Peter T Young

January 29, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Public Clocks

The first timepieces seen by the Islanders were those brought in 1778-1779 by Captain James Cook and his officers. These instruments included “the same Watch Machine that was out with me last voyage,” “Another Watch Machine . . . put on board the Discovery,” an astronomical Clock,” an “Alarum D°,” and a “Pinchback pocket Watch with a second hand & Ruby Cylinder.”

The “watch machine,” or marine chronometer, was an extremely accurate and sophisticated timepiece, essential for determining longitude, that had only recently been perfected by John Harrison; tested on Cook’s second voyage, it had “performed magnificently.”

The first direct evidence of a clock on Island soil appears in a list of goods received by Kamehameha I at Lahaina in 1812, in return for a shipload of sandalwood. Well down an accounting of such items as clothing, swords, mirrors, saddles, casks, lamps, fishing rods, and rockets appears the entry, “1 large clock for the house.” (Schmitt & Cox)

“Large public clocks first appeared in the 1840s and 1850s. In 1842, James Hunnewell presented Kawaiahaʻo Church with the large church clock on the gallery wall below the new organ.”

The public clock served the functional purpose of telling passers-by the time. But it also served as a village landmark, a reference point, and a symbol of civic pride. Indeed, public clocks were something of a status symbol for a community, a sign that a town had reached a certain level of prosperity, that there was action there.

A clock was ordered from France soon after the dedication of the Our Lady of Peace Catholic Cathedral. Bishop Maigret sent the order through the office of the superior of the Sacred Hearts Fathers and Brothers in Valparaiso, Chile.

It was sent there for inspection before it was forwarded to Hawai‘i. For some unknown reason, it was switched with an older clock in Chile. (Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace) This ‘second-hand’ clock was installed in the Church’s original tower in about 1846. (Historic Hawaii Foundation) It is the oldest tower clock in Hawai‘i.

Kawaiahaʻo Church, designed by Hiram Bingham and constructed between 1836 and 1842, was in the New England style of the Protestant missionaries. Its tower clock is commonly referred to as the Kauikeaouli clock (four faces,) in memory of King Kamehameha III, its donor.

It was made by the Howard & Davis Clock Makers of Boston, Massachusetts. Mechanics arrived with the clock in 1850 and preparations were made for its installation – King Kamehameha III was selected to supervise the task. The clock, which tolls the hours, still operates on its original machinery.

Down on the Honolulu Harbor waterfront, Lucas’ Honolulu Planing Mill building served a couple critical purposes. First, the clock tower served as a range marker for ships aligning to enter/leave the harbor. (“The line of the harbor light (red) and the clock tower of the Honolulu Planing Mill on Fort … just touches the west side of this channel at the outer end.”) (Hawaii Bureau of Customs)

In addition, the clock served as a local time piece, as well as the official time to mariners. “Time-Signal at Planing Mill … a time-signal has been established at the Honolulu steam-planing mill, Honolulu, Sandwich islands. The signal is a whistle, which is sounded twice daily by electric signal from the survey office; … (giving time associated with) Greenwich mean time. (Nautical Magazine, January 1890)

The Lucas clock didn’t always work; “Lucas’ clock … At 7 this morning the clock was of the opinion that 10:45 was about the correct time.” (Hawaiian Star, October 25, 1895)

“Lucas’ clock on the Esplanade has been groggy for some time lately but repairs are being made. It’s a godsend to the waterfront people and the government should keep it in repair.” (Evening Bulletin, July 12, 1897)

Others wanted to be different, “Maui wants to adopt the Government time on Lucas’ clock with five minutes added, but some few will not agree to it. The result is a great uncertainty in times. (Maui, June 28)” (Hawaiian Gazette, July 1, 1890)

Another Harbor timepiece (and still keeping time) are the four clocks on Aloha Tower (construction began in 1924.) It was completed in a year and a half and became the landmark of Honolulu.

