It was about this time, thirty years before my first visit to Hawaii, that my father, Lieutenant Perkins of the U. S. S. _Lackawanna_, was ordered to the Pacific, and for two years was stationed at Honolulu. He spent much of his spare time in traveling over the Islands, even to their remotest corners. He enjoyed visiting the ranches and joining in the exciting though perilous occupation of driving wild cattle down from the mountains, where one's safety depended almost wholly on skilful horsemanship. He ascended to the great crater of Kilauea, went to every interesting locality, studied the natives, attended their feasts and learned their customs. These things were described in his letters, and such a newspaper bit as the following gives a glimpse of the duties of a naval officer. "The whaling bark, _Daniel Wood_, of New Bedford, was wrecked on the French Frigates Shoal, April 14th. Captain Richard and a portion of the crew arrived at Honolulu after a passage of 450 miles in an open boat. The U. S. S. _Lackawanna_ immediately sailed for the scene of the wreck to rescue the remainder of the crew." Another clipping records this amusing incident: "The Commander of the British war vessel _Chanticleer_, at Honolulu, set his band playing 'Dixie,' alongside the United States steamer _Lackawanna_. The latter retorted with 'Wearing of the Green.'" While the _Lackawanna_ was at Honolulu, an event occurred which was referred to in the discussions of Congress with regard to Hawaiian matters in the session of 1892-1893, as illustrating the policy of our Government. The official record of the Government affords a very complete story of how the United States became the possessor of what is now called Midway Island. It was first known as Brooks Island, but was renamed by our navy department, principally on the unofficial suggestion of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, in recognition of its geographical position on the route from Hawaii to Japan. The attention of Mr. Welles, then Secretary of the Navy, was called to this island as possibly destined to prove of early importance as a coaling station for United States vessels cruising in these waters. Secretary Welles issued an order to Rear Admiral Thatcher, commanding the _Lackawanna_ or some other suitable vessel to search for the island and having found it, to take possession in the name of the United States. My father's letters give an account of this trip. August 4th, 1867, he wrote: