Anuenue said: "I am from the sky, a messenger sent by my brothers to get
your child that they may bring it up. When grown, if the child wants its
parents, we will bring it back. If it loves us it shall stay with us."
Hina bowed her head and Ku wailed, both thinking seriously for a little
while. Then Ku said: "If Mo-o-inanea has sent you she shall have the
child. You may take this word to her."
Anuenue replied: "I have just come from her and the word I brought you
is her word. If I go away I shall not come again."
Hina said to Ku: "We must give this child according to her word. It is
not right to disobey Mo-o-inanea."
Anuenue took the child and studied the omens for its future, then she
said, "This child is of the very highest, the flower on the top of the
tree."
She prepared to take the child away, and bade the parents farewell. She
changed her body into the old rainbow colors shining out of a mist, then
she wrapped the child in the rainbow, bearing it away.
Ku and Hina went out looking up and watching the cloud of rainbow colors
floating in the sky. Strong, easy winds blew and carried this cloud out
over the ocean. The navel-string had not been cut off, so Anuenue broke
off part and threw it into the ocean, where it became the Hee-makoko, a
blood-red squid. This is the legendary origin of that kind of squid.
Anuenue passed over many islands, coming at last to Waolani to the
temple built by the gnomes under Kane and Kanaloa. They consecrated the
child, and cut off another part of the navel-cord. Kanaloa took it to
the Nuuanu pali back of Honolulu, to the place called Ka-ipu-o-Lono.
Kane and Kanaloa consulted about servants to live with the boy, and
decided that they must have only ugly ones, who would not be desired as
wives by their boy. Therefore they gathered together the lame, crooked,
deformed, and blind among the gnome people. There were hundreds of these
living in different homes, and performing different tasks. Anuenue was
the ruler over all of them. This child was named Kahanai-a-ke-Akua (the
one adopted by the gods). He was given a very high tabu by Kane and
Kanaloa. No one was allowed to stand before him and no person's shadow
could fall upon him.
Hina again conceived. The signs of this child appeared in the heavens
and were seen on Oahu. Kane wanted to send Lanihuli and Waipuhia, their
daughters, living near the pali of Waolani and Nuuanu. The girls asked
where they should go.
[Illustration: THE MISTY PALI, NUUANU]
Kane said: "We send you to the land Kuai-he-lani, a land far distant
from Hawaii, to get the child of Hina. If the parents ask you about your
journey, tell them you have come for the child. Tell our names and refer
to Mo-o-inanea. You must now look at the way by which to go to
Kuai-he-lani."
They looked and saw a great bird--Iwa. They got on this bird and were
carried far up in the heavens. By and by the bird called two or three
times. The girls were frightened and looking down saw the bright shining
land Kuai-he-lani below them. The bird took them to the door of Ku's
dwelling-place.
Ku and Hina were caring for a beautiful girl-baby. They looked up and
saw two fine women at their door. They invited them in and asked whence
they came and why they travelled.
The girls told them they were sent by the gods Kane and Kanaloa.
Suddenly a new voice was heard. Mo-o-inanea was by the house. She called
to Ku and to Hina, telling them to give the child into the hands of the
strangers, that they might take her to Waka, a great priestess, to be
brought up by her in the ohia forests of the island of Hawaii. She named
that girl Paliula, and explained to the parents that when Paliula
should grow up, to be married, the boy of Waolani should be her husband.
The girls then took the babe. They were all carried by the bird, Iwa,
far away in the sky to Waolani, where they told Kane and Kanaloa the
message or prophecy of Mo-o-inanea.
The gods sent Iwa with the child to Waka, on Hawaii, to her
dwelling-place in the districts of Hilo and Puna where she was caring
for all kinds of birds in the branches of the trees and among the
flowers.
Waka commanded the birds to build a house for Paliula. This was quickly
done. She commanded the bird Iwa to go to Nuumea-lani, a far-off land
above Kuai-he-lani, the place where Mo-o-inanea was now living.
