impressed with the friendly spirit of the people, and with their hearty
willingness to give aid in any direction. There was also an appearance
of manliness and dignity about the high chiefs. There was such respect
and ready service on the part of the people—there were such
prostrations before the kings of the various islands that Captain Cook
accepted the “worship” offered him as the proper respect due to the
representative of Great Britain. He was glad to receive a welcome that
freed him from much anxiety. He was thankful that the chiefs accepted
his superiority. He could easily procure the supplies needed for his
ships. He could prosecute his investigations concerning harbours and
resources without danger to himself or to his men.
After securing such supplies as he needed, in February, 1778, he sailed
for North America. Here he spent the summer and fall, exploring the
coast from San Francisco to Alaska. He consulted the Russians who were
fur-hunting in this region. He became satisfied that there was no
northwest channel across North America, to either Hudson’s or Baffin’s
Bay. He made a chart of the coast. The winter came on suddenly and
severely. He fled to the “Sandwich Islands,” and in November, 1778,
sighted the island of Maui, or, as Captain Cook phonetically spelled
it, “Mowee.” Soon he discovered the large island Hawaii, or “Owhyhee.”
He was surprised to see the summits of the mountains covered with snow.
As he drew near the channel between Maui and Hawaii, Ka-meha-meha with
several of his friends went on board one of the ships and passed the
night. He was at that time forty-three years of age.
Then for eleven days Captain Cook sailed in the channel between Maui
and Hawaii. On the second day of December he anchored near Kohala, the
northern point of the island Hawaii.
Captain Cook purchased pigs for a piece of iron or barrel hoop, to make
axes or knives or fish-hooks. A pig one fathom long would get a piece
of iron. A longer pig would get a knife for a chief. If a common man
received anything, the chief would take it. If it was concealed and
discovered the man was killed.
They brought offerings—pigs, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, chickens,
and all such things as pleased Captain Cook.
Lono went to the western bay Ke-ala-ke-kua and the priest took him into
the temple, thinking he was their god. There they gave him a place upon
the platform with the images of the gods—the place where sacrifices
were laid. The priest stepped back after putting on Captain Cook the
oloa (the small white tapa thrown over the god while prayer was being
recited) and the red cloak haena, as was the custom with the gods. Then
he offered prayer thus:
“O Lono! your different bodies in the heavens, long cloud, short cloud,
bending cloud, spread-out cloud in the sky, from Uliuli, from Melemele,
from Kahiki, from Ulunui, from Haehae, from Anaokuululu, from
Hakalanai, from the land opened up by Lono in the lower sky, in the
upper sky, in the shaking bottom of the ocean, the lower land, the land
without hills.
“O Ku! O Lono! O Kane! O Kanaloa! the gods from above and from beneath,
gods from most distant places! Here are the sacrifices, the offerings,
the living things from the chief, from the family, hanging on the
shining cloud and the floating land! Amama (amen); ma noa” (the tabu is
lifted).
Several weeks passed by. Trivial troubles arose. The natives learned to
steal some things from the supposed “heavenly” visitors. The harmony
between the sailors and the Hawaiians was disturbed.
In February, 1779, Lono went on his ship and sailed as far as Kawaihae.
He saw that one of his masts was rotten, so he went back to make
repairs, and anchored again at Ke-ala-ke-kua. When the natives saw the
ships returning they went out again, but not as before. They had
changed their view, saying: “These are not gods; they are only men.”
Some, however, persisted in believing that these were gods. Some of the
men said, “They cry out if they are hurt, like any man.” Some of them
thought they would test Lono, so went up on the ship and took iron. The
sailors saw them and shot at them. Then the natives began to fight. The
sailors grabbed the canoe of the chief Polea, an aikane (close friend)
of the king.
He opposed their taking his boat and pushed them off. One of them ran
up with a club and struck Polea and knocked him down. The natives saw
this and leaped upon the sailors. Polea rose up and stopped the
fighting. Because he was afraid Lono would kill him he stopped the
quarrel.
After this he no longer believed that Lono was a god. He was angry, and
thought he would secretly take one of the ship’s boats, break it all to
pieces for the iron in it, and also because he wanted revenge for the
blow which knocked him down. This theft of a boat was the cause of the
quarrel with, and death of, Captain Cook.
