The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14

English like the crack of slx.pounder
with the roar OF gunsi On we 70
and there's hardly time to notice that we ar
Just a little ahead Of the other three canoe
when There she comesl" shouts Mr.. Dlmond
There is a sudden lifting Of the stern Of IN,
canoe, an instant response in the yells OF thu
crew. n lightning increase In speed. and view,
caught the roller. The others have caught 4
also. and all four abreast we dash ahead. Nov
paddles are at rest, and down the inshore aide
OF the roller we slide. always Just ahead OF and
Just under the curling crest that breaks into
foam almost under the sharp storm OF the
canoe. The speed IL tremendous. II
seems as II we were outrunning the
Empire State cypress. Lucanihs and
great Kaisers never dreamed OF such speed.
From the sharp cut water OF the canoe the foam
flies In two lines back up to the crest Of the
roller. The spray dashes over us In streams.
And oil the time everybody yells. It Is like the
performance Of an amateur fire department
trying to scare out a FIRE by noise. It Is half a
mile to the beach. but there Ia hardly time TO
catch sight OF that gorgeous rainbow under the
black cloud that hangs over Diamond Head. We
are in 80 quickly.
Not yet though, not yet. There Is a little
back swell. caused by the beating back Of the
big surf from the beach. The watchful Mr..
Dimond at the helm catches sight OF It, and
his shouting takes the form Of directions to his
Kanakas. The paddles that have been drip
ping little silver balls into the foam. leap for
ward again. There is a sudden squirt by tho
canoe in response. Two or three seconds It
lasts. hardly long enough to shout well,
Ike hao" and we're over IL. That lonR-drawn
wolf FOWL from the next canoe is Cloman. voic-
ing his satisfaction that Tao-hai has caught the
swell too. The others are managed we'll and
no one has been left behind. Now tho four still
abreast drive straight at the beaoh. We are on
the left flank. Cloman and Tao-hai are next,
the others beyond. Mr.. Dimond shouts to Tao
hal and gets a staccato RESPONSE. We are not
twenty yards apart and almost on the beach.
Down goes Mr.. Dimond's paddle to port, hard
held against the rushing seq. Tao-hai follows.
on to port we swing and slide by the beach
In line. in half a foot OF water. Skilfully man
aged were the other canoes also. At the
instant that we swung to port they swung to
starboard, and now. all head back toward the
reef where the breakers start. we are standing
up in the canoes. drenched with the salt spray.
but yelling like Indians with the pure Joy OF 1t.
A sport for kings. but one that few kings know.
and most Of these the world regards uncivil-
lied. De Quincy found the glory OF motion
on top OF a six-horse coach. Others have
caught the same spiritual intoxication in the
wild. free forward sweep OF a fast locomotive.
De Quincy unused from the top Of his coach
that the heart Of man was the ~all-compelling
power Of his glory. 1t Is the heart Of nature
that knows the surf and drives the surf riders
canoe.
A MOMENT FULL OF EXCITEMENT.
Out beyond the reef again. waiting for an
other SWELL Down through the glass-clear
water we see the coral growing at the bottom.
Mr.. Dimond speaks to one OF his Kanakas.
Over the big fellow goes. yellow sweater. red
bandanna and all. The little column OF bub-
bles that followed his descent has all disap-
peared, and down at the bottom we see him |
Juggling at a coral bunch. Presently up he
comes with a beautiful great piece Of coral and
a broad smile on his face. We take the coral
from him and he goes down for another piece.
Starflsh. crabs. tiny Holsters. and dozens
OF small bright-colored fish. in appear
ance much like fresh-water sunfsh, have
made their homes in the folds Of the coral, and |
now they crawl and flop about the bottom OF
the canoe. The Kanaka comes In with the
second bunch Of coral. and Is about to dive
again when Mr.. Dimond shouts to him in ap- |
parent excitement. A seward look shows no
appearance Of a swel to me. but In climbs the
Kanaka with all haste. and at the paddles we
go. might and main. The other canoes lying |
further inshore take the warning and dart
We are going now at racing speed and
Just in time. The swell behind US has de-
veloped into a giant. Just as It begins
to break we catch 1t and away we
swash for the beach. 1t is the first
race over again. but this fellow is bigger. The
bow OF the canoe dips under water. Instant
shouts from Mr.. Dimond and the Kanakas
and all three paddles are damned into the
water. holding hard, to stop the tremendous
The moments check serves the pur-
pose. The long stem Of the canoe rides on top
again. and on we 60.
Now Mr.. Dimond shows us a trick that re-
quires consummate skill and judgment. We
are shouting a deriSive challenge to Cloman in
the other canoe. when Mr.. Dimond drives
his paddle broad across the course.
Sharp on to port swings the canoe on the very
top OF the giant roller. The foam breaks all
about us and gallons OF it come aboard. The
laugh and shout. but the passengers
hold their breath. The outriRRer rides free OF
the water and we are broad away on top Of the
rolling backward beam on. Still Mr..
holds his paddle hard to port. Pres
emily the canoe W The outrigRer drops
into the sea again. the roller passes out from
under us and leaves us headed out to sea.
Somewhere out OF sight. on the other side OF the
swell. rise the shouts Of Cloman and Tav-tai,
for a moment into thinking we have lost
the comber.
That is what We would have to do" says
Mr.. Dimond quietly. III we saw a swamped
canoe Just ahead OF u.s."
1t was maryellously done: even the Kanakas
moved to praise the skill OF their master.
Now back outside again for q swim In the
Pacific beyond any reef. What a beautiful pic
lure Honolulu is from here. Nesting down In
the foreground In front OF a semicircle Of
mountains. Diamond Head at the right. Just at
the end OF Waikiki. the beautiful beach rises
bluh and rugged almost out OF the sea. Be-
Vond 1t In the centre is ~Punohbowl. covered on
It's smoother slopes with cultivated fields, cut
by sharp-edGed gorEes. and crowned eternally
with ever-shifting yet always remaining clouds,
and to the left at the seas edge the Pail. with
The dreadful cliff over which Kam6hameha
drove his victims when he conquered Oahu.
the hundred shades Of green show In the
'oliage which hides the buildings Of the city,
'pecked with yellow and white and blue and
purple and violet and lilac where the towering
,rees show through. And over all a myriad OF
Tags. always the Stars and Stripes with two