eastern end of the island, are two large heiaus. As it would have
required a week's time and a considerable outlay of money to reach
them, by reason of the distance and lack of roads, they were not
visited.
WAILUKU
At the mouth of the Iao Valley, a mile north of Wailuku, is a sand
dune having a nearly level area of about an acre at each end,
connected by a curved ridge whose sharp crest is lowered about 20 feet
by erosion. On each extremity is a stone inclosure, with several walls
on the slopes below them except on the eastern side, toward the ocean.
Here a stream has encroached upon the bottom of the dune to such an
extent that only a portion of the inclosure nearer town is still
remaining, one side and part of each end having fallen into the
ravine. The wall along the opposite, or western, side is buried in the
sand, only the highest stones still projecting. From the north wall a
facing of large stones extending down the surface of the dune for a
vertical distance of 15 feet has prevented erosion by the winds. No
protection was necessary below this point as the action of rain water
on the lime from disintegrated coral rock contained in the deposit has
caused the sand to "set" or harden.
The other heiau, at the north end of the dune, is apparently
unfinished. None of it has disappeared, but the plan is difficult to
make out. At its northern end is a protecting layer of stones reaching
25 to 30 feet down the slope, in three separate terraces. Similar
terraces are on the slope below the southern end of the east wall.
Here and there within the structure are well-like spaces filled with
stones. The purpose of these is unknown. Stones of varying sizes,
mostly small, within the walls indicate a pavement or floor, but the
dense growth of lantana brush and the accumulated sand preclude any
careful examination or accurate description of these remains.
WAIHEE
Southward from the mouth of the Waihee Valley, 5 miles north of
Wailuku, is a range of sand dunes from 200 to 300 feet high, extending
for half a mile or more in a wide curve, with the concave side facing
the ocean. The level space thus bounded is about a fourth of a mile in
its greatest width and contains 50 or 60 acres. Approximately parallel
with the windings of the shore line, at an average distance of 200
feet from it, is a strong stone wall, built at an unknown date but
prior to the advent of the whites. The plain purpose of this wall was
to protect from high tides the low land lying behind it and reaching
nearly to the foot of the dunes. This area is now cultivated in a
variety of crops, mainly rice. Formerly it was a great taro patch of a
Hawaiian settlement. A modern flume, which follows closely the line of
an ancient ditch, brings down the necessary water from Waihee Creek.
In front of the wall a space of 5 or 6 acres is covered with a stone
pavement on which are the walls of old houses and inclosures. They are
protected on the seaward side by thousands of cubic yards of
water-worn stones, piled up like a revetment or riprap, which
terminate abruptly at the southern end but extend to the mouth of the
creek at the north. The dunes show many angular rocks of the same
general material, in their lower portion, so they all probably belong
to a spur or projection from the mountain, washed clean at the front
by waves, and covered at the rear by the dunes. Some of the stones
along the water front were rolled by tides and wave-currents from the
débris carried down by the creek from the mountains. At high tides
waves surmount this natural breakwater, but spread out over the level
pavement and sink between the stones, so that dwellers upon the site
were not disturbed by their action.
At its northern extremity the high wall connects with a rear corner of
an extensive heiau, which was either never completed or has been
partially demolished. The unfinished appearance of this, as of all
similar remains, is explained by the natives as being due to the
interrupted efforts at their construction by "the little people"
(fairies), thousands of whom took part in the work. They must complete
their task in one night; at the first gleam of dawn they must
instantly disappear, leaving their work as it was at the moment, and
could never gather at that spot again.
The highest part of the heiau wall still upright is about 10 feet; but
some of the stones within, promiscuously heaped, are 2 to 3 feet
higher. The structure is about 100 by 250 feet, longest on the line
from water to hill. A cross wall, possibly somewhat modified in recent
times, divides it into two unequal parts, the seaward portion being
nearly square and 5 feet higher than the part at the rear. On the
latter are small inclosures of stone, the space within them paved with
gravel. If of the same age as the remainder of the structure they may
have been for priestly seclusion or preparation, though they may be
houses of later natives who took advantage of the foundation made by
their ancestors.
