Chapter II

it is shown that Kauai was simply given over by its king to Kualii, whereby the whole group from Hawaii to Niihau was united [under him]. Therefore it is believed that was Kualii’s final contest.

The first battle on Oahu in which Kualii took part where a general war was had, was the one fought on Kawaluna, the heights above Waolani, [624] where a great slaughter took place that reddened the pili grass of Keanakamano. The history of that battle is told as follows:

Oahu had four kings just prior to the time of Kakuhihewa; Lonohulimoku was the king of Koolaupoko; Lonohulilani was the king of Koolauloa and Waialua; Lonokukaelekoa was the king of Waianae and Ewa; and Lonoikaika was the king of Kona, from Moanalua to Maunalua. While Kualii was residing at Kalehuawehe, in Waikiki, at a time when he was about to attain the age of manhood, he began to be dissatisfied with the king of Kona district, because his immediate attendants often complained of being oppressed and would come to him with the following remarks:

“If your muscular body was only that of a fearless warrior these bones would indeed be saved: but no, your strength is worthless. Here we are being ordered roughly by the different chiefs which is so degrading and angers us. In your younger days you could beat everybody whom you fought against. Being so fearless in your childhood days, one would think it would continue; yet alas, it was only the fearlessness of youth.” Kualii replied: “There will be fighting then, since you have found the cause why I should urge it. A few days hence the pili grass will be reddened.” [625]

On the expiration of the days during which the temple on Kawaluna was dedicated, [626] the following night the army of Lonoikaika arrived on Keanakamano, as word had been carried to Lonoikaika that “Kualii has rebelled.” This was the reason why the soldiers slept that night on the plains of Keanakamano, Kualii in dedicating the temple on Kawaluna had overstepped himself. Very early that morning Kualii aroused his father Kauakahiakahoowaha [627] with the words: “Say, Where art thou? Rouse up the men, we are now surrounded by the enemy; there is one army below us, there is another army from Koolau and there is still another one from Waialua; there is but one pali left, that of Waolani, therefore you must rouse up the men and get them together as I am ready for the battle.” Kauakahiakahoowaha replied: “How do you know that we are surrounded by the enemy?”

Kualii spoke up: “The night tells me that there will be war in the day time, for the king, Lonoikaika, has remarked, that we have rebelled against him, because we have come here to dedicate this temple on Kawaluna, thus taking upon ourselves something which only a great god has power to do.” Kauakahiakahoowaha replied: “Say, Kualii, since the night has told you that there will be war during the day and you say there is left us but one more pali, that of Waolani, my idea is this: let us escape by way of that pali this early morning and return to Waikiki.” Kualii replied: “Why should we run? Do you suppose that we would be saved by escaping? If we are to die in this battle, running will not save us, we would indeed die; and if we are to live, we will surely live.”

Kauakahiakahoowaha again asked: “What are we to do then?” Kualii replied: “Let us remain and fight them.” Kauakahiakahoowaha remarked: “If you want to fight, you may do so, but as for myself I am going to look for a way of escaping.” Kualii then said: “You must not go; remain where you are; if you go, I may not be able to see you, for you might get killed by mistake; it is best that you stay with me and let us die together in this battle against Lonoikaika if need be.”

This conversation with his father took up a good part of Kualii’s time and the day grew brighter. When it became broad daylight, Kualii looked forth and behold the pili grass was red with men; the pili grass of Keanakamano was entirely covered with men. Kualii at this time covered himself over as though asleep; he was not, however, really asleep, but he did this to show his father and their men that he had indeed spoken the truth that early morning. While the men and Kauakahiakahoowaha were sleeping they heard a great commotion from the mountain, somewhere near Kawaluna. Kauakahiakahoowaha was therefore startled and looking around he saw that the enemy was already formed for battle. When he looked down the bottom of Waolani, one wing of the army was climbing Puuiwa; the army from Koolau was coming down Kaniakapupu, while one of the wings of the army from Koolau was already on the Kalihi cliffs, and still another wing from Kona was coming up soon to meet the army from Koolau, whereby Kualii would be entirely surrounded.