It was said that Waka, by her magic power, saw in that land two trees,
well cared for by multitudes of servants; the name of one was "Makalei."
This was a tree for fish. All kinds of fish would go to it. The second
was "Kalala-ika-wai." This was the tree used for getting all kinds of
food. Call this tree and food would appear.
Waka wanted Mo-o-inanea to send these trees to Hawaii.
Mo-o-inanea gave these trees to Iwa, who brought them to Hawaii and gave
them to Waka. Waka rejoiced and took care of them. The bird went back
to Waolani, telling Kane and Kanaloa all the journey from first to last.
The gods gave the girls resting-places in the fruitful lands under the
shadow of the beautiful Nuuanu precipices.
Waka watched over Paliula until she grew up, beautiful like the moon of
Mahea-lani (full moon).
The fish tree, Makalei, which made the fish of all that region tame, was
planted by the side of running water, in very restful places spreading
all along the river-sides to the seashore. Fish came to every stream
where the trees grew, and filled the waters.
The other tree was planted and brought prepared food for Paliula. The
hidden land where this place was has always been called Paliula, a
beautiful green spot--a home for fruits and flowers and birds in a
forest wilderness.
When Paliula had grown up, Waka went to Waolani to meet Kane, Kanaloa,
and Anuenue. There she saw Kahanai-a-ke-Akua (the boy brought up by the
gods) and desired him for Paliula's husband. There was no man so
splendid and no woman so beautiful as these two. The caretakers decided
that they must be husband and wife.
Waka returned to the island Hawaii to prepare for the coming of the
people from Waolani.
Waka built new houses finer and better than the first, and covered them
with the yellow feathers of the Mamo bird with the colors of the rainbow
resting over. Anuenue had sent some of her own garments of rainbows.
Then Waka went again to Waolani to talk with Kane and Kanaloa and their
sister Anuenue.
They said to her: "You return, and Anuenue will take Kahanai and follow.
When the night of their arrival comes, lightning will play over all the
mountains above Waolani and through the atmosphere all around the
temple, even to Hawaii. After a while, around your home the leaves of
the trees will dance and sing and the ohia-trees themselves bend back
and forth shaking their beautiful blossoms. Then you may know that the
Rainbow Maiden and the boy are by your home on the island of Hawaii."
Waka returned to her home in the tangled forest above Hilo. There she
met her adopted daughter and told her about the coming of her husband.
Soon the night of rolling thunder and flashing lightning came. The
people of all the region around Hilo were filled with fear. Kane-hekili
(flashing lightning) was a miraculous body which Kane had assumed. He
had gone before the boy and the rainbow, flashing his way through the
heavens.
The gods had commanded Kane-hekili to dwell in the heavens in all places
wherever the gods desired him to be, so that he could go wherever
commanded. He always obeyed without questioning.
The thunder and lightning played over ocean and land while the sun was
setting beyond the islands in the west.
After a time the trees bent over, the leaves danced and chanted their
songs. The flowers made a glorious halo as they swayed back and forth in
their dances.
Kane told the Rainbow Maiden to take their adopted child to
Hawaii-nui-akea.
When she was ready, she heard her brothers calling the names of trees
which were to go with her on her journey. Some of the legends say that
Laka, the hula-god, was dancing before the two. The tree people stood
before the Rainbow Maiden and the boy, ready to dance all the way to
Hawaii. The tree people are always restless and in ceaseless motion. The
gods told them to sing together and dance. Two of the tree people were
women, Ohia and Lamakea. Lamakea is a native whitewood tree. There are
large trees at Waialae in the mountains of the island Oahu. Ohia is a
tree always full of fringed red blossoms. They were very beautiful in
their wind bodies. They were kupuas, or wizards, and could be moving
trees or dancing women as they chose.
The Rainbow Maiden took the boy in her arms up into the sky, and with
the tree people went on her journey. She crossed over the islands to the
mountains of the island Hawaii, then went down to find Paliula.