At 10 stories and 184 feet of height topped with 40 feet of flag mast, for four decades the Aloha Tower was the tallest structure in Hawaii. It was built in the Hawaiian Gothic architectural style.

The 4 clocks, each face 12 feet in diameter (by far the biggest clock in the Territory of Hawai‘i and one of the largest in the United States at the time) and facing different directions, were made of bronze and weighed 7 tons each.

If a ship or person was too far away to read the clock, two other means of time synchronization were provided. A time ball was lowered to the bottom of the forty-foot mast atop the tower each day at noon, and the blast of a siren was sounded at 7 am, noon and 4 pm.

Aloha Tower was built as a control tower for the Honolulu harbormaster and a lighthouse as part of a modern freight and passenger terminal at piers 8, 9 and 10.

In addition, it provided offices for the harbor master, pilots and customs officials. The eleventh floor of the tower served as a lookout for the harbor pilots, with balconies on all four sides.

The Kaʻahumanu Church began on August 19, 1832; the first services were held under a thatched roof. The present Kaʻahumanu Church is actually the fourth place of worship for the Wailuku congregation. The original congregation, under the leadership of the Reverend Jonathan S Green, was forced to hold their meetings in a shed.

Active fundraising under Pastor William Pulepule Kahale led to the opportunity to finally build a permanent church. Under the direction of Reverend Edward Bailey, in May, 1876, the new church, finally named the Kaʻahumanu Church, was completed.

The Kaʻahumanu Church is a large blue stone structure with wall more than two feet thick. It has a high-pitched gable roof with no overhang, but the eave terminates in a small molding adjacent to the top place along the wall.

The exterior is finished in plaster. The church tower was not added until 1884 with a “fine tower clock from the U.S. costing $1,000.” In 1892 the chandeliers were added to the interior.

Hilo’s Waiākea Social Settlement Clock was dedicated in 1939, in memory of Mrs CS Richards. The May 23, 1960 tsunami damaged the clock – it stopped at 1:05 am, when the tsunami struck. It was restored on its original pedestal and reminds all who pass of the timing of the tsunami.

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Our Lady of Peace-Cathedral

Aloha Tower Camouflaged

Aloha_Tower,_Honolulu,_1959

Aloha_Tower-1935

Aloha_Tower-Under_Construction-Star-Bulletin-1925

Kaahumanu Church

Kawaiahao Church in 1885-Look towards Diamond Head

Kawaiahao_Church,_Honolulu,_in_1857

Kawaiahao_Church_at_Honolulu_illustration-Bingham

Lucas Clock Noted-Ships_in_Honolulu_Harbor-1900

Lucas Clock-Looking up Fort St. from Allen St. (later Nimitz – Ala Moana)-PP-38-5-016-1885

Lucas_Tower_in_background-Young Brothers Launch ‘Sea Scout’ in Honolulu Harbor-PPWD-9-3-030-1905

Waiakea Social Settlement Clock

Waiakea Social Settlement Clock-memorial

Waiakea Social Settlement Clock plaque

January 28, 2017 by Peter T Young 6 Comments

Bucket List

Time to take a break from history …

I hear folks talking about making sure they work on their “Bucket List,” typically a list of things they want to do before they die – go to certain places, eat certain foods, do certain things, etc, etc.

Over the past few years I have been working on my own list of things I need to do.

But rather than doing this, or eating that, it turns out that, in addition to my family, there are four people who played a significant part of my life and helped me to learn some important life lessons.

My Bucket List has been focused on contacting each one and thanking each for helping me.

After several decades, it is not always easy to find someone in the mobile society we live in. Fortunately, I was able to made my contacts and expressed my appreciation. Here are the people and lessons they taught me:

I was in Al Harrington’s Punahou summer school ancient history class (BTW, I hated history in school – imagine, ancient history in summer school, ugh.)

