CHAPTER VI

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THE SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH CONTESTS, AND THE ARRIVAL OF KAIKILANI.

After this defeat of Kakuhihewa by Lonoikamakahiki, Lanahuimihaku and his companion then said to Kakuhihewa: “Say, Kakuhihewa, since we have been beaten by the king of Hawaii in this contest, let this be his victory. Our idea is this: we think it a good plan that we go out fishing. It is more than possible that the king of Hawaii can be enticed to follow us out, and if he does, and he gets excited over the sport, he will surely ask us for hook, line and bait; then we will shame him, for he is a king without any knowledge of the art of fishing. If this can be done we will be able to defeat him, and you will then get his feather kahili.”

Because of this, Kakuhihewa made up his mind to agree to this proposition expressed by Lanahuimihaku and his companion, so all doubts were removed from his mind as to his ability to win the feather kahili, and being easily led by Lanahuimihaku and his companion, Kakuhihewa of course consented. It was a common thing with Kakuhihewa to give in to the wishes of the two men, for he had the most implicit confidence in them.

On the morning of the day after, Kakuhihewa and his men made ready the double canoe and set out for the fishing grounds for a day of fishing. The fishing grounds they decided to go to that day were the ones called Akaka, directly out of Kailua, at a point from which Kahuku in Koolauloa and Mokuoniki on the east of Molokai could be seen.

When Lonoikamakahiki saw Kakuhihewa setting out for the purpose of fishing, he turned and said to his retainer, Loli: “I think it a good idea that we follow Kakuhihewa and his companions and look on while the king of Oahu does his fishing.” Loli replied to his ward: “You must not urge us to follow out to watch the fishing, for if you get stubborn I will get killed, because you do not know how to fish.” To this Lonoikamakahiki said to Loli: “Why should you get killed without any cause?” The attendant replied: “Here is the reason why I shall be killed: after we get to the fishing grounds you will see Kakuhihewa and his companions hauling in the fish, and you will get excited over the sport and will have a desire to do some fishing yourself. Because of that desire you will ask for hook and line, and they will refuse and insult you with such expression as this: ‘Where have you been that you should come here unprepared?’ Therefore you will be ashamed; and this will cause my death.” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “Why should they refuse to give me hook and line? Only the ignorant will refuse to give hook and line.” The attendant said: “Yes, that would be the proper way of reasoning if things were right between you, but as things stand now they do not think well of you, for you have beaten them, and for this reason they will refuse giving you what you ask.” But with all this advice given by his attendant the king’s desire to go out was not abated; in fact, the desire became stronger, and Lonoikamakahiki finally demanded of his servant that they follow Kakuhihewa and his companions and look on while they fished.

Because of this demand made by the king, Loli therefore said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Where art thou? Since you have become stubborn about going fishing, I want you to bear in mind what I have to say to you. After we come up to Kakuhihewa and his companions, and you should wish to do some fishing yourself after seeing Kakuhihewa haul out several fish, and if you should ask for hook and line and they should refuse and insult you, then you must kill me, [268] take out my intestine and use it for a line, and my thigh bone for your hook; then take my flesh and use it for your bait, and my head you can use as a sinker; then lower the whole thing into the sea and, after giving a jerk, call out in my name as follows: ‘Say, Loli! Say, Loli, the fish without eyes!! Catch a fish for us, Loli.’ Then you will hook an ahi.” [269] After giving Lonoikamakahiki these instructions they proceeded out to sea.

A FEW WORDS OF EXPLANATION RELATING TO LOLI AND HAUNA.

In the first chapter of this story of Lonoikamakahiki the character of these two men, Loli and Hauna, is there told. Hauna and Loli were men who faithfully followed their religious rites and were true worshippers of the god of Keawenuiaumi, which was left in charge of Lonoikamakahiki.

These two men were famous throughout the whole group because of their great supernatural powers and because of their great respect of their god, and by this respect it was supposed that they were able to perform many miracles in the name of the god of Keawenuiaumi. [270] It was because of this great power that Loli was able to see the future and so instructed his king Lonoikamakahiki to kill him in order to obtain line, hook and bait.

HOW LONOIKAMAKAHIKI FOLLOWED TO SEE KAKUHIHEWA AND HIS COMPANIONS FISH.

