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e. m. newman : waikiki, 1917 |
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Waikiki
Beach
Along the beach,
which stretches for some distance, are numerous villas and hotels.
A prettier spot
could not be found.
Hawaiian mermaids
make their homes upon the soft sands of Waikiki.
Marvelous swimmers
are these native girls; like human fish they surmount the huge breakers
that roll in over the coral reefs.
The Hawaiian
children, clad only in innocence, are a joy to see.
They learn to
swim before they are old enough to think, and they play through the surf
in laughing sport like children of the waves.
-Surf-board riding
is the most thrilling sport at Waikiki.
Picking out a
"comber," as the riders call it, they fling themselves astride their surf-boards;
balancing themselves and standing erect, they ride at lightning speed on
the crest of the enormous roller.
Like winged Mercury
they seem fairly to fly over the water.
One experiences
many thrills and sees many spills.
Although women
participate as well as men, it is a sport for the sturdy, not for the timid.
Equally popular
at Waikiki is riding in out-rigger canoes, and these boats also require
skill in handling, as they are easily overturned.
There are many
exciting races by crews consisting of natives who are pitted against American
crews. When our thoughts dwell on the Island of Oahu, Waikiki comes readily
to mind in memories of sunbathed days and moonlit nights, when we sat on
the beach listening to the tinkle and strum of the ukelele, the sad but
melo- dious songs of the Hawaiians,. and passed the hours as if in dreamland.
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