She placed the tree people around the house to dance and sing with soft
rustling noises.
Waka heard the chants of the tree people and opened the door of the
glorious house, calling for Kahanai to come in. When Paliula saw him,
her heart fluttered with trembling delight, for she knew this splendid
youth was the husband selected by Waka, the prophetess. Waka called the
two trees belonging to Paliula to bring plenty of fish and food.
Then Waka and Anuenue left their adopted children in the wonderful
yellow feather house.
The two young people, when left together, talked about their birthplaces
and their parents. Paliula first asked Kahanai about his land and his
father and mother. He told her that he was they child of Ku and Hina
from Kuai-he-lani, brought up by Kane and the other gods at Waolani.
The girl went out and asked Waka about her parents, and learned that
this was her first-born brother, who was to be her husband because they
had very high divine blood. Their descendants would be the chiefs of the
people. This marriage was a command from parents and ancestors and
Mo-o-inanea.
She went into the house, telling the brother who she was, and the wish
of the gods.
After ten days they were married and lived together a long time.
At last, Kahanai desired to travel all around Hawaii. In this journey he
met Poliahu, the white-mantle girl of Mauna Kea, the snow-covered
mountain of the island Hawaii.
Meanwhile, in Kuai-he-lani, Ku and Hina were living together. One day
Mo-o-inanea called to Hina, telling her that she would be the mother of
a more beautiful and wonderful child than her other two children. This
child should live in the highest places of the heavens and should have a
multitude of bodies which could be seen at night as well as in the day.
Mo-o-inanea went away to Nuumea-lani and built a very wonderful house in
Ke-alohi-lani (shining land), a house always turning around by day and
by night like the ever moving clouds; indeed, it was built of all kinds
of clouds and covered with fogs. There she made a spring of flowing
water and put it outside for the coming child to have as a bath. There
she planted the seeds of magic flowers, Kanikawi and Kanikawa,
legendary plants of old Hawaii. Then she went to Kuai-he-lani and found
Ku and Hina asleep. She took a child out of the top of the head of Hina
and carried it away to the new home, naming it Ke-ao-mele-mele (the
yellow cloud), the Maiden of the Golden Cloud, a wonderfully beautiful
girl.
No one with a human body was permitted to come to this land of
Nuumea-lani. No kupuas were allowed to make trouble for the child.
The ao-opua (narrow-pointed clouds) were appointed watchmen serving
Ke-ao-mele-mele, the Maiden of the Golden Cloud.
All the other clouds were servants: the ao-opua-ka-kohiaka (morning
clouds), ao-opua-ahiahi (evening clouds), ao-opua-aumoe (night clouds),
ao-opua-kiei (peeking clouds), ao-opua-aha-lo (down-looking clouds),
ao-opua-ku (image-shaped clouds rising at top of sea), opua-hele
(morning-flower clouds), opua-noho-mai (resting clouds), opua-mele-mele
(gold-colored clouds), opua-lani (clouds high up), ka-pae-opua (at
surface of sea or clouds along the horizon), ka-lani-opua (clouds up
above horizon), ka-ma-kao-ka-lani (clouds in the eye of the sun),
ka-wele-lau-opua (clouds highest in the sky).
All these clouds were caretakers watching for the welfare of that girl.
Mo-o-inanea gave them their laws for service.
She took Ku-ke-ao-loa (the long cloud of Ku) and put him at the door of
the house of clouds, with great magic power. He was to be the messenger
to all the cloud-lands of the parents and ancestors of this girl.
"The Eye of the Sun" was the cloud with magic power to see all things
passing underneath near or far.
Then there was the opua-alii, cloud-chief with the name Ka-ao-opua-ola
(the sharp-pointed living cloud). This was the sorcerer and astronomer,
never weary, never tired, knowing and watching over all things.