Measurements or clear descriptions of these remains are not possible,
owing to overgrowth. A satisfactory study, to distinguish between
ancient and modern parts, or between undisturbed stones and those not
in their original position, would require careful survey with transit
and level after the brush is cleared away; and this must be followed
up with considerable excavation as well as removal of loose rock; all
of which would demand the labor of a dozen men for three months. Even
at that, there is no certainty that definite knowledge would be
gained; but it is not to be had in any other way.
BURIAL PLACES
Near the top of a remnant of a crater rising from the shore line of
the ocean, 11 miles from Wailuku on the road to Kahakuloa, is a stone
wall built on the leeward slope, the only place on which it could be
constructed, as much the larger part of the crater has been blown out
into the sea. Between the wall and the summit are at least a dozen
stone-covered graves; possibly there are others not seen, as much of
the brush is impenetrable. Some of them are sunken; others appear
quite recent.
Many such graves are found on the dunes. They are all modern, some of
them still surrounded by the original wooden fences.
IN THE IAO VALLEY
The deepest valley on Maui is that of the Iao River. The sides, nearly
vertical in places, have an elevation of about 3,000 feet. About 2
miles above the town of Wailuku, well within the mountain, are walls
made of stones of varying sizes up to half a ton or more. They extend
over several acres of land and their structure is quite complicated.
Mostly, they are borders of taro patches, though some of them mark
house sites or garden inclosures. One wall, supporting a terrace, is 8
to 10 feet high and contains very heavy stones.
Near the head of the Iao Valley there are fully 40 acres of taro beds.
A trail formerly led from this spot to the south shore of the island,
near Lahaina. It can not now be traced, being obliterated by slides.
Residents of Wailuku say these places were in use only 50 or 60 years
ago.
Many evidences of former occupation have been destroyed in operating
the extensive sugar plantations.
* * *
KAUAI ISLAND
There seems to be less evidence of Hawaiian occupancy on Kauai than on
any other of the five principal islands. Comparatively few heiaus are
reported. Some of those which were in existence when the whites came
have been destroyed or defaced to such a degree in establishing sugar
plantations that their original form is uncertain; while others are so
covered with vegetation, either natural or due to cultivation, that
nothing definite can be ascertained as to their size or structure.
The site which might be considered as possessing the greatest interest
is an aboriginal quarry and workshop where material for stone
implements was obtained and shaped into desired forms. There can be no
doubt as to the existence of such a place; but no one now knows its
location, unless it be some of the older Hawaiians, who, however,
profess entire ignorance in regard to it. Mr. William H. Rice, of
Lihue, once induced some natives to conduct him to the spot. He
believes that if he alone had gone his guides would have fulfilled
their promise; but unfortunately several other men joined him, and the
natives, either suspicious of their intentions, or not wishing the
premises to become publicly known, pursued a devious and wearisome
journey through the jungle, crossing gulches and clambering up and
down cliffs until the white men were thoroughly bewildered and
exhausted; then announced that they "couldn't find it," and led the
party home.
LIHUE
At Niumahu, 2 miles from Lihue, on the road leading south and west
from the harbor of Nawiliwili, is a fish pond known as Alakoka. It is
a short distance above the mouth of the river, where the little valley
widens in a half-moon shape, the stream flowing close to the bluff on
the right. The bottom land on the other side is so low as to be
swampy. Along the river bank on this side is a heavy wall of stone and
earth, reaching the higher land at each end, thus forming a pond of 15
or 20 acres in which the ancient Hawaiians kept their surplus catch of
fish. The wall has been raised and strengthened by its present owner,
a Chinese, who raises ducks instead of fish.
WAILUA
Near the mouth of the Wailua River, 6 miles from Lihue, is the former
abode of the royal family. The place is so overgrown, except in the
few cultivated spots, that no examination of it can be made. No traces
of the residences are apparent, although the stone boundary walls of
the grounds are still standing. The site of the royal cemetery is set
aside as public property. There is nothing now to indicate that any
interments were ever made in it. The "Birthstone," on or by which all
prospective heirs to the throne must be born in order to insure their
right to the succession, still lies in the brush near the foot of a
little cliff. In case of a dispute among the claimants to the throne
this stone had the power, by some means of which the knowledge has now
been lost, to determine which, if any, of the contestants was entitled
to possession.
