Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-05-02
CHOOSING A CAPTAIN.
A Curious Custom of japanese Fish
ermen In Hawaii.

Where several years ago the fishing for
the supplying of the Honolulu market
was done almost exclusively by the ma
tives i'll their canoes and few China
men 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 III awhile an oriental steamer arriv-
ing from the west brings an imported
fishing boat, which the fishermen think is
superior to those Of local manufacture.
The boats are of Il peculiar shape and
are of different sizes, some able to accom-
modate but three men, which is an ordi-
nary crew, and others are large enough
for seven or eight men.
Notwithstanding the frail appearance
of the boats they are strongly construct
ed 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 great deal of in
terest to an onooker and Of great impOr-
tance 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, Ian
terms and flowers. Then they take her to
the water, into which she glides amid a
! great shouting and halloing by the crowd.
Up to the time that the vessel is launch
ed there is no captain selected for the
| boat. The choosing of this important
| factor in every case is left until the boat
| is in the water 1t is known who the
| members OF the crew are, and from them
| the captain is selected. A knowledge of
seafaring is not apparently necessary for
man to be q captain of a japanese fish
| ing boat as the following will show:
When the boat is in the water and
| 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 Sc
| lection of the commander begins. There
is no voting or drawing of lots to settle
| the matter At given signal from one
| Of the crowd on shore, who are watching
| the men in the boat begin with all theil
might to try to throw each other out into
| the water. Each man is against the 9th
er, and so the struggle, as usual thing
lasts a long time and is remarkably ex
/
| friends of the contestants yell words OF
cheer to the struggling men in the boa1
| and throw buckets of water on them anC
into the boat. seemingly with the idea OF
making the battle-ground more slippery a!
well as refreshing to the men at work
As soon as man is thrown out of the
| boat he must stay out, but may assls
with water if he so desires. The maj
who stays in the boat longest, or, rather
who is able to put all the others out o
the boat, has by his prowess shown him
self competent to be captain, and so h'
is greeted with much applause and show
cred with congratulations at the termina
ton of the scuiile. There is no appea
from the selection so made, and the mai
so chosen continues to be captain unit
he voluntarily retires or sells out hi
share in the boat.
The novel way of getting a skippe
seems very satisfactory to the fishermen
and it certainly affords a great deal o
amusement to strangers who happen t
be about during the selection of com
! mander-Honolulu Republican.