CHAPTER II

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MOIKEHA’S RESIDENCE ON KAUAI AND HIS DOINGS.

After Moikeha had taken Hooipoikamalanai and Hinauu to be his wives, he became the king of Kauai, after the death of his father-in-law. Moikeha had five children with his two wives, all boys. Following is the genealogy of that generation:

HUSBAND. WIFE. CHILD.

{ Umalehu. { Hooipoikamalanai. { Kaialea. Moikeha. { { Kila. { { Hinauu. { Kekaihawewe. { Laukapalala.

In this genealogy of Moikeha his issue is seen to have continued until the reign of Manookalanipo, who became the ancestor of the chiefs of Kauai and Niihau. But none of those who know anything of this genealogy can produce a direct line with any degree of accuracy.

After the events stated above, Moikeha assigned himself to the task of making his wives and children happy, giving his undivided attention to the bringing up of his boys, and in this way Moikeha thought no more of Luukia. Some time after this, Moikeha’s thoughts were carried back to his son Laamaikahiki, his child with Kapo, and he began to have a yearning desire to see Laamaikahiki. So at a given time he called his five sons together and said to them: “I am thinking of sending one of you boys to go to your elder brother and bring him to Hawaii.” Upon hearing the wish of their father, the boys became greatly excited and they all spoke out: “Let me go! Let me go!!” and so on. This was carried on for some time.

When Moikeha saw that his sons were excited and were so worked up that there was much contention among them, he devised a way of giving them a test at something, to determine who should go to Tahiti. Upon deciding what the nature of the test was to be, he called his sons to him and said: “I have decided to give you a test, and the boy who shall excel over the others, he shall be the one to go and bring your brother.” He then took the boys to the river in the order of their birth. But before this he told his sons: “Let each of you bring his ti-leaf canoe [115] and sail it across the river, each one to have but one trial, and under no condition are you to have a second trial. The one whose canoe shall come between my thighs, that boy shall be the one to go and bring your brother.”

After giving them these instructions he proceeded to the opposite bank of the river and sat down at the edge of the water directly facing the wind. The boys in the meantime proceeded to the windward at a point right opposite their father. The oldest boy then set his canoe down in the water and steered it for the desired point, but it missed the mark, as it sailed off in another direction. The second boy then set his canoe down in the water and it, too, missed the mark. The third and fourth boys also took their turns and they too failed to hit the desired mark. Then Kila, the youngest son of Moikeha, took his canoe and set it down in the water and it sailed directly to his father and passed between his thighs. When his brothers saw that their youngest brother had won they became very angry and from then on they tried to devise some way of killing him.

Some time after this his older brothers enticed him to go and play at shooting arrows, [116] but as their parents were aware of the fact that they had no love for their youngest brother, their father did not allow Kila to accompany them. The older brothers then coaxed him and pretended to be kind to him in every way possible, but their father, Moikeha, would not allow him to go along with them.

At last, when it was almost time for Kila to undertake his trip to Tahiti, to bring Laamaikahiki, Moikeha then thought of giving him the desired permission to accompany his older brothers. Upon deciding that he would do this Moikeha told Kila: “My son, I am not going to keep you away from your brothers any longer. You can now accompany them. It is possible that the journey you are to undertake may take you away from them altogether, so you may now accompany them wherever they go. After the kapu days of the temple are ended, in the following days you shall then sail for Tahiti.” Kila then replied: “You must not permit me to accompany my brothers for I might get killed. I think you ought to provide them with a god so that they will fear the god and in that way prevent them from killing me. Then I think it will be safe for me to accompany my brothers.” When Moikeha saw that the boy had used good judgment in the matter, he called his sons together and told them that they must now have a god. Upon hearing this the boys would not consent to such a proposition. At this Moikeha approved of Kila’s discretion and therefore refused to allow him to accompany his brothers in their excursions.

Shortly after this Moikeha proceeded to get everything in readiness for Kila’s voyage to Tahiti as was formerly planned by him. Before he set out for Tahiti, Moikeha advised him as follows: “When you sail from here, go by way of Oahu, and don’t fail to call on your aunts; they are living on the side of Oahu facing Molokai. If you call they will not mistake you for a stranger.”

After imparting these words of advice, Moikeha picked out the men who were to accompany Kila on this voyage. Kamahualele was selected as his companion, he being Moikeha’s foster-son. Kapahi and Moanaikaiaiwa, were selected as the paddlers. Kipunuiaiakamau and his companion were selected as the navigators and sailing masters. In case the canoe was likely to run aground, Kamahualele would call out: “Kipunuiaiakamau, hold on!” Then he and his companion would back water and the canoe would go backwards. This is the reason why these two men were named Kipunuiaiakamau. Kaukaukamunolea and his companion, two of them, were selected as pilots. These were the men that were selected to accompany Kila on his voyage to Tahiti.

