276 Obituary. 



the captain could not convey the remains of Mr. Douglas to Honolulu, as his 

 vessel was filled with wood, canoes, food, &c. 



" In the afternoon, however, Edward Gurney, the English guide, arrived. 

 He stated that, on the 12th instant, about ten minutes before six o'clock in 

 the morning, Mr. Douglas arrived at his house on the mountain, and wished 

 him to point out the road to Hilo, and to accompany him a short distance. 

 Mr. Douglas was then alone, but said that his man had given out the day 

 before ; referring, probably, to John, Mr. Diell's coloured man. Having 

 taken breakfast, Edward accompanied Mr. Douglas about three quarters of a 

 mile; and, after directing him in the path, and warning him of the traps, pro- 

 ceeded about half a mile further with him. Mr. Douglas then dismissed the 

 guide, after expressing his anxiety to reach Hilo by evening, thinking that he 

 could find out the way himself. Just before Edward left him, he warned him 

 particularly of three bullock-traps, about two miles and a half a head ; two of 

 them directly on the road, the other on one side. 



"_Edward now returned home to skin some bullocks which he had previously 

 killed. About eleven o'clock, two natives came in pursuit of him, saying that 

 the European was dead, and that they had found him in the pit in which the 

 bullock was. They stated that, as they were coming up to this pit, one of 

 them, observing some of the clothing on the side, exclaimed " Lole !" and, in a 

 moment afterwards, discovered Mr. Douglas within the pit, trampled under 

 the feet of the bullock. Edward accordingly ran to the house for a musket 

 and ball. On reaching the pit, he found Mr. Douglas lying upon his right 

 side, and the bullock standing upon his body. He shot the animal, descended 

 into the pit, drew the carcass to the other end of it, and got out the body of 

 the poor traveller. His cane was with him, but the bundle and dog were 

 missing. Edward, knowing that he had a bundle, asked for it. After a few 

 moments' search, a loud barking was heard at a short distance ahead, on the 

 road leading to Hilo ; and, on reaching the spot, the dog was found with the 

 bundle. On further examination, it appeared that Mr. Douglas had stopped 

 for a moment and looked into an empty pit, and also into that wherein the 

 bullock was taken ; that, after passing on up the hill some fifteen fathoms, he 

 laid down his bundle, and returned to the fatal pit; and that, while looking 

 in, by making a misstep, or by some other means, he fell into the power of 

 the infuriated animal, who speedily executed the work of death. 



" The body was covered in part with stones ; which circumstance is thought 

 to have prevented its being entirely crushed. After removing it, Edward took 

 charge of the dog and bundle, and of Mr. Douglas's chronometer, his pocket 

 compass, keys, and money, found upon him ; and, having hired the natives to 

 carry the body to the shore (a distance of about twenty-seven miles), accom- 

 panied them, and came thence to Hilo. The letter adds : ' This narrative 

 clears up many of the difficulties which rested upon the whole matter ; and, 

 perhaps, it will afford a pretty satisfactory account of the manner in which Mr. 

 Douglas met his awful death.' The writers then propose to the consul to 

 send the body to Hilolu, should the captain consent to convey it ; if he should 

 not, the corpse was to be interred. We are not aware which course was 

 adopted. The black man mentioned in the letter probably lost his way, and 

 perished in the mountains, as he has not since been heard of." 



Dr. Hosack of Hyde Park, near Albany, U. S., a great patron of gardening, 

 died on the 22d of Dec. last, at New York, aged 66. He had, we understand, 

 been visiting the ruins of the great fire that so lately desolated that city, 

 and dropped in a fit of apoplexy in the streets. 



That venerable agriculturist and most excellent man. Sir John Sinclair, 

 Bart., died, Dec. 22., in Edinburgh, aged 82. Excellent biographical notices 

 of Sir John Sinclair will be found in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, and 

 in the Gentleman! s Magazine for April, 1836 ; and we trust Dr. Mease, or 

 some other American correspondent, will send us some particulars of the life 

 of Dr. Hosack, of whom there is a short, but interesting, notice in Silliman's 

 Journal for January, 1836. 



