POLYNESIA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1435, 13 September 1861, Page 4

POLYNESIA.

From Honolulu we (Southern Cross) have dates of the 11th and 18th May, 1861. We make a few extracts from the Polynesian, a remarkably well printed paper, published at Honolulu : —

COMMERCIAL. May 17, 1861. The last of the whaling fleet has gone, and we are fast subsiding into mid-summer dullness and quiet. The only foreign at rival during the past week is the clipper ship ' Iconium,' Captain Heustis, which arrived this morning, 50 days fioua Melbourne. She will sail for San Francisco at an eaily date The barque ' B. W. Wood,' Captain Geerken, sailed on the 12th for Bremen, taking a full cargo of oil, bone, wool, &c, &c. She takes some 200 bales of wool, a large portion of which is of very superior quality. The Hawaiian schooner ' Maria,' Captain Brown, sailed on the 13th for a cruise among the guano islands, supposed to be to the south and eastward. The barkentine 'Constitution,' Captain Foster, sailed on the 14th for Victoria, taking some 60,000 lbs. of sugar, 240 barrels molasses, 50 do. syrup, 26 mules, &o , &c , the value of Hawaiian pioduce amounting to over §6000. The ' Yankee' is nearly full of cargo, and is now waiting for the arrival of some of the coasters, expected to biing freight and passengers to go forward by her. She will probably sail on Monday, talcing a large freight and a cabin full of passengers. The brig ' Mary Ellen,' Capt. Bennett, is the next opportunity for San Francisco. We learn that she has about half her cargo, consisting of sugar, molasses and pu lv, engaged, and will sail about the 25th inst. The barque ' Kathleen,' which arrived last week from Sydney, has hauled into the wharf and commenced discharging her cargo of coals, which have been sold on p. t. The future destination of the ' Kathleen' is not yet decided upon. We learn that she is for sale. We hear of no transactions of importance during the past week. There is very little businesss doing and less in prospect. Exchange — There h»s been a great demand for bills on both San Francisco and the East. Short sight drafts on Boston and New York have been sold as" high as 3 per cent, premium, and 60 day drafts at par. On San Francisco, par to 1 per cent, premium. The following are also the latest prices at Victoria, Butish Columbia —

"Victoria Market, April 15. Coffee, lUo and Sandwich Island, 14 to 16 c. ; flour, Ha\all $9 to $12, California brands $4 50 to $5, Oiegon, §1 75 to $5 ; molasses, 29 to 32c. per gallon : sugar, ciushed and loaf 14 to loc., China 8 to Sjc. , Sand.vich Island, 7to 9£c ; salt, Sandwich Island, $15. The above prices we extract from a Victoria circular, but learn fiom private advices received per ' Mary Ellen' and 'Yankee,' that most of the quotations aie only nominal, being the prices charged lather than at which sales have been made. The rates of oil »re thus given at New Bedfoid on Mai oh 28 — There have been no transactions in sperm iv this market the past week, but there is some inquiry at $1 45 In Sag Harbour 400 barrels have been sold at $1 424 P ei gallon, delivered in New York Whale oil is in good demand for manufacturing, for which there have been sold in this uiiuket the present week, 3,000 bariels of all giades (including 350 barrels dark at 42 to 42i cents per gallon) the balance at from 45 to 46 cents In whalebone we hear of the sale of 4,000 lbs Ochotsk m this city at 75 cents per It)., and 12,800 do do. in I\mha\ en at 70 do.