When Kauakahiakahoowaha saw this he called out to Kualii: “Say, where are you? Are you to continue sleeping, when here we are surrounded by the enemy?” When Kualii heard this he spoke from within the bed clothes that covered his head: “What can I do by getting up? There is only one thing for me to do, that is, to remain where I am till the slaughter gets here. What have we on hand to fight them with when we can see for ourselves that they have no end of men on their side. On the other hand it is entirely within reason that this battle is not intended for us.”

That morning a messenger was seen coming as though sent by Lonoikaiaka. He approached Kualii and said: “There is going to be a battle today.” When Kualii heard the messenger he replied: “Why did they send you? If you wish to make war come and do so, I shall not prevent it. You know well enough that I have not as yet acquired the art of warfare. All would have been well if there was reason for this. With all this lack of reason, still you come and make war on a mere youngster whose bones are not even matured. You go back and ask Lonoikaika what is my fault.” Hema, the messenger, replied: “I have heard of your fault. It is the fact that you dedicated the temple, taking upon yourself something only a god has the right to do.” Kualii replied: “Go back and tell Lonoikaikaole [628] that I have the right to dedicate this temple.”

Hema thereupon returned to the king and reported as follows: “Kualii told me to come back and tell you the following words: ‘Go back and tell Lonoikaikaole that I have the right to dedicate this temple.’” When Lonoikaika heard what Hema had to say, he became very angry and remarked: “Is this youngster who is still so young that he has no knowledge of what shame is, going to be the one to tell me that I am not strong enough? Well, we’ll see about it.” Lonoikaika then sent Hema to hasten and inform the army from Koolau to bring the wings of the armies together so as to surround Kualii.

When the armies were ready to begin the conflict, Kualii looked about him and saw that the different armies were closing in on him, and the grass was so thickly covered with men that it was dried up from the tramping; he then remarked to his own personal attendant, Maheleana: “Say, where are you? This morning you must learn how to fight and how to be brave.” Maheleana replied: “One cannot show his strength against such odds. The rain clouds are encircling from above, from sea-ward and from all sides.” Kualii spoke up: “There are two of us as Kane and Kanaloa are also two. Let us then make a stand and you will see these numbers flee.” While the armies were closing around Kualii he entered the temple to pray. At the close of Kualii’s prayer Maheleana looked and lo, the enemy was close upon them. Kualii then reached for his war club Manaiakalani [629] and handed it to Maheleana with the remark: “Here is my war club, go out and enter into the army of Lonoikaika.”

As directed by Kualii, Maheleana went forth and began the slaughter of the people with such courage that the enemy retired from before him and ran directly toward Lonoikaika. When these people withdrew the whole of the enemy retreated, those on the pali of Waolani fell over like pebbles down the pali. Kualii then slew almost all the chiefs on Lonoikaika’s side. The dead bodies were strewn around like logs of wood, so great was the number of those that were killed in this battle. Kualii was therefore victorious in this his first battle and he became the owner of all the land from Moanalua to Maunaloa. Shortly after this Kualii went and lived in Kailua, Koolaupoko, in a great palace called Kalanihale.

Sometime after this, Kualii and Maheleana, his personal attendant and fellow companion in battle, took lessons in learning the art of using the war club, and he took Kahai and Malanaihaehae to be his chief warriors. They all studied the different arts of warfare until they were quite proficient. Shortly after this Kualii and his chief warriors sailed for Kauai, being desirous of procuring certain kinds of war clubs. [630] On this tour they were able to obtain what they wanted and returned with their new weapons. Kualii named his war club Hulimokualana. [631]

On their return from Kauai, Kualii desired to land at Kamaile, Waianae, but upon arrival there he found that the place was already prepared for battle under the command of the chief of Waianae and Ewa, the Koolau chief and his army had also arrived there and all were waiting for Kualii’s return from Kauai when they would engage him.

While out at sea some distance from land Kualii, by his supernatural powers, knew beforehand that Waianae was surrounded by an army which was waiting for him. So he remarked to Malanaihaehae and Maheleana: “Say, Waianae is surrounded by an army that is ready to fight us as soon as we make a landing.” Before Kualii had sailed for Kauai he ordered his men to come and meet him at Waianae upon his return from Kauai, but when Kualii and his fellow travelers arrived outside of Kamaile they saw the place surrounded by an army. Upon seeing this they laid off in their canoes all that day and night. In the morning when Kualii looked he saw the pili grass of Kamaile was completely covered by the people.

