HOW LONOIKAMAKAHIKI REVEALED THE BONES OF THE CHIEFS KILLED BY
KEAWENUIAUMI.
When Hauna went up to meet Lonoikamakahiki, Lonoikamakahiki said to
him: “If you had not arrived this day I would have been cooked in the
umu, for it is now ready.” Hauna replied: “You have won. Show them the
bones of the chiefs killed in the battle in the time of your father,
Keawenuiaumi.”
At that moment Hauna reached for the bones of the chief of Kohala,
which were plaited with feathers and fastened together by netting,
[277] and said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is the chief Palahalaha, the
chief of Kohala, son of Wohilani. [278] He had been residing with us,
and seeing how few we were, left, and at your father’s battle on
Puumaneo [279] died at our hands. We secured the bones and put them
away in the gourd container.” At this time Lonoikamakahiki seized them
and threw them in front of Kakuhihewa and began chanting:
Level indeed
Lies Kohala,
Face down.
The fragrance is wafted to me
Of the flower of Koolau, of Moolau.
Low indeed lies Puakea,
With Kukuipahu by its side.
Here are some more!
As this bundle which Lonoikamakahiki threw reached Kakuhihewa he said
to Lanahuimihaku and others: “Who is this?” Lanahuimihaku and the
others said: “This is Palahalaha, the chief of Kohala, the son of
Wohilani. He resided with Keawenuiaumi, and seeing how few we were,
left, and at the battle of Keawenuiaumi on Puumaneo we slew him. He was
also a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. Kohala is a beautiful
country and is a large district.”
Then Hauna again spoke to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another chief, and
also a younger brother (cousin) of your father’s. He also resided with
us, and learning how few we were, left us and fought on the side of the
rebels expecting that we would be vanquished, and at our battle on
Puumaneo we killed him and stripped his bones and put them away in the
gourd.”
Lonoikamakahiki, having heard of these facts, took the bones of the
chief of Hamakua, which were plaited with feathers similar to those of
the chief of Kohala, and held them in his hands and, before throwing
them before Kakuhihewa, began to chant:
You have one, jump in;
You have two, jump in.
They go here and there,
The men in the rain,
The plovers about.
Listen to the raindrops of Hilo.
Canst thou dare
Eat in company?
Here are some more! [280]
Placing the calabash before Kakuhihewa he asked Lanahuimihaku: “Who is
this?” They answered: “This is Pumaia, the child of Wanua who was the
chief of Hamakua, also a younger brother (cousin) [281] of
Keawenuiaumi. He lived with us, and having learnt that we were few in
number, deserted, and at our battle at Puumaneo he was slain by
Keawenuiaumi. We secured his bones, put them away in a gourd, and these
are the bones.”
Hauna drew out the bones of another chief from the calabash and said to
Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another uncle (father) of yours, Hilohamakua,
the chief of Hilo, child of Kulukulua, a younger brother (cousin) of
your father. He also lived with us, and because there were so few of us
left and joined the rebels on the other side, and at the battle fought
on Puumaneo your father slew him, stripped his bones and put them in
the gourd.” Then Lonoikamakahiki reached for it and chanted:
That is Hilo! That is Hilo!
That is Hilo of the incessant rains,
The increasing rains,
The ceaseless rains of Hilo.
That is Hamakua of the steep cliffs.
The ti leaf of Kamae is tramped down,
Hamakua is indeed withered.
Here are some more!
Placing the bundle in front of Kakuhihewa, he asked Lanahuimihaku and
others: “Who is this?” They answered: “It is Hilohamakua, Kulukulua’s
child, the chief of Hilo, a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi.
He lived with us, and ascertaining how few we were, went away, and at
the battle fought on Puumaneo was slain by Keawenuiaumi. His bones were
stripped, put away in the container, and this is he.”
Thus three chiefs were accounted for, leaving three more, when Hauna
spoke up: “Here is another chief, another uncle of yours, being a
younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. He resided with us, and
because of our meagerness, deserted, and at the battle fought on
Puumaneo he was slain by Keawenuiaumi. The bones were stripped and also
put away in a gourd.”
Lonoikamakahiki then took up Lililehua, the child of Hua-a, the chief
of Puna and chanted before Kakuhihewa:
Lililehua
Is drifting to Waimea,
For Molokai is storm-bound.
When the wind [282] sweeps there below,
My husband then enters the house at Mana.
We two reposed at Wawaenohu
And witnessed the weeping of the deity. [283]
Here are some more!
This bundle was placed before Kakuhihewa, who inquired who it was.
Lanahuimihaku and the others answered: “This is Lililehua, the chief of
Puna, the child of Hua-a. He had a beautiful country where even the
pandanus and the lehua enter the sea, being the only sweet-scented land
on Hawaii. This chief had his home with us; a younger brother (cousin)
of Keawenuiaumi, but knowing our numerical weakness, deserted us, and
at the battle fought on Puumaneo we slew him, stripped all his bones,
put them in a container, and this is he.”
Hauna again produced the bones of another chief from the gourd, the
chief of Kau, and said to Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another chief, that
of Kau. He is also an uncle (father) of yours and a younger cousin
(brother) of Keawenuiaumi. He also lived with us, and seeing how few we
were, deserted, and at the battle of Puumaneo was slain by
Keawenuiaumi. We secured his bones and put them away in the gourd.”