Mo-o-inanea gave her mana-nui, or great magic power, to
Ke-ao-mele-mele--with divine tabus. She made this child the heir of all
the divine islands, therefore she was able to know what was being done
everywhere. She understood how the Kahanai had forsaken his sister to
live with Poliahu. So she went to Hawaii to aid her sister Paliula.
When Mo-o-inanea had taken the child from the head of Hina, Ku and Hina
were aroused. Ku went out and saw wonderful cloud images standing near
the house, like men. Ku and Hina watched these clouds shining and
changing colors in the light of the dawn, as the sun appeared. The light
of the sun streamed over the skies. For three days these changing
clouds were around them. Then in the midst of these clouds appeared a
strange land of the skies surrounded by the ao-opua (the narrow-pointed
clouds). In the night of the full moon, the aka (ghost) shadow of that
land leaped up into the moon and became fixed there. This was the
Alii-wahine-o-ka-malu (the queen of shadows), dwelling in the moon.
Ku and Hina did not understand the meaning of these signs or shadows, so
they went back into the house, falling into deep sleep.
Mo-o-inanea spoke to Hina in her dreams, saying that these clouds were
signs of her daughter born from the head--a girl having great knowledge
and miraculous power in sorcery, who would take care of them in their
last days. They must learn all the customs of kilo-kilo, or sorcery.
Mo-o-inanea again sent Ku-ke-ao-loa to the house of Ku, that cloud
appearing as a man at their door.
They asked who he was. He replied: "I am a messenger sent to teach you
the sorcery or witcheries of cloud-land. You must have this knowledge
that you may know your cloud-daughter. Let us begin our work at this
time."
They all went outside the house and sat down on a stone at the side of
the door.
Ku-ke-ao-loa looked up and called Mo-o-inanea by name. His voice went to
Ke-alohilani, and Mo-o-inanea called for all the clouds to come with
their ruler Ke-ao-mele-mele.
"Arise, O yellow cloud,
Arise, O cloud--the eye of the sun,
Arise, O beautiful daughters of the skies,
Shine in the eyes of the sun, arise!"
Ke-ao-mele-mele arose and put on her glorious white kapas like the snow
on Mauna Kea. At this time the cloud watchmen over Kuai-he-lani were
revealing their cloud forms to Hina and Ku. The Long Cloud told Hina and
Ku to look sharply into the sky to see the meaning of all the cloud
forms which were servants of the divine chiefess, their habits of
meeting, moving, separating, their forms, their number, the stars
appearing through them, the fixed stars and moving clouds, the moving
stars and moving clouds, the course of the winds among the different
clouds.
When he had taught Ku and Hina the sorcery of cloud-land, he disappeared
and returned to Ke-alohi-lani.
Some time afterward, Ku went out to the side of their land. He saw a
cloud of very beautiful form, appearing like a woman. This was resting
in the sky above his head. Hina woke up, missed Ku, looked out and saw
Ku sitting on the beach watching the clouds above him. She went to him
and by her power told him that he had the desire to travel and that he
might go on his journey and find the woman of his vision.
A beautiful chiefess, Hiilei, was at that time living in one of the
large islands of the heavens. Ku and Hina went to this place. Ku married
Hiilei, and Hina found a chief named Olopana and married him. Ku and
Hiilei had a redskin child, a boy, whom they named Kau-mai-liula
(twilight resting in the sky). This child was taken by Mo-o-inanea to
Ke-alohi-lani to live with Ke-ao-mele-mele. Olopana and Hina had a
daughter whom they called Kau-lana-iki-pokii (beautiful daughter of
sunset), who was taken by Ku and Hiilei.
Hina then called to the messenger cloud to come and carry a request to
Mo-o-inanea that Kau-mai-liula be given to her and Olopana. This was
done. So they were all separated from each other, but in the end the
children were taken to Hawaii.
Meanwhile Paliula was living above Hilo with her husband
Kahanai-a-ke-Akua (adopted son of the gods). Kahanai became restless and
determined to see other parts of the land, so he started on a journey
around the islands. He soon met a fine young man Waiola (water of life).