Whalers at Honolulu. The " whalemen's list, for the spring season of 1861, at the Hawaiian islands " gives a total of 52 ships, and fa\ oil' able results Of these, the foEowing weie by •w ay of New Zealand — 'Catherine,' Hempsteacl, 381 tons, NL, Is ov '58 An Hon Mai 30 fm Indian Ocean via N Zeal, 130 wh the season. Ski Apr 25 for Arc ' Julian, 1 Wmegar, 356 tons, NB, Sept. 'SS. An Hon via Lah Apr 4, fm cruize on N Z and Line ; nothing this season. Sid Apr 8 for Arc. 'Tamerlane,' Winslow, 357 tons, NE, Oct '58 Arr Hon Api 15 fm N Zeal and Line, 250 sp. 120 wh the season Sid Apr 19 for Arc. The following will give some idea of the attention that is being paid to pastoral inteiests in the Hawaiian archipelago .—. — "Wool Growing.— We rejoice to see the increased attention which oui graziers are paying to the raising of sheep, and that wool growing is rapidly increasing 'Hie better care now bestowed upon the washing, aborting, and packing of the wool, while it obviates many of the objections formerly made to it, greatly enhances its value. If we look back upon the doings of former years, we shall find the first expoit of Hawaiian wool recorded in 1545, when 800 pounds were shipped. From 1845 to 1854 the shipments of wool had only increased to 12,845 lbs. Since then, wool has taken a fine start ; the breed has been carefully improved and the flocks better attended to ; and in IS6O the clip exported was 70,524 pounds, while up to May, 1861, already 74,075 pounds have been shipped, 70,434 pounds of which were sent in one vessel alone, to Bremen, while many of the glaziers have not yet finished shearing and packing their wool. Again we have to regret the extreme meagreness of the last year's census upon all those subjects which the government ought to have been informed of for statistical and economical purposes. We are therefore unable to make any calculation of the number of sheep in the country or the probable yield of their fleeces. At the end of the year we shall know the footing up of the exports of wool and draw our conclusions accordingly, and, as no other census will be taken for six years to come, we shall have a fine field for guessing at all those matters which we ought to have been in a position to know, and which the government owed to itself, and to the promotion of its commercial and agricultural interests, to have laid before capitalists and emigiants abroad.

New Gbazing Firm. — We learn that the grazing establishments of Messrs. Louzada, Spencer and Co., and Eobt. C. Janion, at Waimea, Hawaii, have been united, and that the new concern is now called the " Waimea Grazing and Agricultural Company," of winch Mr. W. L. Green is president and director in Honolulu, Mr. Geo. McLean is secretary and treasurer, and Mr. Francis Spencer is manager on Hawaii. They purpose to apply for a. charter, with a capital of $75,000, and as they own some 15,000 fine wool sheep, 600 or 700 head of cattle, besides the wild mountain herd, estimated at 20,000, and are in possession, either by lease or in fee simple, of a tract of land sti etching from sea to sea across the island of Hawii, and around the mountain of Maunakea, thi3 company becomes perhaps the Ingest and most important of the several joint stock associations recently formed here. The company ha\e taken an interest in the Hawaiian Steam Navigation Company to the extent of $5,0C0, which is an additional guarantee that we shall not be left without the benefits of inter-island steam communication, as they command freights to the amount of some $1,200 per month, with every prospect of a rapid inciease. — P. G. Adiertiter. The agricultural interest has not been ovei looked, as may be seen from the subjoined paragraph The Honolulu Steam Flour Mim,.— We are gratified to leain that the new flour mill is completed and will commence grinding on Tuesday next. We expect that the new crop of wheat on Maui will be leady for delivery on the Ist of July. Among the miscellaneous news we find the annexed • — " Lady Franklin and her party, it is expected, will ainve from Kona, Hawaii, by the schooner ' Kekauluohi'." Newa from New Zealand to the 12th Maich had reached Honolulu ; also the American news relative to thewar m the United States The editor of the Polynesian, in an article on the "Exodus from Honolulu," thus pathetically refers to the fate of newspaper editors, which is their common lot in every quarter of the globe :— What with these departures for foreign lands and the great number who are leaving Honolulu for the other islands, during the summer months, there is a fair prospect of decidedly one of the dullest seasons in Honolulu for the last twelve years. Yet, while everybody is going away to recuperate or enjoy themselves in a change of climate, scenes, and associations, we poor editors are expected to stick to our posts and manufactme news for the information and amusement of the absent ones. 'Tis said that " times are checkered no w-a-days," but "nary check" is there in our pattern "It is an ill wind," however, "that blows nobody goo'l," and if we are doomed to dullness at home, theie is every piospect of Stirling timed abroad : the secession in the United States and the warlike pieparationa in Europe.

India rubber balls seem to be scarce, if wo may judge from the following advertisement : — " Notice ! Any person having one or more large sized India, rubber balfs, suoh as children use to play with, or such as aie used in force pumps, and willing to part -with them, will be well paid by Joseph Booth." 1 lie formalities attending royalty are duly observed in the Hawaiian group. Thus, on May 18, the following notification is published in the Polynesian "'On Mo iday neii, the 20th inst , being the birth-day of H.11.H. the Prince of Hawaii, all public offices will be closod." Nay more, the question of " diplomatic immunitus" is treated by " Pomaikai," a wntor in tho same journal, who is " to the manor bom" in masteily style, although a httle digiessive. This letter lifts the social curtain, and gives us a peep behind the scenes, in the capital of his sable majesty the king of Hawaii. The writer adverts to the question of "diplomatic courtesies," and from what is stated, we may readily conclude the offenders to have been representatives o£ foreign nations (possibly English or American) whose opinions were rather indiscieetly expressed. "Pomaikai" says— "l must make an observation in regard to diplomatic courtesies, in addition to what I foimerly took occasion to submit to youi leadeis. Strict couttesy is one of the highest obligations of the diplomatist. He is bound to be a, gentleman in all lespects His intei coulee with the government to winch he is accredited, and all its officers, should be conciliatory and mild. It is not his province to seek out occasions of quariel. His functions are not to wrangle and find occasion for trouble, but to harmonise, to suppress dissensions, and promote the pievalence of good feeling. His mission is, or ought to be, one of peace. I have spoken in my last communication of the imputation of motives. Between gentlemen, such a thing is inadmissible. In diplomacy the same rule ought to exist. The representative is supposed to be the gentleman, oi he could not be thought fit to fill his position. It is a umiour on the htieets that base motives have been assigned to the action of our courts in some cases recently adjudicated Ido not believe it. I stand upon the ground of charity, and contend for a fair allowance to the scandals of a small town, with a repute as wide as the world, for innocent talk, free conversations, and haimless repartee. I should like to ask you how France would take it if her judicial tribunals were accused of partial action byaiepresentative of another country residing in Paris « Would the United States or Great Britain for an instant submit to imputations of that sort upon the purity of the judicial ermine ' There is but one answer to be given. Should such a case arise, I would meet it, if I were invested with executive power, w ith a prompt refusal of further intercourse with the author of the calumny. I would characterise it as impudence, and repel it as an insult I should tell him and his government of his faults, and rest upon common usage and the good sense of the world for buppoit." But the ungallant diplomatists at the Hawaiian court have gone farther than merely insinuating that the fountains of justice have been polluted. The fair politicians (we beg pardon, the sable politicians) have also been cen&uied, and they are thus championed by the same writer, who is evidently conscious of the weakness of the sex — " What I mention is not the worst. It is said that a system of lying is cuirent It is declared that we have in our midst liars by nature and lmis by habit. Society, it is leputed, takes them both within its embrace The female heads of society are set down as the chief sinners — whether properly or not I will not assume to state. Scandal is called the peculiar vice of the gentler sex Old Mother Eve, according to senptuie, was the fiist sinner, and all her daughters aie presumed to be eagei to follow in her footsteps. Lovely and attractive as these fair daughters of ' the fiist of, woman-kind' are called, it is thought right to make them responsible for half the scandals which disturb our peace. In this country theie is, among oui foieign population, but httle respect to the virtue of chanty, and no limit to the ciune of detiaction. The high and the low, whatever their condition, aie subject to aspersions, to slanders, and disgraceful comments, made without foundation, and usually oiiginating in mere falsehood, in malice, or motives of still deeper mihgnity. All tins can be passed over without any important sacrifice of propriety. If I weie a foieigner I should deem it a duty to rebuke the selfish and contentious spnit of some of our domiciled residents. But, being to "the manor bom," I am lestiained within the limits of piopnety, and I hope of courtesy, which, it is to be regietted, aie not alwajd observed by professed fuends m their intercouiae with om people, with whom they assume to be on terms) of equality." " Pomaikai " is a patuot ; but while his patuotic utterances might pioduce pleasuie, if clothed in the gaib of sober leason, they are only piovocative of laughter when they descend to bathos — "They (the domiciled residents) sometimes call us hard names. We do not care for that. They taunt us about race and color. In that respect we are indifferent. God has made us as we are, and we think His Providence has best determined our position. Foi ourselves we asseit domestic superiority- — -we hold to our right of independence, and with the Divine aid it shall be maintained. The supremacy of the dynasty of Kamehameha, now secure, will in some mode be suppoi ted. Let there be no question on this subject. Whatever may be the fate of the Amencan Union, or of