The "Sacrifice Stone," also, is in its original place, being so large
that it can not be easily removed. Formerly this had a grass roof over
it, supported by high poles. When the victim's life was extinct his
body was suspended to a rafter or crossbeam at the top of the
structure and left there until the flesh had decayed. The bones were
then interred on top of the bluff in the rear. It is said that the
corpses of chiefs and others of high rank were wrapped in banana
leaves and steamed until the flesh fell away. The skeletons were then
buried.
A mile from the mouth of the Wailua River, on a narrow plateau between
it and a small tributary, the summit level being about 200 feet above
the water, is a heiau in fairly good condition. It is one of the large
structures of its kind, but is so overgrown that measurements or close
description are not possible. It is supposed to be the one which was
sacred to the devotions of the highest priesthood. The common people
were not allowed to venture near it, and even the king could not visit
it without special permission involving the most complicated
ceremonies. It has passed into possession of the county and will be
restored as nearly as can be to its pristine state and thus preserved.
On a mass of loose rocks, resulting from disintegration of an old lava
flow, projecting into the ocean half a mile east from the mouth of the
Wailua River, and near the race track, is a heiau of irregular
construction. The extreme measurements are 80 feet north and south by
200 feet east and west. The wall on the side toward the sea is higher
and wider along the central half than it is nearer the ends. Small
inclosures, bounded by single rows of stones, probably mark the sites
of houses for priests and attendants. Along the inner side of the wall
next to the water are four depressions, remains of partially filled
well-like or cistern-like excavations; similar hollows, obscured by
brush, are also next to the inner foot of the opposite wall. A large
rock in the form of a triangular prism, standing upright, with one end
firmly imbedded in the ground, was no doubt a "god" of some kind; it
has a slight hollow or "cup" pecked in the flat top. There are several
irregular rows of stones outside of the inclosure. Dense growth
prevents the examination necessary for a closer description.
DUNE BURIALS
Four miles east of Lihue a spur of the plantation railway was run into
the dunes to procure sand for making fills. In the course of this work
human bones were found, the remains of one individual in one spot and
of at least two others not far away. None of these bones seemed to
have been long underground. Search in the vicinity, over bare spots
among the ridges whose upper portions have been carried away by the
winds, revealed indications of burials in at least six other places.
Such bones as were found were decayed or in fragments. Among them was
part of the skull of a very young infant. A quantity of cooking
stones, some coral rasps or files, and a much weathered fragment of a
wooden bowl, denoted that camps had been made on the dunes. As the
beach is smooth, firm, and extensive, providing an excellent place for
landing canoes or dragging seines, these remains probably pertain to
parties or families who maintained fishing camps here.
At the mouth of the Wailua River, on the east side, was a "City of
Refuge." It is now partially destroyed, many of the stones having been
taken away to make a fill in the road. It was rectangular in form, 360
feet east and west, 60 feet north and south, made of large stones,
some of them weighing a ton or even more. The eastern portion of the
interior is artificially made a foot higher than the western. The
structure is 300 feet from the water. Midway down the gentle slope in
front, opposite the western end, is a slightly crooked row, 100 feet
long, of very large stones. A similar row is near the water on the
side between the inclosure and the river.
WAIMEA
There were formerly several heiaus within a few miles of Waimea. Some
of them have been destroyed by cultivation, while others are difficult
to find and impossible to examine in the cane fields or dense brush.
At the east foot of a rocky peak 13 miles by road from Waimea, at an
elevation of more than 3,600 feet, is a small heiau almost on the
brink of the canyon. Within the walls it is 30 feet across each way.
On the south line are three large stones in line, one at each corner,
the third about midway between them. No doubt their position
determined the location of the structure. It stands on a slight slope.
