The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-03
SHARKS IN HAWAII
HOW ANCIENT NATIVES CAUGHT
MAN EATERS.
Filled Them Up With Meat and Ava
Water-Treated as a God

The shark now, as he has always done
occupies an unique position in the Ha-
waiian Islands. There are numerous in
stances in which he was treated as
god, and it was supposed that if
mother We're to feed her infant to one
the child's soul would enter into the
animals body and the latter would ever
after prove a friend to the family.
Although the waters surrounding the
islands are infested with sharks, it B
rarely that a native fisherman exhibits
any fear of them, and the fishermen
think nothing of running the most des-
perate chances in attacking. While
the native would not consider for a
moment the capture of his own especial
god, he has no compunc lions about
taking some other mans.
The natives divide the sharks fire.
quenting Hawaiian waters into five
species as follows: The Mano-kanaha
oman shark is the shark god of the an
cient Hawaiians, the Mano, a large
white shark, and the Niuhi, the largest
and fiercest of all. The last two are
rarely seen in Hawaiian waters. The
Niuhi is said to be seen a long way or
at night by the bright greenish light Of
it's eyeballs. 1t only is much feared by
the natives.
The hammer-headed and white-fin
SlldIhS are captured III gill HeIS, S6lnGS
or bag nets with other fishes. The
larger species are taken equally with
hook and line, as no net would be
strong enough to hold them. Shark
hooks are generally made of piece of
hardwood carved to the proper shape,
with a piece of sharp-pointed bone
dashed to the end to form the tip. Few
of the hooks have barb.
But frequently the fishermen take
sharks with spears. Diving to a
favorable spot in about five or SIX
fathoms of water, the fisherman places
himself in a half-crouching postum Z
against a large coral rock and waits for
the shark to appear. When one comes
he darts the spear into vital spot, Il
possible. Should he fail to kill lie
fish with the spear he watches his OPP
pOrtunity and completes the operation
with his knife, fearlessly engaging at
close quarters. Should the shark APP
pear while he is descending or ascend
ing a battle royal is on at once, win
the chances largely in favor Of ne
shark, as the diver is unable TO use his
spear and must trust to his knife at
close quarters. AS the native is ap-
parenuy as much at home below the
surface as above II his wonderful skill
some times saves him.
Frequently the native seeks the shark
in cOVes and caves below the surface,
after the fish has gorged itself and
I sleeps with its head forced into the
| sides of its resting place. The diver
gently slips a moose around the tail and
the shark is then hauled up and dis
patched, The slightest false movement
| of the diver would startle it and he
would probably regret having attacked.
Yet experts have been known to cap
! ture six or eight sharks in a day in This
manner.
In the olden times the catching of the
Niuhi was made a royal sport, but
there has been no regular Niuhi fishery
for nearly one hundred years. A large
quantity of the liVers of the common
shark would be obtained, and these,
with a little of the flesh, would be
wrapped up in the leaves of the ii plant
and baked underground. At times pig
meat would also be used. From fifty to