Captain Cook and his people woke up in the morning and saw that his
boat was gone. They were troubled, and Captain Cook went to ask the
king about the boat. The king said, “I do not know anything about it.
Perhaps some native has stolen it and taken it to some other place.”
Captain Cook returned to the ship and consulted with his officers. They
decided they had better get the king, take him on the ship, and hold
him until the boat should be returned, and then set him free. Officers
and men took guns and swords and prepared to go ashore and capture the
king.
Captain Cook tried to persuade the king to go to the ship with him. The
king was held back by his chiefs. They were suspicious, but the king
could not readily give up his confidence.
Meanwhile, a chief living across the bay saw Captain Cook going ashore.
He and another chief launched a double canoe and sailed quickly across.
Sailors saw these men in red cloaks, fired upon them from the ships and
killed one of them. The other hurried his boatmen and escaped to the
king’s house. Captain Cook had issued an order forbidding canoes to
come near the ships. When the chief saw the king by the side of Captain
Cook he cried out: “O Kalani! O the sea is not right—Kalimu has been
killed! Return to the house!” He told how the sailors had fired upon
his friend and himself.
Kalola, wife of Kalaniopuu, heard the death-word, and that the chief
had been killed by the gun of the foreigners, so she ran out of the
woman’s house, put her hand on the king’s shoulder and said, “O Kalani,
let us go back.”
The king turned, thinking he would go back, but Captain Cook seized his
hands. A chief thrust his spear between them, and the king and some of
his chiefs went back to the house.
Then the battle commenced. When Lono (Captain Cook) saw the spear
pushed between the king and himself he caught his sword and struck that
chief on the head, but the sword slipped and cut the cheek. Then that
chief struck Lono with his spear and knocked him down on the lava
beach.
Lono cried out because of the hurt. The chief thought, “This is a man,
and not a god, and there is no wrong.” So he killed Lono (Captain
Cook). Four other foreigners also were killed. Many daggers and spears
were used in killing Captain Cook.
When the officers and men saw that Captain Cook and some others had
been killed, they ran down, got on the boat, fired guns and killed many
of the natives. Some natives skilled in the use of sling-stones threw
stones against the boat. When the sailors saw that Captain Cook was
dead, they fired guns from the ship. The natives held up mats as
shields, but found they were no protection against the bullets.
The king offered the body of Captain Cook as a sacrifice. This
sacrifice meant that the body was placed on an altar with prayers as a
gift to the gods because the chief and his kingdom had been saved by
the gods. When the ceremonies of the sacrifice were over, they cleaned
off the flesh from the bones of Lono and preserved them. A priest
kindly returned a part of the body to the foreigners to be taken on
their ship. Some of the bones were kept by the priests and worshipped.
Eight days after the death of Lono at Ka-awa-loa the natives again met
those who remained on the ship.
Monday, February 23, 1779, the ship went to Kauai. On the 29th of that
month they secured water and purchased food. Because they wanted the
yams of Niihau, they sailed over to that island and purchased yams,
sweet potatoes, and pigs, and on March 15th sailed out into the mist of
the ocean and were completely lost to sight.
This is the end of Captain Cook’s voyage along the coasts of these
islands.
XII
THE IVORY OF OAHU
KING KAHAHANA, ABOUT 1773
The story of the ivory of Oahu is a tale of treachery and triumph on
the part of Kahekili, King of Maui, and of defeat and death for
Kahahana, the last independent king of Oahu.
Kahahana was the son of Elani, chief of Ewa, one of the most powerful
among the high chiefs of Oahu. While still a child, he was sent to Maui
to pass the years of his young manhood in close contact with one of the
most noted courts among the different island kings—the court of his
relative, Kahekili.
After many years had gone by the Oahu chiefs deposed their king and
drove him away to the island of Kauai. Then they met in a great council
to select a new king from the high chief families. After careful
consideration, it was decided that Kahahana was the most available of
all who could be accepted for their future ruler, and an embassy was
sent to Maui to recall him and inform him of the exalted position for
which he had been chosen by his fellow-chiefs of Oahu.
The Maui king was wise in his own generation and determined to make all
the use possible of this selection. Therefore, he objected to the young
chief’s acceptance of the place of ruler of the neighbouring island.
