EYES ON THE PACIFIC 223 
The King and Cabinet, having the greatest confidence in your 
ability and energy, anticipate the completion of the cable to the 
islands at an early day. 
I have the honor to be, sir, 
With great respect, 
Your obedient servant, 
Elisha H. Allen. 
His Hawaiian Majesty’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni- 
potentiary. 
Hawaii's Government had been in a confused state since 
1874, when King Lunalilo died leaving no children, so that 
dynastic troubles arose. Order had to be restored by the joint 
forces of England and the United States, and tendencies fa- 
vored annexation by the latter country. Field was cheered by 
the new developments. He wrote to Allen as follows: 
_ Plenipotentiary. 
New York, May 17, 1879. 
Dear Judge Allen,—I sail for Europe on Wednesday next, the 
21st instant, and shall be absent five weeks from this city. During 
my visit there I shall confer with my friends in regard to the Pa- 
cific cable, and I am willing to head a subscription list with my 
own subscription of one hundred thousand dollars. 
I shall be happy to confer with you on my return to this country. 
I have had a bill introduced into Congress granting permission 
to land and operate cables in the United States, which I hope will 
pass during this session. 
With great respect, 
I remain, dear Judge Allen, 
Very truly your friend, 
Cyrus W. Field. 
The United States was just emerging from the strangling 
effects of the financial depression that had begun in 1873. 
The nation’s business had almost stopped. Field’s own for- 
tunes had suffered with others, and in 1879 he lost a large 
amount from Samuel J. Tilden’s manipulation of elevated- 
railway stock, which Field had sponsored and of which he 
was a large holder. Nevertheless he continued to work for a 
