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jarves : hawaiian history, 1843 
James Jarves  : Hawaiian History, 1843.

Extracted from
Jarves, James Jackson: History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands
James Munroe and Company, 134 Washington-Street, Boston.1843;
Internetnet Archive : American Libraries
http://www.archive.org/details/sandwichislands00jarvrich
The Library of the University of California
Bequest of Ynez Ghirardelli
pages 59, 121-122, 262, 279-280.

Introduction.
Also note the possible different publication:
Jarves, James J.    SCENES AND SCENERY IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
 Boston; James Monroe & Co.; 1843;, 1843. 341 pp.
Jarves first landed in the islands in 1837, and lived there for almost four years.
Early, largely objective account of the islands by a non-missionary.


Chapter 2, Ohau, Waikiki
Page 59

THE village of Waikiki, four miles to the east of Honolulu, built under a beautiful grove of cocoa-nut trees, bordering the beach, was the former capital.
In it still remain the ruins of a stone house, once the residence of the conqueror Kamehameha.

Chapter 3 Kaui, Valley of Hanapepe.
Page 121

A fine stream runs through the valley, on either side of which are situated the little plantations, and numerous patches of kalo, which afford sustenance to the inhabitants of this quiet retreat.
Their principal hamlet is clustered under the shade of the cocoa-nut trees at its mouth.
The natives of all the islands seem very generally to prefer the hot and barren sea-side, to the cooler and more verdant situations farther up the valley.
This is probably for the sake of the fisheries, and the sport of sea-bathing, to which they are passionately addicted ; and a ...

Surf Swimming.
Page 122

... pretty sight it is, to see the youth of both sexes on their surf-boards, sporting as freely amid the heavy rollers, as if they knew no other element.
At one time pushing their boards before them as they advance seaward, diving beneath each curling wave, until they have reached the outer extremity of the breakers, then throwing themselves flat upon their support, like a boy upon his snow-sled, they dart inshore with the rapidity of lightning, upon the
crest of the waves, merrily shouting all the while, dashing and splashing along, till within a few feet
of the rocks, on which, your breath half held from fear, you have been momentarily expecting them to
strike, to the risk of life or limb ; but which, by a dexterous movement of their limbs, they avoid, and
pull out to sea again, or throw themselves from their board, which is thrown up by the spent wave, almost at your feet.
Formerly, old and young engaged in this sport, but now it is a rare sight.
 

Page 262

In 1840 the exports from Hilo amounted to two hundred thousand shingles, a considerable quantity
of Koa lumber, forty or fifty tons of sugar, and one hundred and fifty tons of arrow root.
Seven miles inland there is a saw-mill, which, when water is abundant, can saw from six to eight hundred feet of boards per day.

Page 279

On our return passage we passed through the channel between Maul and Hawaii, notorious for its heavy squalls, rapid currents, and short, toppling seas.
The beautiful appearance of the lofty mountains on either side is some alleviation, however, for this complication of disagreeables, but my purpose in alluding to it in this place is to record a feat in swimming, which, if it were not perfectly well authenticated, would seem to be incredible.
At Honolulu it was a common affair for men and boys to plunge from the top-gallant yards of large ships, pass under their bottoms, and reappear on the other side.
I have known them bring up small articles lost over board in ninety feet of water, and it is asserted of a
woman, who was capsized in a canoe when two ...
 
 

Feats in Swimming.
Page 280

... miles from shore, that she swam the whole distance to land with a shark in full pursuit, seeking an
opportunity to make a meal of her ; but the activity and coolness she displayed proved too much for the rapacious and cowardly fish.
These feats sink into
insignificance compared with the following, which also serves to show how much at home the natives
are upon the waves, and that there is considerable truth in the statement often made in regard to them, namely, that a native may perish from hunger and exhaustion upon the water, but he will not drown.
The schooner Kiola, a small vessel of thirty-five tons, left Lahaina for Kawaihae on the ninth of May, 1840.
She was in an unseaworthy condition, having been ashore, but, with the characteristic recklessness of Hawaiians, was sent to sea again without being repaired.
From thirty to forty people were on board.
On the afternoon of the subsequent day, they had arrived to within ten miles of Kahola point, Hawaii ;
Maui was but just visible in the distance.
The wind breezed up strong, and the vessel careened much to the leeward; the stone ballast rolled over in that direction, and part of her cargo immediately followed.
Her bows were suddenly thrown under, and, before she could recover herself, the water rushed into her hatches, and she filled and went down, carrying with her a number who were unable to extricate
themselves from her hold.
The remainder, at the summons of Mauae, a pious native, who, during the morning, (it was Sunday,) had conducted divine service, assembled as near each other as it was possi ble, while he implored succor from above. Although ...

... INCOMPLETE  TRANSCRIPTION.


First Editions
Jarves, James Jackson: History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands
James Munroe and Company, 134 Washington-Street, Boston.1843;

Jarves, James Jackson: History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands
Tappan And Dennet, Boston, 1843.

Jarves, James Jackson: History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands
London: 1843

Subsequent Editions
Jarves, James Jackson: History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands
Charles Edwin Hithcock, Honolulu, 1847.


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home catalogue history references appendix

Geoff Cater (1997-2007) : James Jarves :  Hawaiian History, 1843.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1843_Jarves_Hawaii_History.html