KAELEHA AND AIKANAKA REBEL AGAINST KAWELO.—THEIR BATTLE AND SUPPOSED
DEATH OF KAWELO.
When Kaeleha saw how Aikanaka his father-in-law toiled by day and by
night, he took pity on him and asked Aikanaka: “Are there many people
who still think of you as king [75] and who would help you in case you
started an uprising?” [76] Aikanaka replied: “Yes, many.” [77] When
Kaeleha heard this, he said: “I will tell you how you can beat Kawelo
and how to fight him that you might win. If you fight him with stones,
you will beat him, for Kawelo was never taught the art of avoiding
stones thrown at him.” When Aikanaka heard this, he again entertained
the idea of taking up another fight against Kawelo. He then made the
boasting remark: “My bones are saved by my son-in-law.”
The cause of the uprising then was because Kaeleha was ashamed on
account of his father-in-law for not having anything with which to
repay his great kindness. In this we can see how ungratefully Kaeleha
acted toward Kawelo, and how he lacked all sense of honor and good
feeling toward the one who had brought him up to his present high
station and esteem, a chief of one of the districts of Kauai.
After the above conversation had taken place between Kaeleha and
Aikanaka, rumors of an uprising were carried to Kawelo at Hanamaulu, on
the east of Kauai. Kawelo thereupon sent a messenger to Kamalama in
Kona with instructions to go and see, [78] and to find out for himself
as to the truth of these rumors that had come to him. As soon as the
messenger arrived in the presence of Kamalama, the message of his
brother, Kawelo, was repeated to him. When Kamalama heard the
instructions, he proceeded to Waimea, then on to Hanapepe and Wahiawa.
When he reached Wahiawa, he saw a great number of people on the plain
of Kalae gathering stones; men and women and children. While Kamalama
was standing looking at the people, a man came up to him, so he asked:
“What are the people doing over there on the plain?” The man replied:
“They are gathering stones.” “Stones for what?” asked Kamalama. “For
Kaeleha and Aikanaka to fight Kawelo.” Kamalama was thus made sure that
the rumors heard by Kawelo were only too true. He then retraced his
steps and went direct to his home and dispatched a messenger to Kawelo
to inform him of what he had seen.
Upon the arrival of the messenger in the presence of Kawelo at
Hanamaulu, he told him how Kaeleha and Aikanaka were making
preparations, by gathering stones, for another conflict. When Kawelo
heard this, a great anger welled up in him against his son, Kaeleha. He
then immediately rose and proceeded to Wahiawa, which lies on the other
side from Hanamaulu. When he arrived at Wahiawa, he saw several war
canoes belonging to Kaeleha and Aikanaka, just back of the great mounds
of stones. On the sides of the mounds of stones, he saw women and
children with stones in their hands, and all were apparently ready for
the conflict. All Kawelo had in his hands were his war club, Kuikaa,
and his wife’s pikoi, two weapons to defend himself with.
THE BATTLE BETWEEN KAWELO, AND KAELEHA AND AIKANAKA.
In this battle we will see how brave and powerful Kawelo really was,
because, although he was all by himself, he fought against the
multitude that opposed him. In the fight, Kawelo was not able to dodge
the stones that were hurled at him, for a great many of them were
thrown at the same time, therefore he stood in one place while the
stones were hitting him from all sides. In course of time, Kawelo was
completely covered by the stones, the stones rising until his height
was reached. When Kawelo saw this, he pushed the stones from off him
and for a time he would be free; but this was only for a very short
while, for the stones would come so fast that again he would be
covered. This was continued until Kawelo began to grow weaker and
weaker, so that finally he was unable to push the stones away from him.
After a while the mound of stones over Kawelo grew higher and higher,
when at last nothing else could be seen but a great mound of stones
which was like a grave for Kawelo.
When the people saw that Kawelo was entirely covered over with stones,
they believed that they had killed him, for they were sure that none
could live in such a hail of stones as was cast at Kawelo. The people
then ceased throwing and they came and took the stones from off of
Kawelo. After a while he was found all bruised from head to feet and,
to all appearances, lifeless. They then took up his body and began to
beat it with clubs, after which they leaned over him and listened to
see if he was alive or dead. After a while they made sure that Kawelo
was indeed dead, and they proclaimed that Aikanaka was the king of
Kauai.
In this battle and the subsequent beating with clubs, it turned out
strange that after all Kawelo was not really killed. It seemed that he
still had a little spark of life within him, and in course of time he
came to life again. But this was not known; consequently, his enemies
were prevented from killing him outright. Kawelo was aware that, if he
showed any signs of life when they examined him, he would be killed, so
he pretended to be dead.