I recognized the shark as a “niuhi,” one of the argest and fiercest species found in the local waters, and much dreaded by the natives on account of its unsavory reputation as a man-eater. Its presence off Oahu is rare, the fish frequenting the warmer water near the Equator. Hawaiian tradition says that the “niuhi” is seen only after or during a heavy storm, the disturbed water having driven it away from its usual haunts. The scientific name of this shark is, I believe, Carcharodon carcharias.
The failure of the big brute to secure my fish seemed to anger it, and it came to the surface again, poking its head out of the water and regarding me with malevolent eyes. Then it seam slowly round the boat, frightening all the auau away.
Still I did not feel alarmed, but tried to scare the shark off with an oar, having no spear or other weapon in the boat. The man-eater disappeared for a few minutes and, congratulating myself on having got rid of such an ugly customer, I began to scent up the water, with the idea of attracting back the frightened school of auau. I had hardly started fishing again, however, when the big shark came to the surface a few feet from the boat, throwing its body half out of the water as if intent on swamping the craft. Had he hit the skiff he would assuredly have wrecked it. Luckily, the shark miscalculated its distance and struck the water instead, causing a commotion which rocked my little craft violently.
By this time I was thoroughly frightened, for I recalled stories told me by natives of gigantic sharks whose habit it was to attack small boats until they succeeded in falling on them, and thus brought their occupants within reach of their voracious maws.