united sovereignty in Italy, Hawaiian independence is assured. This is wntten m the book of fate m characters indelible, and it will take centuiies to blot it from the recoid. The tune has come when bullying, and arrogance, and hard names, and the imputation of bad motives to executive or judicial officers, can no longer exeici^e any very gieat degree of influence They must cease, or the legitimate consequences will be apt to follow. There is a fair degree of panty in this respect, the obseivance of which in all countries might be of considerable advantage. It is no part of the business of a diplomatist to ridicule or slander in social circles, the people among whom he lives If he does not like their color or peculiarities, he bhould be considerate enough to confine his expressions of opinion to his correspondence, or confidential conversations with those who will not betiay them These aie general ideas stated by all the judicious writers on public law." No one can doubt the Yankee'" raising" of " Pomaikai " from the following sentences. The morality is pure Yankee, and the slang smacks stiongly of the "The Tombs." Nevertheless he gives us important information on the matter of Hawaiian state etiquette, which must flatter his most Catholic majesty, the Kaiser Francis Joseph .—. — " Etiquette is the only question remaining for my consideration. There is a great deal of misapprehension on the subject. Parvenu gentility has sought to estabhsh its own lules; ' codfish aristocracy ' asserts its power of supremacy in virtue of the omnipotent force of dollais and cents. Money is indeed a" great power. If it be the root of all evil, as some old wnter has foolishly said, it is the basis of great influence. The man with dimes in his pocket, no matter from what source they came, can, if he chooses, turn up his nose in the face of the world. Wealth makes the man in society. Ignorance in robes of silk, goes for more than the most lefined intelligence in calico. It was settled by the Code of Vienna, that every country could determine for itself the mode of receiving and treating diplomatic agents, in the way of official courtesy. The government of this country has, I think, expressly adopted that Code as a rule of its conduct. I have before me the ' order in council,' passed June 29, 1844, which purports to be a ' Code of Etiquette,' adopting the Vienna regulations to their full extent. Diplomatic agents rank as they do in other countries, by the rule of age in seivice or relative position. They hold no immunities in consequence of the superior power of the states they repieseut, and are to be treated precisely as Great Britain, the United States, and France treat the political representatives acci edited to their courts." The advertisement sheets contain announcements showing the varied tastes and requuementa of the community. Among other commodities we perceive Roe's liish whiskey with Irish potatoes as an antidote ; " Boyle's Electric Hair Dye," patronibed by the "Wizard of the North," Professor Andeison ; brandy and sodawater ; soothing syrup for childi en, and vegatable pills and sarsapirilla for adults ; Yorkshire hams and bacon compete with Oregon salmon. " General merchandize of every description " is adveitised ; hotels, bowling alleys, theatres, and "the Dashavvay Association," to which a Rev. Mr. Anthony is announced to lectuie. An extiact from the London Evening Express is published, giving an account of the revival meetings in Exeter Hall ; and a practical commentary is made in the annexed advertisement : — " For the benefit of mechanics, trades people, and others. — A sermon will be preached in the Royal Hawaiian theatre, by the Rev. J. Bicknell, of the Marquesas miasion, on Sabbath next (to morrow), at 3 o'clock, p.m. — Subject of discourse, redemption — Honolulu, May 17, 1861." The rifle movement has extended to Honolulu, evening drills being advertised at the armoiy of tho corps for twice a month. The Odd Fellows have their hall, and the fraternity of Freemasons theii lodge, No. 124, under the jmis hct.on of the supiome council of the Grand Centi.il Lodge of Fiance, woiking in tho ancient Scotch lite. Theie are two excellent hospitals; and ftom the reports published of proceedings in tho supreme court of Honolulu, there can be no doubt of the ability of tho bench and bar. The progiess of judicature in the Hiwa'ian state may ha learned fiom an advertifemont. Thus : — " Law reports.— For Bale at this office, the firct Volume of the Hawaiian reports, comprising many of

the most impoitvnt decisions and rulings of the superior courts of tills kingdom duiing the ton years, ending with 1856, compiled by Georgo M. Robertson." Tho Polynesian contains an article on the lovely Hawaiian district of Hilo, together with the first number of the Hilo Mercantile Gazette, May 4, 1861, which Jwe are informed is in M.S , theie being no printing press in Ililo. This is not an insuperable obstacle, were a fount of type available. We have at this moment before us a hie of the AiwUand Times, of 1842, bearing the following imprint : — " Auckland : Punted (pi a mangle), and published by Heniy Falwasser, bole editor and proprietor." The Timet> was piinted on one side only, in pica and gieatpiiiner founts, alibpialusebeing made of German text. What has been done in Auckland may be done in Hilo. Subjoined are the article and Gazette . — Hilo.