The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-05-20
RIDING A SHARK.
The Hawaiian songstress as Naiad--
A Strange Adventure.
From the San Francisco Call.

From the San Francisco Call
Miss Adelaide Miller, the Hawiian
songstress, was the heroine, short time
before her departure for San Francisco,
of an adventure, perhaps, unlike any
recorded in the widest production of fam
cy certainly nothing of equal romance
has been made public. True, she
was a heroine perforce, but still hero
inc, since few, even of the sterner sex,
coGld have sustained similar ordeal
without positive and possibly fatal con-
sequences. Nor is it every man nor
every woman who can enjoy ride upon
back of shark or, having enjoyed
that pastime, would survive to describe
its sensation. Yet the sweet singer from
Maui not only rode one of these marine
monsters, but lived to narrate the par
ticulars of her strange adventure. This
is the story as told by herself:
Miss Miller was on D. visit to some
friends at WAIKIKI, celebrated water
ing place near Honolulu, and also noted
as the sumner residences of the Hawiian
kings. IT is great place for surf bath
ing-almost every hour of the day during
the season shoals of dusky figures are
visible bathing among the breakers. The
waters near the shore are considered
safe, but outside of the reef are tabooed,
on account of the sharks, which abound
in immense numbers. Woe to the dar-
ing swimmer who ventures that far.
Once beyond the reef he may as well
make his will in favor of the nearest fish
for his fate is as certain as the depletion
of friendless toper's exchequer by the
voracious sharks of police court.
One day Miss Miller was enjoying
surf bath with number of her compan-
ions. Like most of the islanders she is
amphibious as much at home upon the
water as upon land, swims, in fact, like
a fish and has national reputation as O
diver. While so engaged. one girl pro-
posed they should swim out to the reef.
The suggestion was not followed, fear of
the monsters there abounding being the
excuse. This did not intimidate the girl
who made the proposition. She resolv-
ed to go thither herself, and finally ban
tered her companions into following her
example. AS they approached the reef
a canoe passed them, the natives shout
ing, "Mano mono p SHARK shark y
also urging them to hasten to a canoe
for safety. But before the terrified girls
could move one way or the other, huge
blue shark surged in among them, and
rising to the surface, lifted Miss MILLER
out of the water. In her terror she
grasped one of the sharks upper fins.
This proceeding as well as the burden
upon it's back, seemed to terrify the mon
ster, for it darted of at speed that
would easily outstrip that of the fastest
ship, keeping, however on the surface
of the water. It kept along at this pace
for about go yards, still bearing the Haw-
allan naiad upon its back, when it sud-
denly plunged downward, forcing it's fair
rider to let go her hold, and leaving her
unscratched after her perilous adventure.
She was soon picked UP by the canoe,
and, with her companions, returned safe
to WAIKIKI. This adventure raised
Miss Miller highly in the estimation OF
her country people, by the bulk of whom
the shark is held sacred, and still wor-
SHIPPED. Even after century of Chris
tianity, this superstition prevails. The
Kanakas will not kill shark unless In
self defense, nor will they eat its flesh,
though it is esteemed delcacy among
most of the South Sea Islanders. The
fact that Hawaiian had ridden fish SO
sacred (and we may add, voracious), was
indeed fit subjectfor panegyric though
we question whether the highest eulogi-
nm would induce the sweet-voiced Maui
ian to again cavort upon the spine of an
azure skined s'mano."