Nuhou, Volume II, Number 9, 12 August 1873 — Ke Alalauwa [ARTICLE]

Ke Alalauwa

Ie a beautiful little fi6b, like the gold fi8h hi forui! and hue s and to our ehoree, and is I attracting thc attcntion uf all the native islandere.! It o»ly pajB oeeaeional visiie, at irregular periode, and Hawaiian supcretition attributee to ite coming eome impending dleaeter, ueuallj tlie demise of a chicf of the land.' The impreseionable kanakae are a litt!e excfted over this marine 6tranger; and in talking about it, they uee the expreseiou, weliweh, meaning fearful or startling ; and weli they may uee eueh an expression, in. view of thc number ( s, the eehoole, tlie myriade of the alalauwa that literally Uiieken the water of our harbor. We went oufc in a boat wiih a party, on Friday niglit to angle for a few, Thc nioon was gorgeous in the hcavene } and lined the gently rippled surface of the sca» with eilvery pathvvaye; and by her soft ellulgcnce, we beheld the hoets of! eager people, with pole and line in hand, that! crowded along the edge of wharf and shore,and; who in their varied attitudes formed beautiful : eilhoiietts on the swcet ealm cvcniug sky. I The prctty littlc golden and silver tintcd carps 1 ewarmed arōūrid ue, and wcre eager to devour' whatever was thrown to them. Ae <|uick as the ' hook and bait eould be caet into tlie water they I would bite and be hauled in. Terhape t\vo Uiou-1 sand busy hands were holding rods and linee ovov ! thc stream ; and along the whole line of wharf! and shore v iiear vrhich we moored our boat, we ; eoukl observc theVinimerous burthened I)00ksJ lifting thc little eaptivee into the air, «nd tfie' shimmer of their bright seales, as thcy daneed In j t-he pendant on tlie line, made them ' seem like a long line of fire flies hoverlng over! the ehore. Therc were ae leaet two thoueand people out with hook and line that night. said three ! thousand, lincd the wharves of the harbor and as | eaeh eaught with unvarying eueeess, it might not be mueli out of the way to that thc nighrs ! catch was cqual to one h«uJrcil thousunJ fishes. : But they are wos(ly vei'y varyiug un ! ouneo or two in weigllt, to peihape fialf a pouiKl.! They mnke a very palalaWe rry, auQ wluU t!ic natives eanuot*eat fiesh, they «\lt for luluie u>e. 1 Thc arrival of the alalauwa afTouls a great <Jiver-' sion to tlic riatives, but proha , >ly afieets the iueat ] aud fieh market a u-itle. The suyereti(io» j*l\uit' its arri\-al is npoken of \yith a gveat Jeal of eavnest- ■ nw: aiul cvcn foroignevs like to teU. as eonGrui-' !atory of the nativ(? $upmUtioii, how thi? tU -.' rived wheu " the prmi'oss" vlied, aml on other' oeca?ions. In faet tlw ]foreigner iiielined to l>e' ju>t as supeiirtitiou« u-? native, aiu! noue cf us' eoukl get along \\ry well witlTout our eredulity. ' Ycry hkety the alalau\Vci hns slippetl into tl:ese' w!Ucr* many Jiuie. w!jen r.o c!iler died. >mt lt U !

cnough to support oui L faith to know t! f at t! ev eame at times when s|omebody did die. Soīijv want to satisfy the natitna! credulity at tl;i- tiuie wiihout waiting for nny eepeeial victim, by vin<£ that the death of the chiefess Jane Loeau aecoiints for t]ie event; bUt that won't do ; as ! aWival of the fisb was ihot ofHcially annoureed on the day of |her demise, Som«' of kanakae said ? ae we sat quictly and angling for fish and idei\e, that the arrivai of forbode the loss of Puuloa, but a nuperous party eaid no,; it \vas a waniing to "Mp*" pah*icides, who would! try tu sell a portion «9®® ir native country, 1 ,