Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-26
RIDING 4 SHARK.
The Hawaiian Songstress as n Naiad-A
Strange Adventure.

From the San Francisco Gail.
Miss Adelaide Miller, the Hawiian
songstress, was the heroine, short
time pr or to her departure for San
Francisco, of an adventure, perhaps,
unlike any recorded in the widest pro
ductlon of fancy; certainly nothing
OF equal romance has been made public.
True, she was heroine perforce, but
still a heroine, since few, even of the
sterner sex, could have sustained a
similar ordeal without positive and
possibly fatal consequences. Nor is it
every man nor every woman who can
enjoy ride upon the back of shark
or, having enjoyed that pastime, would
survive to describe its sensation. Yet
he sweet singer from Maui not only
lode one of these marine monsters, but
H. I'd to narrate the particulars of her
str nge adventure This is the story
as t Id by herself: s"
Miss Miller was on visit to some
friends at Waikiki, a celebrated
watering place near Honolulu, and also
noted as the summer residences of the
Hawllan kings. 1t is great place for
surf bathing 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 daring swimmer
who ventures thai far. Once beyond
the reef he may as well make his will
In favor of the nearest fish, for his fate
a onT-to1 &c
friendless toper's exchequer by the
yaracious sharks of a police court.
One day Miss Miller was enjoying a
surf bath with number of her com,
panions. 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
a national reputation as a. diver. While
so engaged, one girl proposed they
should swim out to the reef. The sug-
gestion was not followed. fear of the
monsters there Astounding being the
excuse, This did not intinidate the
girl who made the proposition. She
resolved to go thither herself, and
finally bantered her companions into
following her example. AS they APP
preached the reef canoe passed them,
the natives shouting, ''Mano! mono p
(sharkl shark u also urging them to
hasten to canoe for safety. But before
the terrified girls could move one way
or the other, huge blue shark surged
III 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 pro-
ceeding as we'll as the burden upon it's
back, seemed to terrify the monster, for
it darted of at a speed that would easily
outstrip that of the fastest ship, keep
ing, however on the surface Of the
water. It kept along at this pace for
about 60 yards, still bearing the Haw-
aiian naiad upon it's back. when it sud-
denly plunged downward, forcing it's
fair rider to let so 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 adj
venture raised Miss Miller highly in
the estimation of her country people,
by the bulk Of whom the shark is held
sacred, and still worshiped. Even
after century of Christianity, this
superstition prevails. The Kanakas
will not kill shark unless in self-de-
Tense, nor will they eat it's flesh, though
this esteemed a delicacy among most
OF the South Sea Islanders. The fact
that Hawaiian had ridden fish so
sacred (and we may add, voracieus),
was indeed fit subject for panegyric;
though we question whether the highest
eulogium. would induce the sweet-voiced
Mauian to again cavort upon the spine
of an azure-skined "mano."