Lonoikamakahiki and his companions in due time caught up with Kakuhihewa’s canoe and together they arrived at the same fishing grounds; but Lonoikamakahiki, contrary to all rules about fishing, kept on going until his double canoe stood directly at the bow of Kakuhihewa’s double canoe, where he cast off the rock that served as his anchor. This rock was a very small one for the purpose, but to prove the supernatural powers of Hauna it served the purpose as an anchor, although a strong gale came up and for a short time it blew quite fiercely. When the storm was blowing, the rock that served as an anchor for the double canoe of Kakuhihewa was unable to hold the canoe and so it was carried off to the leeward of the fishing grounds for some distance. The double canoe of Lonoikamakahiki, however, never moved a bit, and the small rock held it as though a large anchor had been used. This was because of the supernatural powers of Hauna.

When Kakuhihewa saw how the double canoe of the king of Hawaii was held by the small mooring rock he expressed the desire of possessing it, so he immediately made up his mind to name the rock in his next wager with Lonoikamakahiki.

While Lonoikamakahiki and his companions were floating in the same place Kakuhihewa said to Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “What a wonderful rock the king of Hawaii must have.” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied: “Yes, we know of the rock that serves as the anchor of the double canoe of the king of Hawaii. We have seen several rocks like that.” Because of this answer given by Lanahuimihaku and his companion, Kakuhihewa thought he would send for one like it from Hawaii, but Lanahuimihaku and his companion said: “You cannot make use of that kind of rock, however, because your attendants do not possess supernatural powers. That rock holds that canoe because of the supernatural powers of Hauna.”

When Lonoikamakahiki and his companions were moored directly at the bow of the double canoe of Kakuhihewa, Kakuhihewa was sore displeased, for he knew that such a thing was not considered right by all fishermen. This displeasure was so strong that he spoke of the matter and remarked that he did not at all like the way Lonoikamakahiki’s double canoe was moored. But Lanahuimihaku and his companion, however, said: “Don’t at all mind it. If the king of Hawaii has any fishing implements with him then it would be wrong.” This reply satisfied Kakuhihewa for he thought no more of the matter.

While Kakuhihewa and Lanahuimihaku and his companion were talking, Kakuhihewa felt a fish tugging at his hook, so he said to Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “Say, I have caught a fish. What can it be?” Lanahuimihaku and his companion said: “It must be an ulua. [271] Ask the king of Hawaii what it is.” Because of this, Kakuhihewa called out: “There you are! Say, King of Hawaii, what kind of a fish have I caught?” Loli said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Tell him that it is a shark.” Lonoikamakahiki therefore replied as directed by Loli, saying: “It is a shark.”

Because Lonoikamakahiki had named the fish to be a shark Kakuhihewa asked of Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “Is it a shark?” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied: “It is not a shark. The king of Hawaii deceives himself. Here we have been fishing on these grounds many times and we never have caught a single shark. You also know that these fishing grounds have been dedicated to our god and no shark can come here. Make a wager with him. You will for the first time beat the king of Hawaii now.”

Because of these words of Lanahuimihaku and his companion, Kakuhihewa said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Say, King of Hawaii, we had better make a wager. If it is a shark you beat us; but if the fish I hold should prove to be an ulua, then we beat you.” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “What shall our wagers be?” Kakuhihewa said: “From Leahi to the Kaena point, I will place against your mooring rock.” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “It is a bet.” Kakuhihewa then pulled on his line and when the fish was almost to the surface, Kakuhihewa said to Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “It is a shark. We have lost to the king of Hawaii.” Lanahuimihaku and his companion then looked down and when they saw it was a shark they nodded to Kakuhihewa to let go the line so as to allow the shark to break away and in that way get rid of it before the others could see it. But Lonoikamakahiki had seen the nod and at once saw the intention of Kakuhihewa and his companions to allow the fish to break away from the line; so he called out to Kakuhihewa and the others: “Say, King of Oahu, don’t play false and allow the fish to get away by letting go of the line. If you don’t see the shark, pull it in to be certain.” Kakuhihewa was therefore forced to pull on the line and after a while they all saw plainly that it was a shark. Because of this Kakuhihewa said to Lonoikamakahiki: “You have won. It was because we were certain that no sharks came to these fishing grounds that we made the wager with you.”

