The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-07-28

James h. Writes Notes from Island
of MOlOkai.
Death of Judge Kuhamanu-Sative.
are all Healthy and Happy.
sturdy Fishermen.

HALAWA, CMolokaD, July 24.-The
saddest event of the month was the
| sudden and unexpected death of W
Abel Kukamana, District Magistrate OF
MOiokai, which event took place al
/ Kalaupapa during the early part of last
week. Kukamana left Pukoo for the
/ Leper Settlement on the 9Th inst to at
tend court there, and expected TO re-
turn to his home at PukOo the early
part of last week. Kukamana not in
the very best of health when he left
for Kalaupapa, but his friends did not
in the least anticipate that death was
| awaiting him at that yale of Sorrows
and Death" He leaves q few distant
relatives and host of friends to mourn
/ his loss. The sad news of his death
was brought by two country-cr as
! that was the very best means over here
/ of circulating any news. The hum
and buzz of telephones do not disturb
the ears, for such inventions are I'M
known here.
The first record of death in Halawa
valley for a period of nearly twelve
months was the death of the oldest
resident of the valley, a grandmother
of NJ. Hoonani Kane of Kamehameha
Normal School. She died at the very
mature age of over eighty years, hav-
ing born during the 'Ai Kapu" or Tabu
period, when Hawaiian women and
young girls were taken with a thOus-
and times more care and pride than
during these times.
According to the vital statistics of
this place, this would place Halawa
among the best and healthiest spots in
Hawaii nei. The residents care very
little for medicines and much less for
kahunas, although Molokai nui a
Hina is and has been celebrated in the
annals of Hawaiian history as the
Land of Scorers and Witchcrafts."
HalaWa valley is a perfect sanitarium
in itself. The leaves of tarO eXhale
fragrant perfumes in and around the
neighborhood throughout the year.
The residents are most fortunate that
there are no rice patches here to vitiate
the air with unpleasant odors, and
the natives are the better for it too.
The same is to be said of all Molokai,
although a report has been circulated
that rice plantations are to be started
at Kamalo and Kaunakakai in the near
future, water to be supplied by means
of artesian wells.
Miss Emma Jones of Honolulu,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G.. W. c.
Jones, was married to Chas. Dudoit, Jr.
by the Rev. Manase at Pukoo the 9th
day.
Mrs. Liki is the biggest woman on
Molokai that can ride a horse astride
like a young girl and even better. She
is a sister of F. ]. Tesla, and about the
same number of pounds avoirdupois,
but she appears as light as a feather
on horseback.
A fishing whale-boat from the other
side of this island has been here three
days now waiting for a good chance
to haul in a large school of akules now
lowering off the harbor for several
days. The fishermen have made two
attempts already but with no success,
although the writer had tasted of a
few that were caught in the net. The
head fisherman has large force of
men with him-over ten to take charge
of the boat and the nets and as many
more act as lookout men. The latter
will sit for hours in the open sun on a
high promontory and from their ele-
waited position point out to the
fishermen below the course the fish
are taking. The fishermen are a lot
of jovial fellows. Fancy clothes being
thrown into the sea-all for joke!
Kalahale, the ablest surf-rider on
MOlokai, is still living in Halawa val
ley and at the very advanced age of
over seventy years. He has told the
writer how he acquired deXterity in
that branch of Aquatic sports-now
almost unknown to the rising genera
ton of Hawaiians. 1t was a craze (al-
most as that prevailing among tennis"
players) among the youth of those
days. Practice makes perfect, he says,
and only in that way did he learn to
perform feats of standing in various
attitudes on surf-board while being
borne on the top of the waves at a
break-neck speed. He is old now and
lacks strength and agility, but perform
ing feats on surf-board he could never
forget. Halawa folks who have seen
him giving exhibitions in his balmy
days all say that Kalahale did perform
most wonderful and graceful feats.
Z