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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.
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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