CHAPTER IX

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BATTLE BETWEEN UMI-A-LILOA AND THE CHIEFS OF HILO; HIS VICTORY, AND THE JOINING OF HILO.

When Umi-a-Liloa broke the tongue of the wiliwili necklace of the daughter of Kulukulua, after she fully realized that it was destroyed she wept bitterly and ran over to her father, saying: “My necklace ornament is completely broken by my husband.” The father then said: “What was the reason for destroying your necklace?” The daughter replied: “The man said that he was ashamed of it; the wiliwili necklace ornament was common among their people from children to old women, and that the royal necklace of their chiefs were the teeth of the whale forming the ivory ornament.” Kulukulua then said to his daughter: “Those men should be securely bound with cords, and if the ivory royal necklace is not furnished, then they shall all be slain and sacrificed at the temple of Kanoa.” [177] Therefore, Kulukulua commanded his men, and Umi-a-Liloa, Omaokamau and Koi were securely bound, while Piimaiwaa was allowed to go to Waipio to bring the ivory necklace, because a command had been given that the ivory ornament must be produced within one day, and if it was not furnished in one day they would all be killed. So Piimaiwaa hurried down to Waipio and in a short time apprised the chiefs there of the predicament which befell Umi and his companions at Hilo. Without waste of time Piimaiwaa returned the same day and placed the ivory ornament in the hand of the daughter of Kulukulua. She was made very happy on seeing this uncommon thing that the tooth of a whale was made into an ivory royal necklace. She hopped around with joyful laughter at her good fortune, but to Umi-a-Liloa it was a sad occasion to lose the royal necklace inheritance of his royal father Liloa; but he earnestly prayed to his god Kukailimoku that the royal necklace of Nanikoki be safeguarded with the chiefs of Hilo until the time they [the chiefs of Hilo] would be conquered.

When the ivory ornament was received Umi and his companions were liberated from their place of confinement at the father-in-law’s house. After their release at Hilo they returned to Hamakua, reaching Waipio where Umi met his chiefs and the tried councillors [178] of his father, who decided at once to make war upon the chiefs of Hilo. The decision was in this wise: war must be waged right away without any waste of time.

Up through the mountains of Mauna Kea and right back of Kaumana, running towards Hilo, was a short cut over the mountains to the trail of Poliahu and the well of Poliahu at the top of Mauna Kea, the trail leading down to Hilo. It was an old road for those of Hamakua, of Kohala and of Waimea to take when going to Hilo. Therefore, preparations were made and the army ascended the Mauna Kea mountain and descended on the upper side of Hilo, and encamped right back of the stream of Waianuenue, the people of Hilo not knowing that war was coming from the upper side. The Hilo chiefs were therefore unprepared.

There was a great fisherman from Puueo engaged with a large net at the heenehu [179] fishing grounds, who noticed the dirty water of the sea and was surprised at the fact. He thought that there was war in the mountains which was the cause of the dirt in the stream. Others contradicted: there was no war; the dirt in the water was the result of a cloudburst causing the muddy stream which flowed down to the sea. But in this the man would not agree with them; he held to the idea that the discoloration of the water was caused by the feet of men. He hurriedly pulled his net into his canoe and returned to the shore. He did not wait to dry his net, but seized a long spear, also some taro and a few nehu, and throwing a ki-leaf fishing coat over his back, immediately set out toward the mountain. Nau was the name of the man.

Nau proceeded till he reached the uppermost retreat of Kaumana, where was a stretch of pili grass. Above this was where the army was encamped. There was a flat stone in the stream on which the man sat and ate of his taro and little fishes. The warriors of Umi-a-Liloa saw that Nau, the great fisherman of Puueo, had taro for food and little fish for his meat. In this place the people of Umi-a-Liloa were in great difficulty; the road was narrow, and the men of Umi had to come down the pili trail in single file. As they came to the narrowest part each man had to lower himself, feeling for a landing with his feet, while the man’s place in hiding was favorable to him, being curved inward, and when the person from the other side made their descent this man would only have to thrust out his long spear, sending him over the cliff to his death.

This continued for some time and many men were killed by this one man because of the narrowness of the trail, and of its nearness to Kauamoa. Forty men were thus killed. Piimaiwaa, therefore, went to the top of the cliff and on looking down he saw only one man, hugging close to the bank. Then Piimaiwaa muttered to himself: “I’ll kill you;” whereupon he leaped down the cliff and caused his [Nau’s] death. When Nau was killed there was no one to warn the chiefs of Hilo, and when night came the fighting was being carried down to Hilo. Umi’s army were provided with torches, and Umi-a-Liloa knew the king’s house in Hilo as also that of the daughter of Kulukulua; these were surrounded by Umi’s men, the chiefs of Hilo killed, the daughter of Kulukulua preserved, and the famous royal ivory necklace of Nanikoki recovered. As the cause of the war was the much desired ivory necklace, at the end of the conflict Hilo and Hamakua became united, with Umi as king.

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