While on the canoes that morning Kualii, upon seeing the people, addressed them in the following words: “You no doubt want to fight Kualii, but where will the battle be?” The people from the shore replied: “As soon as the canoes land the fighting will commence.” Kualii answered back: “Let us go to Kalena and fight there. If you insist on fighting here the canoes will continue by sea and land at Molokai.” Because of this request of Kualii to go to Kalena and there fight, the chiefs of Waianae consented because it was but a reasonable request. Kualii, Maheleana and Malanaihaehae therefore came ashore and proceeded by land to Malamanui. All that night both sides took a long rest; but early in the morning the fighting commenced at Kalena on the plains of Haleauau, at Lihue. On the one side there were twelve thousand men, while on Kualii’s side there were but three men, and yet the armies of the chiefs of Waianae and Koolauloa were routed. Kualii named this the battle of Kalena.

A few days after this three more battles were fought, at Malamanui, Pulee and Paupauwela. These were the greatest of the battles fought by Kualii in all the Oahu contests. Sometime after he had conquered the whole of Oahu he heard that there was a battle in Hilo, Hawaii; he therefore made up his mind to make a trip to Hawaii with his chief warriors. When Haalilo heard that Kualii had arrived at Laupahoehoe he immediately prepared for war, so that when Kualii reached Peahi in Hilo he ran into Haalilo and the battle commenced. It was of but short duration and Kualii was victorious. When the chiefs of Puna heard that Haalilo was beaten they too fell back.

Shortly after this word was brought to Kualii at Hilo that the chiefs of Oahu had again risen against him and were ready to dispute his title as king of Oahu. Upon hearing this Kualii returned from Hilo to Oahu and found upon his arrival that all the people, together with the rebellious chiefs, had gone to Waianae to hold a council of war with the one set purpose of fighting him. When Kualii heard that all the chiefs were gathered at Waianae, he continued on with his chief warriors for that place. Upon arrival at the seat of war they looked and saw that the rebellious chiefs had indeed a very large army. No time was lost, however, for the battle immediately commenced, and again Kualii was victorious. After the battle Kualii and his chief warriors looked over the battle ground and saw that a very large number of men had been killed, so much so that the waters of Kalapo were dammed and a large number of dead bodies were strewn below Eleu. Because of this great victory certain lines of mele were composed by his attendants which read as follows:

A battle for Ku, Beating his enemy on the heights of Kawaluna. Where, where is the battle field Where the warrior is to fight? On the field of Kalena, 5 At Manini, at Hanini, Where was poured the water of the god At Kahana, at Malamanui; On the heights of Kapapa, at Paupauwela, Where they lean and rest; 10 At the hala trees of indolent Halahalanui, At the ohia grove of Pule-e, The god of Lono, of Makalii, The fragrant branch of the Ukulonoku, Mayhap from Kona, from Lihue, 15 For the day at Maunauna, For the water at Paupauwela; Growing low at Nepee, At the slaughter of Aui, Where the priests joined in the battle. 20 Ku is arrayed in his feather cloak, The sun-lighted rain in the heavens, The sun at Kauakahihale. Red is the leaf of the mamane, The koaie of Kauai; 25 The sea grass has been stripped by Ku— The waving [grass] of Kamaile; The towering surf of Maihiwa, Which dammed up the waters of Halapo. The breaking up is below at Eleu, 30 The rain is drawn away to the sky, Like a full retreat from the mountain; It must be the defeat of Hilo by Puna, There at Hilo is Peahi. Red is the water of Paupauwela, 35 From the slain at Malamanui, The slain on the ridge at Kapapa. The tidings reached Haalilo Your younger brother is beaten. Haalilo is sore at heart, 40 For Ku has left but few of the priests; They are beaten by Ku, The children of Haalilo. Here is Malanaihaehae, Offspring of mischief-making Niheu, 45 The dammer of the waters of Kekeuna. A prodigy among the people. He is girding on his robe, He is whirling his weapon [in the air], The war club is caught in his robe. 50 Here is Haalilo, Ku is indeed king.

## CHAPTER VI .

RELATING TO KUALII’S TRIP TO HAWAII.

Sometime after the battles spoken of in