Identifier: incidentsofwhali00olms (find matches)
Title: Incidents of a whaling voyage : to which are added observations on the scenery manners and customs, and missionary stations of the Sandwich and Society Islands : accompanied by numerous lithographic plates
Year: 1841 (1840s)
Authors: Olmsted, Francis Allyn, 1819-1844
Subjects: Whaling
Publisher: New-York : Published by D. Appleton and Co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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has some communicationwith the sea. Upon emerging from the cavern, wewalked along in the direction it pursued under ground,until at a distance from the mouth of the cavern wherewe supposed it to terminate, we came across a circularexcavation, five or six feet in diameter, and ten or fifteenfeet deep, which was to be continued until a passage wasmade into the chamber containing the pool of waterreferred to above. This labor was in progress of execu-tion at the command of Governor Kuakini, to givehim an opportunity of visiting this cavern, an object ofinterest to all strangers, but which his obesity had for-bidden his having access to through the ordinary passage.After witnessing this striking instance of the zeal ofGovernor Kuakini for scientific objects, I took a strolldown to the sea shore, where a party of natives were play-ing in the surf, which was thundering upon the beach.Each of them had a surf board, a smooth, flat boardfrom six to eight feet long, by twelve to fifteen inches
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THE CHURCH. 223 broad. Upon these, they plunged forward into the surf,diving under a roller as it broke in foam over them, untilthey arrived where the rollers were formed, a quarter ofa mile from shore perhaps, when watching a favorableopportunity, they rose upon some huge breaker, andbalancing themselves, either by kneeling upon theirboards or extending themselves full length, they dashedimpetuously towards the shore, guiding themselves withadmirable skill and apparent unconsciousness of danger,in their lightning-like courses, while the bursting combersbroke upon each side of them, with a deafening noise.In this way, they amuse themselves hour after hour, insports which have too terrific an aspect for a foreigner toattempt, but which are admirably adapted to the almostamphibious character of the natives. Towards evening. Dr. Andrews gave us an invitationto accompany him to the church—which is one of thebest native places of worship on the islands, and itsexcellence is to be attribu

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