When he was about ready to set sail, some of the Kauai people expressed their desire to accompany him on his voyage, Hooholoku and his companion. And upon the expressed wish of Kamahualele he was permitted to take Kuaiwilu and Kauineno, making about nine in this company together with the chief, making it ten all told.

When the men who were to accompany Kila were ready, Moikeha took the priests who were versed in the study of the heavens and ordered them to see if the chief’s journey would be undertaken in safety. After studying the heavens, the priests announced that the chief could take the journey in safety. But not wishing to take any risk, Wanahili, one of the priests, was selected to accompany him, thus making eleven in the company all told.

In the dawn of the day advised by the priests as the proper time to undertake the voyage, just as the star Sirius was rising, Kila set sail for Oahu. Upon arriving off the shore of the place directed by his father as the place where his aunts were living he laid to in his canoe and called out: “My greetings to you, Makapuu and Makaaoa.”

Makapuu and Makaaoa. “Who are you?” “I am Kila of the uplands, Kila of the lowlands, Kila-pa-Wahineikamalanai. I am the offspring of Moikeha.”

Makapuu and Makaaoa. “Is Moikeha then still living?” “He is still living.”

Makapuu and sister. “What is he doing?” “He is dwelling in ease in Kauai where the sun rises and sets; where the surf of Makaiwa curves and bends; where the kukui blossoms of Puna change; where the waters of Wailua stretch out. He will live and die in Kauai.”

Makapuu and sister. “What journey is this that brings the chief to us?” “It is a journey in search of a chief.”

Makapuu and sister. “In search of what chief?” “Of Laamaikahiki.”

After this, they left Oahu and sailed for Kalaau Point where Moikeha’s friend Kakakauhanui was living. Kila again called out as he did to his aunts. This calling was kept up until all the people left by Moikeha from Oahu to Hawaii had been heard from, when they proceeded on their way to Tahiti.

On this voyage they first touched at Moaulanuiakeaiki where Kupohihi, a human rat, was living, one of Moikeha’s uncles. They called at Kupohihi’s because they were without food. Again Kila called out to his granduncle in the same manner as when he called on his aunts, and they were supplied with food. Upon their arrival at Moaulanuiakeaiki, they saw Lanikeha, the palace of Moikeha which was located on Moaulanuiakeanui. After staying in this place for a few days, they again set sail for Moaulanuiakeanui. Upon running the canoe on the beach, Kila and Kamahualele set out to call on Luukia. When Kila arrived at the place where Luukia was living, he called out: “My greetings to you, Luukia.”

Luukia. “Who are you?” “I am Kila of the uplands, Kila of the lowlands, Kila-pa-Wahineikamalanai. I am the offspring of Moikeha.”

Luukia. “Is Moikeha then still living?” “He is still living.”

Luukia. “What is he doing?” “He is indulging in ease in Kauai where the sun rises and sets; where the surf of Makaiwa curves and bends; where the kukui blossoms of Puna change; where the waters of Wailua stretch out. He will live and die in Kauai.”

Luukia. “What journey is this that brings the chief to me?” “It is a journey in search of a chief.”

Luukia. “In search of what chief?” “Of Laamaikahiki.”

Luukia. “Your brother is in the mountain of Kapaahu; he is hidden; we have not seen him.”

At the close of this conversation between Kila and Luukia, Kila retired to Lanikeha to Moikeha’s residence, the palace at Moaulanuiakea. Some time after this Kamahualele and Kila started off for the place where Laamaikahiki was being hidden, but they were not able to find him at this time. After looking for Laamaikahiki for several days they were still unable to find him, so Kila gave up looking for him and rested for a few days.

On the first day prior to the kapu nights, Kila spoke to Kamahualele. “You had better get our double canoe ready and let us return, because I have about decided to give up the search for the chief. It is best that we return and tell Moikeha of our inability to find him, so as to give Moikeha a chance to send some others.”

Kamahualele then proceeded to carry out the orders of Kila, although he was not at all willing to give up the search. After pondering the matter over, Kamahualele started off to find Kuhelepolani an aged sorceress, a priestess of Olopana, and bring her in the presence of Kila. Kamahualele then spoke to Kila: “Let us delay undertaking our voyage home for a while, for I believe it best to do so, and in the meantime let us see if the old woman cannot find the chief for us. She is a priestess to Olopana. It may be possible for her to direct us to the place where your brother is now living.”

Although such a thing was altogether new to Kila, still he was made glad by the mere prospects of again trying to locate the object of their search. So, in order to understand the matter more clearly he questioned Kamahualele: “What is a priestess? What does she do?” Upon hearing these questions put by Kila, Kamahualele described the character and duties of a priestess to him. After Kamahualele had explained what the priestess could do, Kila asked the priestess to begin her duties so as to enable him to see Laamaikahiki.

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