It was a well-known fact that no sharks were caught on these fishing grounds, as the place was dedicated to the gods, hence no sharks were supposed to get there, as the gods had charge of the place; but by the supernatural powers of Loli and Hauna the fishing grounds known to be without sharks became a place infested with them. Having won the wager, Kakuhihewa lost to Lonoikamakahiki that portion of Oahu from Leahi to Kaena point, which became the property of Lonoikamakahiki.

After this had taken place the desire to take a hand at fishing overcame Lonoikamakahiki, so he said to Kakuhihewa: “Say, King of Oahu, let me have a hook, line and some bait and also a sinker.” Kakuhihewa replied: “Why did you not come prepared when you came out to fish? Did you suppose that we were to supply you with these things necessary for a fisherman?” Loli, the attendant, then said: “My king, you have been shamed. This is what I expected and therefore warned you that we had better not come out. Now, therefore, you must kill me.”

In obedience to the former instructions of his attendant, Lonoikamakahiki proceeded to kill Loli and to make use of the different parts for his fishing apparatus, then lowered the whole thing into the sea. He then called the words taught him by Loli, saying: “Say, Loli! Say, Loli, the fish without eyes of the sea!! Catch us a fish, Loli.” At that very moment, as soon as the last word was spoken, an ahi bit his hook. As soon as he felt the bite Lonoikamakahiki called out: “Say, Kakuhihewa, what kind of a fish have I caught?” Kakuhihewa hesitated for a while, then asked of Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “What kind of a fish has the king of Hawaii caught?” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied: “Name it a shark, because the first fish caught being a shark there must be a lot of them down below.” Because of this, and in accordance with the words of Lanahuimihaku and his companion, he answered Lonoikamakahiki, saying: “It is a shark.” Lonoikamakahiki answered back: “No, you are mistaken, King of Oahu.” Kakuhihewa then asked Lonoikamakahiki: “And what do you say it is?” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “This is not a shark, it is an ahi.”

Because of this reply made by Lonoikamakahiki, Kakuhihewa therefore asked of Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “Is the fish caught by the king of Hawaii really an ahi?” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied: “The king of Hawaii is deceiving us. Don’t you know that everybody knows that no ahi can be caught in Oahu, and that such fish can only be caught at Niihau and Hawaii fishing stations? Make a wager with him.” Kakuhihewa then called out: “Say, King of Hawaii, let us settle on a wager then. From the Kaena point to the Kaoio point as against your mooring rock.” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “It is a bet.”

As soon as the wager was settled Lonoikamakahiki pulled on the line and when the fish was almost to the surface he allowed it to pull away directly below the double canoe of Kakuhihewa and his companions. At this time Kakuhihewa and his men made out that the fish caught by Lonoikamakahiki was an ahi. As the fish was plainly seen Lanahuimihaku and his companion said to Kakuhihewa: “We are beaten by the king of Hawaii, for here it is; the fish is really an ahi.”

When the fish came up to the side of the canoe of Lonoikamakahiki, Lonoikamakahiki took a wreath of lehua blossoms and a wreath of hala, which had been made ready beforehand for this purpose, and put them around the gills of the fish, and then called out to Kakuhihewa: “Say, King of Oahu, this fish must have come all the way from Hawaii, for it is the yellow-gilled ahi of Umulau, for it is wearing wreaths of hala and of lehua.”

When Kakuhihewa heard these words of Lonoikamakahiki he, as well as those with him, was surprised and therefore asked of Lanahuimihaku and his companion, saying: “Do you two know that the ahi of Hawaii wear wreaths of lehua and hala?” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied: “The king of Hawaii is deceiving us. Make another wager.”

In obedience to this Kakuhihewa therefore called out: “Say, King of Hawaii, let us make a wager. From the Kaoio point to Mokapu I will place against your mooring rock.” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “It is a bet.” As soon as the bet was made the stern of the double canoe of Lonoikamakahiki was turned toward the double canoe of Kakuhihewa, the fish was then made fast and Lonoikamakahiki showed the wreaths to Kakuhihewa, so that he was beaten.

After Kakuhihewa had been beaten, Lanahuimihaku and his companion said to Kakuhihewa: “We have been beaten in all our wagers, and the island of Oahu is almost wholly gone. Now, therefore, we had better do this: let us wager the rest of the island, from Mokapu to Leahi, as against the mooring rock, and let us have a canoe race. The canoe that will reach dry land first shall be the winner. If the king of Hawaii should agree to this then we will surely win, because he has but two rowers.”

