The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-28
JAS. W. GlRVlN.

| see that the predatory English captain
was clear away from the vicinity of
| the channel as it was known that the
''Themis' carried guns and her crew
knew how to use them.
Then the brave ''Nettie Merrill" her
decks black with men, boldly hoisted
sail and slid out of harbor. An inn
mense throng witnessed her departure
and numerous were the weeping maids
who bade farewell to lovers and hus-
bands. The brave Capt. Molteno steer
ed his ship for Lahaina and made sure
that the '.Themis' was not at Kahului
or visible from the other side of the
island of Maui. He then struck out for
Hilo and rounded Puma Point and there
is no knowing what he would have done
Iif better counsel had not prevailed on
board the 'Nettie.'
1t is said they saw the white wings
of the "Themis'' and concluded it was
safest to let her alone. They came
back and reported progress and thus
ended one of Hawaifs naval exploits.
Some days after Capt. Hanham land
ed the maid at Waialua, Oahu, and
took his departure for England where
he arrived safely. Some heartless
wretch composed poem on the episode,
which appeared in the Advertiser and
lis worthy of reprinting for the edifica~
ton of the present generation.
The next occasion on which the mill
tary was called on to aid the police was
in 1868. 1t was reported that one Ka-
|ona. the mad mullah of Kona, Hawaii,
had succeeded in converting a large
number of natives to his belief and
that they looked for a speedy coming
of the millennium. They all dressed in
spotless white and had all things in
common. 1 presume there was no OBJ
lection to their believing what they
chose, but when they took possession of
the land of Kainaliu, the property of
Lunalilo, against his Will that was an
other matter.
A writ of ejectment was gotten out
and when the sheriff. Richard B. Ne
vile. with his posse. went to serve it he
was pulled off his horse and knocked
in the head. and after suffering all day
he was killed in the evening. His posse
took to the woods at the first sign of
trouble and left him to his fate. The
next day a policeman named Kamai
was caught by the Kaonites and slain.
Neville was a fearless man and was
believe that a native would raise hand
or club against him. He was told that
''the natives had teeth and would show
them" but he would have trusted them
with his life.
1t is said that Kaona and his follow
ers We're not wholly in the wrong in
that they had verbal promise of a
lease from the agent who had accepted
a hipber figure from another.
We had no wireless in those days
and yet the news reached Honolulu
quickly. The "Kilauea" was quickly
dispatched to the scene of conflict. a
company of regulars under Governor
Dominis. with couple of field pieces
and a we'll stocked commissary, We're
taken on board. This was real war and
there were crowds at the wharves to
witness the departure of those who
might never return
| The "Kilauea' was not noted for her
speed. in fact 1 have stood on the
bridge with old Capt. McGregor when
we We're making four knots an hour.
sneaking along under the lee of Lanai
/ TO avoid the current down the channel
! The old Captain would whistle for
wind like a captain of a fore-a C-.efter,
| and curse the coal the lack of draft.
( and the lazy stokers. but all to no pur-
pose. She was built for a four knot
boat and naturally more could not be
expected from her. I was told she was
over a year coming ou1 from he East
and having failed to double Cape Horn
she came via cape of Good Hope. How
ever. she eventually steamed along the
calm sea on the Kona coast with the
Hawaiian flag floating proudly before
ther'' and her decks covered with arm