who later became one of the most prominent of the resident Hawaiian merchants and whose name is inseparably connected with Hawaiian history. He early became master of a vessel employed in the Hawaiian trade, and for many years was thus engaged, commanding at various times the brig Becket of Salem, the ship Rasselas of Boston, the brig Laura, and other craft. Becoming thus familiar with the commercial possibilities of the Islands, Mr. Brewer, in connection with Mr. Henry A. Pierce-who afterward occupied the position of United States minister to the Hawaiian Islands - and Mr. James Hunnewell, both of Boston, established a commercial house at the Islands, and engaged actively in trade with ports of the United States. This house, under the name of Charles Brewer & Co., is still (1898) well known in Boston and in Honolulu.

The importation of neat cattle into the Islands by Vancouver has been noted. These increased with great rapidity, large numbers of them, in a few years, being found to be running wild throughout the mountains and the vast unsettled regions. Large flocks of

wild goats were also to be found; and the flocks of sheep, the progeny of a few pairs imported soon after the arrival of the cattle, were found to yield an excellent quality of wool. The value of the cocoanut-trees, with which the shores of the Islands were fringed, especially for their yield of oil, was also early recognized. The commercial utility of the wild flocks and herds and of the vegetable products of the Islands was perceived by scattering white men, who, cast ashore from wrecked vessels or deserting from ships in the harbors, had settled here and there throughout the Islands. From these men, mainly, were purchased wool, hides, goat-skins, tallow, and cocoanut oil, which were loaded upon the waiting ships and conveyed to market at American ports.

The promoters of the American whale-fisheries soon discovered that time and money might be saved by unloading their oil at Honolulu and there depositing it for transshipment in merchant vessels for home ports. The whale-ships were thus enabled to return to the fishing-grounds, avoiding a long and at times dangerous voyage homeward with

their cargoes. Honolulu thus, until the decline of the whale-fisheries, which marked their highest point in the year 1854,-became an important point toward which the eyes of hundreds of New England people were eagerly turned. The ship-owner awaited news from that port of the safe arrival of his vessels from the fishing-grounds, and from thence received the cargoes of oil which had there received temporary storage. The families of the seamen, who had been left at home, eagerly watched the newspapers for announcements of arrivals from Honolulu; for such announcements brought with them a feeling of hope, if not certainty, that letters from the absent ones would soon come to their hand.

The adaptability of the soil and climate of the Islands to the raising of sugar-cane was discovered at an early day, and some of the first white settlers engaged in its culture. As early as 1853 nearly three thousand acres of cane were under cultivation, and the acreage has rapidly increased until the cultivation and exportation of sugar has become the chief industry of the Islands. In the year