The west wall is 2 feet high inside, the earth having washed down
level with its top outside. The north wall is a foot higher than the
floor at the west end, and is completely buried at the east, as are
the south and west walls along their entire length except for a
protruding stone here and there. In fact, the whole interior seems to
have received a heavy deposit of earth, carried in from the outside by
wind and rain. All these features give an appearance of antiquity to
the ruin.
Directly below it, well toward the bottom of the canyon, which is said
to be 3,000 feet deep, is a long, narrow, curved ridge with rounded
top and almost vertical sides. The upper part, apparently an old lava
flow, is darker in color than the surrounding precipices, its surface
checkered and seamed by weathering and erosion, so that it has an
almost startling resemblance to a huge serpent crawling out of the
side of the mountain and, with head laid flat on the extreme point of
the cliff, watching something in the stream bed a thousand feet below.
If the old Hawaiians had been familiar with ophidians, as were the
American Indians, this "Snake God" would no doubt have held high rank
among their divinities.
CONCLUSIONS
As intimated above, much additional information regarding antiquities
in the Hawaiian Islands can be found in publications of the Bishop
Museum in Honolulu. Descriptions, with illustrations, of a number of
heiaus are given by Mr. Thrum in the "Hawaiian Annual" for 1906 to
1910, inclusive; and his forthcoming volume will completely cover this
branch of archeology. The Bishop Museum has undertaken to make a
complete survey and report of all the ancient remains, while Dr.
Brigham has almost finished for publication an exhaustive treatise
which will include all his observations and deductions along the same
lines. With these tasks ended, there will be nothing for anyone else
to do, except to take measures for the restoration and care of the
principal structures.
All the aboriginal remains on the islands are the work of the present
Hawaiian race. When the earliest of these people came here they found
the islands without inhabitants. There are no evidences of any
prehistoric population nor any indications whatever of underground
remains. Consequently, so far as can be ascertained, excavations would
not result in the discovery of any prehistoric objects or of anything
essentially different from what can be seen on the surface or found
slightly covered by very recent natural accumulation. At the same
time, all the remains are well worthy of study and preservation. These
conclusions meet the full approval and indorsement of both Mr. Thrum
and Dr. Brigham.
INDEX
Page.
ACCOUNT'S CAVES 131
ADAIR, quoted on construction of houses 170
ADZES--
chert, from Miller's Cave 79
stone, in Molokai 177
AKERS POST OFFICE, cave in vicinity of 18
ALABAMA, explorations in 133-150
ALABASTER--
from Wyandotte Cave 108-109
_See_ Stalagmite; Travertine.
ALFORD'S CAVE 140
ALLEN, VALENTINE, acknowledgment to 29
ALTARS, SUPPOSED SACRIFICIAL, origin of 172
_See_ SACRIFICIAL STONES.
ALTON, house mounds near 161
ANIMALS--
bones of, found in cave 33
of Molokai 176
ANTLER, OBJECTS OF, from Sell Cave 48
ARKANSAS COUNTY, ARK., excavation of mound in 170
ARKLOW CAVE 125
ARLINGTON--
cairns in vicinity of 40
caves in vicinity of 34, 35
ARMSTRONG, B.G., tradition investigated by 172
ARNHOLDT CAVE 90
ARROWHEADS discovered in caves 31, 39
ASH CAVE 89
ASHES--
