The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-03-10
CANOE and SURF
Native Writes on Beach
Affair of Saturday.
Claims He is Capable Man and
There Was no Danger Or
ders-Oepth Of Water.

Following : = translation OF n,
statement of the Hawaiians concerned
in the canoeing mishap OF Saturday
last:
On Saturday afternoon last I was
called by the white man in charge %.
the Hawaiian Hotel at Waikiki. 20
take party out surf-riding in a canoe
The party consisted OF two men. one
lady and young girl OF u or u years
OF age. The surf was quite heavy and
the wind blowing quite strong. so NY
self and helper. one kumukahi. took
the inside line OF breakers where tn.
surf was only moderately high. One OF
the men, the largest sized one, said
that he wanted TO take the larger
breakers outside. but ! objected be-
cause they were too large and from
the further fact that there We're wO-
men in the canoe. for / did not think
il prudent TO take the heavy breakers.
fearing a swamp" might result.
The large man insisted upon going
out further and / did so. On account
OF the strong wind blowing We found
il difficult 10 turn the canoe around
shoreward, and the breaker taking Us
before We were pointed right. threw
the canoe sideways, burying the out
rigger down and striking the reef.
which Immediately broke the Outrig-
ger short off when the canoe NJ once
turned over.
This all took place on the ahua
(shoaD where il was not over ~. TO >
feet deep. and not % feet deep as stat
ed by the gentleman in the newspaper
interview. II the water had been -
feet deep at that point how was II pos
sible for the outrigger TO strike bot
tom, and those who are familiar with
canoeing in the surf know that m out
rigger could not break of excepting
from striking against the bottom.
Immediately upon capsizing the
young girl was taken hold of and was
borne to the short by my helpmate
Kumukahi, while i remained to bring
in the canoe. j then set 20 work 10
right the canoe, but the party were so
frightened that / could not get them 10
let go of it, although told them that
they could touch bottom. as IL was not
over their heads. / don't know how
the gentleman could make the state
ment that il was % feet deep. II was
dead low. tide at the time (half past :
p. M as can be seen by reference to
the tide records, and was not high
water, as stated by him in the inter
view.
He further states that he was in
formed that / am not a competent man
in the managing OF canoe in the surf.
and seeks to detract from my repu;a-
ton as an expert at this business.
will leave it TO such well-known auth
critics as Marshal Brown. Leslie
Scott, Ed Macfarlane, Willie Dimond
and others who know what my capa-
bilities are in the management OF
canoe in the surf. As to the accident
being nearly fatal one. is all non
sense. | repeat that the water was not
over AZ to ) feet deep where the canoe
as can be proved at any per
iod of low tide Al that point.
| think in justice TO myself and the
other natives who are employed in this
line of business. that you should pub
lish my side of this story. for II the
sport of surf-riding is proclaimed as
dangerous TO life. ii will be very dam
aging TO us who are dependent in a
great measure on this sport for a liv-
ing.
Honolulu. March Sth. 1899.
HARRY KAPULU.
y. l.. kUMUKAHI.