When this objection had been overruled by the high chiefess, who had
been sent from Oahu to bring back the young king, Kahekili again
delayed proceedings by refusing to permit the young wife to go with
him. Then there came another season of councils and consultations. It
was easy for the King of Maui to control the line of thought as
advanced by his chiefs. It seems that they argued that it was best for
the wife to go if a suitable return should be made in some way by the
new King of Oahu. Then again it was conceded on all sides that Kahahana
was very deeply in debt to his relative for the protection afforded him
and the careful and royal attention bestowed upon him in the court of
Maui.
Kahekili and his chiefs were pronounced worshippers of the various
Hawaiian gods, therefore they argued that they should receive a place
on the northeastern shores of Oahu where a noted heiau or temple was
located. The cession of the Kua-loa lands, with this temple, would be a
very satisfactory partial recompense. The young king thought that this
was a small part of his kingdom and would scarcely be missed, hence he
readily promised to grant the Kua-loa district to his friend.
There were certain gifts of the sea which were very highly prized by
all the chiefs of the Hawaiian Islands. Among these, whalebone and the
very scarce whale’s teeth were most prominent. These were “the ivory”
of the Islands. The whalebone and the teeth were called palaoa. The
“ivory” was usually made into a “hooked ornament” with a large hole
almost in the middle, through which was passed a large number of
strings of human hairs, thus forming a necklace unique and costly.
Small portions of the ivory were pierced and fashioned into beads.
These were strung together and also used as necklaces. It was a burial
custom to place the palaoa in the burial cave in which the bones of any
dead chief might be secreted.
Kahekili and his ready followers argued that as a slight return for the
royal favour which had been shown to Kahahana in caring for him at
court and in permitting his wife to go with him, he could very readily
covenant to bestow upon Kahekili all the ivory which might be found on
the shores of Oahu. Probably this matter was not presented as the
payment of tribute, but as a recognition of benefits received, and
Kahahana again readily promised the ivory—the gift of the seas.
This was as far as Kahekili dared to go in his demands. Apparently the
two kings then discussed the continuance of the friendly relations
which had bound them together so many years, and entered into some kind
of an alliance by which Kahekili might receive assistance in his wars
with the chiefs of the large island of Hawaii. Two, or perhaps three,
years after this consultation, Kahahana sent heavy reinforcements from
Oahu to Maui, which aided Kahekili in the complete annihilation of the
Alapa Regiment, about eight hundred chiefs, from Hawaii, in the noted
“Battle of the Sand-Hills,” near Wailuku.
Soon the morning came for sailing to Oahu. Kahahana, his wife, and the
high chiefess who had come from Oahu to bring the news of his election,
and a large retinue of retainers left Maui in regal state, while the
good-bye “aloha” rang out over the waters from crowds of friends.
When the Oahu priests in the heiaus on the slopes of Leahi or Diamond
Head saw the fleet of canoes coming from Maui, swift runners were
despatched to all the high chiefs of the island that they might
assemble at Waikiki and give welcome to their new king. It is not
difficult to imagine the barbaric splendour of the royal canoes and
their occupants as they crossed the outer coral reefs and drew near to
the white sands of the most famous beach in Hawaiian history. The
canoes were fitted with triangular sails made from the leaves of the
hala tree, while brilliant pennants floated from every mast head. The
king and high chiefs wore the feather cloaks and helmets betokening
their rank. From these the sunlight flashed in gold and crimson fire.
The retainers wrapped their garments of richly coloured tapa around
them, while the boatmen, whose bronzed bodies glistened with freshly
applied oil, formed a pleasing background to the gaudy display of those
highest in rank. Thus Kahahana came to his own.
The Oahu chiefs made a display no less gorgeous along the sands of
Waikiki, as they received their king. Nights were spent in revelry and
days in feasting until the ceremonies of installation were completed.
At last Kahahana called the high chiefs and those belonging to the
highest priesthood together for consultation concerning the affairs of
the kingdom.
At this time he broached the agreement he had entered into with
Kahekili concerning the ivory of Oahu and the temple lands of Kualoa.
Kahahana was an elected, rather than a hereditary, king of Oahu.
Therefore, when, in 1773, he came from Maui to take the reins of
government in his hands, it was very important for him to keep the
friendship of the high chiefs who had given him the position. He could
not assume any self-sufficient aspect and not care whether the other
chiefs were well pleased or not. His power to fulfil his agreement
depended upon the willingness of the council of high chiefs to ratify
what he had promised.
Kahahana gave in full his reasons for agreeing to the demands. He spoke
of the experience gained in the wars between the kings of Maui and
Hawaii, and stated that the bestowal of the ivory and the temple lands
upon Kahekili might readily be granted as an honourable return from the
chiefs of Oahu for the training given to their young king.
A number of chiefs at once yielded to this argument. It was a strong
appeal to their honour. They were willing to pay for what they
received. But other chiefs were doubtful of the expediency of this
action. They desired to please their king and do all that honour
required. Yet the wisdom of doing what was asked was not clear.
Moreover, Kahahana was not trained to become a king. He had been kept
at the court of Maui because he was a relative of the king. Perhaps the
king of Maui was asking more than he ought.
Then arose Ka-o-pulu-pulu, the high priest of Oahu, one of the most
far-seeing and statesman-like men in all the islands. He understood the
Maui king and his ambitious designs for the conquest of the islands
Molokai and Oahu.
Ka-o-pulu-pulu carefully pointed out the fact that there was a great
deal to the demands of Kahekili which did not appear on the surface.
The surrender of the temple and the ivory was practically accepting
Kahekili as sovereign. It was the same as yielding the independence of
Oahu. Kua-loa with the temple and the lands surrounding it was, in
reality, one of the most sacred places in the islands. Here were kept
the two war drums sacred from ancient times. The high priest argued
that the chiefs could not afford to give these war drums to Kahekili
because the favour and protection of the war gods belonged to the king
who could call them by the beating of the drums. Moreover, their anger
would be against those who had lightly given away the drum-voices.
Then again the chiefs must remember that the consecrated hill of
Ka-ua-kahi would go as a part of the temple lands. This would give to
Kahekili a basis for invasion, a powerful influence over the gods of
Oahu, and would make it still more difficult for the Oahuans to
maintain this independence.
The high priest reminded the chiefs also concerning the ivory of Oahu,
that this, too, was a proof of the favour of the gods. This time it
meant the gods of the sea. To surrender the ivory would turn away the
favour of the gods whose assistance was prayed for in all things
connected with the great waters. They must not give to Kahekili the
gods of both land and sea.
Again Ka-o-pulu-pulu, the high priest, argued that if Kahahana, this
new king, had come with warriors and subdued Oahu, the chiefs of Oahu
could have nothing to say concerning the disposition of anything
belonging to the island. The conqueror could do as he wished with the
people or the land. Inasmuch as the chiefs had called Kahahana to the
throne, however, “it would be wrong for him to cede to another the
national emblems of sovereignty and independence.”
This rather full argument from the lips of the high priest shows the
exceedingly strong hold which the tabus and worship of the gods had
upon the most enlightened and upright men of the days immediately
preceding the discovery of the islands by Captain Cook. The chiefs had
deeply rooted principles of loyalty and honour toward each other, and
yet the reign of the gods was supreme even while accompanied by a host
of burdens such as continual human sacrifices and tabus extremely hard
to bear.
Kahahana and the chiefs of Oahu readily accepted the views of the high
priest and decided that they could not accede to the demands of
Kahekili. One thing, however, remained which they could do for the Maui
king, which would abundantly repay him for all the aid he had ever
given to this young king. They would offer fleets of canoes filled with
warriors to aid him in his battles with the king of Hawaii. In this way
friendly relations and a state of peace would be maintained between the
islands of Oahu and Maui.
Kahekili was greatly disappointed by his failure to secure the ivory,
the gift of the gods, and the sacred lands with the all-powerful war
drums, but he covered his chagrin as best he could by accepting the
offer of warriors, for his spies assured him that his powerful
brother-in-law, the king of Hawaii, was preparing an immense army with
which to conquer the whole of Maui. He heard of the organisation of the
two powerful bodies of young chiefs known in Hawaiian history as “the
regiments called Alapa and Pii-pii.” The Alapa regiment alone numbered
about eight hundred of the finest and bravest chiefs of the island of
Hawaii.
