The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-06-03


UsnmiahInr ths Mcxicah boundaries
4 Cor ma, turbulent little country, anl
! Fremont vns arguainiinr the Colder
West vlfh tho glorious stare and
sirIpsF in the dnys when he best u'
I tho land were not ashamed ~ sperm
candles. lnhaina was nearer 90 th'
American people than was San ffan.
cisco. and ~ vastly greater import
ance than that little town, which had
not then ouigrown tH baby name
'Nerba Buona." Almost any one ~ the
captains Of the hve hundred and up
ward whaling ships which In those
days cast anchor in the bay Of New
Bedford. Mass. onc' In each four years,
could. as he parted from a brother Tor
another cruise In the trying work ~
providing for the illumination Of the
world. have called 20 him, I'm see you
later-at Lahaina" He OF the same
time, who might have sought TO know
the history OF the oil Of his lamp. would
probably have found something like
this an outline OF his story: The fat
Of a whale harpooned in the Pacific
anywhere from the frozen waters OF the
Behring sea to the hot currents on the
line tried out and 'coopered up' on
board whaler. discharged and re-
loaded on a provision ship at Lahalna,
carried agound the Horn 20 New Bed
ford" etc.
A thriving town was Lahaina in
those days-the seat OF royalty, and a
commercial center OF no mean import
ance, its waters often weathering up
ward of half a hundred whalers at one
time between seasons" tAt one time.
in the early ffties. there were eighty
four whalers anchored at Lahaina. ON
April ~, 1853, there were fifty-one at
anchor when a heavy kona-southern
gale-blew up. Those ships nearest
shore had to wait for the Others to
weigh anchor and get out OF the way
They all put out to sea but one far
thest in shore. which was forced to re-
main. Fortunately IL rode out the storm
with little or no damage being done
Ed II was the port OF entry for nu-
merous provision ships as well and
had a resident American Consul, under
whose care was United States marine
hospital. Courts OF several degrees and
a police system bespeak a settled gov
ernment; a public reading room, a sea-
mems chapel. several churches. day and
boarding schools, and a seminary for
young men, are evidences of a pros
porous community. The ships took the
attention OF most OF the people. Every
vessel was allowed TO sell or barter to
the extent of 5000 free of duty. Eng
lish, American and Mexican money
passed current, the Mexican dollars Of
ten being at IA premium when a ship
ment of coin TO China was intended.
There was a dearth Of the smaller de-
nominations and private copper Issues
were common. The eXpodient OF chis-
cling silver quarters into halves was
tried until the willy Cinnamon took to
shaving off the straight edges. thus
making the bits more nearly thirds of
quarters than halves. Provision ships
/. brought carGoes from the Atlantic
States; stocked Lahainas three shII
chandleries and her general merchan-
disc stores: to some extent sold to the
Chinese shops, which existed in the
place long before the era of coolie la
Dor: and supplied what foreign liquor
was consumed-not openly, however
for LahaIna was nomlnally prohibit
ton town. Whale oil in barrels from
the various whaling ships made up the
return cargoes.
parts as were under cultivation for taro
for home consumption. was farmed
with view TO supplying the needs OF
the whalers. Sweet potatoes, vegeta-
bles of all kinds. bananas and chickens
! all found a ready market and wer,
raised in great quantities. While Lana
today meets the local demand fo
watermelons. Lahaina had among tht
| lIhuIapa "a N n a 10, l.,
: melons grown here.
A considerable source Of revenue tC
the crown was the supplying OF water
to the vessels. An arm OF the Lahaina-
| luna stream was diverted into a smal
stone reservoir on what are now the
/ Mccain premises, and two pumps were
| kept busy there raising water to fill
| the casks. These were towcd ashore In
| long lines by means of ropes run
| through loops fastened under the hoops
then We're rolled up the hundred yards
OF street past the courthouse and filleC
! by the men at the pumps. Here fhe.'
were occasionally lively scenes betweeT
the Portuguese sailors and the natives
and at such times the dusky polio,
! found the much-coveted opportunity
! for jerking a haole down the street tC
! the lock up from which he was
however, soon released. and the mattel
| quickly forgotten. The shore boats
manned as they have always been b.
native crews, than whom there ar,
none more nearly perfect masters of NJ
I open boat in any sea, formed u consid
cradle fleet and controlled proftabl,
patronage plying past the breakwatel
and the reef