Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-24

In the golden days OF the monarchy
and a Kalakaua dynasty, when opium
in more or less steady stream enter
e6 the Hawaiian islands, and served
% enrich the Golfers OF select circle
of importers the rakish appearing
schooner Halcyon, was one of several
vessels always a familiar figure with
the local smuggler clan.
One or more old timers in the
steamship business, and now with the
Oceanic Steamship Sierra, had oeca-
sion TO rub their eyes before the liner
departed from San Francisco, for
there was the former Halcyon, now
rechristened the Vera, and but recent
ly became the property of DR.. Smith
OF Ottowa, who is said proposes to
take passage in the vessel for the
Arctic ocean, there to seek a lost is
land OF much valne in the Beaufort
sea.
] Old waterfronters here will readily
remember the craft built at Benicia,
California, in 1886 for the late Harry
Treyis, wealthy resident of San
Francisco, being used as yacht. She
is "a feet long. q feet beam, and S.5
feet draft, and was originally fitted up
Mxuriously. The owner tired OF his
yacht soon and she eventually fell in
to the hands of A. w. Whalley, who
died a few years ago aboard a United
States transport while returning from
Manila, being used by him to smuggle
opium.
When the authorities became too
vigilant the Halcyon would be sent on
ad istant cruise. She made frequent
trips to the Orient to bring opium
from Hongkong, the dope" being HID.
cen in mats of rice or in cunningly
devised receptacles in the hull. On
one of these trips the Vera went
ashore on the sandy spit at Sunamaki,
Japan, close to the scene of the wreck
of the Empress of China, and the boat
WAS held by the Japanese authorities.
Whalley managed to secure its return
and fioated his boat, arriving at homo
lulu with the opium On one cruise,
In which a number of Victorians were
interested, Whalley sold the opium at
Honolulu and decamped with the pro-
ceeds. leaving the vessel to the mem
hers of the syndicate, which sold her
To the late Captain ]. G. Fox, who
changed her name to Vera and used
: her as sealer
The Vera was being extensively
oyerhauled at the time the Sierra de-
parted for Honolulu The schooner
was after her withdrawal from the
opium smuggling trade, always rated
as fast sailer. The vessel has al
ways been attended with mucr notoii-
ETY. and even after her going into COM
mission in Arctic waters, it was alleg.
ed that the vessel frequently returned
TO civilization with. contraband
That the Vera. is now to become a
floating home for party of north Pa,
cific explorers, is something that will
occasion more than passing interest
WhaIers Seek Alaska Fields.
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash, July 6.
The transfer of the whaling indus
try from the coast of Norway to Alas
ka and other parts of the globe is due
to the desire of the Norwegian gov
eminent to protect the fishermen of
that country. The Norwegian fisher
men for years complained that the
whaling industry was running their
business, as the continuous hunting of
whales drove them into shallow wa
ter, where they would feed on the
smaller fish, which, as a result, were
becoming scarce.
To protect the fishermen, the Nor
wegian Parliament purchased all of
the whaling station outfits and then
enacted a law prohibiting whaling.
As result of this consular report
received here states the whalers or
ganized and sent vessels and equip
ment to other places and today the
Norwegian companies are operating
whaling stations in the South Atlantic,
Straits of Magellan, Iceland, Spitzber-
gen, New Zealand and along the coasts
of Japan and Russia, and now they
are establishing stations along the
coast of Southeastern Alaska, and will
make their headquarters for the
northern stations at Seattle.
Record Lumber Shipment from
Portland.
WIN 4,oUO,OOU teet OF mr., the sec
ond largest cargo of lumber ever
loaded at Portland, the British steam
ship Robert Dollar, Captain Morton,
has sailed for Shanghai The cargo is
being shipped by the Robert Dollar
Steamship Company.
The only other cargo larger than
that going out on the Robert Dollar
left on the British steamship Knight
of the Garter about two years ago. 1t
comprised 5,023,000 feet, a record
which never has been duplicated at
Portland or any other Pacific Coast
port
Japanese Rename British
Steamship.
With the selling of the steamer Brit
ish Monarch to the Osaka Shosen Kai-