Waiola had never seen any one so glorious in appearance as the child of
the gods, so he fell down before him, saying: "I have never seen any
one so divine as you. You must have come from the skies. I will belong
to you through the coming years."
The chief said, "I take you as my aikane [bosom friend] to the last
days."
They went down to Waiakea, a village by Hilo, and met a number of girls
covered with wreaths of flowers and leaves. Kahanai sent Waiola to sport
with them. He himself was of too high rank. One girl told her brother
Kanuku to urge the chief to come down, and sent him leis. He said he
could not receive their gift, but must wear his own lei. He called for
his divine caretaker to send his garlands, and immediately the most
beautiful rainbows wrapped themselves around his neck and shoulders,
falling down around his body.
Then he came down to Waiakea. The chief took Kanuku also as a follower
and went on up the coast to Hamakua.
The chief looked up Mauna Kea and there saw the mountain women, who
lived in the white land above the trees. Poliahu stood above the
precipices in her kupua-ano (wizard character), revealing herself as a
very beautiful woman wearing a white mantle.
When the chief and his friends came near the cold place where she was
sitting, she invited them to her home, inland and mountainward. The
chief asked his friends to go with him to the mountain house of the
beauty of Mauna Kea.
They were well entertained. Poliahu called her sisters, Lilinoe and
Ka-lau-a-kolea, beautiful girls, and gave them sweet-sounding shells to
blow. All through the night they made music and chanted the stirring
songs of the grand mountains. The chief delighted in Poliahu and lived
many months on the mountain.
One morning Paliula in her home above Hilo awoke from a dream in which
she saw Poliahu and the chief living together, so she told Waka, asking
if the dream were true. Waka, by her magic power, looked over the island
and saw the three young men living with the three maidens of the snow
mantle. She called with a penetrating voice for the chief to return to
his own home. She went in the form of a great bird and brought him back.
But Poliahu followed, met the chief secretly and took him up to Mauna
Kea again, covering the mountain with snow so that Waka could not go to
find them.
Waka and the bird friends of Paliula could not reach the mountain-top
because of the cold. Waka went to Waolani and told Anuenue about
Paliula's trouble.
Anuenue was afraid that Kane and Kanaloa might hear that the chief had
forsaken his sister, and was much troubled, so she asked Waka to go
with her to see Mo-o-inanea at Ke-alohi-lani, but the gods Kane and
Kanaloa could not be deceived. They understood that there was trouble,
and came to meet them.
Kane told Waka to return and tell the girl to be patient; the chief
should be punished for deserting her.
Waka returned and found that Paliula had gone away wandering in the
forest, picking lehua flowers on the way up toward the Lua Pele, the
volcano pit of Pele, the goddess of fire. There she had found a
beautiful girl and took her as an aikane (friend) to journey around
Hawaii. They travelled by way of the districts of Puna, Kau, and Kona to
Waipio, where she saw a fine-looking man standing above a precipice over
which leaped the wonderful mist-falls of Hiilawe. This young chief
married the beautiful girl friend of Paliula.
Poliahu by her kupua power recognized Paliula, and told the chief that
she saw her with a new husband.
Paliula went on to her old home and rested many days. Waka then took her
from island to island until they were near Oahu. When they came to the
beach, Paliula leaped ashore and went up to Manoa Valley. There she
rushed into the forest and climbed the ridges and precipices. She
wandered through the rough places, her clothes torn and ragged.
Kane and Kanaloa saw her sitting on the mountain-side. Kane sent
servants to find her and bring her to live with them at Waolani. When
she came to the home of the gods in Nuuanu Valley she thought longingly
of her husband and sang this mele:
"Lo, at Waolani is my lei of the blood-red rain,
The lei of the misty rain gathered and put together,
Put together in my thought with tears.
Spoiled is the body by love,
Dear in the eyes of the lover.
