The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-09
CATTLE IN SLlNGS.
How Bullocks are Shipped at the
Islands.

the Inter Island Companys steamer
w. G.. Hall from Punaluu to Honolulu
If Neptune is kind and the skies are
propitious you will have delightful
journey and gather in host of pleas
ant memories for h usekeeping days.
Not exactly pleasant, but impressing
itself wildly upon the beholders' mind,
will be the cattle-shipping scene in
Kaiua bay. Kaiua is one of the
principal shipping stations Of Nortn
Kona, the great coffee growing section
of Hawaii From it large quantities Of
coffee and fruit, especially pineapples
and the russell coated juicy Hawaiian
oranges, are shipped, and great many
cattle are shipped up to Honolulu.
AT Kealakekua Bay, two stopping
places back, we had gone ashore TO
secure green cocoanuts, delicious
Hawaiian delicacy, and gaze upon the
monument of Captain Cook, scrubby
little plaster affair, erected by the Eng
lish-an unworthy memorial to not
particularly deserving hero. The land
scape about Kealakekua Bay is not
particularly beautiful, but it seems a
pity that it should be still further dis
figured by this eXcrescenCe.
They ship pigs from Kealakekua.
The creatures are brought down from
the mountains with their legs tied to-
gether, slung from poles borne on the
shoulders of natives. The water is so
deep here that the ship cannot anchor,
SO she drifts about in the offing, and the
pigs are conveyed on board in lighters.
Squealing and kicking they are dropped
one by one from the wharf into the
boats, and left to lie where they fall in
an indiscriminate, heaped-up mass
They we're covered with blood and cuts
when saw them, altogether an un-
pleasant sight to contemplate
But the scene at Kailua is an excit-
ing one. The steamer anchored about
half mile from shore, and those of us
who desired to see the loading of the
cattle were taken ashore in the boats
There were twenty-five head of splendid
looking cattle in an eXtemporzed corral
on the beach. Half dozen mounted
cowboys were outside, each with stout
lasso. When one lighter had come
within easy distance Of the beach each
of the boys rode into the corral and
swinging his lasso brought it neatly
around the head of fat bullock. The
creature lunged and pulled, but the
well trained ponies knew we'll their
work there was always some one pres
ent to twist the bullock's tail if he
proved too unruly, and the stoutest of
them did not resist more than mo-
ment or two. AS soon as the ponies
felt the pull of the lasso they started
for the water.
Generally Sir Bullock when he fin
ally gave up, did so with a rush which
landed him, kicking and plunging like a
porpoise, out IN the water, where, after
brief struggle, the well broken horse
was soon towing him out to the boat.
Here two stout men seized him, and
putting a strong rope around his horns
made him fast, hooking his horns over
the gunwale of the boat SO that with his
fore legs waving and paving helplessly
before him he literally hung by his
head with his back to the boat
When six had been thus slung from
each gunwale the boat was hauled in to
the ship by the steam winch and an
other took its place.
We got back to the steamer in time
to see the second boat load hauled in,
and the process begun of hauling the
animals on board. A sling was lashed
about the body of each one, and he
was swung into the air and landed
upon his feet on the lower deck for,
ward. Of course, he plunged and
kicked, but was soon securely fastened
by his horns to great beam lashed
along the deck.
They were pitiful sight as they
stood there, some with their horns
broken short off in their desperate
struggles for freedom, some with TORI
ears, and others with bleeding side:
where they had been prodded with the
sharp horns of their fellows The pigs
set loose from the ropes that had bounc
them were running grunting about
the deck under the feet of the cattle,
who kicked and stamped, but were un
able to hook their tormentors. | in
quired of the native captain, who stooc
regarding them with plying eyes, why
they were tied up so short and Learned
an entirely new lesson in the history 0
these creatures. 1t seems that if ont
Of them lies down he does so never t.
rise again. The horses and mules tina
are also shipped in large numbers OF
the Hall will lie down when tired an(
rise when they feel like it, but tn,
bullock that lies down for half an hou
cannot get up again and soon dies. ST
all night long the Kanaka sailors are OIL
watch among them, passing back ant
forth, keeping the tired animals on thei
feet. If one restless creature twist
around, as they sometimes do, and get
tangled up with his neighbor on eithe
side, Kanaka will run. out along tn
edge of the ship, and, apparently hold
ing on by his eyelids, will with his bar
feet punch and pull the animals int
line again.
saw one native boatman supper
himself by his chin over rope on tn
shiD's edge, while with bands and fee