He felt his inability to meet his Hawaiian enemies alone, therefore he
called for aid from Oahu. Then came the “Battle of the Sand-Hills”
below Wailuku and the defeat of the forces of the king of Hawaii. It
was a dearly purchased victory which he never could have won without
the aid of the Oahu warriors, and yet he was not profuse in thanks for
the assistance given. The failure to win the desired grant rankled in
his heart and he still nourished the purpose of securing a foothold on
the island of Oahu. The year after the Battle of the Sand-Hills,
Kahekili found an opportunity for making his next move.
Kahahana went from Oahu to Molokai to consecrate a temple. Oahu had
maintained sovereignty over Molokai for some time, therefore the
dedication of a heiau of any importance was in the hands of the king as
the person of highest and most sacred rank. On Molokai there was also a
large taro patch. This needed attention, and some time was to be
devoted to the oversight of the repairs called for.
Kahekili and his advisers thought this was an excellent opportunity to
renew influence over Kahahana. The two kings met on Molokai and spent
days in royal entertainments.
At the advice of his high priest, the Maui king craftily set to work to
undermine Kahahana’s faith in the Oahu priesthood. While the kings
visited and feasted together, Kahekili, from time to time, introduced
remarks concerning the way he was treated in the matter of the ivory of
Oahu. At one time, apparently as an offset to the sacred lands which he
did not get, he asked for the large and fertile tract of land on
Molokai known as the lands of Halawa. This Kahahana readily gave to him
as land that had been conquered and won from its inhabitants,
concerning which there would be small dispute.
Then Kahekili insinuated that the high priest of Oahu, in refusing the
grant of the ivory and the sacred lands, had been very insincere. He
told Kahahana that the prophet, while pretending to be friendly to
Oahu, had at the same time offered the entire government of Oahu to
himself. Thus he began the distrust which was to lead Kahahana to
ultimately destroy this wise and loyal high priest. In the various
conversations he tried to impress the Oahu king with the belief that
the prophet was really a traitor instead of a friend. The king’s utter
lack of principle and his knowledge of the character, of the young king
are shown in the way in which he made Kahahana believe in his personal
friendship. He took pains, in his wily and apparently open-hearted way,
to let it be known that the only reason why he had not become the king
of Oahu as well as of Maui was because of his great personal love for
his young friend. He would not stand in the way of one in whom he felt
so much interest. But this personal kindness must not blind the eyes of
the young king to the fact that his high priest was practically a
traitor.
The young king returned to Oahu with great faith in his enemy and a
likewise great unbelief in his friends. He began a course of action
inspired by his Maui advisers which was thoroughly overbearing and
capricious and finally created dissension throughout his kingdom.
XIII
THE ALAPA REGIMENT
1776
Ka-lani-opuu was the Moi, or king, of Hawaii, at whose feet Captain
Cook was slain in 1779. He had been the ruling chief since 1754. He was
a restless warrior and signalised his reign by bloody battles with the
chiefs of the neighbouring island of Maui. The decimation of the
Hawaiian race began in these inter-island wars before the coming of the
white race.
About 1760 Kalaniopuu attacked the southern coast of Maui and captured
the famous fort of Kau-wiki.
For fifteen years the Maui chiefs were not able to recapture it. During
these years Kalaniopuu had frequently gathered his best company of
warriors and attacked the Maui seacoast. From each invasion he had
returned laden with captives and spoil. At last, in 1775, the king was
the victim of his own ambition. His supreme desire was to rule two
islands instead of one, and he was willing to fight for it.
He carried the war close to the home of Kahekili, king of Maui. A
battle was fought. There was a great destruction of life and property.
This raid received the name “Kalae-ho-hoa”—“pounded on the
forehead”—because, as the records say, “The captives were unmercifully
beaten on their heads with war clubs.” For a time victory was with the
invaders; the Maui forces were not prepared for the onset, but warriors
were hastily assembled from all parts of the island.
There was a bloody hand-to-hand struggle, in which thrusting with
spears and striking with clubs meant almost certain death to those who
were not able to get in the first blow.
It was a terrible defeat for Hawaii. The old king had been taken to the
coast and placed in his royal double canoe ready to escape if his army
could not win the day.