In the Captain’s modest epitome of the terrible romance you detect the fine old hero through it. Mitchell, one seaman named Antonio Passene, and two passengers, Samuel and Henry Ferguson, of New York City, eighteen and twenty-eight years, are still at Hilo, but are expected here within the week. The Third Mate, and ten of the seamen have arrived here, and are now in the hospital. Mitchell, master–had been afloat since the burning of that vessel, about one hundred miles north of the equator, on the third of May–forty-three days. In the postscript of a letter which I wrote two or three days ago, and sent by the ship “Live Yankee,” I gave you the substance of a letter received here from Hilo, by Walker Allen and Co., informing them that a boat, containing fifteen men in a helpless and starving condition, had drifted ashore at Sanpahoe, Island of Hawaii, and that they had belonged to the clipper ship “Hornet”–Cap. It was a detailed account of the sufferings of officers and crew, as given by the third officer and members of the crew.

15 to the Union–of date June 25th–occupied the most of the first page in the issue of July 19. The survivors were brought to Honolulu, and with the assistance of the Burlingame party, Clemens, laid up with saddle boils, was carried on a stretcher to the hospital, where, aided by Burlingame, he interviewed the shipwrecked men, securing material for the most important piece of serious writing he had thus far performed.

The Hornet disaster was fully told in his letter of June 27th. They are being cared for at Sanpahoe (Not yet corroborated).” When they had been entirely out of provisions for a day or two, and the cravings of hunger become insufferable, they yielded to the ship-wrecked mariner’s fearful and awful alternative, and solemnly drew lots to determine who of their number should die, to furnish food for his comrades and then the morning mists lifted, and they saw land. Their ship, the Hornet, from New York, with a quantity of kerosene on board had taken fire and burned in Lat. “A letter arrived here yesterday, giving a meagre account of the arrival, on the Island of Hawaii, of nineteen poor, starving wretches, who had been buffeting a stormy sea, in an open boat, for forty-three days. Speaking of Burlingame: “Burlingame is a man who could be esteemed, respected, and popular anywhere, no matter whether he was among Christians or cannibals.” Then, in the same letter, comes the great incident. They were to stay ten or fourteen days, he said, but an effort would be made to have them stay over July 4th. K., and, what was to be of more importance to him, of the arrival of Anson Burlingame, U. 14, June 22d, published July 16th, he tells of the death and burial ceremonies of the Princess Victoria K. And a small hang-out weak, insipid, and a damn fool in general.”

Letters from Hawaii by Mark Twain