CHAPTER VIII

.

HOW LONOIKAMAKAHIKI REVEALED THE BONES OF THE CHIEFS KILLED BY KEAWENUIAUMI.

When Hauna went up to meet Lonoikamakahiki, Lonoikamakahiki said to him: “If you had not arrived this day I would have been cooked in the umu, for it is now ready.” Hauna replied: “You have won. Show them the bones of the chiefs killed in the battle in the time of your father, Keawenuiaumi.”

At that moment Hauna reached for the bones of the chief of Kohala, which were plaited with feathers and fastened together by netting, [277] and said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is the chief Palahalaha, the chief of Kohala, son of Wohilani. [278] He had been residing with us, and seeing how few we were, left, and at your father’s battle on Puumaneo [279] died at our hands. We secured the bones and put them away in the gourd container.” At this time Lonoikamakahiki seized them and threw them in front of Kakuhihewa and began chanting:

Level indeed Lies Kohala, Face down. The fragrance is wafted to me Of the flower of Koolau, of Moolau. Low indeed lies Puakea, With Kukuipahu by its side. Here are some more!

As this bundle which Lonoikamakahiki threw reached Kakuhihewa he said to Lanahuimihaku and others: “Who is this?” Lanahuimihaku and the others said: “This is Palahalaha, the chief of Kohala, the son of Wohilani. He resided with Keawenuiaumi, and seeing how few we were, left, and at the battle of Keawenuiaumi on Puumaneo we slew him. He was also a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. Kohala is a beautiful country and is a large district.”

Then Hauna again spoke to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another chief, and also a younger brother (cousin) of your father’s. He also resided with us, and learning how few we were, left us and fought on the side of the rebels expecting that we would be vanquished, and at our battle on Puumaneo we killed him and stripped his bones and put them away in the gourd.”

Lonoikamakahiki, having heard of these facts, took the bones of the chief of Hamakua, which were plaited with feathers similar to those of the chief of Kohala, and held them in his hands and, before throwing them before Kakuhihewa, began to chant:

You have one, jump in; You have two, jump in. They go here and there, The men in the rain, The plovers about. Listen to the raindrops of Hilo. Canst thou dare Eat in company? Here are some more! [280]

Placing the calabash before Kakuhihewa he asked Lanahuimihaku: “Who is this?” They answered: “This is Pumaia, the child of Wanua who was the chief of Hamakua, also a younger brother (cousin) [281] of Keawenuiaumi. He lived with us, and having learnt that we were few in number, deserted, and at our battle at Puumaneo he was slain by Keawenuiaumi. We secured his bones, put them away in a gourd, and these are the bones.”

Hauna drew out the bones of another chief from the calabash and said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another uncle (father) of yours, Hilohamakua, the chief of Hilo, child of Kulukulua, a younger brother (cousin) of your father. He also lived with us, and because there were so few of us left and joined the rebels on the other side, and at the battle fought on Puumaneo your father slew him, stripped his bones and put them in the gourd.” Then Lonoikamakahiki reached for it and chanted:

That is Hilo! That is Hilo! That is Hilo of the incessant rains, The increasing rains, The ceaseless rains of Hilo. That is Hamakua of the steep cliffs. The ti leaf of Kamae is tramped down, Hamakua is indeed withered. Here are some more!

Placing the bundle in front of Kakuhihewa, he asked Lanahuimihaku and others: “Who is this?” They answered: “It is Hilohamakua, Kulukulua’s child, the chief of Hilo, a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. He lived with us, and ascertaining how few we were, went away, and at the battle fought on Puumaneo was slain by Keawenuiaumi. His bones were stripped, put away in the container, and this is he.”

Thus three chiefs were accounted for, leaving three more, when Hauna spoke up: “Here is another chief, another uncle of yours, being a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. He resided with us, and because of our meagerness, deserted, and at the battle fought on Puumaneo he was slain by Keawenuiaumi. The bones were stripped and also put away in a gourd.”

Lonoikamakahiki then took up Lililehua, the child of Hua-a, the chief of Puna and chanted before Kakuhihewa:

Lililehua Is drifting to Waimea, For Molokai is storm-bound. When the wind [282] sweeps there below, My husband then enters the house at Mana. We two reposed at Wawaenohu And witnessed the weeping of the deity. [283] Here are some more!

This bundle was placed before Kakuhihewa, who inquired who it was. Lanahuimihaku and the others answered: “This is Lililehua, the chief of Puna, the child of Hua-a. He had a beautiful country where even the pandanus and the lehua enter the sea, being the only sweet-scented land on Hawaii. This chief had his home with us; a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi, but knowing our numerical weakness, deserted us, and at the battle fought on Puumaneo we slew him, stripped all his bones, put them in a container, and this is he.”

Hauna again produced the bones of another chief from the gourd, the chief of Kau, and said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another chief, that of Kau. He is also an uncle (father) of yours and a younger cousin (brother) of Keawenuiaumi. He also lived with us, and seeing how few we were, deserted, and at the battle of Puumaneo was slain by Keawenuiaumi. We secured his bones and put them away in the gourd.”

Lonoikamakahiki, holding the bones in his hands, chanted:

Dear is the house of Milo in the sun, The elevated house of Moanauli. Your skin is bruised without cause, Bruised as though by a lover. This lover is from Hanalei, My lover of the awa leaf of Puna. Kapaa is like the kalukalu [284] mats, Where the ohai [285] turns at Papiohuli. Here are some more!

Lonoikamakahiki tossed the bones to Kakuhihewa and asked of Lanahuimihaku and others: “Who is this?” Lanahuimihaku and the others answered: “This is Kahalemilo, the child of Imaikalani, the chief of Kau. He was also a younger brother (cousin) to Keawenuiaumi, and he was also one of those who resided with us, and finding out how few we were, left us and took to fighting us on Puumaneo, but he was also slain, and this is he.”

Hauna again produced the bones of the chief of Kona and said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another chief, Moihala, the child of Heapae, the chief of Kona. He was also a younger brother (cousin) of your father. He lived with us, and because we were few, deserted and went elsewhere; he rebelled against Keawenuiaumi, and at your father’s battle on Puumaneo was also slain, the bones stripped and put into the gourd.”

Lonoikamakahiki, holding the bones in his hands, chanted thus:

This is Moihala, Inquiring of the wind, The bird of Kuolohia. Waialeale, the mountain, Waialeale, the mountain. Kawaikini is flowing, Of Kane in the calm. I, the lover, shall follow To Waialua where I leave her, Leave her in the home of friends. It was there I found friends, Where I may visit. Here are some more!

Lonoikamakahiki threw the bones in front of Kakuhihewa, who inquired of Lanahuimihaku and the others who it was. They answered: “This is Moihala, the chief of Kona, a large division of Hawaii. Moihala was also a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. He resided with us, and finding out how few we were, left, went to the opposite side, a rebel. He thought by rebelling he would be safe, but when putting in an appearance at our battle at Puumaneo he was slain by Keawenuiaumi.”

After the final production made by Lonoikamakahiki of the bones of the chief of Kona, Lonoikamakahiki conquered the whole of Oahu.

Following this incident, Lonoikamakahiki spoke to Kaikilani: “Inasmuch as we have made the circuit of Oahu, you, of us, had better remain; it is good land, with inhabitants both large and small.” Kaikilani answered: “It is agreeable to me; but we had better go to put Hawaii on a satisfactory basis, then return again to Oahu. There are the chiefs of Hawaii; they have rebelled and have confiscated everything. As for yourself, upon arriving at Hawaii, wage battle, as the men have been thickly arrayed from Anaehoomalu to the front of Kauhola.”

Because of this remark of Kaikilani, Lonoikamakahiki had the canoes prepared immediately and departed. On this voyage Lonoikamakahiki did not touch at Kohala but proceeded on to Kealakekua. Upon arrival there with his men, the chiefs of Kona and the men were all at Kohala awaiting the arrival of Lonoikamakahiki there to be slaughtered by them. Upon Lonoikamakahiki’s arrival he sent a messenger to Kau to get Pupuakea to come to meet his elder brother (Lonoikamakahiki) to consult concerning putting to an end the rebellious chiefs of Hawaii.

After Pupuakea arrived, they held a council of war and a decision was arrived at. Pupuakea then sent a messenger calling upon all the men to come to do battle. Kau was the only district which had not rebelled, because Pupuakea took up his residence there after Lonoikamakahiki departed for Oahu. The men having been informed, came over by the upper part of Kau to upper Kona, but the messenger that was sent reached Kealakekua, where Lonoikamakahiki and Pupuakea were living.

After receiving the information that the men had come overland, Lonoikamakahiki and Pupuakea went to intercept them at Puuanahulu, and that was the place where the men were arrayed in battle formation. About this time, however, the rebels who were down at Anaehoomalu observed that the clinkers at Puuanahulu were red with people, which was a matter of surprise to the rebels. Some of them thought there was a battle being fought, while others conjectured they were some of their own men, being under the impression that Lonoikamakahiki was still at Oahu, for no news had been received that he, Lonoikamakahiki, had arrived at Kealakekua.

During the night of the day on which the rebels were surprised, Lonoikamakahiki and his younger brother Pupuakea, together with the men, came down prepared to give battle. On the night the men left Puuanahulu to go down, the rebels realized there was to be war, because there were in the hands of the men torches burning from the van to the rear of the war procession of Lonoikamakahiki. Then it was that the rebels made preparations for battle, sending out messengers to inform the men and the chiefs on their side that had been stationed from Anaehoomalu to distant Kohala.

While Lonoikamakahiki was on his way down he first met the rebels at Wailea and the fighting immediately commenced. Lonoikamakahiki was victorious on this occasion and the rebels were annihilated. This was the battle fought by Lonoikamakahiki, where it is said that blood flowed like water at Wainanalii, and hence the battle is described as that of Kaheawai.

##