The Other
Fish Were More Difficult To Catch, Yet We Frequently Speared A Number
Of Them, Of Various Kinds And Sizes.
The Pilgrim brought us down
a supply of fish-hooks, which we had never had before, on the beach,
and for several days we went down to the Point, and caught a
quantity of cod and mackerel.
On one of these expeditions, we saw
a battle between two Sandwich Islanders and a shark. "Johnny"
had been playing about our boat for some time, driving away the
fish, and showing his teeth at our bait, when we missed him, and in
a few moments heard a great shouting between two Kanakas who were
fishing on the rock opposite to us: "E hana hana make i ka ia nui!"
"E pii mai Aikane!" etc., etc.; and saw them pulling away on a stout
line, and "Johnny Shark" floundering at the other end. The line
soon broke; but the Kanakas would not let him off so easily,
and sprang directly into the water after him. Now came the tug of
war. Before we could get into deep water, one of them seized him
by the tail, and ran up with him upon the beach; but Johnny
twisted round, turning his head under his body, and, showing his
teeth in the vicinity of the Kanaka's hand, made him let go and
spring out of the way. The shark now turned tail and made the
best of his way, by flapping and floundering, toward deep water;
but here again, before he was fairly off, the other Kanaka seized
him by the tail, and made a spring towards the beach, his companion
at the same time paying away upon him with stones and a large stick.
As soon, however, as the shark could turn, he was obliged to let go
his hold; but the instant he made toward deep water, they were both
behind him, watching their chance to seize him.
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