Because of these words of Lanahuimihaku and his companion Kakuhihewa called out: “Say, King of Hawaii, let us make another wager for the rest of the island.” Lonoikamakahiki then asked: “What shall we do?” Kakuhihewa replied: “Let us have a canoe race. Let the double canoe that will reach dry land first be the winner, and let that portion of the island of Oahu that is left be placed against your mooring rock.” Lonoikamakahiki replied: “It is a bet.” After the bets had been made, Lonoikamakahiki said to Kakuhihewa: “You had better go on ahead.” When Lanahuimihaku and his companion heard Lonoikamakahiki ask of Kakuhihewa to proceed on ahead, they urged Kakuhihewa to order the rowers to go ahead. The order was therefore given and they started off.

After Kakuhihewa and his companions had started Lonoikamakahiki ordered his rowers to partake of some food. The men then took some food. By this time Kakuhihewa and his companions were almost out of sight. When they finished their meal Lonoikamakahiki ordered his rowers, Kaiehu and Kapahi, to row away. At the order the men began to row, taking the Koolauloa way and by way of Kona and then on in toward Waimanalo. After going for some time Kakuhihewa and his men laid to and awaited for the approach of Lonoikamakahiki, thinking that when they came up nearer they would then make land.

While they were waiting, Lonoikamakahiki, on the other hand, was coming inside of the Waimanalo reef and was almost at Kailua. When Lonoikamakahiki and his men were about to get to the landing place Kakuhihewa for the first time caught sight of them, so he said to Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “I want you two to look and see what double canoe that is that is entering the landing place.” Lanahuimihaku and his companion then looked and said: “That canoe is Lonoikamakahiki’s. We are beaten.” Kakuhihewa then said to Lanahuimihaku and his companion: “Where did they come from?” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied: “They must have come by way of Koolau, then by way of Waianae and Kona.” Kakuhihewa said: “I thought you said that we were to win this race; but here it is we are beaten. You two are indeed strange. Here the whole of the island is gone, all through your advice, which I have always obeyed. Now my kingdom is lost to Lonoikamakahiki.” Lanahuimihaku and his companion replied: “We were made bold to make a request for a canoe race with the king of Hawaii because we saw we have sixteen rowers while the king of Hawaii has but two.” When Kakuhihewa lost this last wager he lost the whole of the island of Oahu to Lonoikamakahiki.

After this last wager Kakuhihewa wagered his daughter with the expectation of winning back his lands. The game they played, however, was the game of konane. Kakuhihewa was an expert at the game; in fact this was the one thing in which he excelled in all the games he had made a study of, and knowing this Kakuhihewa challenged Lonoikamakahiki. This challenge Lonoikamakahiki accepted. Lonoikamakahiki, on the other hand, was not an expert in the game of konane, for the only time he played the game was when they were staying at Kalaupapa, where he played with his cousin, his wife.

After the bets had been made the stones were placed in position. Lonoikamakahiki then said to Kakuhihewa: “You make the first move.” Kakuhihewa therefore made the first move, and Lonoikamakahiki followed with the next. Kakuhihewa made another move, and Lonoikamakahiki made his. Kakuhihewa made several moves and so did Lonoikamakahiki. After this Lonoikamakahiki had his own way with the game. Of course Kakuhihewa was beaten in the first game, but since they had agreed before the start that two games must be won before the winner can claim the wager, the stones were again placed on the board and Lonoikamakahiki made the first move. In this second game Lonoikamakahiki proved to be the best player, and the game was almost won when it was stopped because of the arrival of Kaikilani at Kailua from Hawaii.

When the people saw a double canoe approaching they mentioned the fact and Lonoikamakahiki looked up and saw that it was Kaikilani, but not wanting to see her, in order to live up to the law laid down by him while in Molokai, after he had beaten Kaikilani, he therefore kept his face down onto the board so that he would not see her.

Kaikilani, on the other hand, when she came ashore approached the wall surrounding the house and on coming to the railing she saw Lonoikamakahiki playing konane, with his face turned toward the inside of the house. Upon seeing Lonoikamakahiki, Kaikilani recited the chant in his honor, similar to the one that appears in