Yes, this is the same Al Harrington who went on to play “Detective Ben Kokua” in Hawaii Five-O and also was on stage as “The South Pacific Man” at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

After years of searching for his phone number or e-mail address, I unexpectedly saw him at a UH basketball game and took the opportunity to let him know how much his faith, counsel and advice helped me.

Anyway, without going into details, Al gave me and others an important second chance. Sometimes people do dumb things – it’s important to have faith that others can learn from their mistakes.

Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to thank Jim Taylor for teaching me the important lessons of having integrity and taking personal responsibility for your actions – he died before I could tell him. Somehow, though, I think Jim Taylor knew of the influence he had on young adults.

As headmaster of HPA, Jim Taylor touched the lives of many. While not a father figure, he shepherded a bunch of boys into manhood from the mid-50s through the mid-70s and taught each these important life lessons.

There is a certain ‘something’ about HPA graduates, thanks to Jim Taylor. Integrity and taking personal responsibility are good qualities to have; Jim Taylor taught us that.

Several years ago, out of the blue, I contacted Carle Hunt, a professor I had when I was a student at the University of Denver – 40-years before. Ever since leaving DU, I have thought about some words of kindness and encouragement he gave me.

It was a difficult time; I was in a real estate course (that I loved,) but somehow, we just didn’t get along. I dropped his class and went to talk with him about it – I remember our conversation.

I tracked him down over the internet and found him teaching on the East Coast. When we communicated for the first time after 40-years, he said he didn’t remember me or the talk we had.

I told him that was OK; what was important was that I remembered him and what he said. I thanked him for helping me become the person that I am. We all should give words of encouragement to others.

Some people go through life dreaming of doing something, but never find a way to fulfill that dream.

Ed Van Gorder was headmaster at Parker School and gave me the chance to fulfill my lifelong dream, teaching high school math. Those were my best years.

He had the faith and took a chance. Over the years, I have had the chance to see Ed, off and on. We used to go out to dinner, play golf and we’d see each other at UH football games.

He moved to Maui, a few years ago, and we have since lost touch (however, I did have a chance get-together with him at the airport, a while back.)

I am forever grateful to these four people who taught me about giving second chances, so people can learn from their mistakes; living life with integrity and taking personal responsibility for your actions; giving words of encouragement to others, so they can succeed in life; and helping someone to fulfill their dreams.

Did you see the pattern here? Each of these people is a teacher. But their teaching went beyond the subject matter; they also taught very important life lessons.

From my perspective they were in the right profession … and I was fortunate to be with them in the right place at the right time.

As I was making contact and thanking these people who helped me, a much-appreciated surprise came my way.

Out of the blue, I received an e-mail with the Subject line, “Former student of yours from Parker”. The text read:

“I doubt you would remember me but I am a former student of yours. You were not at Parker long but in that short time you taught me many things. …”

“The reason I am writing is that I was asked what teacher made an impact on me and I thought you seemed to be the only one who not only taught me a subject that is difficult but really cared about me and the rest of your students.”

“So for that you made an impact in my life. I hope whatever you are doing nowadays is going the best for you and I thank you again.”

A little later, I received a Facebook message from another former student … “Not sure if you remember me. I was at Parker school in the late 80’s early 90’s.”

“Seems like a life time ago! … you were one of those teachers that made such a positive influence on me, and I really do thank you for that … You were the best Math teacher ever!!! Thank you….”

Of course, I remembered them; and, wow, that was nice.

With that part of the List now covered, I have only one more item on my Bucket List.

I look forward to realizing that wish …

January 27, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Daniel Chamberlain

On October 23, 1819, the Pioneer Company of American Protestant missionaries from the northeast US set sail on the Thaddeus for the Sandwich Islands (now known as Hawai‘i.) There were seven American couples sent by the ABCFM to convert the Hawaiians to Christianity in this first company.