— ln the ancient town of Hilo, that garden of the Hawaiian Aichipelago, there live about \ 100 foreign residents. One would think that, isolated fioin the rest of tho woild, looking out on the broad Pacific on one side, looking up on tho snow-clad Maunakea on tho other, with only an occasional illumination in the i ear from the distant Maunaloa ; daily bathed in sunny showers fiom the ocean, nightly swathed in the mountain bieeze, suifoited on the good tilings of the earth which glow by command as if by magic,— one would think that monotony and ennui would take possession of their souls, and like the lotuseaters, of whom Tennyson sings, they would resign themselves to abundance and oblivion. Not so. They are a world unto themselves, a pleasant, kindly, hospitable woild, and like industuous bees, they suck the honey of each passing hour Feeding well, and being only once a week in communication with the metropohs, through the agency of the Kilaitea, they are obliged to fall back upon their own resources for that mental and intellectual agitation which, by combining biain and stomach, has such a beneficial effect upon digestion. Some time ago, appieciating the cool, lefreshinE; influence of the night breeze, which is said to equal iced sangaree in quality, and far surpass it in quantity, some of the inhabitants, from the most unselfish and benevolent motives imaginable, commenced ringing the church bell at 2 o'clock in the morning, to call their fellowcitizens to this airy lepast, and to say gtace after partaking it. Unfortunately Eden had its serpent, and Hilo has its grumblers ; and there were men so perverse and with so disordered imaginations, that they actually thought that they had a right to enjoy their moining nap, and that the law seemed them from hideous noises in the night The next time that the servant of the Lord's servant approached the bell-rope he found himself confronted-with a constable, and, horrible to relate, was locked up as a disturber in Isiael. It is said that Hilo kept its bed that morning, but that the pastor lost his bieakfast The lesult of this coup d'etat, as we learn, was to change the time of those social gatherings from the small hour* of the night to tho early hours, of the evening. This is one of the episodes which give zest to a life in Hilo and prevent stagnation. Another is the commencement of a Ma candle Gazette, of which we have been favoied with a copy by oui late townsman, 'lhos Spencei, Esq It is a neat, well got up sheet, in wirtmg (there is no piess in Hilo), and passed fiom hand to hand until the issue of the next number. Shipping. — The arrivals for the week have been the A 1 chppei schooner ' Nettie Meinl,' Gulick, from Honolulu via Lahaiua, with spars and an assorted cargo of meichandise and celestial passengers, all to order The 'Nettie Men ill' arrived on the evening of the 3d mat. Also, arrived same day, two canoes, laden with pulu and diied fish, from wheie and for whom still re main a matter of unceitamty, and may piobabiy never be ascertained, as. vessels of this classare notiequued by law to deposit their papeis in the Custom House. No little excitement and surmi&es exist in consequence. As we go to piesh, a vessel, supposed to be a brig from the fact of her having two masts with an upper joint, attached to which aie squared rigged sails, is repoited to hem the offing. Those skilled in nautical affairs aie of the opinion that thib vessel is the ' Maiy Ellen' Bennett, master, fiom Puget's Sound, with an assoited cargo of lumber, flour, salmon, apples, &c., &c , greater joitron of which cargo, we aio ciedibly informed, will be landed by manual labor at this poit. When ready for sea, the vessel will pioceed to the port of Honolulu, Island of Oahu, to land balance of caigo. Strenuous efforts will be made to despatch the vessel some time during the coming week. Theie is a very slight posbibilty that files of Eastern news, by way of Siberia oi Belli ing Sti aits, maybe brought by the 'Mary Ellen. The Stock Makkft — For the week has been chaiacteribed by nothing approaching activity. Theie appeal t. to be a geneial indisposition to make slock investments, while events at the East indicate so much of instability By late exchanges wo note that a similar feeling pervades the commeicial community of our rival countiy, California Mining Prospects — Considerable transactions have been earned on dm ing the weelc Mi. F. L Jones was, however, the most succesful opeiator, by a most peculiar modus operandi. Mexic vn Doll vis — The supply of late has been quite ineagie. We believe, however, that two brought in from the mterioi changed hands at pai Sight Exchange —On any part of the world lemains as for severals years past We would quote as most reliable, any rate that you can agiee upon In a Hegular Trade Wai the demand has pai taken of vety little animation. The season is now, we tiust, sufficiently advanced to foibid the expectation of any further interuption to ease and conifoi t from the whaling fleet No uioie lain is desired to assist [the prospects of agriculture. Should we have many rnoie bhowers, communication with the countiy must suffer a temporary obstruction. Prices of produce, &c,, about our last quotations, say good sweet Poi 25c a bundle ; Salmon, ranging fiom 25c to 37 i apiece, according to size ; Fresh b'ish in great demand, at puces suiting the views of holder and buyei. Chauteks. —The only engagement of which we are cognisant is a small canoo on p t The increasing rates of pulu, and better supply of tonnage, are lowering the views of Chaiteieis, and wp shall look for engagements to be renewed at a decline.Political — Much interest is beginning to be felt here, lest President Lincoln should ask Seward to take his place. This, no doubt, would be the best means to propitate the South. W F. C. P. S. The report, as published a week or two ago, by ono of our contemporaries, that a great massacre of whites had taken place at Auckland is, we are of firm belief, without foundation