beds of, in caves 31, 32, 33, 38
curious cavities in 67-68
deposit of, in Miller's Cave 65-66
ASHLEY CREEK, cave on 19
AWLS--
bone, in Miller's Cave 74
from Goat Bluff Cave 37
AXES--
from Miller's Cave 78
grooved, found in cave 39, 40
AZTALAN, WIS., theory concerning wall at 172
BAGNELL HILL, cave on 94
BAILEY'S CAVE 140
BAKER'S LAKE, cave on 89
"BALLROOM" of Bates Cave 23
BARNARD CAVE 140-141
BARREN COUNTY, KY., explorations in 119
BAT CAVE--
in Colbert County 134
in Shannon County 18
near Crocker 55
on the Osage River 95
BATES CAVE 22-23
BATTLE GROUND near Miller's Cave 59
BEADS--
columella, from cairn 87
shell, found in cairn 28
stone, in cave 31
BEAR CREEK, rock house on 118
BECKER, PHILIP, examination of cave refuse by 84
"BECKWITH'S FORT," mounds near 169
BEDFORD, caves in vicinity of 103, 104
BEER CAVE, popular name for Steuffer Cave 99
BELCHER CAVE 121
BELL, ROBERT A., cave on farm of 51
BELL'S CAVE 122
BEN SMITH'S CAVE 119
BERRY, GEORGE, cave on land of 43
BIG CREEK CAVE 18
BIG-MOUTH CAVE 138
BIG PINEY--
caves in vicinity of 57, 81
house mounds on 162
BIG PINEY POST OFFICE, cave in vicinity of 56
BIRTHSTONE of Kauai Island 192
BISHOP MUSEUM, value of, to students 174
BLATCHLEY, W.S.--
caverns described by 102
quoted 103-104, 107, 110
BLEDSOE COUNTY, TENN., cave in 128
BLOODLAND, house mounds near 57
BLOWING CAVE 136
BLUE RIVER, caves on 111
BLUE SPRING CAVE 18
BLUEWATER CAVE 134
BLUFF CITY, caves in vicinity of 124, 125
BODE CAVE 94
BOILING SPRING OF THE GASCONADE, cave near 34
BOND, JOHN R., cave on farm of 92
BONE CAVE 120
BONES, ANIMAL, in caves 33, 37, 72, 73
BONES, HUMAN--
in Bell's Cave 51
in cairn at Devil's Elbow 86-87
in cairns on Helm's farm 88
in Caldwell's Cave 132
in cave on Meshach Creek 121
in Colyer's Cave 133
in Cub Run Cave 113
in dune burials 193
in Goat Bluff Cave 36, 37, 38, 39
in Gourd Creek Cave 34
in Haunted Cave 116
in Hawaiian caves 182
in Miller's Cave 67, 69-72, 73, 76
in mound 151
in Ramsey's Cave 82
in Sell Cave 47-49
_See_ Skeletons; Skulls.
BOWLING GREEN, caves near 118
BRADLEY CAVE 112
BRANDON, cave near 138
BRIDAL CAVE, beauty of 90
BRIGGS, CAPT. J.B., cave owned by 117
BRIGGS, IKE, cave on land of 116
BRIGGS'S CAVE 116
BRIGHAM, DR., work of 174, 194
BROOKS CAVE 56
BRUMLEY, cave in vicinity of 91
BRYANT'S BLUFF, rock shelters in 40
BUCHER CAVE 51
BUCKNER CAVE. _See_ Harry Buckner Cave; Joel Buckner Cave.
BUFFALO WALLOWS, so-called 152
BUNCH CAVE 90
BURIAL CAVE near Sheffields 135
BURIAL CUSTOMS in Hawaii 192
BURIAL PLACES on Maui Island 190
BURIALS--
communal 151, 153, 157
dune 193-194
in Goat Bluff Cave 36
in Gourd Creek Cave 30
inclosed in flat stones 88
on Lost Hill 27
_See_ Cairns; Graves.
BURKSVILLE, cave near 111
BUSHNELL, D.I., JR.--
conclusion of, regarding house mounds 164
quoted on house mounds 161
CAIRNS--
at Miller's Cave 59
at Sugar Tree camp 40
containing double burial 19
in vicinity of Eugene, Mo. 96
near Pillman's Cave 83
near Woodland Cave 84
of common occurrence 17
on Helm's farm 87-89
on Lost Hill 24-28, 84
on the Gasconade 40, 99
_See_ Burials; Graves.
CALDWELL'S CAVE 131-132
CAMDEN COUNTY, MO.--
explorations in 89-91
geological formations in 91
CAMERON, WILLIAM, tradition obtained by 172
CAMP-GROUND CAVE 51
CANNIBAL HOUSE, so-called, near Omaha 156
CANNIBALISM, discoveries indicating 77
CAVE, meaning of term, in Hawaii 182
CAVE EARTH, composition of 16
CAVE EXPLORATION, conditions considered in 101
CAVE MAN, no trace of, in Ozark Hills 15
CAVES. _See_ CAVERNS.
