Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-04-11
CHOOSING A CAPTAIN.
Curious Custom Of Japanese Fishermen in
Hawaii.

Curious Custom Of Japanese Fishermen in
Hawaii.
Where several years ago the fishing
for the supplying of the Honolulu mar
ket was done almost exclusively by
the natives in their canoes and a few
Cinnamon now the bulk of the work is
done by the Japanese, who are at it
in great numbers.
The boats which they use are built
here after patterns used in Japan, and
once in while an Oriental steamer ar
irving from the West brings an import
ed fishing boat, which the fishermen
think is superior to those of local
manufacture. The boats are of pc
culiar shape and are of different sizes,
some able to accommodate but three
men, which is an ordinary crew, ard
others are large enough for seven or
eight men.
Now that the fish are getting scarcer
it is necessary for the fishermen to go
farther for their catches than was
formerly necessary and very often
these apparently frail and cranky-look-
ing boats go nearly to Molokai and
Mokapuu Point, where the fishing is
good. Only the larger boats are used
for the deep-sea fishing, as they are
sometimes out several days and must
have room to carry the fish caught and
provisions necessary for the trip.
Notwithstanding the frail appear
ance of the boats. they are strongly
constructed and good sea boats, and
as usual thing are fast sailers.
On Punchbowl street, in Kakaako, a
great many of the boats are built, and
the launching of one of the larger kind
is always an event of a great deal OF
interest to an onlooker and of great
importance to the men who are TO
operate the boat When the boat is
completed the owners and builders
and their friends decorate her with
Japanese flags, lanterns and flowers.
Then they take her to the water, into
which she glides amid a great shout
ing and ha1loing by the crowd.
Up to the time that the vessel Is
launched there is no captain selected
for the boat The choosing OF this i'm
portant factor in every case is lett.
| until the boat is in the water. 1t is
| known who the members of the crew
are, and from them the captain is Sc
lected. A knowledge of seafarlng IS
not apparently necessary for man
! to be captain of Japanese hshlng
boat, as the following will show:
When the boat is in the water ana
| moored securely the members OF the
crew. who are generally the owners OF
| the boat, strip themselves and get INTO
the boat. Then the fun of making the
selection of the commander begins.
There is no voting or drawing OF iots
| to settle the matter. At given slgnai
from one of the crowd on shore, VINO
are watching, the men IN the BOAT De-
| gin with all their might to try TO throw
each other out into the water. Eacn
man is against the other, and so the
struggle as a usual thing lasts long
time and is remarkably exciting.
All the time the play goes on the
friends of the contestants yell words
IF cheer to the struggling men IN the
boat and throw buckets OF water on
them and into the boat. seemingly
with the idea of making the oattie-
ground more slippery as well as re-
frashing to the men at work. AS soon
&C q man is thrown out OF the boat ne
must stay out, but may assist WITH
water If he so desires. The man VINO
stavs in the boat longest, or rather
who is able to put all the others out
of the boat, has by his proWess SHOWN al
himself competent to be captain. ana
60 he is greeted with much applause
and showered with congratulations at
the termination of the scutfie. There
Is no appeal from the selection SO
made and the man so chosen coz
Ewes TO be captain until he voiun-
tar;lv retires or sells out his share in
the boat.
This novel way of getting a skipper
saems very satisfactory to the nsher-
mon and it certainly affords q great
deal Of amusement to strangers VINO
hannan to be about during the selec-
It;on Of a commander. Honolulu Re
publican.