron vessel of 100
tons, schooner rugged, and fitted up in a
way becoming to a gentleman who is
yachting about the world for pleasure,
Before her arrival here, letters had been
| received, which gave the information
that Captain Hanham would visit these
Islands with his family. On the arrival
OF the yacht. the visitors We're cordially
| received ana treated with much atten-
! ton (more than travellers OF distinction
usually receiyed) by the King, who had
tCaptain Eanham 10 reside at the Palace,
! and gave him the use OF MS horses and
| ges during the time the Captain
was in Honolulu. The Kings Ministers
also entertained him handsomely, As did
persons. in different paris OF. the Islands
/ where the yacht touched while cruising
about, She was not required 20 enter
/ at the custom house and came ana went
I freely among the Islands -.er owner re-
( turning such attention as ne had re-
/ oeivedr ashore by generous inequalities on
board.
~ During. his stay here Captain Hanham
( was attracted by one OF the girls about
1 the Palace. who was under the charge
of the King, and persuaded her 10 &C
company him TO England On learning
that such was his intention, some friends
demonstrated with him, reminding him
of the law prohibiting natives from be-
| ing carried out of the country without
| the permission of the Governor OF the
Island in which they Were residing They
/ told him that he would not be allowed to
! take the girl, as her departure in such a
way would be no benent TO her. Captain
Hanham denied that he had any inten-
ton OF taking her; and .it is said that he
promised the King and Dr.. Hutchison,
the Minister of the Interior, that he
would not do so.
/ But on Thursday, November 9. of the
same year, he came on shore. went to
I the palace. and asked tie King to &c
down to the wharf to see him off. Then
in company with the girl he rode hastily
to the wharf, jumped into his boat. pull
ed for his ship and set sail-at the same
time communicating with the shore that
he had taken the girl with him, because
he was desired not to, thus putting at
1 defiance the law of the land and those
charged with the execution of il. The
next morning / received orders from the
| Government to take the Pele and pro-
coed at once IN pursuit of the Themis,
| and bring the girl back. As the Pele
was not v,ry seaworthy, merely being
a tug to tow vessels in and out of the
hssrbor, l hired a whalehoat and crew
to go with me-
We left Honolulu al II o'clock in the
forenoon, and as it was known that Cap
tain Hanham wished to stop at Lahaina
+, to land the Rev. Mr.. Mason, who resid-
ed there, and whom Captain Hanham
had taken as passenger for that place,
/ cruised in that direction. At about
haif-past that afternoon. there being
4 no breeze. | came up with the Themis
about fifteen miles u the leeward OF
Lanai. On hailing. was not allowed to
board her, but upon calling for Captain
/ Hanham, he consented 10 my coming on
+ IOid MIN OF my erranQ, anC
! that he wis within the Jurisdiction OF
! the Islands He replied that he was
i not, at the same time refusing to deiv-
er the girl to me.
Being unable TO enforce my demand
could do nothing. However, 1 remained
on board some two hours, endeayoring
with the aid of Mr.. Mason, to persuade
Captain Hanham to allow me to take
the girl, but to no avail. He said he
should take her to England, but would
first land Mr.. Mason at Lahaina. then
go to Kohala and then return to Ho-
lnolulu. Finding he would not consent &c
my demand, 1 left the Themis. telling
Captain Hanham 1 should return to Ho-
nolulu. The Pele was headed for Koko
Head; but as soon as II was dark, her
course was altered for Eahaina, where
we arrived the following morning at {
O'Clock. Knowing that Captain Hanham
wished TO land Mr. Mason there, 1 was
on the watch for the Themis. The Pele
returned without me to Honolulu Sunday
afternoon, carrying an account of my Ill
success.
When this was known, it was decided
by the Government to show Captain
Hanham that the law was not to be put
at defiance, and that its officer should
not be resisted by force in the dis
charge of his duty. Therefore the Net
tie Merrill, a fast inter-Island trading
schooner, was armed with four guns and
twenty soldiers, under the command of
Lieutenant kahoouli-David Dayton bear
ing dispatches-and on that evening
Sunday she set sail for Lahaina to
take me on board. The Nettie arrived
at Lahaina the following Tuesday after
moon By her I received further orders
to arrest Captain Hanham, and to en-
force the authority of the law to the full
extent of the means at my disposal, If
it became necessary. and provided that
/ I fell IN with the Themis within the jur-
isdiction of the Islands.
AS soon as some necessary articles
were procured, l went on board the
schooner. From what Captain Hanhan
had told me when I boarded his yacht
from the Pele, ordered the Nettie to
sail directly for Hilo. When off Kaa-
napaIi that afternoon saw a flag on