These included two Ordained Preachers, Hiram Bingham and his wife Sybil and Asa Thurston and his wife Lucy; two Teachers, Mr. Samuel Whitney and his wife Mercy and Samuel Ruggles and his wife Mary; a Doctor, Thomas Holman and his wife Lucia; a Printer, Elisha Loomis and his wife Maria; and a Farmer, Daniel Chamberlain, his wife and five children.

“Mr. Daniel Chamberlain genealogy goes back to ‘Wm the Conqueror.’ Three generations later the ancestor was Lord Chamberlain to King Stephen, and the surname Chamberlain has since that day been that of the whole Chamberlain family in England and America.”

“After thirteen generations, Wm Chamberlain and two brothers emigrated to America, and his great-great-grandson was the Daniel Chamberlain who came to Hawai‘i.” (HMCS Annual Report, 1917)

Chamberlain, a captain in the War of 1812, was a New England farmer, of independent means, but of a deeply religious turn of mind. He was a farmer and not an ordained minister.

During the summer previous to leaving with the First Company of American Missionaries in 1819, Chamberlain and his two older sons attended the Mission School at Cornwell, Connecticut. (Kelley)

“Mr Chamberlain and his wife, in the prime of life, feeling the claims of the heathen on them, were willing to leave their friends, their pleasant home and farm in central Massachusetts, and embark for the islands, with their five children, three sons and two daughters, rather than to withhold their personal labors from the heathen.” (Bingham)

The Chamberlain family included Daniels wife, Jerusha Burnap Chamberlain and five children: Dexter Harrington (1807-1887;) Nathan Burnap (1809-1878;) Mary Morse (1811-1887;) Daniel, Jr (1814-1884) and Nancy Elizabeth (1818-1864.) (Alfred White (1821-1891) was born in the Islands.)

“I consider it an unspeakable privilege that I am allowed thus to administer comforts to those who are laboring in the cause of Christ. I have reason to be daily thankful that Mrs C is so calm and contented. She appears to be as contented as she ever did at home on our old farm.” (Chamberlain; Taylor)

It was Kalanimōku, the great warrior and trusted advisor of Kamehameha the Great, who first met the missionaries aboard the Thaddeus in April, 1820, and sailed with them from Kawaihae to Kailua to confer with the king – he was instrumental in the decision of the king to permit the missionaries to land.

“It is reported that the Queen of the Islands, herself briefly clad, swam out to the vessel, was much attracted by the Chamberlain baby (Nancy,) and asked, as a pledge of good faith on the part of the ship’s company, that the mother of the child would allow her to take the baby on shore, promising to return it in good order the following day.”

“Naturally the mother demurred and retired for prayer in order that she might know God’s will in the matter. After a brief interval she returned, strengthened in the decision that it was God’s will.”

“The old Queen swam to the shore with the baby and did not return for several days, but finally came with the child and extended the hospitality of the Islands.” (HMCS Annual Report, 1917)

“Kalanimōku embraced Christianity soon, for he became a pupil of little Daniel Chamberlain Jr, the seven-year-old son of missionary Daniel Chamberlain.” (Taylor)

“Now the great warrior was among us, learning the English alphabet with the docility of a child. He often turned to it, and as often his favorite teacher, Daniel Chamberlain … ‘And a little child shall lead them.’” (Thurston)

Mr Chamberlain was supposed to teach agriculture and mechanical arts to the Hawaiians, but no real progress could be made until horses and cattle were domesticated and this required the consent of the chiefs which had not yet been obtained. (HMCS)

Chamberlain discovered that while there was fertile soil and thousands of acres of lands to till, modern agricultural methods did not take hold upon the people, and his efforts to introduce New England methods were largely in vain. (Taylor)

“The principal food of the natives is poi; it is made from taro which grows here in great abundance. The principal part of our family are very fond of it. It is a good substitute for bread.”

“Wood is hard to be got here, as there is none to be had short of going three miles and no way to bring it only on their shoulders. With a little labour a road might be made to the wood … Bananas a rich fruit, is plenty here. Cotton grows here and might be raised here in any quantity. Figs and pineapples are also found here.” (Chamberlain, July 19, 1820)

Farming by mainland standards was not feasible and Chamberlain turned his efforts to building houses and caring for mission property. (Kelley)

Chamberlain rendered valuable service to the Mission by assisting with the initial construction of houses and caring for the Mission’s property. (HMCS)

“Mr. Chamberlain is well spoken of in the correspondence of the early missionaries as a man of rare good judgment and as rendering much help in the early settlement of the missionary company. But the bringing up of the children in close contact with the benighted people about them, soon became a matter of grave solicitude.” (Gulick)

Perhaps the most certain factor in deciding the Chamberlains to leave Hawai‘i was the fact that he was stricken with brain fever. He was very sick and his recovery slow and doubtful.

He was advised to go to a cooler climate. The mountains of Hawai‘i Island were first talked of for it was a long voyage home and Mrs. Chamberlain would he left unprotected with her family if he should die at sea. (Taylor)

“With joy to think that my highest wishes were gratified as to the station assigned me in the vineyard of our Lord – with trembling lest I should do dishonor to the holy cause in which I had professedly engaged.”

“In endeavouring to assist in bearing the burdens & trials of this great, this soul-trying work, I was conscious that in many things I have failed & come short of what you might reasonably have expected of me.”

“For these things I humbly ask your forgiveness, feeling that it becomes me to lie low in the dust before God & humbly ask his pardoning mercy.” (Chamberlain to ABCFM, March 8 1823)

Chamberlain asked for a release from the ABCFM. He returned to the US with his family, March 21, 1823, on the brig ‘Pearl’ and received his release from the ABCFM on November 12, 1823. (HMCS)

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January 26, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Chinese Baseball

Baseball is based on the English game of rounders. Rounders become popular in the United States in the early 19th century, where the game was called “townball”, “base” or “baseball”.

In 1845, Alexander Cartwright organized the New York Knickerbockers team with a constitution and bylaws, and suggested that they could arrange more games and the sport would be more widely-played if it had a single set of agreed-upon rules.

Cartwright went on to teach people in Hawai‘i how to play the game; he also was part of Honolulu’s first Volunteer Fire Brigade, and became Fire Chief.

Cartwright was the executor of Queen Emma’s Last Will & Testament, as well as executor of the estate of King Kalākaua. Alexander Cartwright died at the age of 72 in Honolulu on July 12th, 1892. A large, pink granite monument in Oʻahu Cemetery marks the final resting-place of Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr.

Japan had already adopted the sport during the Meiji era (1870s), when Japan was adopting western customs to establish a more modern national identity. Baseball, to the Japanese, incorporated both western and eastern cultural elements. Baseball had Japanese values of harmony, determination and discipline while also reflecting Western characteristics. (Pang)

The recorded history of Japanese American involvement in baseball in Hawai‘i dates back to 1899, the year Reverend Takie Okumura of the Makiki Christian Church formed a team made up primarily of boys who boarded at his Okumura Home.

He named the team Excelsior, and they captured the youth league championship in 1905. (Chinen) Other ethnic teams formed, including the Chinese.

“Although Chinese baseball players are mighty scarce in this country, over in Honolulu there is a team composed exclusively of Chinese and they play good baseball. The team is called the Chinese Alohas.”

“In a recent game with the players representing the Hawaiian Hotel, the Chinese team won by the score of 9 to 8. The line-up of the Chinese team is as follows:”

“F You, catcher; Chang Yen, pitcher; N. Sheng, first base; Ah Yap, second base; Yuan Chew, third base; Hoi Sing, shortstop: Ho Tong, right field: Ah Sam, center field; Hung Nyam, left field.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, April 17, 1907)

“During the period between 1910 and 1925, (Chinese) baseball teams … ruled supreme in the territory. The aggregations were so successful that they new worlds to conquer.”

