CHAPTER I

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PREFATORY REMARKS.

There are twelve islands in this group and they are situated in the Pacific Ocean to the north of the Equator and between latitude 18° 54′ and 22° 17′, in west longitude 154° 54′. The wise people are not all agreed as to the origin of these islands, and some have thought that they appeared or grew up from the sea. But according to the history of Hawaii, the ideas of the learned historians were entirely different from that theory. According to the traditions of Wakea [1] and his wife Papa, these islands were the real children of this pair, being born of Papa and having Wakea for their father. Hawaii was the first child of Papa and Wakea, and some time afterwards Maui was born, and in this manner there were successive births of eleven islands. But Kahoolawe was not born of Papa and Wakea, but according to the tradition or legend of Haumea, Hina [2] was the one who gave birth to this island and it was called Kahoolawe.

In the tradition of Opuukahonua [3] it is therein claimed that the island of Hawaii was found by a fisherman, and that Opuukahonua was the progenitor of this race; and this is the story as told by the historian named Kahakuikamoana, one of the famous men belonging to the order of priesthood. It is handed down in mele or poetic form:

Then arose Hawaiinuiakea, 1 Arose from inside, from the inner darkness. Then appeared the island, the land, The row of islands of Nuumea, The group of islands on the borders of Tahiti. Maui was born an island, a land, 2 A dwelling place for the children of Kamalalawalu. Kuluwaiea of Haumea as the husband, 3 Of Hinanuiakalana as the wife Was born Molokai, a god, a priest, The first morning light [4] from Nuumea. Here stands the king, the heavenly one, [5] 4 The life-giving water-drops, from Tahiti. Lanai was found, an adopted child. It was Keaukanai who had married, 5 Had married with Walinuu from Holani, The sacred albino [6] of Uluhina. Kahoolawe was born, a foundling. [7] Uluhina then was called upon, 6 The navel of the little one was cut, The afterbirth of the child that was thrown Into the folds of the rolling surf, The froth of the heaving sea, Then was found the loin cloth for the child. Molokini the island Is the navel string, the island is the navel string. Now stands forth Ahukinialaa, 7 A chief from the foreign land, From the gills of the fish, From the overwhelming billows of Halehalekalani. Then was born Oahu, a wohi, [8] A wohi through Ahukinialaa. From Laakapu, who was the man, 8 From Laamealaakona a woman Who sickened of the child conception, Who sickened carrying the chief Nuupoki, At the sacred temple of Nonea During the lightning in the sacred night of Makalii. [9] Then was born Kauai, a chief, a prince, a kingly scion Of the chiefly cluster belonging to Hawaii; Hawaii the foremost head of the islands That was spread out by Kalani. [10] 9 The ships sailed freely to Holani, To the sacred precincts of freedom. Stand firm for the land of Kane Kanaloa, The barbed spear from Polapola, That pricked and uplifted Wanalia. Wanalia was the man 10 And Hanalaa was the woman, Of them was born Niihau, a land, an island, A land at the roots, [11] the stem of the land. There were three children among them, Born in the same day, Niihau, Kaula, ending with Nihoa. The mother then conceived no more, No island appeared afterwards. It is Kalani who consecrates the islands, 11 Exalted in Nuumea Among the royal cluster of Kaialea. It is the conqueror [12] who governs the islands. The thirds were joined together by Kalani; [13] Hilo, and Puna, and Kau were thrown in. Kalani stands forth with the priest And inspected Maui of Kama. [14] It was not long when he circuited the island Through the support given by Kalanimakahakona, The young brave that was foremost and highest, The great soldier of victories, The one who conquered Oahu, And the islands heard to their ends To the relief of Kauai through peace. All the islands were circled by Kalani, By Kalanialonoapii, [15] From the royal stem of Haloa. Then Hawaii the island became prominent; Became prominent and victorious.

[NOT FINISHED [16]]

According to this song (or mele) composed by Kahakuikamoana the historical legend of the derivation of these islands is explained, and it seems it was from Tahiti that the first people of this race came, but it is not made plain by the lines of this song how the race spread throughout the group. It is only the birth of the islands that is referred to and made plain by this history, tradition or recital of events, and it is well to look at the genealogy of the islands and see how they (the islands) became land according to the setting of historical events shown in the following chapter.

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