CHAPTER XXVI. Fishing Junks.—New Companions.—Stove Boat, yet good Luck.—Heavy Gales.—Bashee Islands.—Loo Choos.—The “Reaper” again.—Whaling Ship “Jireh Perry.”—Ship “Alabama.”—“Gamming.”—Ship “Roscoe.”—A Cure for “Bruisers.”—Ship “E. L. B. Jenney.”—Bark “Empress.”—Ormsby’s Peak.—Bonin Islands.—Turtles.—Peel’s Island.—A narrow Escape.—Bonin Island Inhabitants.—Japan Expedition.—An old Shipmate.—Another Runaway.—Fourth of July Celebration.—Ship “Rambler.”—Ship “Hope.”—Parting with an old Friend.—Fishing.—The last Lowering.—Bound for the Sandwich Islands.—Maui and Molokai.—Lahaina.—Anchor down.—Description of Lahaina.—King’s Palace.—Lahainaluna.—Rules and Regulations.—Sports and Pastimes.—Letters from Home.—Productions of Maui.—Captain M‘Culloch.—Sad News.—Death of Stoddard.—Voracity of the Shark.—Kanaka Church.

“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

In a believer’s ear.”

We bade him farewell, and returned to the ship with a sad and heavy heart. We felt to thank God that we were yet in health and strength, and to ask Him to return us to our friends at home safely. On reaching the hospital the following morning, we found that Stoddard had peacefully departed during the preceding night. He “fell sweetly asleep in Jesus.”

Much has been written and said about the shark, and, to speak plainly, many falsehoods told. It has become a common idea that all sharks will devour a man as soon as look at him, if they get a chance; but a more delusive one was never entertained. Of the many different varieties of sharks, there are but two that will attack a man in the water. These are the blue shark, and the ground, or shovel-nosed shark. No more danger need be apprehended from the common brown shark than from a porpoise. We have often seen a Kanaka jump overboard in a perfectly calm day, and swim after them with a sheath-knife, endeavoring to stab them, but Johnny Shark would keep out of his reach. And whenever we had a whale alongside, the sharks would be around in great numbers, and yet never touch the boat-steerer, who was overboard on the whale. But of the blue and ground sharks, the farther one keeps from them the better for his safety. On the night of Sunday, October 23d, one of the officers of the “South Boston,” while walking the deck, made a misstep and fell overboard. Hearing the splash, some of the crew jumped into the boat alongside, and hauled under the stern, where the man had fallen; but no sign or trace was to be seen of him. He was an excellent swimmer, but, in all probability, was seized by one of the numerous ground-sharks that prowl round the shipping in port. The water in Lahaina is very clear, the bottom being distinctly visible at the depth of twenty fathoms, or one hundred and twenty feet; and, although every search was made the next morning at daylight, the body could nowhere be found. No doubt now remained but he had fallen a victim to the rapacity of the voracious ground-shark.

On the afternoon of this Sabbath we attended service in the Kanaka church. It was filled with natives of both sexes, intermingled with whites, of whom here and there might be seen one. The interior of the church is fashioned similar to our American ones—very tasty and neat, without being gaudy. In the morning the sermon is delivered in the native tongue; in the afternoon, in English.

The natives of these islands, like all others who have been visited by Europeans, have suffered from the dreadful ravages of diseases brought by the latter. During our stay at Lahaina, the small-pox raged with great violence there and at Honolulu. Hundreds of the natives were swept off, and, what appeared very singular, scarcely a white man was attacked, and none died from it, although hundreds of seamen were daily exposed.

In the following chapter we give a “legend,” as related to us by an old native whose acquaintance we formed, probably the “oldest inhabitant;” and then, with the reader, we will be “homeward bound.”