“Starting in 1912 and through 1916, Chinese diamond squads annually invaded the mainland, returning each time with impressive records.” (Franks)

“Honolulu had become a hotbed of Chinese American community baseball. In the early 1900s, the Chinese Athletic Club (CAC) team and the Chinese Alohas called on the services of some of the best ballplayers in the city.”

“In 1912, the CAC, with the financial help of Chinatown merchants and haole boosters anxious to promote Honolulu on the mainland, assembled an ‘all-Chinese’ team that journeyed across the Pacific and engaged in over 100 games against college, community, semiprofessional, and professional teams.”

In June 1912, a Chinese in Hawai‘i organized an amateur league with teams such as the Wah Mun, CAU, CYA, Kukuis and Man Lun. (Franks)

A September 1912 game had thousands watching a game between Wah Mun (representing the ‘Chinese revolutionary faction’) against their rival Man Lun team (representing the Chinese Emperor Reform Association, which backed the continued dynastic rule of China.) There were fears of a riot; but there was none.

However, a fight flared in a later CAU – Man Lun game. Apparently, a Filipino Hawaiian fan was trying to compliment a Chinese Hawaiian player using a Chinese phrase. In reality, he uttered an insult. “For his compliment, the Filipino got a beating by from the Chinaman. The police let it go at that.” (Franks)

About this time there had been growing tensions in China and the revolutionary movement grew stronger and stronger, culminating in the October 10, 1911 Wuhan (Wuchang) Uprising which succeeded in overthrowing the Qing (Manchu) dynasty and establishing the Republic of China.

That date is now celebrated annually as the Republic of China’s national day, also known as the “Double Ten Day,” when the Qing Dynasty finally fell. Sun Yat-sen (the Father of Modern China – and who learned the game of baseball when he lived in Hawai‘i in 1883,) who had been on the American mainland, returned to China at the invitation of the successful revolutionaries to be sworn in as China’s first president in 1912.

Sun’s presidency lasted only 45 days. His most powerful rival was Yuan Shikai (Shih-kai,) who had built a strong base of power in northern China in his role as a top Qing military leader. When Yuan began to flex his muscles, Sun decided it would be politically prudent to abdicate in his favor. Sun turned his attention to forming the Guomindang (Nationalist Party.) (Asia Society)

The Republic of China governed mainland China until 1949; in that year, during the Chinese Civil War, the communists captured Beijing and later Nanjing. The communist-party-led People’s Republic of China was proclaimed on October 1, 1949.

Back to baseball … in 1915, “arrangements have been completed for the famous All-Chinese baseball team of Honolulu, which was so successful against the leading American College clubs on its tour of the United States last year, to come to Shanghai and take part in the series for the open baseball championship of the Far East.”

They needed to raise $5,000 for expenses. Chinese President Yuan Shih-kai sent a letter of support, “stating the president’s hearty approval of the effort to popularize baseball in China as a suitable outdoor sport for Chinese youth …”

“… and the president also sent his check for $500 as a personal contribution towards the expenses of bringing out the All-Chinese baseball team from Honolulu, which he believes will do much to stimulate interest in the game among Chinese.” (Star Bulletin, April 8, 1915)

Furthermore, “Under the patronage of the Chinese government and with the personal assistance of Wu Tang-fang, former Chinese minister to the United States, a baseball team of American-born Chinese is on its way to Shanghai on the steamer Mongolia, by way of the Philippines and Japan.”

“Their expenses in China will be met by the Chinese Government. The team will tour the (principal) cities of the interior to introduce American athletics for the physical improvement of the youth of China.” (Columbus Weekly Advocate, April 15, 1915)

“Sixteen games were played in all during the trip to the Philippines and China, and of these 12 were won, three lost and one tied.”

