RELATING TO KAHAKALOA.—HIS DEATH BY KAWELO.
While Kaehuikiawakea was speaking with Aikanaka, the warrior Kahakaloa,
stood up and chanted his boast that Kawelo will never escape him;
continuing, he said: “When did Kawelo ever learn the arts of warfare?
While he was here living with us before he sailed for Oahu, where he
married the daughter of Kalonaikahailaau, he knew nothing about
fighting. If the strokes of the war club learned by him are those of
his father-in-law, then he will never escape me, because I have fought
against his father-in-law and our clubs only tapped one another; he was
not killed and I was not killed.” When he finished boasting, he
proceeded on down the hill with two hundred men, and when they reached
the bottom, the fighting began. Kamalama then slew all the men with the
exception of Kahakaloa whom he did not tackle. When Kawelo saw
Kahakaloa, he chanted as follows:
The great haka; [47] the small haka; the long haka;
The haka for the putting up of calabashes;
Perhaps on this day, it shall be done.
Kahakaloa then said to Kawelo: “My name was not given me as a place to
hang up calabashes. Kahaka, chief of Kauai, is my name.” Soon after
this, they both stood up, Kawelo with his war club, Kuikaa, and
Kahakaloa with his war club. They both raised their war clubs together.
Kahakaloa swung his war club sideways, hitting Kawelo in the middle,
staggering him. Kawelo then raised his club with a swirl from the
ground, cutting the small toe, the small finger and the tip of the ear
off the same side. Kawelo then fell to the ground and laid there. As
Kawelo was lying on the ground, Kaehuikiawakea said to Kahakaloa:
“Strike him another blow, so as to kill him, for I see his eyes staring
at us.” When Kahakaloa heard this, he answered by chanting the
following lines:
He is dead, for it is the blow from the young;
The young makes but one blow to kill,
Else he will go down to Milu [48]
And say that he was struck twice [49] by Kahakaloa.
Thus was Kawelo the great soldier killed.
Kahakaloa then said to Kaehuikiawakea: “Let us return and partake of
some food and when our hunger is satisfied, then I will come down and
kill my opponent.” [50] The two then returned. Upon their arrival on
the top of Nounou hill, Kahakaloa said: “I have downed Kawelo. I have
returned to have something to eat, and when I have satisfied my hunger,
I will then return and kill my opponent.” When Aikanaka heard this, he
ordered his two chief stewards, Kapinaonuianio and Nioiwawalu, to cook
[51] a chicken for Kahakaloa. When Aikanaka saw that the small toe of
one of Kahakaloa’s feet was cut off, he asked: “Why is your small toe
cut?” Kahakaloa replied: “Such a thing is bound to be cut off sooner or
later, for it sticks out so.” Aikanaka again asked: “And your small
finger, what has become of it?” “Such a thing too is bound to be cut
off, for it projects out so.” “And your ear?” “That also is bound to be
cut off, for it curves out so at the top.”
After the chicken was cooked, Kahakaloa proceeded to have his meal and
he ate thereof until he was satisfied. After finishing the food in the
calabash, he took the empty calabash and placed it over his head and
started on down the hill. When he reached the bottom, Kamalama saw him
and so he informed Kawelo of the fact saying: “Here comes a bald-headed
man down the hill; his forehead is awfully shiny.” Kawelo then said to
Kamalama: “That is not a bald-headed man, it is Kahakaloa. He went on
back to have something to eat, and, after finishing the food that was
in the calabash, he has taken the calabash and put it on his head. That
is the reason it is so shiny.”
Upon the arrival of Kahakaloa in the presence of Kawelo, he discovered
that Kawelo was sitting up. Kaehuikiawakea then said to Kahakaloa:
“Kawelo has come to life again, therefore you the soldier will be
killed. I cannot be killed, for I am a runner.”
When Kawelo saw Kahakaloa approaching, he stood up and prepared for the
conflict. Kahakaloa was also preparing himself and stood on the
defensive. Kawelo then raised his club and tapped the forehead of
Kahakaloa, and forcing the calabash down over his eyes; before
Kahakaloa could uncover his eyes, Kawelo again raised his club Kuikaa
and struck Kahakaloa, killing him.
After the death of Kahakaloa, Kaehuikiawakea returned to the top of the
hill to report to Aikanaka the death of Kahakaloa. Upon his arrival in
the presence of Aikanaka, Aikanaka asked him: “Where is Kahakaloa?” “He
is dead.” Aikanaka then said: “How could it be possible for a man that
was maimed [52] as he was to live? I suppose he was allowed to come
back so that I could see for myself that it was the king’s pig, [53]
for his ear was cut off.”