CAVERNS--
air of 14-15
as habitations 14
development of 13-14
floors of 14
method of measuring 17
proper examination of 16
CAVITIES IN ASH-BED 67-68, 73
CEDAR GROVE, cave in vicinity of 18
CHATTANOOGA, caves in vicinity of 132
CHAUMONT STATION, cave near 117
CHEATHAM'S FERRY, cave near 134
CHIPPEWAS, Sioux driven westward by 172
CHUNKEY STONES in Molokai 177, 180
CITY OF REFUGE--
at mouth of Wailua River 193
wall of 184
CIVIL WAR, caves as shelters during 23
CLARKSVILLE, cave in vicinity of 123
CLEMMENS CREEK CAVE 89
COAHOMA COUNTY, MISS., large mound in 171
COAL PIT HOLLOW, mention of 24
COFFEE CAVE 134
COKELY CAVE 90
COLBERT COUNTY, ALA., caves of 134, 135
COLE COUNTY, MO., explorations in 100
COLLEGE CAVE 128
COLLINSVILLE, cave in vicinity of 139
COLOSSAL CAVE 115
COLYER'S CAVE 133
COMMUNAL BURIAL. _See_ Burials, communal.
COOK, CAPTAIN, death of 184
COOKE, GEORGE, acknowledgment to 175
COOKING, method of, in Molokai 179
COOKVILLE, caves in vicinity of 42
CRAWFORD COUNTY, IND., explorations in 107
CRITTENDEN COUNTY, ARK., mound excavations in 169
CRUMP'S CAVE 118
CUB RUN CAVE 113-115
CULVER'S CAVE 136
CURRENT RIVER, caves of 18
DAERHOFF, BEN, cave on farm of 95
DALLAS COUNTY, MO., house mounds in 161
DANCING PLATFORMS in Molokai 181-182
DAVIS, J.W., caves on farm of 42
DAYLIGHT IN CAVES, use of term 16
DEKALB COUNTY, ALA., caves of 137-139
DENT COUNTY, MO., caves of 20-22
DEVIL'S ELBOW--
burials at 88
house mounds at 162
walled graves at 84
DILLON, house mounds near 42, 162
DINSMORE, DR. R.S., excavations made by 153-154
DISCOIDS, STONE, in Molokai 177
DIXON, cave in vicinity of 89
DIXON'S CAVE 116
DONNEHUE'S CAVE 103
DONNELSON'S CAVE 103-106
DOUBLE CAVE 54-55
DRIP ROCK--
deposits of, in Berry Cave 43
meaning of the term 16
_See_ Stalactite; Stalagmite.
DRY CAVE 90
DRY CREEK, cave on 56
DRY FORK POST OFFICE, caves near 119
DUNBAR'S CAVE 123-124
DUNES, BURIALS IN 193
DUNLAP, caves in vicinity of 128-129
EDENVILLE ROAD, cave on 57
EDGAR SPRINGS, cave in vicinity of 23
EDMONSON COUNTY, KY., caves of 115-118
EIDSON, WILL ROBERT, cairns on farm of 90
EIGENMANN, PROFESSOR, conclusions of 105
ELDON, cave in vicinity of 96
ELLIS CAVE 138
EMINENCE, supposed cave near 20
ESMITH CAVES 119-120
EUGENE, graves in vicinity of 96
FARMINGTON, mounds near 162, 166
FEARIN CAVE 139
FERGUSON, MO.--
excavation of mound near 168
house mounds near 161
FISH, eyeless 18
FISHING CAVE 18
FISHPONDS--
at Niumahu 192
of Molokai 175
FLINTWORKING SITE 59
FOOD SUPPLY of Molokai 175
FOOTE, A.L., cave on land of 44
FORD'S CAVE 119
FORT DEPOSIT CAVE--
cross sections of 144-149
description of 143-150
FORT PAYNE CAVE 137-138
FORTIFICATION, INDIAN, near Miller's Cave 59