The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-06-23
RIDING A SHARK.
a Hawaiian SOngstress as "a Naiati--A
Thrilling Adventure.

San Francisco CAL.
Miss Adelaide Miller, the Hawaiian
songstress, was the heroine, short time
prior to her departure for San Francisco,
of an adventure, perhaps, unlike any
recorded in the widest production OF
ancy; certainly nothing of equal romance
has been made public.
Miss Miller was on visit to some
friend at Wai-ki-ki, a celebrated watering
place near Honolulu, and also noted as
the summer residence of the Hawaiian
Kings. 1t is agreat place for surfbathing
almost every hour of the day during
the season shoals of dusky figures being
visible bathing among the breakers. The
waters near the shore are considered safe,
but outside of the reef are tabooed, on &C.
count of the sharks, which abound in i'm
mense numbers. Wo to the daring swim
mer 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 a police court.
One day Miss Miller was enjoying a
surf bath with number OF her compan>
ions. Like most of the islanders, she is
amphibious, as much at home in water
as upon land, swims, in fact, like fish,
and has a national reputation as diver.
While so engaged, one girl proposed they
should swim out to the reef. The sugges-
ton was not followed, fear Of the mon
sters there Astounding being the excuse.
This did not intimidate the girl who made
the proposition. She resolved to 60
thither herself, and finally bantered her
companions into following her example.
AS they approached the reef a canoe pass
ed them, the natives in it shouting
"Mano! Mano!" SHARK shark y also
urging them to hasten to the 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 its back, seemed to terrify the mon
ster, for it darted off at a speed that would
easily outstrip that Of the fastest ship
keeping, however, upon the surface OF the
water. 1t kept along at this pace fol
about sixty yards, still bearing the Ha'
waiian naiad upon its back, when it sud
denly plunged downward, forcing its fail
rider to let go her hold, and leaving hel
unscathed after her perilous adventure.
She was soon picked up by the canoe
and, with her companions, returned il
safety to Wai-ki-ki. This adventure
raised Miss Miller highly in the estima'
ton of her country people, by the bulk o
whom the shark is held sacred, and still
worshiped. Even after a century o
Christianity, this superstition prevails
| The Kanakas will not kill shark excep
in sell-defence, nor will they eat its flesh
though this is estimated delicacy anon;
most of the South Sea Islanders. TIL,
fact that Hawaiian had ridden fish s,
sacred (and we may add, voracious), wa
indeed hit subject for pauegyric; though
we question whether the highest eulogiun
would induce the sweet-voiced Mauian t
again cavort upon the spine of an azure
skinned "mano."