DEFEAT OF KANALOAKUKAWAIEA AND THE REBELS.—LONOIKAMAKAHIKI’S VICTORY.
After the victory by Lonoikamakahiki at the battle of Puukohola and the
repulse of Kanaloakuakawaiea, the remaining great general of the
traitors was forced to the top of Puainako. That eminence is about four
miles to the north of Kawaihae.
On the night of the battle of Puukohola, including the following
morning, after having pursued the men (Kanaloapulehu’s) from Puukohola,
Lonoikamakahiki’s warriors commenced moving. Pupuakea and his men,
however, had already arrived at the precipice of Honokoa during the
darkness of early morning with the intention of capturing prisoners,
but none were captured, however. So Pupuakea returned and met
Lonoikamakahiki descending at Pahonu. The two divisions of Pupuakea and
Lonoikamakahiki were then brought together again. They then held a
consultation as to the direction they should take. Pupuakea and
Lonoikamakahiki desired to go by way of Waimea, but the wish of the
priest, Hauna, was to proceed by the Kohala route to Puumaneo and there
make preparation for battle. Lonoikamakahiki heeded the advice of the
priest.
Having come to that understanding they proceeded from Kawaihae until
they reached the precipice of Honokoa, and reached on to the Kohala
side. At that moment Lonoikamakahiki noticed the footprints of the
rebels, and the victors began to search for more traces and they were
innumerable, as indicated by the withered pili grass. Lonoikamakahiki’s
forces followed the trodden path and lo! there were the rebels in large
numbers encamped at Puainako. The rebels having first seen the forces
of approaching men made their escape in every direction. However,
before the final understanding had been reached at Puhaukole, Pupuakea
already had dispatched a messenger to investigate the condition of the
rebels who were repulsed at the battle of Puukohola.
During the progress of Lonoikamakahiki’s search they came across the
messenger which had been previously sent out, who reported that the
vanquished were fleeing over the pili grass. The conquerors gave chase,
meeting them on the beach at Kahua, when Pupuakea slaughtered them on
the pili grass as well as at the beach, their repulse having scattered
them in every direction. As for Kanaloakuakawaiea, he fled to the canoe
landing and ordered the men to cover him with pebbles; the covering was
only partial, however. Lonoikamakahiki and his men soon arrived upon
the scene and Kanaloakuakawaiea was there slain.
When the men of Hilo heard that their chief was killed, they also
offered themselves to be slain with him. The victors slaughtered a
large number of them. Some of them scrambled over the clinkers along
the beach at Kahua, like shrimps clinging to the rocks in a stream.
Then it was that Pupuakea chanted:
Routed, are you, indeed you are routed!
Beaten, are you, indeed you are beaten!
You treasonable land pirates;
You are scattered about, are you,
Like water shrimps, [288]
Onto the rocks in the stream.
You were routed sometime ago,
For the battle was like a freshet,
The battle in the shower of sand at Kaunooa,
The night battle at Puupa.
In the general war at Kawaluna
The land pirates were easily defeated,
Merely by the wind from the war clubs. [289]
Men are sacrificed indeed, by Lono.
It was a victory.
Lono was victorious,
You treasonable chiefs!
This battle of Lonoikamakahiki’s was called Kaiopae, and the landing
place was named after this battle and is known as such to this day.
After the defeat at Kaiopae, victory continued to follow even into
Kohala. Upon their arrival there the rebels were in a state of
preparedness for war at Hinakahua, in Kapaau of Kohala. The rebels
observed the victors approaching on the highlands in inferior numbers,
and because of the enemy’s numerical weakness, mustered courage to give
battle to the forces of Lonoikamakahiki; but upon the near approach of
the conquerors the rebels fled without any apparent reason,
slaughtering each other in their confusion, fleeing to hide themselves
among the precipices of Pololu and Honokane.
The rebels, however, were overtaken at Halelua and slaughtered by
Pupuakea with his war club. Kaiopihi, the Kohala general was slain, and
Lonoikamakahiki once more was victorious at this battle. This battle of
Lonoikamakahiki was named Kaiopihi after the incident of the death of
Kaiopihi at that place, the locality being known by that name to this
day.
After this battle Lonoikamakahiki rendezvoused at the upper part of
Pololu at the top of the knoll of Puumaneo, where the battle was fought
as directed by Hauna, his guardian priest. While located on Puumaneo,
reinforcements of rebels from Hamakua, Hilo, Puna and Kona arrived.
Lonoikamakahiki gained a complete victory, and there it was that all
the rebellious chiefs were slaughtered, not one escaping death. Thus
Lonoikamakahiki came into control of the whole of Hawaii.
After this signal victory Lonoikamakahiki went to observe religious
service at the temple at Apuakohau, and it is there that the temple
called Muleilua is located. After this dedication he proceeded and held
another ceremony at Puukohola. Having performed his duties at this
place he went on, and at Kahaluu, in Kona, again held a dedication
service at the temple of Makolea. On the way Kapulani, a rebel chief,
was caught hiding in the valley by the victors. It had been previously
reported that he was one of the chiefs who rebelled against
Lonoikamakahiki, and because of that fact Kapulani was condemned to
die. On the night that the council was held the intention was to place
him on the altar the following morning, but during the night he was
assisted to escape by Kalanioumi [290] when he, Kapulani, made his way
to Kau safe from the clutches of the victors.