Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-01-31
How the Kanakas Swim.

written home concerning the Sandwich Island
ers, has described their surf boards and thei
astonishing skill in guiding them through sur
in which no civilized man could live, as alst
their excellence in swimming, and almost super
human endurance in the water. Travellers arr
apt to term Kanaka half man half fish,
should say that be was third man and two
thirds fsh'-for, no fish that swims the ocear
could have any command over itself in breakers
where the island girls and boys sport for hours
as perfectly at home as on dry land.
The surf-board is piece of thin plank; five Of
six feet long by about eighteen inches in breadth
when the long, green swells are rolling in with
terrific violence-with din and crash that out
thunders thunder itself, then men, women and
children flock to the beach, and divesting them
selves OF their superhuous clothing, dash into
the breakers, board in hand; with a miraculous
agility they dodge the heaviest rollers, pungine
beneath them as they begin to crest, and reach
ing the outside breakers, prepare for their light
ming ride shoreward
Miraculous as their outward progress through
the boiling surf, which no whale boat would at
tempt, seemed to US, setting the force of suction
aud undertow completely at defiance, we felt a
thrill Of horror as we looked upon a couple O
delicate looking girls kneeling upon frai board
rushing in, as If shot from bomb, upon the
crest OF great green billow, who, raising their
heads as they came, just managing to keep in
such position as to avoid the break of the roller
and in less time than have taken to describe
with screams of delight they dashed up to the
very spot where we were standing. As swim.
mers they have no equals; men and women ap-
pearing to possess equal powers of endurance
and most astonishing facts of their aquatic feats
are recorded, one OF the most miraculous OF
which is worth repeating. a large native ca
noe, having on board number of natives, left
one of the southern islands bound to the north
ward, when only part of the way across the
Owybee passage, where there is always heavy
cross sea and furious currents, squall struck
and capsized her among the passengers was a
native woman, the daughter of Chief, with her
husband, a white man the others being all Ka-
nakas, they of course struck out tor themselves
toward shore, distance OF some thirty miles
but the white man could not swim, and his true
hearted wife directing him to put his arms upon
her shoulders, struck out for nearest land. For
hours and hours they toiled along, the fond
woman inspiriliog the husband, refusing to
leave him all day and all night they buteted
the angry currents, till at last human nature
gave way, and the white man gave up the
ghost; still ciinging to his cold clay, the widow
toiled on, till at last becoming insensible, her
efforts relaxed, and she knew no more until she
found herself resuscitated by some friendly hands,
and on inquiry, found that favoring current
had dritIed her upon an island, where she had
been discovered and brought to life by her de-
liverers.
Another instance, scarcely less remarkable,
occurred during the period of my visit to Homo
lulu. AT that time there was a large number OF
whaling vessels in port, many of which were
short OF men, and consequently sailors wages
were very high, and large advances were given
to any Kanakas who would ship. One ship in
particular, had lost the whole OF one watch by
desertion, and finally had succeeded in obtaining
her complement; the men, all Kanakas re-
ceived their one hundred dollars each, as an ad.
vance, and went on board aad the ship got pn-
der way. All went on very we'll for the first
day and night, and the captain was congratu
ating himself on his good luck. During the
middle watch of the second night, however, step
ping out on deck, the captain was astonished on
finding no one about, and asking the man at the
wheel what it meant, was told he didn't know
what had become of the people, but presumed
they had gone below.
Calling the mate, and mastering the crew
he found to his CONSERVATION that every Ranaka
had disappeared; they most deliberately jumped
overheard, determining to swim ashore, a dis.
lance of sixty miles. On board whale ships the
mates do not usually stand a night-watch-th
watch being generally in charge of one of the
boat steerers,' and in this instance the boa,
steerer' was Kanaka, and they all went of
together; the plan was probably hit upon be-
fore they left port-each man received his oHe
hundred dollars advance, and then they de-
lberately formed their desperate plot for break
ing their engagement Dust and Foam.