The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-04-17
Pictures from Hawaii.
by DIR. 7. VI. COAS.

in aquatic games. In all of the tropi-
cal groups, nearly the entire population
lives upon the seaShore the climate Is
warm, the people have little to do, and
on windy days, when the pillows roll
IN heavily from tie mid-ocean. whole
villages sometimes adjourn to the Wa
ter, and spend an entire afternoon in
the daring pastime Of surEplaying.
TIE Hawaiian practises this sport
upon q surf-board, which he calls PAPA
lie SALU, I" wavc-sliding board" 1t is
made of the firm, light wood Of the
ERYTHRINA: it is equal in length to the
swimmers height, about a foot wide.
slightly oval in outline, and often con-
vex upon both sides. 1t Is polished
and stained black, and preserved with
great care.
The natives choose a spot where i'm
mense pillows, driven in by the trade
winds, break furiously upon the coast.
Sometimes hidden reef of coral, ten
or fifteen feet below the surface, or,
more frequently, the black Stag Of
cooled lava-strcam, long since disgor-
ged into the ocean, agitates the waves
sufficiently for this perilous sport; and
sometimes the swimmers play in the
measured surgcs that beat upon the
sand beaches Of their bays
Each person, taking his swimming
board under him, plunges into the surf,
and strikes out for the deep water, hall
Il mile or more from the shore. He
does not trouble himself to rise over the
great waves that approach him threat
eningly; when they reach him he ducks
his head like a loon. and the bilow
passes laundering over him without
checking his course Arrived at las,
at the outside Of the reef, where the
waves first begin to break. he turns,
extends himself at full length upon his
board, faces the shore, and throws
quick glances behind him, watching
for a larger wave than usual to ride
upon.
Three Or four waves pass, but he
laughts at them. though the smallest of
them would have dashed q foreign
smilnmer under and drowned him. AT
last he sees a mighty hilIow approach
! ing him. 1t is the very king of waves
1t comes, with its crest high in the
! air, its liquid edge already trembling
and swapping in the sunlight; but it is
hn@e. dark and swift, and it uttcrs q
hollow roar as it sweeps down upon
the swimmer. 1t draws him backward
for al instant toward it, as if to swal-
low him up; then, snatchin" him up
in its course, it hurIs him with incon-
eeivable speed toward the shore He
lies upon his board On the front surface
Of the wave; his head is down. his
heels slant upward into the flashing
foam, which half .nvelops him. a
score of his companions are dashing
'1adly onward with him: they become
, Il part of the bilow they shout more
loudlS than he roaring of the wave
The sensation is delicious, exultant, al
most maddening: it is beyond ANYTHING
that the rider of horses or of the untam-
ed velocipede eau feel:
But to the stranger nothing can seem
more daring and dangerous than surf
riding. To he swept along by these
tremendous wavcs-to he made one
with nature 80 intimately as this,
would be death to the ordinary civil
! Zed man. You look ta see the SWIM
: mcr dashed against the black and Jag
! ged lava from which ile is now distant
not more than the LEM. tn OF his surf
| beard. He is going with the speed OF
a raccr-there seems no escape for him
when suddenly he disappears from
sight: the wave has lost its victm.-
! BY Il backward movement of the hands
! be retreats into the heart Of the wave
! sinking away from its front surface
where its whole propcliing power re-
sides. He backs his cugine," as a
steamboat-lnan would say, and instant
| ly stops his career at the very moment
| when YOU lad expected to see him
| dashed to pieces. For an instant, YOU
! almost fancy that shark has seized
| him--for sharks sometimes attack the
swimmers-hut soon he rc-appears
| from the seward side of the wave that
now skaters itself upon the lava rock
, His head is already turned from the
shore, and he is again making his way
| into deep water to mount another bill
! low.
Some of the natives become so expert
in this sport that they will kneel, Or
even stand upright, upon the surfboard
| while in full career, feat which is a
little similar to that of the yclocipcdists
who balance their steeds without using
| their hands. They even change their
position upon the board while they are
in motion.
The greatest skill is necessary to
J keep the surf-board at the proper angle
! Of inclination, and 10 retain the right
position upon the front surface of the
wave. If the swimmer gets too far
! forward he will he sent heels over head
by the combine of the bilIow, or stop
ped instantly and hurt by the point of
the surfboard striking the ground. If,
on the other hand, he rides too near .he
top of the wave, it will pass over him
enc leave him behind
But accidents never happen through
! the unskilfulness of the swimmers 1t
would be strange if they should, for the
| Hawaiian is familiar with the sea from
his birth, and seems almost an amphibi-
| Gus being. Most of the native children.
| indeed, are taken into the sea, when
| but three or four DAYS old, by their
mothers and have known them to
swim before they could walk Yuo can
hardly pass enc Of their Villages, indeed,
without seeing Il company Of young
stcrs playing in the sea. They have a.
number of games which they pursue.
in and under the water, rs fcarlcssly Is
sclloo!-childrcn gambci in the play
ground. One Is a kind Of GOAL. in
which the object of he side that is IN
* to make two or three successive sta
lionS by swimming and diving so as to |
escape being touched hy any player of
the . out party, who are thcpurs'lers |
This game requires good deal of iincss- /
ing talent, tomislead Your opponent in re-
gard to the direction in which YOU /
mean to dive. More than this, You
l. |, ~ !.