Jardine Matheson Archive

Correspondence of William Keswick, S.G. Gower and James Whittall, Hawaiian Consuls General for China at Hong Kong, regarding trade, shipping and other subjects, with related papers. The correspondence is comprised of original letters to the consuls and press copies of their own letters. Many of the letters are from Hawaiian officials, including Charles R. Bishop, Department of Foreign Affairs, Honolulu; Charles C. Harris, Hawaiian Minister for Foreign Affairs; Ferdinand William Hutchison, Hawaiian Minister of Interior; George A. Oakley, Hawaiian Consul for Victoria; and E. Van Reed, Hawaiian Consul General, Yokohama. The other correspondents include John Gardiner Austin, Colonial Secretary, Hong Kong; David H. Bailey, U.S. Consul, Hong Kong; Bourjau, Hübener & Co.; W.H. Brereton; J.C. Merrill & Co.; W.G. Jones; Lequet; Melchers & Co.; J. Mcleod; Captain S.C. Nichols of the S.S. 'Daniel Jean Richard'; H.G. Thomsett, Harbour Department, Hong Kong; and Wm. Pustau & Co. Most of the correspondence is with William Keswick. Two of the principal subjects are the transfer of the S.S. 'Daniel Jean Richard' and of the brig 'Hawaii'. The other topics include the death of King Kamehameha V, annual Custom House statistics for the Hawaiian Islands, Colonel Spalding's scheme to bring Chinese labourers to work in Hawaii, instructions for the guidance of Hawaiian Representatives and Consuls, rules of the Hong Kong Harbour Master for the government of licensed boarding houses for seamen, and the missing brig 'Nuuanu'. A few items are in French.

Further papers regarding the Hawaiian government and Hawaiian consuls can be found in L4-5. F25/67 also relates to the brig 'Hawaii'.