Chapter III
, the details of which were not fully described.
While Umi was living in humble circumstances in Waipunalei, Hilo, he and Koi one day went down to the beach at Laupahoehoe, the great bathing place in those days, where they saw Paiea and several people of the place out surf riding. While looking on they often heard praises of Paiea and his great skill in the use of the surf board. Umi approached one of the people of the place and whispered to him: “Is that the best Paiea can do, just to rise up with the surf and fall back again? That is not the way surf is ridden in our land. One must ride clear to the edge of the beach before he can be called an expert.” When the fellow heard this he went over to Paiea and repeated to him what he had heard. Upon hearing this expression of criticism against his skill as a surf rider, he called Umi to come to him. When Umi came up to Paiea, he was asked: “Is it true that you passed the remark that has been reported to me by this man?” Umi replied: “It was only a casual remark on my part; I did not think that he would take it seriously.” Paiea then said to Umi: “Let us have a race surf riding. If you beat me I will be your servant, and if I beat you, you will be mine.” Umi accepted the challenge and wager. Not satisfied with this wager, Paiea further put up two double canoes and one single canoe against Umi’s whale’s tooth necklace. Again Paiea offered four double canoes thinking to wager them against the bones of Umi, [167] but a young man belonging to Laupahoehoe stepped in and helped Umi by matching four double canoes against the four offered by Paiea. This young man was very wealthy, but Paiea’s stock of wealth was already exhausted. Because of this assistance to Umi by the young man, Paiea said to him: “If your intention was to conspire against me I would have been killed, for you have very many relatives.” Paiea was but a petty chief under Liloa, while the young man was a high chief, a resident descendant of the soil of Hilo and Hamakua.
After the bets had been decided on, Umi and Paiea swam out to the point where the surf rose before breaking and there floated waiting for a surf to form. After they were in position, Paiea upon seeing the first surf called out to Umi: “Let us take this one.” But Umi said, “No”. On the approach of the second surf, Paiea again called out to Umi: “Let us take this one.” Again Umi refused to take it. On the approach of the third surf, Umi called out: “Let us take this one.” “Yes,” said Paiea and they then caught the surf at the same time and away they came in on the same surf. As they neared a rock that was in their way, Umi was crowded by Paiea against this rock. When Umi saw his predicament he made a turn, passing the coral rock on the inside, and rode clear to the edge of the beach, beating Paiea. As Umi stepped on to the beach, Koi saw the bruise on the shoulder of Umi, so he went up to him and whispered: “After you have become the king of the land I shall slay Paiea.”
In this defeat of Paiea by Umi he lost all his property to the young man who backed Umi, except the canoes that were wagered against Umi’s whale’s tooth necklace. The young man who aided Umi was the friend that was placed in charge of the district of Puna when Umi became the king of Hawaii.
We will now take up the matter of the journey of Umi around Hawaii.
After the king had visited through the district of Hamakua he continued on into Waipunalei, the land separating Hilo from Hamakua. Waipunalei was the land owned by Kaoleioku and the land in which he had already erected, at the time when he was in humble circumstances, a large temple. The temple, however, had never been dedicated by a human sacrifice offered on its altar. When they arrived at this place, Umi said to Koi: “Go and fulfill your promise and kill Paiea and those who were against me.” Koi assented to this and started on his errand, killing Paiea and all those who had shown their ill feeling against Umi in that section of the country. At the end of the slaughter Koi returned with the body of Paiea, which was offered as a sacrifice on the altar in the temple erected by Kaoleioku, in Waipunalei.
In the course of Umi’s and Kaoleioku’s stay in Waipunalei, the government was firmly established in Umi, and Kaoleioku assured him that he would be the undisputed king of Hawaii to the end of his days. Because of these ceremonies they made a very long stay at this place before they again continued on their journey around Hawaii. After a circuit of Hawaii had been made they returned to Waipio where the king took up his residence.
The time consumed on this circuit was two summers and two winters, making about two years on the journey. The common people as well as the chiefs received Umi, the new king, graciously.
After this return to Waipio, where the king made his residence, Kaoleioku returned to his possession, the district of Hilo, to reside, leaving Omaokamau, Piimaiwaa and Koi with very many people with the king.
While Kaoleioku was in Hilo, Umi began courting a young chiefess of high rank who was connected to the king by blood. When Kaoleioku heard this he expressed his disapproval of the royal match by saying: “Umi must not marry a woman of his own blood, because he already owns the whole of Hawaii. He should take as a wife the daughter of Piilani of Maui, Piikea by name, so that Maui would be united to Hawaii by ties of blood which would assure a lasting peace with that island.” This was pleasing to Umi as well as to his chiefs.
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