"A Great Man" (Death of Patrick Connell. 1846)

Source: The Polynesian. Honolulu: February 28, 1846.

A GREAT MAN: -We felt very much like going into mourning, and did, indeed, spatter the margin of the book with a pen full of ink, as we laid down the third volume of Wilkes's Exploring expeditions, struck with the record of the death of Patrick Connell.

Poor Patrick-or, as he was called for shortness, Paddy. It is a pleasant way the world has of signifying its affection for a man, by smoothing his name-of shaking out the wrinkles- of softening down the final consonants into delicate vowels. Subtending the angles of some three syllabled appellative with a single sounded hypotenuse. 

Captain Wilkes, on arriving at one of the farthest and most undesirable of the Fejee Islands, where pig's flesh is a luxury, and human flesh a high holiday food, had a visit from a host of the oil-bedaubed and clay-covered inhabitants, whom he addressed through an interpreter, and whose wants, in the way of jackknives, beads and glass bottles, he supplied.

With a modesty acquired, of course, among the cannibals, one inhabitant gently pressed aside the interpreter, and, to the question of what he wanted replied, that "his honor should give him a hatchet for the children."

Great was the astonishment of the captain to ascertain that beneath the bushy head and oiled skin before him beat the heart of an Irishman, who, to the question of what he was doing there, replied, "raising pigs, hens and children."

The pigs and the hens did not multiply rapidly, but Patrick was the happy father of "Forty-Eight Children," and was living with the hopes of two more that very year.

But, alas, the hopes of this Priam of the Fejees were blasted-not in the failure of his plans, but in the termination of his life. He died in a few months afterwards, "leaving a large circle of wives and children to deplore their irreparable loss. [Phil. U.S. Gaz.]

Exploring Expedition Charts (April, 1846)

Source: The Polynesian. Honolulu: April 4, 1846

There is now at the custom house in this city, for sale by the collector, also at the navy department, Washington, a number of sets of seventy distinct charts. 

Chart of the Antarctic Continent by the U.S. Exploring Expedition. 

In about two weeks there will be added to this number forty-nine charts more, which will make one hundred and nineteen distinct charts on fifty-four sheets, embracing the most important surveys of the Pacific ocean. 

The price marked on the sheet is thirteen and twenty-five cents each, only the cost of paper and printing. 

All the remaining charts of the surveys of the exploring expedition will be engraved and printed during the winter, and will make in all two hundred and eight distinct charts on ninety sheets. We have seen most of the charts already out; but this is a small matter in comparison with the vast amount of geographical and topographical information which they contain. 

Whoever examines these maps, will see that the exploring expedition, during their three years absence from the country, had a plenty of work to do. 

The soundings and other observations at various localities, are, we had almost said, innumerable. We were particularly interested with the charts and profiles of the Antarctic Continent, the coast of Oregon, the mouth of the Columbia River, (which was explored and sounded for one hundred miles) and some of the gouts of islands in the Pacific. 

To navigators especially, these charts will be invaluable, and they are furnished as a very low price-the object being to diffuse information, and not to make money. -N.Y. J. Com. 

Dr. Judd's "Most Wonderful Escape" at Kilaurea (1841)

Source: The Polynesian. Honolulu: February 13, 1841, page 143.

Dr. Judd, of this town, who accompanied the Scientific Corps of the Exploring Squadron in their excursions on Hawaii, had a most wonderful escape from an awful death.

He had descended into the crater of Kilaurea [Kilauea], to obtain some specimens of the liquid lava. Not succeeding in procuring any at the Great Lake, (as it is called) he approached one of the smaller ones, or chimneys, and descended a few feet into it.

While gathering specimens, the lake suddenly became active, and discharged a jet of lava into the air far above his head, but which most fortunately fell in the opposite direction of him.

He then commenced making his way out, before another should follow, but the ascent was far more difficult than the descent. He became alarmed, and called on five natives who had accompanied him to the spot, for assistance. 

The heat had become so great that they were frightened and retreated with the exception of one man, who threw himself flat upon the bank, and reaching over his right hand, enabled the Doctor to reach the top. 

But before he reached the brink, his clothes were burnt by the hot air, and he would have been scalded had he not been protected by woolen garments. The native in stooping over, had his face and hands blistered. They both had barely time to leave the spot, when the lake filled up and poured out a stream of liquid lava.