134 cook's voyage to march, 



girls ; and here again they wager with great spirit. 

 I saw a man in a most violent rage, tearing his hair, 

 and beating his breast, after losing three hatchets at 

 one of these races which he had just before pur- 

 chased from us with half his substance. 



Swimming is not only a necessary art, in which 

 both their men and women are more expert than any 

 people we had hitherto seen, but a favourite diver- 

 sion amongst them. One particular mode, in which 

 they sometimes amused themselves with this exer- 

 cise in Karakakooa Bay, appeared to us most peri- 

 lous and extraordinary, and well deserving a distinct 

 relation. 



The surf, which breaks on the coast round the bay, 

 extends to the distance of about one hundred and 

 fifty yards from the shore, within which space, the 

 surges of the sea, accumulating from the shallowness 

 of the water, are dashed against the beach with pro- 

 digious violence. Whenever, from stormy weather, 

 or any extraordinary swell at sea, the impetuosity of 

 the surf is increased to its utmost height, they choose 

 that time for this amusement, which is performed in 

 the following manner : twenty or thirty of the na- 

 tives, taking each a long narrow board, rounded at 

 the ends, set out together from the shore. The first 

 wave they meet, they plunge under, and suffering it 

 to roll over them, rise again beyond it, and make the 

 best of their way, by swimming, out into the sea. 

 The second wave is encountered in the same man- 

 ner with the first ; the great difficulty consisting in 

 seizing the proper moment of diving under it, which, 

 if missed, the person is caught by the surfi and 

 driven back again with great violence ; and all his 

 dexterity is then required to prevent himself from 

 being dashed against the rocks. As soon as they 

 have gained, by these repeated efforts, the smooth 

 water beyond the surf, they lay themselves at length 

 on their board, and prepare for their return. As the 

 surf consists of a number of waves, of which every 