“In Peking the president of China gave us a reception, and talked to us for about five minutes. We received special permission
to visit the old royal residence, and altogether were treated as distinguished guests.” (Star-Bulletin, June 22, 1915)

In Hawai‘i in 1920, an All-Chinese team knocked off a visiting University of Chicago team; they tied University of California, and later in 1922, Honolulu’s All-Chinese team beat a visiting Stanford team. (Franks)

“For several decades thereafter Hawaiian Chinese organized their own leagues, while supporting a team called the Chinese Tigers that competed in the Hawaii Baseball League.” (Jorae; Zhao)

Chinese Americans used baseball as a means of developing and maintaining sense of community. Through baseball, they cross cultural boundaries to play with and against varied racial and ethnic identities. Some American ballplayers of Chinese ancestry have competed effectively at the highest levels of professional baseball. (Jorae; Zhao)

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Chinese University of Hawaii played Rice Institute-Rice

Chinese-Baseball-Team-Tour of US-1913-LOC

January 25, 2017 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Reading, ‘Riting & ‘Rithmetic

Sir William Curtis (born January 25, 1752,) son of a British baker, became Member of Parliament for the City of London in 1790, holding the seat for 28 years. He was also Lord Mayor of London 1795-6.

Among many other products, the family made ships’ biscuits. After inheriting the business, expanding it and making a whole pile of money, satirists came to call him Sir Billy Biscuit. Sir Billy was nearly illiterate. (BBC)

The famous expression – “the three Rs—reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic”- is credited to Curtis.

He proposed it as a toast at a dinner given by the Board of Education in the days when folks were pleading for increased educational advantages for the poor. It was received with great applause and drunk amid much merriment.

But, though recognized as a jest at the time, it was afterwards taken up in earnest by Curtis’s detractors, who have handed his name down to posterity as a blundering ignoramus. (Walsh, 1893)

He chose the phrase simply as a joke. (Walsh, 1893) However, for decades, the definition of literacy was limited to the acquisition of reading, writing and arithmetic, usually referred to as the 3Rs. (UNESCO)

“(T)he three R’s,’reading, ’riting, ’rithmetic,’… belong to universal culture. They are the foundation of all education. We are speaking of the superstructure.” (Christian Union, September 4, 1878)

Curtis was not just an unexpected forward thinking, yet jokester, toaster; part of his wealth came from operations linked to the quip about his sea biscuit name …

Curtis was one of the principal financiers for the ‘Butterworth Squadron,’ a British commercial fleet of three vessels, the Butterworth, the Jackal, and the Prince Lee Boo.

These ships sailed for the Pacific Ocean from London via Cape Horn in late 1791 on a sealing and whaling expedition, following the Nootka Sound Convention, opening the Pacific Northwest Coast to British traders.

The Butterworth squadron first wintered at the Hawaiian Islands in February 1793, when control of the Islands was divided between Kamehameha who controlled Hawai‘i and much of Maui, and Kahekili who controlled the islands west of Maui including O‘ahu and Kauai.

They traded in weapons with both Kamehameha and Kahekili, but strongly favored the latter. The ship’s captain entered into a contract with Kahekili giving him title to the island of O‘ahu together with four islands to windward in return for weapons and military assistance, suppressing a revolt on Kauai.

It was during this period of alliance with Kahekili that the Butterworth squadron became the first European vessels that entered the inner Honolulu Harbor. (The contract to title to the Islands would have ended upon Kahekili’s death in 1794.) (Payne)

The first European entry of Honolulu Harbor is credited to Captain Brown of the British schooner Jackal, accompanied by Captain Gordon in the sloop tender Prince Lee Boo.

They called the harbor “Fair Haven” which may be a rough translation of the Hawaiian name Honolulu (it was also sometimes called Brown’s Harbor.)

Sir Billy Biscuit was a generous and hospitable man and in later years he became known as the “Father of the City”. When he died on January 18, 1829 every shop in Ramsgate closed in his honour and an immense crowd followed his funeral cortege. He’d had quite an effect on the place. (BBC)

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