CHAPTER II

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RELATING TO KIHAPIILANI.

We will now see how Kihapiilani made the search for the one to avenge the insult given him by his unkind brother, Piilani.

After Kihapiilani had spoken to his wife relative to the field of potatoes, he said to her: “My wife, I am going away and shall leave you. I have labored patiently in the cultivation and care of these fields until they are ripened. You will eat the fruit of our labor.” The wife replied: “Are you going away for good, then, and are you not coming back again?” The husband replied: “Yes, I am not coming back for a summer and a winter. If you have husband-regard, remain husbandless until my return.” When the wife heard this she held Kihapiilani back and refused to allow him to go. Because of this stubbornness on his wife’s part he told her everything concerning himself in order to overcome her opposition, so he said: “My wife, I am now going to reveal certain things to you which you must not repeat, and I also urge upon you not to reveal my name. I am Kihapiilani; I am going in search of some one who will kill my brother Lonoapii (Piilani).” When the wife heard this she then knew that her husband was Kihapiilani, the great chief; and she also knew that it was beyond her to withhold him from going, so she consented for him to go on his way.

As soon as he was allowed to go, Kihapiilani started for Waikapu where the prophetess by the name of Pao was living. While Kihapiilani was yet on the road, on his way to meet her, she predicted to those around her, saying: “There is a chief on the way here in search for some one to help him in his revenge.”

When Kihapiilani arrived in the presence of Pao, a rainbow appeared at the same time. Pao then said: “My lord is swift of foot.” She then greeted Kihapiilani. Kihapiilani returned the greeting. After the greetings had been exchanged, Pao invited Kihapiilani to come in, and then she asked him: “What brings my lord here on this hot day?” The chief replied: “I have come in search of someone who will cause the death of my brother Piilani, for he has treated me shamefully.” Pao then replied: “There in the lowlands of Kalepolepo lives the one who will assist you in killing your enemy. You go down till you reach Kalepolepo and look for a man whose face is covered over with filth. He is the one.” At the close of the directions of Pao, Kihapiilani proceeded on his way to Kalepolepo, where in time he found the man described to him and he went up to meet him. As he was approaching the man, the man saw him and said: “What is the object of the chief’s journey that has brought him here?” The chief, Kihapiilani, then said: “I have come to your presence by the direction of the prophetess Pao, for she told me that you have the means of fulfilling my desire, that is, something that will aid me in killing my brother Piilani, the one who has shamelessly abused me.”

When the man of learning heard the words of Kihapiilani, he ordered his canoe men to prepare the canoe for a trip to Hawaii. When the preparation was complete, Kihapiilani boarded the canoe and they set sail for Hawaii, to meet his sister Piikea and his brother-in-law Umi. That same evening they landed at Waipio. As soon as they landed, Kihapiilani proceeded to the house where Piikea was living and entered it. When his sister saw him, she sprang on him and wept. At the end of their weeping Piikea asked: “How are you getting along with your brother?” Kihapiilani answered his sister, saying: “We do not get along at all; my brother ill-treats me; he gets angry, abuses me, and has no love for me. That is why I have come to you, to tell you of these things.” When Piikea heard this, she cried in a loud voice, recounting their life in their early days while living with their parents and of their childhood wanderings here and there, carefree and happy. While Piikea was wailing, Umi, who was in another house, heard it and he wondered why his wife was crying; but after a while he was told that it was because his brother-in-law, Kihapiilani had arrived. Soon after this Piikea came out of her house, still crying in a loud voice, and began disrobing and acting the part of one bereft of her mind. In doing this, Piikea was but acting her part; she had her senses about her all right enough, but she did this to impress on her husband Umi that a very great wrong had been committed, to rouse him to action.

At the end of the wailing, Umi came up to her and asked her: “What is it that has made you cry out so loud and why have you disrobed yourself?” Piikea answered: “Because of the great love I bear my brother; this is the first time that we have met after such a long separation; and also because I am grieved at the ill-treatment given him by his brother Piilani. Because of this treatment I became so worked up that I wanted to show my great grief. We must therefore go and make war on Piilani.” When Umi heard this, he said: “I don’t think it proper for us to go and make war on Piilani, because he is your own brother; he is not connected to you from a distance, a mere relative.” Piikea said: “If you will not give your consent to my request, to go and make war on Piilani, then it would be far better for me to die than to live.” At this, Umi decided that he must obey his wife’s demand and so he gave his consent. Umi then summoned his war counselors, Omaokamau, Piimaiwaa and Koi, and gave them orders to prepare the fleet of war canoes for a trip to Maui to make war on Piilani.

These three men were undaunted; they did not hesitate, but immediately set out to obey the order of their king, for they were anxious to go to Maui to do battle, although Umi was doubtful about mastering Imaikalani, [221] for he was a very skilful warrior and was well versed in all the arts of warfare, and especially in spear throwing. He was a very powerful man, and he was the greatest man in all of Maui at that time, and he was credited as being the strongest man from Hawaii to Niihau.

When the preparations were about completed, Umi questioned his great and famous priest, Kaoleioku, saying: “How about this voyage to Maui to fight Piilani?” Kaoleioku said: “Chief, you may go and make war on Maui, for there is no king to oppose you; it is going to be a war of the common people; you will surely win, and, furthermore, your skin will not be bruised.”

When Umi heard the words of his priest, he was much relieved. He then ordered his chiefs who had charge of the different districts, to get the fleet of war canoes in readiness and to get the men under them ready and to all come together in one place. After several tens of days passed they finally reported that the canoes and men were ready to start out. It was said that the men were so numerous that they could not be counted.

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