308 The squadron at Honolulu. SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 



Adventure on shore. Case of 

 Herron the cooper. 



change in the course of the tide, but also by the 

 cessation of the breakers. 



Our situation afforded me an opportunity of 

 measuring the velocity of the waves as they passed 

 the ship ; and though the distance was short, yet 

 the observations were numerous, and gave the 

 velocity at from fifteen to eighteen miles an 

 hour ; their estimated height was over thirty feet, 

 their width, from eight hundred to one thousand 

 feet. 



At half-past three, one of these immense 

 breakers struck the ship broad on the bow, and 

 broke with its full force on board : the cable 

 surged ; the stoppers were carried away ; and 

 the whole spar - deck swept fore and aft ; the 

 boats and booms broke adrift, the former were 

 stove, and the latter thrown with violence to one 

 side. 



Unfortunately, Joseph Allshouse, a marine, 

 who was in the act of ascending the ladder at 

 the time, was struck by one of the spars, and 

 so much injured that he died a few hours after- 

 wards. 



It was not until between seven and eight o'clock 

 that the ship could be relieved from this situation: 

 at that time a light air from the land sprung up, 

 of which advantage was at once taken to weigh 

 our anchor. The rollers, however, had by this 

 time ceased to break, the sea began to fall, and a 

 few hours afterwards regained its former placid 

 and quiet state. The fog was still dense when 

 we reached deep water, where we again dropped 

 anchor ; but shortly after the weather cleared 

 up, and we had communication with the Por- 

 poise and Oregon ; they having reached deeper 

 water, had fortunately not experienced any of the 

 rollers. 



We now got under way, and stood for the bay 

 of Monterey, from whence I sent the Porpoise 

 with despatches for the United States, ordering her 

 to land them, and in case she did not meet the 

 Vincennes, to make the best of her way to the 

 Sandwich Islands. 



The next day being foggy, I bore away in com- 

 pany with the Oregon. 



On the 5th, the weather continuing thick and 

 foggy, with strong breezes from the northward 

 and westward, I made all sail and parted com- 

 pany. 



The wind on the 7th, when we had reached the 

 latitude of 27 N., began to incline to the north- 

 east, and the temperature became mild. 



On the 13th, 1 shaped our course to run over 

 one of the positions of Copper's Island, supposed 

 to exist in longitude 151 36' W., and latitude 25 

 48' N. On the afternoon of the 14th, we were 

 within five miles of its assigned place, and the 

 weather was perfectly fine, with a clear horizon, 

 but there was no appearance of land. 



On the morning of the 16th, we made the island 

 of Maui, and on the 17th, at daylight, the island of 

 Oahu, anchoring at 10 A.M. off the town of Hono- 

 lulu. The Porpoise came in at 2 P.M., and the 

 Flying-Fish at five o'clock of the same day. The 

 following day the trade-wind was too strong to ad- 

 mit of the Vincennes entering the inner harbour ; 

 but the Porpoise and tender were enabled to 

 do so. The Oregon joined us in the afternoon, 

 and on the next day at an early hour the squadron 

 was again moored in the harbour of Honolulu. 



Our reception was even kinder than before ; and 

 every facility that we could desire was offered for 

 advancing our duties and procuring the necessary 

 stores and clothing that our shipwrecked officers 

 and men required. 



Honolulu showed signs of improvement, but I 

 regretted to perceive that during the year the 

 morals of the place seemed to have declined. The 

 number of grog-shops had apparently increased, 

 and the sailors' dancing-halls, with their music, 

 were allowed more license than at our first visit. 

 Yet, as far as the prompt execution of the law 

 went, I did not find the authorities deficient. In- 

 deed, at times, Governor Kekuanaoa is rather too 

 precipitate in his decisions, of which we soon had 

 an instance. 



During our stay of ten days, the crews were 

 allowed, in turn, recreation on shore. Among the 

 number was Lewis Herron, the cooper. In the 

 course of his liberty, he was desirous of entering 

 one of the sailor's boarding-houses, at the door of 

 which his progress was arrested by a coloured 

 man, who was on guard with an old cutlass, and 

 who threatened Herron with violence if he at- 

 tempted to enter. This, Herron, though usually a 

 very quiet and orderly man, at once resented ; and 

 the altercation finally came to an angry dispute as 

 to who was the better man. Herron, determined 

 to prove that he was, laid hold of the sentry, over- 

 threw him, took the rusty cutlass away, and struck 

 him with it so as to give the man a slight scratch 

 on the leg. Herron now brandished his weapon in 

 victory; but being told by the bystanders that it 

 was unlawful to carry weapons, he determined to 

 take it himself to the governor at the fort, and de- 

 liver it up. On his way thither, and just before he 

 arrived, he was met by some soldiers, who at once 

 seized and carried him before the governor, with 

 the sword hi his hand, which he had refused to give 

 up to any one else. 



The governor had a kind of trial held by himself, 

 and not according to law, (which provides for trial 

 by jury,) to which he summoned the very man who 

 had caused the quarrel, as a witness, without any 

 formality or oath, and sentenced Herron to fifty 

 dollars fine, and to receive one hundred lashes; 

 while the person who had been guilty of using the 

 arms, received but a nominal fine. One of the offi- 

 cers hearing of the circumstance in the afternoon, 

 went to see Herron, heard his story, and then saw 

 the governor, who promised that the man should 

 have another hearing or trial the next morning, at 

 nine o'clock, and that he should not be punished 

 until I was informed of it. In the morning, 

 however, to my great surprise, I heard that, by 

 the governor's orders, and in his presence, Herron 

 had, at eight o'clock, an hour before the time his 

 new trial was to take place, received twenty- eight 

 lashes. On learning this circumstance, an officer 

 was at once sent to wait upon the governor, to re- 

 quest 'an explanation of the proceedings, and that 

 Herron might be given up, and held subject to the 

 governor's order, for a proper trial. On receiving 

 the officer, Governor Kekuanaoa declared that it 

 was a misunderstanding relative to his having pro- 

 mised a new trial, and declined giving up the man. 

 In consequence of this, I at once sent a message to 

 demand him, and to state that if he was not sur- 

 rendered, I should be obliged to take him, for I 

 would not suffer him to remain any longer in the 



