The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-03-09
A SACRIFICE.

tne STORY lmperfcctly. knowing so little
as | do about the locality and the Ian.
guage. but asked three or four cues
tons afterward as to the Hawaiian
words and phrases and what follows is.
rs far as | can remember. the manner in
which II was related.
They are wonderful swimmers In the
Sandwich Islands. as in almost all those
clusters Of the Pacific archipelagoes, and
II IN fine sight for such as love healthy
manhood to watch the amphibious peo-
pie play with the sea. 1t is as much
their home as the land. Fishing is quite
as important TO them as agriculture, and
they all know the ways and whereabouts
Of the creatures OF the deep and of the
reef as well as OF the birds Of the grove
and mountain slope. With nets of the
olona fiber and sweep ropes of XII leaves
they draw the countless variegated fnny
tribes into the shadows of the lagoons
and out upon the sands and have trick
where II is permitted-of placing I'M
der heavy stones beneath the water the
bruised roots OF a plant-auhuhu-w which
intoxicates every fish coming within the
influence of its juice.
Excellent boatmen, in spite Of the
primitive character Of the native canoes.
they make adventurous runs from island
to island and are especially skillful in
handling little craft in the midst of
surf Of great breaking pillows 1t is a
IN lou ttnt
ashore with OF without the ma-an out
rigger Of light wood which steadies the
frail craft The sea birds Swimming over
the rollers do not seem more at home
IN the middle of the huge Pacific surf
than the brown skinned Kanakas pad
ding TO land from fishing or sailing
excursion in the evening, They under
stand the TRICKS and dangers of the coral
barrier which they must cross and take
the enormous wave which rolls over il
with shouts of excitement and delight.
II they are capsized, it is nothing to
them so loLg as no sharks are about
They really make the white and blne
breakers their playfellows IN their pop
ular sport of hee nalu. or surf swimming
where party of these laughing water
babies Of all ages. naked except for a
wreath Of seaweed or whisp Of bark
cloth. will go down to the reefs edge at
sunset carrying long light boards of
koawood, 8 feet long and lS inches broad
stained black and highly polished Clasp
ing these. they swim boldly out to sea-
ward, diving, plank and all, under each
incoming roller as they meet it, until
they have gone as far ont as where the
ocean feels the first of the coral bottom
and swells Nor its outer line of long bill
low
Then. turning their faces shoreward,
they lie down fiat upon the plank, bal
ancing themselves upon it and holding
II with feet and hands straight along the
CLASSY back Of the great roller. which
foams. curls. leaps and thunders under
them as they tear along tossed like bub-
bles amid the milky spume and the
whirling sea lace, until they come
drenched and shining to the shore or
into the placid green water inside the
reef The very babies learn to swim al
most before they are able to toddle, and
rs for the grown boys and girls of the
islands. and the men and women, the
waves are as much their playground as
the woods and meadows, and there are
instances where Hawaiians have been 80
hours in the sea after a capsize and have
yet come safely to land.
But one must be strong and well and
unencumbored for these long swims, and
sick man cannot sport with the ocean
in such fearless way, which is why
Nina Nina lost her firstborn and bought
with his little life her husbands safety.
We passed her walking with string of
fish and little child upon her arms I'M
der the palm trees near Leah, and my
friend-an old resident-gave her good
day in the musical Hawaiian. calling
her by the name have mentioned.
What pretty word that is" l said.
ito call woman by What does il
mean"
'Ohr he answered, that's not her
right name. but one which the neighbors
have given her since a sad adventure
that she met with off Koko head. round
yonder Mi-na-mi-na signifies regret
for the memory of anything, sadness
something precious that is gone, sorry
TO lose. She is a good and brave girl,
and she has got another baby now to
play with, but she can never forget the
boy she was obliged to leave to the
sharks in the bad time"
OF course | asked him for the story
and this is how he told it:
One day in the season Of the change of
weather Nina Nina, with her husband
and their little boy of about year old.
had gone in a canoe over to Molokai to
fetch ironwood and shells. The man was
weak and III with fever. though recov-
ering but the wife. like most Of these
Hawaiian women, could handle a pad
die with the best. and Manae, her young
partner. was quite strong enough to take
part IN loading the craft and steering
her SO they were making the voyage
homeward under the little sail of mat
spread on the bamboo mast, with the
red bird painted upon it. and Mina-Nlina
WAS sucking her son forward, while her
husband directed the boat. and all had
gone safely up 10 about midway in the
broad channel
Perhaps he was singing her an ipo-a
love verse-for the people are like birds
and are always chirruping. or she per
maps was cooling sleep song to her