My brother, the first-born,
Return, oh, return, my brother."
Paliula, chanting this, turned away from Waolani to Waianae and dwelt
for a time with the chiefess Kalena.
While Paliula was living with the people of the cold winds of Waianae
she wore leis of mokihana berries and fragrant grass, and was greatly
loved by the family. She went up the mountain to a great gulch. She lay
down to sleep, but heard a sweet voice saying, "You cannot sleep on the
edge of that gulch." She was frequently awakened by that voice. She went
on up the mountain-ridges above Waianae. At night when she rested she
heard the voices again and again. This was the voice of Hii-lani-wai,
who was teaching the hula dance to the girls of Waianae. Paliula wanted
to see the one who had such a sweet voice, so went along the pali and
came to a hula house, but the house was closed tight and she could not
look in.
She sat down outside. Soon Hii-lani-wai opened the door and saw Paliula
and asked her to come in. It was the first time Paliula had seen this
kind of dancing. Her delight in the dance took control of her mind, and
she forgot her husband and took Hii-lani-wai as her aikane, dwelling
with her for a time.
One day they went out into the forest. Kane had sent the dancing trees
from Waolani to meet them. While in the forest they heard the trees
singing and dancing like human beings. Hii-lani-wai called this a very
wonderful thing. Paliula told her that she had seen the trees do this
before. The trees made her glad.
They went down to the seaside and visited some days. Paliula desired a
boat to go to the island of Kauai. The people told them of the dangerous
waters, but the girls were stubborn, so they were given a very small
boat. Hii-lani-wai was steering, and Paliula was paddling and bailing
out the water. The anger of the seas did not arise. On the way Paliula
fell asleep, but the boat swiftly crossed the channel. Their boat was
covered with all the colors of the rainbow. Some women on land at last
saw them and beckoned with their hands for them to come ashore.
Malu-aka (shadow of peace) was the most beautiful of all the women on
Kauai. She was kind and hospitable and took them to her house. The
people came to see these wonderful strangers. Paliula told Malu-aka her
story. She rested, with the Kauai girls, then went with Malu-aka over
the island and learned the dances of Kauai, becoming noted throughout
the island for her wonderful grace and skill, dancing like the wind,
feet not touching the ground. Her songs and the sound of the whirling
dance were lifted by the winds and carried into the dreams of
Ke-ao-mele-mele.
Meanwhile, Ke-ao-mele-mele was living with her cloud-watchmen and
Mo-o-inanea at Ke-alohi-lani. She began to have dreams, hearing a sweet
voice singing and seeing a glorious woman dancing, while winds were
whispering in the forests. For five nights she heard the song and the
sound of the dance. Then she told Mo-o-inanea, who explained her dream,
saying: "That is the voice of Paliula, your sister, who is dancing and
singing near the steep places of Kauai. Her brother-husband has forsaken
her and she has had much trouble. He is living with Poliahu on Hawaii."
When Ke-ao-mele-mele heard this, she thought she would go and live with
her sister. Mo-o-inanea approved of the thought and gave her all kinds
of kupua power. She told her to go and see the god Kane, who would tell
her what to do.
At last she started on her journey with her watching clouds. She went to
see Hina and Olopana, and Ku and Hiilei. She saw Kau-mai-liula (twilight
resting in the sky), who was very beautiful, like the fair red flowers
of the ohia in the shadows of the leaves of the tree. She determined to
come back and marry him after her journey to Oahu.
When she left Kuai-he-lani with her followers she flew like a bird over
the waves of the sea. Soon she passed Niihau and came to Kauai to the
place where Paliula was dancing, and as a cloud with her cloud friends
spied out the land. The soft mists of her native land were scattered
over the people by these clouds above them. Paliula was reminded of her
birth-land and the loved people of her home.