Lonoikamakahiki, holding the bones in his hands, chanted:
Dear is the house of Milo in the sun,
The elevated house of Moanauli.
Your skin is bruised without cause,
Bruised as though by a lover.
This lover is from Hanalei,
My lover of the awa leaf of Puna.
Kapaa is like the kalukalu [284] mats,
Where the ohai [285] turns at Papiohuli.
Here are some more!
Lonoikamakahiki tossed the bones to Kakuhihewa and asked of
Lanahuimihaku and others: “Who is this?” Lanahuimihaku and the others
answered: “This is Kahalemilo, the child of Imaikalani, the chief of
Kau. He was also a younger brother (cousin) to Keawenuiaumi, and he was
also one of those who resided with us, and finding out how few we were,
left us and took to fighting us on Puumaneo, but he was also slain, and
this is he.”
Hauna again produced the bones of the chief of Kona and said to
Lonoikamakahiki: “Here is another chief, Moihala, the child of Heapae,
the chief of Kona. He was also a younger brother (cousin) of your
father. He lived with us, and because we were few, deserted and went
elsewhere; he rebelled against Keawenuiaumi, and at your father’s
battle on Puumaneo was also slain, the bones stripped and put into the
gourd.”
Lonoikamakahiki, holding the bones in his hands, chanted thus:
This is Moihala,
Inquiring of the wind,
The bird of Kuolohia.
Waialeale, the mountain,
Waialeale, the mountain.
Kawaikini is flowing,
Of Kane in the calm.
I, the lover, shall follow
To Waialua where I leave her,
Leave her in the home of friends.
It was there I found friends,
Where I may visit.
Here are some more!
Lonoikamakahiki threw the bones in front of Kakuhihewa, who inquired of
Lanahuimihaku and the others who it was. They answered: “This is
Moihala, the chief of Kona, a large division of Hawaii. Moihala was
also a younger brother (cousin) of Keawenuiaumi. He resided with us,
and finding out how few we were, left, went to the opposite side, a
rebel. He thought by rebelling he would be safe, but when putting in an
appearance at our battle at Puumaneo he was slain by Keawenuiaumi.”
After the final production made by Lonoikamakahiki of the bones of the
chief of Kona, Lonoikamakahiki conquered the whole of Oahu.
Following this incident, Lonoikamakahiki spoke to Kaikilani: “Inasmuch
as we have made the circuit of Oahu, you, of us, had better remain; it
is good land, with inhabitants both large and small.” Kaikilani
answered: “It is agreeable to me; but we had better go to put Hawaii on
a satisfactory basis, then return again to Oahu. There are the chiefs
of Hawaii; they have rebelled and have confiscated everything. As for
yourself, upon arriving at Hawaii, wage battle, as the men have been
thickly arrayed from Anaehoomalu to the front of Kauhola.”
Because of this remark of Kaikilani, Lonoikamakahiki had the canoes
prepared immediately and departed. On this voyage Lonoikamakahiki did
not touch at Kohala but proceeded on to Kealakekua. Upon arrival there
with his men, the chiefs of Kona and the men were all at Kohala
awaiting the arrival of Lonoikamakahiki there to be slaughtered by
them. Upon Lonoikamakahiki’s arrival he sent a messenger to Kau to get
Pupuakea to come to meet his elder brother (Lonoikamakahiki) to consult
concerning putting to an end the rebellious chiefs of Hawaii.
After Pupuakea arrived, they held a council of war and a decision was
arrived at. Pupuakea then sent a messenger calling upon all the men to
come to do battle. Kau was the only district which had not rebelled,
because Pupuakea took up his residence there after Lonoikamakahiki
departed for Oahu. The men having been informed, came over by the upper
part of Kau to upper Kona, but the messenger that was sent reached
Kealakekua, where Lonoikamakahiki and Pupuakea were living.
After receiving the information that the men had come overland,
Lonoikamakahiki and Pupuakea went to intercept them at Puuanahulu, and
that was the place where the men were arrayed in battle formation.
About this time, however, the rebels who were down at Anaehoomalu
observed that the clinkers at Puuanahulu were red with people, which
was a matter of surprise to the rebels. Some of them thought there was
a battle being fought, while others conjectured they were some of their
own men, being under the impression that Lonoikamakahiki was still at
Oahu, for no news had been received that he, Lonoikamakahiki, had
arrived at Kealakekua.
During the night of the day on which the rebels were surprised,
Lonoikamakahiki and his younger brother Pupuakea, together with the
men, came down prepared to give battle. On the night the men left
Puuanahulu to go down, the rebels realized there was to be war, because
there were in the hands of the men torches burning from the van to the
rear of the war procession of Lonoikamakahiki. Then it was that the
rebels made preparations for battle, sending out messengers to inform
the men and the chiefs on their side that had been stationed from
Anaehoomalu to distant Kohala.
While Lonoikamakahiki was on his way down he first met the rebels at
Wailea and the fighting immediately commenced. Lonoikamakahiki was
victorious on this occasion and the rebels were annihilated. This was
the battle fought by Lonoikamakahiki, where it is said that blood
flowed like water at Wainanalii, and hence the battle is described as
that of Kaheawai.