The sun., 1908-12-27


come in great numbezs from tho sur,
rounding country, wege directed 70 oloS
up the mouth Of the river with their HSl
nets while the sister and brother At
tackled him In the rear. Reused by hi
danger the shark attempted 10 break
through the Gordon Of nets N order Il
regain the sea and safety, but failed
and the people dragged him on shore anc
burned his body to ashes.
Unfortunately q dog got hold Of hi
tongue and after eating portion dropped
the remainder into the river. Whereupor
the spirit Of the man eater revived again
and an q tongue, now restored and alive
made his way to the coasts Of Maui and
Hawaii pleading with the sharks OF those
waters for vengeance upon the sharks
Of the Eva Lagoon.
Anticipating this action the latter Sc
cured the aid OF Kuhaimoana and other
notable sharks from the islands OF Ka-
hoolawe. Niihau, Kauai and Oahu. II
was a grand sight when these mighty
hosts began the great shark war. This
combat has long been the theme Of the
native bards.
Kaahupahu and her friends we're VIC
tors in the first great battle, but the
struggle dragged on for years with vary
ing success. The Hawaiians say that she
is now dead. while her brother lives In
his old cave In the sea.
A shark named Moaalil was famous
as the marine god Of MololSai and Oahu
Many temples were built on promon-
tories in his honor and TO them the hrsi
fruits of the fsherman's labors were
dedicated. When victims were required
10 be sacrificed In honor Of this god. or he
was supposed to be hungry. the priests
would sally forth and ensnare with a
rope any one they could catch. The vic
tim was Immediately strangled, cut in
pieces and thrown TO the voraoious
animal.
Ukanipo was the shark god OF Hawaii.
He seems to have been Of compassionate
nature at times. as there are extant sew
eral traditions showing kindnesses he
had done to certain of his devotees. espe-
cially lovers in distress.
All the shark gods were not beneficent.
however. Apukohai and Uhumakaikai
were evil shark gods who infested the
waters of Kauai, and the fishermen were
compelled to propitiate them with offer
ings.
Should fisherman by an unlucky acci-
dent injure or destroy shark held sacred
by his family he was bound to make a
feast 10 the god.
Several Of the African coast tribes
worship the shark. Three or four times
in the year they celebrate the festival
of the shark, which Is done in this wise:
They all row out in their boats to the mid
die Of the river, where they invoke. with
the strangest ceremonies. the proteo-
ton of the great shark. They offer to
him poultry and goats In order to satisfy
his sacred appetite. But this is nothing;
an infant is every year sacrificed to the
monster, which has been feted and nour-
ished for the sacrifice from it's birth to
the age of 10. On the day Of the fete it
is bound TO post on a sandy point at low
water; as the tide rises the child may
utter cries Of terror. but they are Of no
avail, as it is abandoned TO the waves.
and the sharks soon arrive to finish it's
agony and thus permit it to enter into
heaven.
The Pefynesians have an ancient fable
treating of the fight of Ina. the daughter
Of Vaitooringa and Egastna, to the Sacred
Isle. After the sole dumped her at the
edge of the breakers with such disas-
trous results to itself from the angry
princess. the latter summoned the shark,
aud by its help succeeded in reaching the
Sacred Island Feeling thirsty during
the voyage Ina cracked q ooooanut on
the sharks forehead. and this accounts
Tor the bump now found on the forehead
Of all sharks.
There are many old superstitions about
sharks. In parts OF New England in
order to cure a toothache a dog fish. a
species of shark, is hooked and the horn
hat projects from the back cut oh. after
which the fish is thrown back alive into
The water. Place the horn on the tooth
and as the animal swims away 80 will
he toothache. Sharks teeth rubbed on
he gums help children in teething. The
eeth. powdered and mixed with the
brain, make very good medicine.