424 



12. Maximum of Sandalwood Trade. 

 1810-1825. 



"The sandalwood trade with China reached its height. While 

 it lasted, this wood was a mine of wealth to the kings and chiefs^ 

 by means of which they were enabled to buy guns and ammuni- 

 tion, liquors, boats, and schooners, as well as silks and other 

 Chinese goods, for which they paid exorbitant prices .... This 

 trade greatly increased the oppression of the common people, 

 multitudes of whom were obliged to remain for months at a time 

 in the mountains searching for the trees ; felling them, and bring- 

 ing them down on their backs to the royal store houses." — Alex- 

 ander. 



References. 



Two excellent accounts of the Sandalwood Epoch occur in 

 Thrum's Hawaiian Annual for 1905 and 1915, one by Thrum, 

 the other by Lydgate. 



13. Visit of Kotzebue and Chamisso. 



1816, Nov. 24. 



This date marks the arrival of Captain Kotzebue at Kawaihae 

 Bay in the Russian discovery-ship "Rurick." The naturaHsts 

 who accompanied this expedition were Chamisso and Worms 

 Kiold. Chamisso may be classed as one of the great pioneer 

 botanists of Hawaii. A number of plants have been named in his 

 honor: Viola Chauiissoniana, Giwgins ; Tetramolopium CJiamis- 

 sonis, Gray; Scaevola CJiamissoniana, Gaud.; Cibotiiim Chamis- 

 soi, Kaulf. In company with von Schlechtendahl (Diedrich 

 Franz Leonhard), Chamisso described in ''Linnaea" a number 

 of Hawaiian plants. The life of Chamisso is of much interest, 

 for he was an army officer, and a man of letters, as well as a 

 botanist. The following brief epitome will indicate the main 

 events of his life. 



Life of CJiainisso. 



Born at Chateau of Boncourt, France^ Jan. 30, 1838. His fam- 

 ily driven from France by the Revolution and settled in Berlin. 

 Young Chamisso entered the Prussian army; he studied, wrote 

 poetry, became lieutenant in 1801, and obtained release from the 

 army in 1807. His parents dead, he was "homeless, without a 

 profession, disillusioned and despondent." He lived in Berlin 

 until 1810, at which time he received teaching post in French 

 high school. Chamisso studied botany in Switzerland, and return- 

 ed to Berlin in 1812, where in 1813 he wrote his most famous 

 book ''Peter Schlemihl," the man who sold his shadow. 