Ke-ao-mele-mele saw the beauty of the dance and understood the love
expressed in the chant. She flew away from Kauai, crossed the channel,
came to Waolani, met Kane and Kanaloa and told them she had come to
learn from them what was the right thing to do for the sister and the
husband who had deserted her. Kane suggested a visit to Hawaii to see
Paliula and the chief, so she flew over the islands to Hawaii. Then she
went up the mountain with the ao-pii-kai (a cloud rising from the sea
and climbing the mountain) until she saw Poliahu and her beautiful
sisters.
Poliahu looked down the mountain-side and saw a woman coming, but she
looked again and the woman had disappeared. In a little while a golden
cloud rested on the summit of the mountain. It was the maid in her cloud
body watching her brother and the girl of the white mountains. For more
than twenty days she remained in that place. Then she returned to
Waolani on Oahu.
Ke-ao-mele-mele determined to learn the hulas and the accompanying
songs. Kane told her she ought to learn these things. There was a fine
field for dancing at the foot of the mountain near Waolani, and Kane had
planted a large kukui-tree by its side to give it shade.
Kane and his sister Anuenue went to this field and sat down in their
place. The daughters of Nuuanu Pali were there. Kane sent
Ke-ao-mele-mele after the dancing-goddess, Kapo, who lived at Mauna Loa.
She was the sister of the poison-gods and knew the art of sorcery.
Ke-ao-mele-mele took gifts, went to Kapo, made offerings, and thus for
the first time secured a goddess for the hula.
[Illustration: DANCING THE HULA]
Kapo taught Ke-ao-mele-mele the chants and the movements of the
different hulas until she was very skilful. She flew over the seas to
Oahu and showed the gods her skill. Then, she went to Kauai, danced on
the surf and in the clouds and above the forests and in the whirlwinds.
Each night she went to one of the other islands, danced in the skies and
over the waters, and returned home. At last she went to Hawaii to Mauna
Kea, where she saw Kahanai, her brother. She persuaded him to leave the
maiden of the snow mantle and return to Waolani. Paliula and her friends
had returned to the home with Waka, where she taught the leaves of
clinging vines and the flowers and leaves on the tender swinging
branches of the forest trees new motions in their dances with the many
kinds of winds.
One day Kahanai saw signs among the stars and in the clouds which made
him anxious to travel, so he asked Kane for a canoe. Kane called the
eepa and the menehune people and told them to make canoes to carry
Kahanai to his parents.
These boats were made in the forests of Waolani. When the menehunes
finished their boat they carried it down Nuuanu Valley to Puunui. There
they rested and many of the little folk came to help, taking the canoe
down, step by step, to the mouth of the Nuuanu stream, where they had
the aid of the river to the ocean.
The menehunes left the boat floating in the water and went back to
Waolani. Of the fairy people it was said: "No task is difficult. It is
the work of one hand."
On the way down Nuuanu Valley the menehunes came to Ka-opua-ua (storm
cloud). They heard the shouting of other people and hurried along until
they met the Namunawa people, the eepas, carrying a boat, pushing it
down. When they told the eepas that the chief had already started on his
journey with double canoes, the eepas left their boat there to slowly
decay, but it is said that it lasted many centuries.
The people who made this boat were the second class of the little people
living at Waolani, having the characters of human beings, yet having
also the power of the fairy people. These were the men of the time of
Kane and the gods.
Kahanai and his friends were in their boat when a strong wind swept down
Nuuanu, carrying the dry leaves of the mountains and sweeping them into
the sea. The waves were white as the boat was blown out into the ocean.
Kahanai steered by magic power, and the boat like lightning swept away
from the islands to the homes of Ku and Hina. The strong wind and the
swift current were with the boat, and the voyage was through the waves
like swift lightning flashing through clouds.
Ku and Hiilei saw the boat coming. Its signs were in the heavens. Ku
came and asked the travellers, "What boat is this, and from what place
has it come?"
Kahanai said, "This boat has come from Waolani, the home of the gods
Kane and Kanaloa and of Ke-ao-mele-mele."