Large Turtle Caught

Laupahoehoe, July 26—Some days ago, there was person who said he was lucky and caught a big ulua at the same place. As for this, these men, whose names are Bill Maikui, a worker for the railway; Lopaka Mae; Akoni Jarda and Ned Rice; spoke about their luck in catching a large honu.

One day Bill Maikui noticed a big honu swimming by beneath the cliffs upon which they live. He fastened meat upon his fishing line and threw it down the cliff; perhaps this cliff is not very high. When he threw over his fishing line, the flippers [ekekeu] of that turtle soon was entangled in the line; and being that the honu was huge indeed, he called his friends to go down and secure a heavy line and pull it up to where he lives. It was with great difficulty that they pulled up this honu caught in the fishing line  up the cliff where Maikui lives.

It was days ago that he would always see the turtle swimming around there, and one day he decided to try and catch the honu, because its meat is delicious and fatty. Some Hawaiians eat honu. As a result of his efforts, the honu was caught and was brought on land.

The following Sunday, the honu was killed, and when it was weighed, it was 200 pounds. Just one back hindquarters [uha hope] filled a flour bag. When they measured the width of this honu, it took two men to circle its body.

(Hoku o Hawaii, 8/14/1928, p. 1)

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Buke XXII, Helu 12, Aoao 1. Augate 14, 1928.