Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1866-12-07

AoN nc hluAk4a cWlm-
Livery man. woman or child. who Ia.
ever written home concerning the sand
wiCh IsisndeFs. has described their Surf
boards. = and their astonishing skill IN
guiding them through surf in which no
civilized man could live. a. also their excel
lenoe IN s-imming. and almost supcrbuman
end-rsncc Ia the -ster Travellers are apt
10 term a Kanaka g half nan. half Ssh y
| should say that be va. third nan and
twO thirds 6sb. for no fsh that swims the
ocean could have any command over itself
IN ersskers vberv the island BOYS and girls
sport fos hours. as perfectly at home As on
dry land.
The suri-ooard y piece Of thin plank.
hve or six feet iong By about eighteen inch
es IN breadth; when The loox. rrcea swell,
are rolling with terrible sioienoe. with a din
and crash that out-thunders thunder itself
then men. women and children hoek 20 the
beach. and disesting themselves Of their
ssPerhuoas elothing. siash into the break
ers. board in hand. wiih malicious agility
they dodge the heaviest roliers. piunging
beneath them ss they begin 10 crest. and
reaching the outside breakers, for their
lghining ride shoreward.
MAiieicus a. their out~ard progress
tbrough a boiling surf. whirh no whale-boat
~ould attempt seemed 90 us. setting the
force Of suction snd underthrow completely
a. defiance. ne ivii a thrill Of horror a. We
looked upon a couple OF delicate looking
girls. kneeling upon a frail board. rushed
an. a. u shos from a bomb. upon the crest
OF great. green billow. which. raising bis
bead as be cane. Just managing TO keep m
such position A. 70 avoid the break Of the
roller. and in les. time than have taken
20 describe. wIth screams of delight thev
dashed up 10 the very spot -here -e we're
standing.
Another instance. scarcely l-ss renarka-
bic. occurred during the period Of my ,isit
20 Ilonoial8. ~ that time there ~ere
large number Of whaling vessels in port.
many Of ~hieh were short of men. and con-
seqaentiy sailors' wages -crc very high.
and iargc advances we're given O. any Ka-
nakas who would ship. Oae ship IN partic-
ular. had lost The ~hoie of one watch by de-
ser'ioa. and finally bad succeeded in obtain
. ins her complement; the men. all K4nAkas.
received their 500 each. a. an advance.
and vent on board. and the ship got under
weigh AL went on ven well for the 6rst
day add night. and the captain vas con-
graisiaiins himself on bis good luck. Dur
ing TIE mildle watch Of the second nirht.
however. stepping out on deek. the captain
was asioui-bcd on finding NJ one about. and
asking the nan a. The wheel What Il meant.
vas told be did nj know -hat bal beoone
Of The people. bat presumed they hai gone
below.
F Calling The mate. and mastering the crew.
b. found 70 his consternation that every
kanaka lad disappeared; they must have
deliberately jumped overheard. determining
% swim asb0rr. distance Of SIXTY miles
On board ~halc ship, she mates DO net U.s.
ually stand a night waicb-the watch ing
generally IN charge % one of The % boat
siecrers. and ia this instance the % boat
steerer vas a kanaka. and they al vent
of together; the plan ~as probably hii up-
on before they Jeff port-csch ulan rcoeiv-
ed his one hundred doiiars advance. snd
then they deliberately formed sscir desPer-
a1e piot lor breaking iheir engagement.