The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-21
MI, A SURVIVAL
Of GOO)DOLDDAYS
Seyenty-Five Years Old But Re-
CARDS Two-Mile Swim Through
Surf As No Pihkia' ~.

M. X. Nui, seventy -fvetyear-old
fisherman of Hauula, has taken rank
with Captain Sam and the !Deyauehelle
BOYS az q wonderful swimmer. 7
Nui is one Of the most expert of Ha
waiian fishermen in the islands today.
No one is better versed in the lore Of
the denizens of the deep than the old
native, and none is more fearless in
their pursuit. ; 'tL, r n
Hardly a day passes that Nui doesn Z
go alone in his canoe In quest of ulua
oio, skahala and other valued food
Last week, while Nui was fishing
about two miles from Hauula, his canoe
was upset and broken in pieces by a
huge breaker which descended upon him
unawares. o. 1r'y ..
Selling a piece Of wreekage he start.
ed to swim to shore, and made land
after a period of several hours.
''No Ptlikia,,' He, Says
Two men who were fishing on the
reef Hookef up from their occupation
and were surprised to soc third man
standing near them, with a bag of fish
slung across his shoulders. "'h
fastening over to where the stranger
stood they found that he was Nui, an
asked him IL he was in 'p.likia.
"NO pilikia,'' rePIied the stout old
Hawaiian, as he started TOT swim t.
Jbore through the waters of the lagoon
Arrived at his home he set about
building another canoe and making new
lines, his gear having all been last wher
his canoe capslzed. ,.. D..
Early in the year Nui had an almost
similar experience in just about the
same place, only on that occasion hi,
canoe was overturned but not wreck Cd
Through a heavy sea and with paddle,
gone he managed to bring hrs fishing
craft safely to shore. -. ,-E
What feats of swimming old M
could have, and probably did perform
in his younger days, haudieaps the
Imagination. ......
Uses Ancient Tackle
Nui, today, is fne-lookIhg, well
preserved old man, with excellent eye
| sight, and with all his faculties a.
finely developed as ever.
He is one of the few remaining IIa
waiians who fish for the great squ,d il
deem water with the lehu or cowric
l SHtll, W Iut bdNh VI NulNH 10 nv ~ W.
| grooved stone which acts az q sink"r
Between the she'll and the. stone il
bound the projecting part Of . f"r'
stick, and to the end of each of tn,
forks is tied necdle.pointed. piece o
metal, resembling in appearance, thu
spurs of fightingrcock.
The sholl device is lowered into tn
! depths and when the squid secs tn
cowrie he embraces it, the metal pcne
trates his body apd he is drawn up ant
placed in the boat. 10 j.
just what attracts the squid TO tn
shell is problem. IL may be tina
the flesh of the shell, fish has a spccia
appeal to the sQuid. IL is stran"c
however, that the best results ut thi
form of fishing are obtained when
shell Of as reddish a color as possil Il
is nsed. a.. ....
Sometimes Dangerous Work
The present generptiQn of HNwaii"u
prefer to hunt for their sduid in tn
shallow waters Of thu laroppA The rau
ture of verv big sqSih means ronsi
ershle and sometimes dan"erOaE VOL
before he is placed bors de e""hat it
: the bottom of the canoe. lHrhr". L"
, fishing for snuid with a cowrio shot
is today, on this island, anyway, lrac
, tically lot art. D.,
] In the oh DAYS the district h"tw'"r
Kahukn and Hauula used 10 be f"n,ou
fishing ground for big s0uid, ami PLOUGH
ing operations near, the shore. M
sometimes considerable d'o'n"~
therefrom, have resulted in considerahl
numbers of the grOoVed stones whicI
are used to weight the lehu, being turn
ed up.