The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-09-09
The Sandwich Islanders and
Sharks.

The grand recreation of the natives is ihc
constant habit of swimming In fact the
Sandwich Islanders are all but amphbiOus,
and seem 10 he as much NJ home in the wa
ter us on land and, mt all times of the day,
men, women, and children, are sporting IT,
bout in the haibor, or even beyond the reef
with shoales Of sharia, perhaps as their play
fellows, These voraciou; creatures, howev-
cr, are far less likely 10 NEEDLE with the
aborigincs than with ioreignersnot that they
prefer white meat to brown but because they
have been taught by experience that one
Hawaiian has more of the Tarter in him Than
II score of Europeans. There is scarcely an
instance on record in which native has suf.
iercd any serious injury from shark. II, NJ
any time the latter take the preliminary step
ofturuing over on his side 10 get a mouth
fiji, the former is sure at least TO clude the
attack 10y diving below the monster while,
if he has II knife or similar weapon, lie sell
dom fails to destroy the enemy by carrying
The war into his interior.
70 return to the swimming it was part
Of oar daily amusement To watch tho rapid
evolutious Of the performers, more particu-
hrly of the ladies', who IN great majority of
cases cXCelled their lords aud masters in n
cility and science. Even in point ofstrength
and endurance one woman, Il short lime be-
fore our arrival, had carried of the palm of
her husband. The whole story is worth tel
ling as Illustrative of something better Than
toughness Of muscle or supplencss ofIinIh.
4 man ami his wife, both Christians, were
passengers in n schooner which foundercd
ut n considerable distance from the land
All the natives on hoard promptly took ref
uge in the sea and the man in question,
who Ind just celebrated divine service in the
Inflated vessel calling his fellows, some Of
them heiug converts MS well us himself, a.
round him to offer up tribute Of praise and
gupplicalion from the deep in which they
We're struggling, To larry, with combination
of courage and humility perhaps unequaled
in the worlds history in order deliberately 10
worship God in that universal temple under
whose restless pavemcnts the speaker and
most his hearers were destined to find their
graves.
The man and his wifi, had each succeeded
in procuring the support of a covered bucket
10y way of buoy and away they struck with
the rest for NahOonwe, finding themselves
neXtmorning alone in the ocCauattera whole
afternoon and night of prvations and toll
| To nggravnte their misforiunes, the wife's
! bucket went TO pieces soon after daylight, sc
| that she had to make the hest OF her way
without assistance relief; and in the course
Of the afternoon, the man hecHne too weak
to proceed, till Ills wife to Il certain cXtcn
restored his strength by shampooiug him il
the water. They now had I[uhooiawe in fu
view, after having been about four and TWEEN
" hours on the dreary voyage. In spite
however oflle cheering sight, The man ngar
fell into such state of exhaustion that the
woman took the bucket to herself giving
him the same time the hair of her head as
towing line-and, when even this eXertor
proved too much for him. tho faithful crca
lure, after trying in vain to rouse him to prayer
took his arms around her neck holding then
together with one lland,und making with lhC
other for the shore. When very trilling dis
lance remained TO I've accomplished she dsco'
and reached the land before night, hnviu!
passed over upward of % miles, during al
exposure of nearly 30 hours.-.SimpS0ns On
erlu,ld Journal round the World. ..