Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/235

 hammock, was placed in the dinky, which was towed to the shore, stern foremost, by another boat, while the  ship’s fifer and drummer played the "Rogue’s March."

During the exhibition, the decks and rigging of the nine whale-ships, many boats and canoes in the harbor,  and on shore the fort, housetops, and beach, were covered with a mass of human beings, all eager to witness  this barbarous spectacle.

I quote from the commodore’s own language: "Understanding from our consul that the sailors of the whaling fleet, as is most generally the case, were disposed to be disorderly; and my interference being several times  asked for, I thought it a good opportunity to show the  crews of all these vessels that authority to punish offenders  existed. I therefore ordered the sentence of the court  to be put in execution publicly, after the usual manner  in such cases: ‘Flogging through the fleet’!"

This example was set before a half-civilized people, who were just emerging from heathen darkness into  Christian light! Well might it have been asked, "Where is our Christianity? Where is our civilization?"

There were in Honolulu at this time many beer-drinking Germans, pipe-loving Dutchmen, French dandies, conceited Englishmen, Yankees, Hoosiers, California  Indians, and almond-eyed, sallow-faced Chinamen. Of the latter class were Sam and Mou, who run a bakery. The sign over their door read as follows:

