 CHAPTER XV of THE LEGENDS AND MISTS OF Hawaii, this is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C. THE LEGENDS AND MISTS OF Hawaii, by King David Kalakaua. UMI, The Peasant Prince of Hawaii, Part II. SECTION II. The reign of Leola was as peaceful as that of Kiha, his distinguished father. He did not lack ability, either as a civil or military leader. However, his pleasant and mirthful ways may have impressed to the contrary. He was fond of good living, fine apparel, and comely woman. Yet he held deceptor firmly, and was prompt to punish wrongdoing in his chiefs or infringement of any of his prerogatives. Nevertheless, his heart was kind, and he frequently forgave the humble who had crossed his shadow, and the thoughtless who had violated the spirit of a royal taboo. As he was distracted neither by domestic disturbance nor wars with neighboring kings, Leola made frequent visits to the several districts of the island, sometimes with an imposing retinue of chiefs and retainers, but quite as often with no more than two or three trusty attendants. Sometimes he traveled incognito, visiting suspected district chiefs to observe the methods of government, and when occasion for rebuke occurred, to their great confusion making himself known to them. Near the close of the year 1460, before the annual festival of Lono, which inaugurated the beginning of a new year, Leola went, with a large and brilliant party, in gaily decked double canoes carrying the royal colors, from Waipio to Koha Lalili in Hamakua, to assist in the re-consecration of the old temple of Manini, the restoration and enlargement of which had just been completed. He took with him his high priest, Leunui, a band of musicians and dancers, and his chief navigator and astrologer, and the he-yu was consecrated with unusual display. Leunui recited the Koha Lalili, the long prayer of consecration, and twenty-four human victims were laid upon the altar. Ordering the party to return in the double canoes without him, Leola resolved to make the journey overland to Waipio with a single attendant, and it is quite probable that it was something more than an accident, that prompted the royal traveler to deviate from the shortest path to Waipio, and tarried for some hours in a pleasant grove of palms near Kila Kaha, where dwelt with her old father, one of the most beautiful maidens in all of Hamakua. The name of the girl was Akia Kuliana. She was tall and slender, and her dark hair, which rippled down in wavelets, shrouded her bare shoulders like a veil. Her eyes were soft, and her voice was like the music of a mountain rivulet. And when her bosom was bedecked with laze of fragrant blossoms, it seemed that they must have grown there. So much did she appear to be a part of them. Although in humble life, Akia was really of royal blood. Since six generations back, her paternal ancestor was Kala Huama Kuhu, a half-brother to Kala Panna, from whom Leola drew his strain. She knew the rank of her royal visitor, and felt honored that he should praise her beauty. And when he kissed her lips at parting, he left with her, his marrow, and the ivory clasp of his necklace, at the same time whispering words in her ear, which in a generation later transferred the scepter of Hawaii from the direct line to humbler but worthier hands. Before the trade winds came and went again, the gentle Akia, unwetted, became a mother. At first her father frowned upon the child, but it was a strong and healthy boy, who looked as if he might someday, wield with uncommon vigour, allow Palu, if not a battle axe, and he soon become reconciled to the presence of the little intruder. In those days it is proper to mention such events occasioned but little clement, and entailed upon the mother neither social ostrichism nor a special reproach. The child was named Umi, and, to give it a stronger protector than herself, Akia became the wife of her cousin, Mak-kayo, a strong, rough man who had always shown great affection for her, and who felt honored in becoming the husband of one who might have taken her choice among many. The father of Akia cultivated Ak-kayo patch, larger than his necessities really required, and was abundantly supplied with pigs, poultry, gams, bananas, coconuts, and breadfruit, which he was, at all times, enabled to exchange for fish, crabs, limpets, and other products of the sea. All land titles at that time vested either in the sovereign or the chief subject to him, and the producer was frequently required to return to his landlord a full third or half of all his labour yielded. Sometimes the land owner was more liberal with his tenants, but quite as often he took to the extent of his need or greed, with no one to challenge the injustice of his demands. But the bit of land occupied by the father of Akia was part of a large tract reserved for the benefit of the king, and because of the alley blood with which he was credited, but of which he made no boast, the rent he returned was merely nominal. When Umi was about ten years of age the father of Akia died, leaving his little estate to his daughter, she had two brothers living, both older than herself, but the cultivation of the soil was not congenial to them, and, as there had been no wars of moment in Hawaii for nearly two generations, one of them, who had been a dreamer from his youth, had been inducted into the service of the gods by the high priest, Lianui, to whom Leola had given in perpetuity the possession of Kikaha in the district of Kona, and was otherwise influential, while the second brother, on reaching manhood, had gone with spear and sling to Maui, and risen to distinction in the military service of the Mui of that island. So Akia and her husband continued to occupy, unmolested, the old plantation, but the agents who collected the revenues of the king were less liberal with Makao than they had been with the father of his wife, and he was compelled to make the same rent returns as other royal tenants. Nor this alone, a portion of their land had been given to another, embracing a little grove of hawani or coca trees, some of which it was a bird, had been planted by the stewards of the Pili nearly four centuries before, and their depleted stalks of pigs and fowls ceased to be the envy of their neighbors. This harsh dealing with Akia and her husband, it is needless to say, was done without the knowledge of the king, but they feared to complain, lest they might be despoiled of the little left them, and deemed it prudent to suffer in silence rather than arouse the wrath of an agent of whose powers they knew not the extent. There were other little mouths to feed besides Umi's, and as the years came and went, with their scant harvest, Makao became more and more discontented, but with a hope in her heart of which Makao knew nothing, Akia toiled on without complaint. Year by year she saw Umi developing into manhood, and noted that in thought, habit, and bearing, he was different from others. Umi loved his mother and was not unkind to Makao, but he spent much of his time by the seashore where the great waves thundered against the cliffs, and in the hills where, among the ohia and sandal trees, the trade winds whispered to him of the unknown. He would climb to the crown of the tallest coca tree because there was danger in it, and buffet the fiercest waves in his frail canoe, but neither threat nor persuasion could ever induce him to delve in the slime of the callow patch or plant arrow of yams. He would bring fish from the sea and fruits from the mountains, but could not be prevailed upon to till the soil. He fashioned spears of cunning workmanship, and from the teeth of sharks made knives of double edge, but to the implements of husbandry he gave but little note. At the age of sixteen, Umi had reached almost the proportions of a man. His limbs were strong, his features manly and handsome, his eyes clear and full of expression, and in athletic sports and the use of arms he had no equal among his companions. His habits brought around him but few friends, yet his kindness to all left no pretext for enmity, and while some said he absented himself from home in a spirit of idleness, others shook their heads and ventured the opinion that he visited the recesses of the wooded hills alone to converse with the kini akua and learn wisdom from the gods. And this strange conduct, it may well be imagined, was made the subject of frequent discussion in the neighborhood, for Mack Kao complained continually of his idleness, and but for the intercessions of the mother, who alone was able to account for his peculiarities, would have closed his doors against him. But Umi had a few friends to extol his goodness, and defend him against unkind insinuation, and among them were Pimia Wa, and Oma Kuma, use of about his age and Kulamia, the younger and only sister of the latter, from childhood these friends had been his frequent companions, and as he grew to manhood, strong-limbed, resolute and gentle, they learned to regard him with a love prepared for any sacrifice. Kulamia was a bright-eyed dusky little fairy, who often accompanied Umi and her brother in their rambles. They patted her until she became an exacting little tyrant, and then Umi, at her command, made toys for her, climbed the tallest coca trees, and scaled the steepest cliffs in search of flowers and berries that she liked, and in return for these kindnesses, what, at age of fifteen, could Kulamia do but love almost to idolize? The brave and gentle companion, who had developed into a splendid manhood, and what could Umi do at twenty, but return in kind the devotion of one now ripening into a charming womanhood, whose childish friendship was the brightest sunshine that had ever fled the landscape of his dreamy life. With the feeling of uneasiness, Akahia watched Umi's growing love for Kulamia, and when at twenty he would have married her, much to the gratification of Makio, she kindly but firmly said to her son, Be not in haste to futter your free limbs. Be patient, as I have been for twenty years. Kulamia is worthy, but wait. Why wait, exclaimed Makio, suddenly appearing, he had been listening without the door. Why should he wait? he continued. He has all his life been idle, and it is time that he should have a house of his own. You have spoken well, replied Umi, drawing himself up to his full height, and looking scornfully down upon the husband of his mother. You have spoken well, Makio. It is time indeed that I stop this dreaming. I will never eat food again under your roof. Now get you to your kalo patch. You will find occupation there befitting you. I will seek other means of living. With these scornful words, Umi strode hotly from the house. Enraged at the insult, Makio seized a Lao Palu, or large kalo knife, and sprang after him. Umi turned and reached for his Pahua. Makio raised his weapon to strike, but it dropped to the earth as if a paralysis had seized his arm as Akihiya sprang before him, exclaiming, Do not dare to strike. He is not your son. He is your chief. Down on your knees before him. To the dismay of Makio, and profound astonishment of Umi, Akihiya then revealed the secret of Umi's birth, and taking from their hiding place the keepsakes left, with her by Li Loa said, as she handed them to her son, your father is king of Hawaii. Go to him in person, and place his mementos before him. Tell him Akihiya Kuhliana returns them to him by the hands of his and her son, who is worthy of him, and he will own you to be the child of his love. He is noble, and will hold sacred his royal pledge. This should have been done long ago, but I could not bring my heart to part with you. Go, and may the gods be your protection and your guide. The strange revelation was soon known throughout the neighborhood, and Umi prepared for his journey to Waipio. How should he appear before Li Loa? Whose will was law, and whose frown was death? In what guise should he see the presence of his royal father? An Ali Kapu answered Akihiya proudly, then from an ipu she brought forth a plumed helmet and cape of the feathers of the U, which she has secretly fabricated with her own hands, and placed them upon the head and shoulders of her son. To Kulamia alone was the news of what had befallen Umi unwelcome. She would have been more than content to share with him the common lot, but now that he was about to be recognized as the son of the great Li Loa, she felt that they were soon to part forever. Other alliances would be found for him, and he would forget the humble playmate of his youth, who loved him not because his father was a king, but because they had grown up together, and neither of them could help it. So when, two days after, Umi started overland for Waipio, accompanied by his two trusty friends Pi Mai Wa and Oma Kumao, Kulamia secreted herself to avoid the agony of a parting farewell from Umi, but he found her nevertheless, and made her happy by kissing and telling her that, whatever might be his future, she should share it, and she believed him, for he had never deceived her. Umi and his companions arrived in Waipio Valley at nightfall. There they remained during the night, and the next morning crossed the little stream of Wailoa, near which was the Royal Mansion. There Umi left his companions and proceeded alone to the palace in closure. His head was adorned with a helmet surmounted with white and scarlet plumes, and from his broad shoulders hung a cape of yellow feathers, such as an alley alone was permitted to wear, while around his loins was fastened the marrow left with a kihia by the king, and the ivory clasp ornamented a necklace of rare and beautiful shells. In his hand he bore an ehe, or javelin, of unusual weight and exquisite finish, and many eyes followed him as he approached the palace, for, although a stranger, it was manifest from his dress and bearing that he did not belong to the Ma-ken and Anna, or common people. His mother had instructed him to seek the presence of the king in the most direct manner that occasion presented, and without asking the permission or assistance of anyone, fearing no doubt that to gain admission to the Royal Halley he might exhibit an in some manner loose possession of the sole evidence of his paternity, and thus receive the punishment of an imposter. He therefore passed by, without seeking to enter the gate of the enclosure, around which were lounging a score or more of sentinels and retainers, and proceeding to the rear of the mansion, leaped over the high wall immediately back and within a hundred paces of the private apartments of the king. Having thus violated a role of royal etiquette, the penalty of which was death, unless mitigated by satisfactory explanation, Umi grasped his ihi firmly, determined should he be opposed to fight his way to the royal presence. It was a desperate resolution, but he had faith in himself, and was without fear. His movements had been watched as he passed the gate of the enclosure without a word, and as he sprung over the wall he found a number of uplifted spears between him and the entrances to the mansion. Nerving himself for the worst, he strode past the interposing weapons, strongly hurling their points aside when too closely presented, and in a moment stood at the back entrance of the palace, through which no one but of the royal household was permitted to enter. The audacity saved him from more determined opposition, since it seemed incredible that any one not possessing the confidence of the king would take such double hazard of his life. Stepping within the entrance, Umi turned, and with a half-amused smile at the baffled guard, now clamoring around the door, struck the handle of his javelin firmly into the ground, and walked unarmed into the presence of the king. As Umi entered unannounced, the king had just finished his morning repast, and was lounging on a couch of many folds of kappa, unintended except for his spittoon-bearer and two half-grown boys with kahiles. Astounded at the intrusion, the king rose to a sitting posture, and with a frown upon his face was about to speak, when Umi stepped to the couch and boldly seated himself in the lap of Liloa. Although past sixty, the king still retained a goodly leisure of his earlier vigor, and throwing Umi from his knees angrily exclaimed, Audacious slave, how dare you! Umi rose to his feet, and standing proudly before the king with folded arms replied, The son of Liloa dare do anything. For a moment the king did not speak. He looked into the face of the undaunted young stranger, and noted that it was noble, and then his thoughts went back to Kiala Keha, and to the fair young girl of better than common blood, whom he had met there many years before, while journeying to Waipio after consecrating the temple of Manini, and finally, almost as in a dream, to the pledge he had given and the tokens he had left with her. When all this came back to him he cast his eyes over the calmly youth, and beheld his marrow around the loins of Umi, and the ivory clasp of the necklace upon his breast. He could scarcely doubt yet, as if he had recollected nothing, seen nothing, he calmly but kindly said, Young man, you claim to be my son. If so, tell me of your mother, and of the errand that brings you here. Umi bowed, and answered, My mother, O king, is a Kiala Kualina of Kiala Keha, and my years were twenty at the last brightening of the Ohias. For the first time, four days ago, she told me I was the son of the king of Hawaii, and to take to him this marrow, and this ivory clasp, and he would not disown me. You are Liloa, the honored sovereign of Hawaii. I am Umi, the humble son of Akiha Kualana. From the hands of my mother I have brought to you this marrow, and this ornament of bone. If I am your son, seat me beside you on the Kappa. If not, order my body to the Hiyu, as a sacrifice to the gods. There was a struggle in the breast of the king, and his eyes were bent upon the bold youth, with an expression of pride and tenderness, as he said, How did you gain admission here alone and unannounced? By leaping over the wall of the Pali hail, and beating down the spears of your guards, replied Umi modestly. It was a dangerous undertaking, suggested the king, feigning a frown which wrinkled into a smile upon his lips. Had you no fear? I am still young, and have not yet learned to fear, returned Umi, with an air of self-reproach. Such words could come alone from a heart ennobled by the blood of Pili Kani. You are indeed the son of Leola, exclaimed the king with emotion, stretching force his hand and seating Umi beside him. Not these tokens alone, but your face and bearing show it, and he put his arms around the neck of his son and kissed him, and ordered a repast, which they ate together, while Umi related to his royal father the simple events of his humble life. As the strange entrance of Umi into the royal mansion had attracted much attention, many of the privileged retainers and officers of the court soon gathered in and around the palace, and the rank and possible purposes of the visitor were undergoing an earnest discussion, especially after it was learned that he was breakfasting with the king, when Haku, the only recognized son of Leola, and air presumptive to the throne, suddenly appeared and sought the presence of his royal father. There was a dark scowl on the face of Haku, on entering the room and observing a stranger in close conversation with the king, and eating from the same vessels, nor did he disappear when Leola presented Umi to him as his own son and Haku's half-brother. Umi rose and frankly offered his brother the hand of friendship and affection, but the grasp and recognition of Haku were cold, and when he was invited to sit down and partake of meat with his newly found brother, he excused himself with the falsehood that he had just risen from his morning meal. After a few words with the king, during which he closely scrutinized Umi's handsome face and manly form, Haku withdrew, leaving no token in word or look of any feeling of joy at the meeting. Although the kings of the Hawaiian group at that time usually had, from two to six wives, either marriages of the heart or alliances with the families of neighboring kings to strengthen their dynasties, tradition has given to Leola but one recognized wife. She was Penia, a Maui chiefess of family distinction, who gave to Leola a son and one daughter, Haku and Kapu Kini. Haku had reached his thirteenth year and had married the daughter of the chief and high priest Pa'i. They had one child, a daughter who had been given the name of her grandmother, Penia. Kapu Kini had not quite reached womanhood and was the idol of the court. Haku was a large, well-visaged man, but was haughty, selfish, and cruel, having been, until the sudden appearance of Umi at the court, the only recognized son of Leola, his caprices had been humored, until his heartlessness and tyranny had become almost a byword in Hamakua. But the truth seems to be that he was naturally vicious and barbarous, and tradition speaks of no greater tyrant among the rulers of Hawaii. Healless of the rights of property, without return, he took from others whatever he coveted, and in an insanity of pride and criminal envy caused to be secretly slain or disfigured, such as were reputed to surpass him in personal beauty. Without giving note or credence to the many tales of barbarism with which tradition has connected to his name, it is doubtless true that his cruelty and contempt for the rights of his subjects rendered him an unfit successor of the gentle and sagacious Leola, under whose reign the humblest were protected, and peace and prosperity prevailed throughout the six districts of the island. No further explanation of Haku's freezing reception of Umi is required. He was envious of his handsome face and noble bearing, and hated him because of the love with which his father manifestly regarded him, but Haku's feelings in the matter were not consulted, and the day following Umi was conducted to the temple of Pa Ka Leni in great pomp, where, to the solemn music of chant and sacred drum, the officiating priest with the newly found son of the king went through the form of Oki Ka Piko, a ceremony attending the birth of the children of royalty, and Umi was formally and publicly recognized as his son by the king of Hawaii. Haku was compelled with great bitterness of heart to witness this ceremony, but was too discreet to openly manifest his displeasure. Returning to the palace, Umi was formally presented to the royal household, and heralds proclaimed his rank and investure of the taboos to which he was entitled. Although the mother of Haku, Penea, received him kindly and Kappu Kinini was more than delighted with her new and handsome brother, she clung to his hand, and artlessly declared that Haku was cross with her, and that she had prayed to the gods to send her another brother, just such as one as Umi, and they had done so. Soon after a great feast was given by the king in honor of the new heir, and all the leading chiefs in the kingdom were invited to come and pay their respects to him. Twelve hundred chiefs were present, and the feasting and rejoicing continued for three days, interspersed with games and athletic sports, in which Umi shone with great splendor, in feats of strength and the skillful handling of arms, he had few equals in all that great and distinguished gathering, and in conversations with the old he exhibited so much wisdom and prudence of speech that they wondered who had been his tutors, and when they learned that he had been taught by no one that the greater part of his young life had been passed in solitude, some of them thought that gods must have instructed him, and all admitted that he was a worthy son of Lee Loa, and an honor to the royal line. Umi was thus firmly established at the court of his royal father, and adequate revenues were set apart for his proper maintenance, and that of a retinue befitting his high rank. His friends P. Mai Wa and Oma Kumau, who were overjoyed at his good fortune, entered his service as his personal and confidential friends, and thenceforth became identified with his career, always appearing as the most faithful and self-sacrificing of his adherents. In a week after the arrival at Waipio, Umi sent Oma Kumau back to their old home with the news of his recognition by the king. He also bore an order enlarging the area of Macau and Akihiya's possessions and relieving them from rent and all other tenant charges, nor did he forget Kulamia. He sent her a little present in token of his love, and word that, although it could not safely be so then, someday in the future she should be nearer to him, even though he might become the king of Hawaii. The token was dear to her, and dearer still his words, for she knew the heart of Umi, and did not doubt, and thenceforth she lived and patiently waited for him, keeping her own secret and firmly saying no to the many who sought her in marriage. Umi's affability and intelligence soon made him a great favorite at the court, and steadily endeared him to his father, but in proportion as he grew in the favor of others, Hakku's hatred for him increased, and but for the fear of his father would have manifested itself in open hostility, but Leola, who was growing old and feeble through a cureless melody, had not yet designated his successor, and Hakku deemed it prudent to make no outward showing of the intense envy and dislike of his brother, which he was secretly nursing, and which he resolved should be gratified when the reigns of government passed into his hands. In a little less than two years after the recognition of Umi, the Black Kappa covered Leola. When he felt the end approaching, he called his two sons before him, and publicly gave the charge of the government and the title of Moi to Hakku, and the custody of the gods and temples to Umi. You are to be the ruler of Hawaii, he said to Hakku, and Umi is to be your counselor. There was grief all over the kingdom when the death of Leola became known, for he was greatly beloved, and that his bones might never be desecrated, the High Priest Pai whose daughter Hakku had married secretly conveyed them to the Kona coast, and consigned them to the deep waters of Kika. This was in accordance with the custom of the time. In fact, with the custom of earlier and later years, for the resting place of the bones of Kamehameha the First, who died in 1819, is unknown. A story survives that the remains of this eminent chief were entombed in the sea, but the more popular belief is that they were secretly conveyed to a cave or other place, prepared for them in the hills back of Kailua, on the island of Hawaii, and there hidden forever from mortal gaze. In connection with this belief, it is stated that just before daylight, on the morning following the night of the death of Kamehameha, one of his near friends, while the guard had been removed for the opportunity, took the bones of his beloved chief upon his shoulders, and alone and unseen conveyed them to their secret sceptre. Returning, he encountered two natives who were preparing for the labours of the day. Fearing that he had been followed, he inquired whether they had observed anyone passing toward the hills that morning. They declared that they had seen no one. Had they answered differently, he would have slain them both on the spot, that their secret might have died with them. The name of this chief was Hululu. He had been dead for many years, and although he left children, to one of whom the secret may have been imparted, in accordance with native custom, in such matters, it is now believed that all knowledge of the depository of the remains of the first Kamehameha is lost. In 1853, when the necessity of hiding the bones of distinguished chiefs was no longer recognized, Kamehameha III visited Kailua and almost prevailed upon Hulu to point out the spot. They even started toward the hills for that purpose, but as quite a number of persons were observed to be following, Hululu declined to proceed and could never after be induced to divulge anything. So fearful were the ancient chiefs of Hawaii that some indignity might be offered to their remains after death. For instance, that charmed fish hooks or arrow points for shooting mice might be made from their bones, that they were invariably hidden by their surviving friends, sometimes in the depths of the ocean and quite as frequently perhaps in the dark recesses of volcanic caverns with which the islands abound. Immediately after Kamehameha I had breathed his last, his friend Kali Moku assembled the principal chiefs around the body to consider what should be done with it. In his great admiration for the dead chief, one of them solemnly said, This is my thought. We will eat him raw. But the body was left to Leo Leo, son and successor of the dead king, who, with his queen, Kamehamehulu, died while on a visit to England in 1824. The bones of no Hawaiian chief were ever more securely hidden than were those of the distinguished Ali Nui, Kuali, who ruled with a strong arm the turbulent factions of the island of Awaku some two centuries back. After the flesh had been stripped from the bones, they were given in charge of a trusty friend to be secreted, and most effectually did he accomplish the delicate task assigned him. He had them pulverized to a fine powder, which he mixed with the poi to be served at the funeral feast to be given to the principal chiefs the day following. At the close of the repast, when asked if he had secreted the bones of the dead chief to his satisfaction, he grimly replied, Hidden indeed are the bones of Kuali. They have been deposited in a hundred living scepters. You have eaten them. But we are wandering somewhat from our story. The day after the death of Liloa, Haku was ceremoniously infested with supreme authority, while the high priest Leah Nui gave formal recognition to Umi as guardian of the gods and temples. Both events were celebrated with display and sacrifice, but it is said that the scream of the ale, a sacred bird of evil omen, was heard around the palace all through the night that Haku first slept there as king, and that as Umi entered the temple of Pa Kailini to assume the guardianship of the gods, the head of the great image of Lono near the door of the inner temple nodded approvingly. Independently of Umi's position as prime minister or royal advisor, his authority as guardian of the gods and temples was second only to that of king, and Haku shaved under a bequest that had clothed his brother with a power little less than his own and placed him so near the throne. The consequence was that he seldom invited him to his councils and secretly sought to cast discredit upon his acts as the nominal head of the priesthood. But Umi bore himself so nobly that Haku's venom brought no poison to him, and the petty persecutions to which he was subjected not only failed to injure him, but actually added to his popularity with those who had felt the barbarity of his brother, whose first acts on coming to power were to dismiss, discrate and impoverish many of the old and faithful servants and counselors of his father and surround himself with a party of unscrupulous retainers as cruel and treacherous as himself. Enraged that his secret and cowardly slanders of Umi failed to bring him into disrespect, Haku's hostility began to assume a more open and brutal form. He publicly reviled his brother for his low birth, and assumed not only that Leola was not his father, but that his mother was a woman without any distinction of blood, unable to bear these taunts and not deeming a prudent to precipitate an open rupture with his brother. Umi quietly left Waipio with his two friends P. Maiwa and Omakumawa and traveling through Hamakua without stopping at Kilaqaha, where Dwalt, his mother, and Kulamia proceeded at once to Waipunale, near Laopaho in the district of Hilo, where he concluded to remain for a time and await the development of events. To support themselves, Umi and his two friends devoted a portion of their time to fishing, birdcatching and the making of canoes, spears, and other weapons, and although the rank of Umi was studiously concealed, his intelligence, skillful use of arms, and general bearing could not fail to attract attention and excite the curiosity of his humble associates. Not unfrequently, strangers would prostrate themselves before him, so profoundly were they impressed with his appearance, but he declined to accept their homage and smilingly assured them that he was born and reared like themselves in a humble life. As a further precaution against recognition, he carefully avoided the prominent chiefs of the district, deeming it probable that some of them had seen him in Waipio or even witnessed the ceremonies attending his acceptance as the son of Leola. End of Chapter 15, Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C. Chapter 16 Of The Legends and Miss of Hawaii This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C. The Legends and Miss of Hawaii by King David Katakawa. Unni, the peasant prince of Hawaii, Part 3 It was not destined that Umi should remain long unknown among the hills of Hilo. His sudden disappearance and continued absence from the court had excited apprehensions of foul dealing, and Haku himself, who had thus far failed in his efforts to discover the retreat of Umi, began to fear that he was somewhere secretly planning a deep scheme of retaliation. But Umi had as yet marked out for himself no definite plan of action. He smarted under the persecutions of Haku, and did not doubt that, sooner or later, he would triumph over them and be restored to the rights and privileges bequeathed to him by his royal father. But exactly when and how all this was to be accomplished were problems which he expected the future to assist him in solving, and he was not disappointed. The future for which he had patiently waited was near at hand, and he was about to become the central figure of a struggle which would test to their utmost his courage and ability. One day, while strolling along in the hills back of Waipuna Lei, there suddenly appeared before him a man of stupendous proportions. Umi regarded the object for a moment with amazement, and was about to speak when the monster dropped on his knees before him. In that position he was ahead and shoulders above Umi, and the spear in his hand was of the measure in length of ten full steps. Although more than eleven feet in height, he was well proportioned and the expression of his face was intelligent and gentle. He was young in years, yet his hair fell to his shoulders and was straight with gray. Who are you and why do you kneel to me? said Umi, looking up into the face of the giant with a feeling of awe. If I had your limbs I would kneel alone to the gods. I am Makalio Leo of Kona, and the most unfortunate of men, replied the monster, in a ponderous but not unpleasant tone. My mother was new Healy, but she is now dead, and, having grown to the height of the trees, I live in the mountains among them, for men seem to fear and hate me, and women and children scream with fright at my approach. And who was your father? inquired Umi kindly. As he died when I was young, returned the giant, and that was more than thirty years ago, I know not, except that his name was Mano, and that he claimed lineage from Kaihau Kapu, the grandfather of the great Leola, whose unworthy son now rules in Hawaii. HIST exclaimed Umi, reaching up and placing his hand gently upon the shoulder of the monster. There is death in such words, even to a man of Makalio Leo's girth. The trees are listeners, as well as myself. The trees will say nothing, was the reply, for they often hear such words of haku, but why should I fear death? I was not born to be slain for speaking the truth. Listen, and then tell me why Makalio Leo should fear anything that is human. When a boy a stranger met me one day on the cliffs, overlooking the sea, where I was searching for the feathers of the oo, he was mighty in stature, and in fear I fell upon the ground and hid my face. He called me by name, and I looked up and saw that he held in his hand a small fish of the color of the skies at sunset. Handing the fish to me, he said, eat this, and to see your face all men will look toward the stars. I knew he was a god, Kanaloa, perhaps, and I feared to refuse. So I took the fish and ate it, and the stranger stepped over the cliffs with a smile on his face, and disappeared. The fish was pleasant to the taste, and I could have eaten more. A strange sense of increasing strength seized me, and on my way home I lifted large rocks, and felt that I could uproot trees. I said nothing to my mother of what had happened, but the next morning she looked at me with fright and wonder, for during the night I had grown an arm's length in height. Except upon my hands and knees I could no longer enter the door of the house where I was born, and everything with which I was familiar had a dwarfed and unnatural look. I was ashamed to meet my old associates, and only ventured from the house when it was too dark for me to be plainly seen. Larger and larger I grew until at the age of fifteen. I reached my present proportions. When my mother died, and I made my home in the mountains, where I have since spent the most of my time, what should one so treated by the gods fear from man? And now Khalilil rose to his feet, towering like a coca-tree above his companion. A strange story indeed, but if the trees which are speechless do not betray you, why should not I, said Umi, curious to learn something farther of the strange being in whose veins possibly coarsed the blood of kings? Because, answered the giant slowly, you are Umi, the son of Liola, and Haku is your enemy. Umi listened to these words in amazement, and then frankly said, you are right, I am Umi, the son of Liola, and Haku is not my friend, and now that you know so much, you cannot but also know that it is prudent for me to remain at present unknown. Let me ask, in return, that you will not betray me. I know all, and you may fear nothing, said Ma Khalilil, before the moon grows large again, I shall be with you, spear in hand, on your way to Waipio. Meanwhile, you may lose sight of me, but I shall be near you when my arm is needed. You have powerful friends, be guided by them, and all will be well. Umi held up his hand, and Ma Khalilil folded it in his mighty palm, as he dropped upon his knees and exclaimed, Umi, son of Liola, here in the hills among the listening leaves, let Ma Khalilil be the first to hail you Moi of Hawaii. Before Umi could rebuke the untimely utterance, Ma Khalilil rose to his feet, and with a low bow disappeared among the trees. With whatever feeling of fear, the Ma Ka Imana, or laboring classes of Waipuna they may have regarded Ma Khalilil as he occasionally appeared among them like a moving tower, he was not without friends, he was well known to the priests and Caloas of the district, who believed that his huge proportions were due to the special act of some God, and was always a welcome visitor at the home of Kailei Oku, a high priest of great influence both in Hilo and Hamakua. It is therefore probable that this meeting with Umi was not entirely accidental. For the day following, Kailei Oku dispatched a messenger to Umi, who was found not without some difficulty, inviting him to a conference in a secluded spot near the head of a neighboring valley. The object of the meeting was not stated, and Umi's first thought was that the emissaries of his brother were seeking to lure him to his death, but no danger ever appalled him, and, seizing his javelin and thrusting Apahua into his girdle, he followed the messenger. A brisk walk of an hour brought them to a small grass hut, partially hidden among the trees and undergrowth of an almost dry ravine abruptly jutting into the valley. At that point, the valley was too narrow to admit of cultivation, although a broken stone wall across the mouth of the ravine showed that at one time three or four uneven acres behind it had been tilled. The grass grew rank within the enclosure, and in addition to several varieties of forest trees that had taken root since the ground had last been disturbed, a half-dozen or more coca trees lifted their heads above the surrounding foliage and the broad leaves of as many banana stalks swayed lazily in the wind. It was a lonesome-looking spot, and no sign of life in or around the hut was visible as the messenger stopped at a gap in the crumbling wall and awaited the approach of Umi. The chirp of the crickets in the grass seemed to be a note of warning, and the whistle of a solitary bird hidden among the leaves sounded like a scream to Umi, in that deserted and otherwise silent nook. But he grasped his ehe firmly and beckoned the messenger to proceed. As he stepped over the broken wall, he caught a glimpse of the ponderous form of Maokalilil through the branches of a sandal tree on the side of the hill overlooking the hut. Under the eye of that mighty and friendly sentinel, Umi dismissed all thought of treachery or danger. Reaching the door of the hut, he was met by the High Priest, Keio-Lei Oku, who promptly extended his hand and invited him to enter, while the messenger withdrew from the enclosure and took a position where he commanded a view of the valley above and below the mouth of the ravine. There was no furniture in the hut beyond two or three rickety shelves, and on one side a raised platform of earth, which, with a cap of covering, might have been used either as a bed or seat, on entering the priest requested Umi to be seated, and then bowed low and said, I cannot doubt that I am standing before Umi, son of Lioa, and guardian of our sacred temples and our Father's gods. To these words the priest silently awaited an answer. Umi did not reply at once, but after giving the face of the priest a searching glance, and recalling his meeting with Maokalil Lio the day before, and the vision through the branches of the sandal tree, he frankly answered, I cannot deny it. No, you cannot indeed return the priest feverently, for so have the clouds told me, and so has it been whispered in my dreams, word has come to me from Waipio that Haqqao knows you are in Waipuna Lei, and his emissaries are already here with orders to assassinate you. Then further disguise would be useless, further delay cowardly, exclaimed Umi, rising from his seat and grasping his ehe. His cruelty forces me at last to strike. The time for action has come, and spear in hand, as befits a son of Lioa, I will face the raw murderer in Waipio, and the black kappa shall be his or mine. Spoken like a king, and a son of a king, return the priest with enthusiasm, grasping Umi by the hand, but you will not go alone. Come to me with your friends tomorrow, if possible, tonight. Under my roof you will be safe, and there we will gather the spears that will make your journey to Waipio a triumphal march. Thanks are the only payment I can now make to your friendship, said Umi. In turn pressing the hand of the priest, you may expect me and a few of my friends before another rising of the sun. With a few hasty words of explanation, Umi left the hut with his heart on fire, and the priest watched him with a smile until he passed the broken wall. There he was rejoined by the messenger, who silent preceded him down the valley. As he started to return, Umi looked toward the sandal tree above the hut. Maokalio Lio was no longer there, but he frequently discerned a mighty form moving down the valley along the wooded hillside, and knew that his great friend was not far away. The northeastern coast of the island of Hawaii presents an almost continuous succession of valleys, with intervening uplands rising gently for a few miles, and then more abruptly toward the snows of Mauna Kea and the clouds. The rains are abundant on the side of the island, and the fertile plateau, boldly fronting the sea with a line of fine cliffs from fifty to a hundred feet in height, is scored at intervals of one or two miles, with deep and almost impassable gulches, whose waters reach the ocean either through rocky channels, worn to the level of the waves, or in cascades leaping from the cliffs and streaking the coast from Hilo to Waipio, with lines which seemed to be of molten silver from the great crucible of Kilauea. In the time of Leola and later this plateau was thickly populated, and requiring no irrigation was cultivated from the sea upward to the line of frost. A few callow patches are still seen, and bananas grow, as of old, in secluded spots and along the banks of the ravines, but the broad acres are green with cane, and the whistle of the sugar mill is heard above the roar of the surf that beats against the rock-bound front of Hamakua. In the first of these valleys south of Waipunalei was the estate of the high priestess Kawa Leoku, which was thickly dotted with the huts of his tenants, and embraced some of the finest banana, cocoa, and breadfruit grows in the district, for the accommodation of himself and family were two large mansions constructed of heavy timbers and surrounded by a substantial stone wall. The priest was learned and hospitable, and his influence was second in the district only to that of the alley Okani. Anticipating the arrival of Umi and his friends during the night, the priest had placed a watchman at the gate on retiring, with instructions to wake him should anyone unknown to the sentinel apply for admission before morning. But Kail Leoku could not sleep, for his mind was filled with the shadows of coming events. He had discovered a son of Leila, the rightful guardian of the temples and his gods, secreted among the Makkani Mani to escape the persecutions of his tyrannical and heartless brother, and as a reconciliation between them did not seem to be possible, he had resolved to urge Umi into open revolt at once, and to assist him to the full extent of his power in organizing a force to contest with Haku the right to the sovereignty of Hawaii. This he was moved to do, not more because Haku was a tyrant than that he had sought to degrade the priesthood of which Umi was the nominal head, and in the dedication of a temple in Waimea he had sacrilegiously usurped the powers and privileges of the high priest. Should the revolt prove unsuccessful, his life, he well knew, would be one of the forfeits of the failure, but the priest was a courageous man, and did not hesitate to accept the hazard of the perilous undertaking. Although reared in the priesthood, he could wield a spear with the best, and went in arms his fifty years set lightly upon him. With his mind filled with the details of the dangerous labors before him, the priest tossed restlessly upon his couch of Kappa until past midnight, when he rose and strolled out among the palms. Weered with walking, he stretched himself upon the grass, and fanned by the trade winds and soothed by the stars, which seemed to smile upon him through the branches of the trees. He followed his troubled thoughts into the land of dreams, and there a voice said to him thrice, let the spears of haku be sent beyond the call of the kyapu, and the victory of Umi will be bloodless. A voice beside the sleeper awoke him, and he was informed by the watchman that a considerable number of strangers were at the gate and desired admission. The priest rose to his feet, and, with the mysterious words of the dream still ringing in his ears, proceeded to the gate, where the tall form of Umi loomed up in the darkness. Giving him his hand with a warm word of welcome, the priest was about to conduct him within when he was startled at the sudden appearance at the gate of a party of armed and resolute looking men. How many he was unable to distinguish! The priest was about to speak when Umi laid his hand upon his shoulder and said in a low voice, all trusty friends. Then all a welcome replied the priest, and giving an order to the watchman, he stepped aside with Umi when two hundred warriors, appareled for battle, silently filed in double rank through the opening, following Omakamau and Pimaiwa to quarters evidently prepared for a much greater number. Truly a good beginning exclaimed the priest with enthusiasm as the last of the little army passed the gate. A few that my good friends have been sounding since yesterday, said Umi modestly. They do not know me yet as Umi, but are inspired with a hatred for Haku. The number could have been greatly increased, but I feared your ability to accommodate more with a warning. It was thoughtful, but ten times their number can be secreted within these walls. But come, continued the priest, taking the arm of Umi and proceeding toward the larger mansion. There is red in the east, and you must have rest and sleep. When you awake, I will give you a dream to interpret. It relates to the business before us. Tell me of the dream before I sleep, good Kayo Leoku urged Umi pleasantly, and perhaps some God may whisper an answer to it in my slumbers. Well thought, replied the priest, and he related his dream to Umi as he conducted him to a room in the large hail, and pointed to a pile of soft kappa on a low platform. The priest bowed and retired, and Umi, who had rested but little for three days, threw himself upon the kappa moe, and slept soundly until the sun was high in the heavens. The young chief awoke greatly refreshed, and, after his morning bath, sought the presence of the priest, who since daylight had been busily engaged in dispatching messengers to his friends in various parts of the district, and even to Puna and Hamakau, and arranging for supplies of arms, provisions, and other war-like stores. Against the walls of the enclosure, a number of long sheds had been hastily constructed, under which, screened from observation from without, men were repointing spears and ihiz, and repairing slings, daggers, and other weapons. In fact, the enclosure began to assume the appearance of a military camp, rather than the peaceful habitation of a priest, and as Umi looked around him, he appreciated for the first time that a step had been taken which could not be retraced, and that the lives of himself and many of his friends could be saved alone by destroying Haikao, in whose heart lived no feeling of mercy, but as the conflict had been forced upon him, he accepted it without fear or regret, and his courage would not permit him to doubt the result. Umi greeted and thanked the priest for the war-like preparations visible on all sides, and over their morning meal together were discussed the resources and details of the coming struggle. It was not believed that a sufficient force could be rallied in the district to make head against the battalions of the king in open fight, for news of the ripening rebellion was spreading in the neighborhood and would soon reach Waipio. What we lack in spears must be made up in cunning, said the priest confidently. The gods are with us, and the means of victory will be pointed out. Perhaps, replied Umi thoughtfully, but sometimes the direction is vague and we are apt to mistake it. Olupana failed to interpret correctly the will of Kane, as sent to him through his high priest, and was driven by the floods from Waipio and compelled to return to Kahiki, the land of his fathers. True, returned the priest, not a little astonished at Umi's knowledge of the ancient chiefs of Hawaii, and we must not fall into the same error. The gods, perhaps, have already spoken. Let the spears of haku be sent beyond the call of the kia-pu, are the words that have come to me. But I can find no interpretation of them. We must make sacrifice at once, and consult the kaulas. That would be well, said Umi, yet it may be that a hint of their meaning, if nothing more, has been sent to me. I slept with the words this morning. You will remember, and now I recall that a whisper advised that we should take to our council Nunu and Ka Kohi of Waipio. You have made the way clear, exclaimed the priest earnestly. I know the men well. They are priests of influence and large learning. They were the advisors of the Loa, and are now the enemies of Hai Kao. The same, said Umi, I have met them both. Then we will dispatch a discreet messenger for them at once. Return the priest, rising abruptly. Every moment is precious, and their council may be the voice of the gods. And now, while the messenger is on his way to Waipio, it may be in place to make some further mention of the two priests in search of whom he was sent, as they contributed in no small measure to Umi's final success, and were thereafter raided among his confidential counselors. Nunu and Ka Kohi were chiefs of distinction and belonged to the priesthood. They were both learned in the lore of the gods and the traditions of the people, and were so highly esteemed by Liloa that he frequently invited them to the royal mansion, and late in life spent one or more evenings with them in each month. When he listened to recitals of the traditions of his fathers, and misdeer lines of demi-gods, and heroes stretching backward in unbroken thread to the mourning of creation, they were among the few who could recite the sacred genealogical melee of Kumu Honua, the Hawaiian atom, and he loved to listen to the naming of the generations from the first man to Nu of the great flood, and thence to Waikia and downward, still nearly sixty generations to himself. Some differences existing between the genealogies of Hawaii and Maui, Liloa had sent them to the latter island to confer with its priests and historians with the view of reconciling their disagreements. Their mission was successful, and what is known as the Ulu genealogy was the result of the learned conference. These were among the friends of Liloa who, for the sake of the father and the honor of the royal line, had patiently and earnestly sought to divert Hakao from his barbarous practices, but he had scorned their kind offices, made light of their learning, and finally denied them admission to the palace. He hoped by his cruelty to drive them from Waipio, but in the prophetic flames they had read their future, and from within the sacred Anu of the temple voices had come to them in joining patience, so they sat down and waited. Arriving at Waipio, the messenger of Kailioku had but little difficulty in finding the two priests of whom he was in search. It was some hours after nightfall, but on inquiry he was directed to their humble dwelling on the south side of the stream, and soon stood at their door. It was dark within, and on making his presence known, two men appeared at the opening. The messenger saluted them politely, and observing but a single person, they cautiously stepped from the door and inquired of the visitor his business with them. By their garb and bearing he knew them to be priests, but that was not enough. He could afford to make no mistake, so he dissembled and said, I have probably been misinformed. This is not the house of Maunaana, the fisherman. My friend said, new, new, your words do not mislead us, whether for good or evil I know not, but you are in search of Kahui and Nunu, and they are here. If you have business with them, speak, there are no listeners. The messenger answered by enfolding from a piece of kappa, an ivory talisman carved from a whale's tooth, which he handed to Nunu with a request that he would examine it. Stepping to a fire still smoldering near the oven of the hut, the priest threw upon it a handful of dry bark, which in a moment burst into a flame and enabled him to inspect the pala oa. Returning addressing a few words to his companion, the priest said to the messenger, I am from Kailia Oku of Waipuna Le, reported the messenger, bowing. How long since, inquired the priest. Late this morning was the answer. You must have traveled swiftly, for the paths are rough, and the distance is a long day's journey, suggested the priest cautiously. My feet have known no rest, was the brief reply. What news bring you of Kailia Oku? Done. Then why are you here with this pala oa? Because so commanded by Kailia Oku. There are rumors of coming troubles on the borders of Hamakua. Has Kailia Oku sent you to tell us of them? I am here to say nothing of Kailia Oku, but to say for him, and to say only, that he prays that Nunu and Kaohi will meet him under his own roof at Waipuna Le without delay. And nothing more? Nothing more. You are discreet. I am simply the bearer of a message, and now that I have delivered it, I am waiting for such answer as you may desire to send back with me to Kailia Oku. When will you return tonight? Then tell Kailia Oku that his friends Nunu and Kaohi will be with him by this time tomorrow. Now come, continued the priest, there is meat in the mua, and you must eat, for there is a wearing journey before you. The messenger was led into an adjoining hut, where meat and poi were set before him, and half an hour after he was scaling the hills east of the valley of Waipi'u. Although the messenger was silent, the priest felt assured that there was a gathering of spears in the neighborhood of Waipuna Le, and that Kailia Oku was secretly inciting a revolt. They knew that Umi was somewhere among the hills of Hilo, and felt strong in hoping that at the proper time he would be found at the head of the movement. Haikou had very much underrated the power of the priesthood, and did not discover until too late that in seeking to persecute and degrade Umi, who had been given charge of the gods and temples by Li'u, he had provoked the hostility of a class which at the period of Hawaiian history no sovereign could safely defy. If the taboos of the moi were sacred, those of the high priests were none the less invaluable, and the strongest chiefs in the group were those who held in greatest respect and enjoyed the largest friendship of the priesthood. Like the temporal rulers, the priests inherited their functions, and were as jealous of their prerogatives as royalty itself. It was through them that the civil as well as the religious traditions of the people had been brought down and perpetuated, and through their prayers and sacrifices only that the gods could be persuaded to accord success to important undertakings. In the veins of some of the priests ran broil blood, and from time to time they left their eues and became distinguished as warriors, but under no circumstances did they ever relinquish their sacred rites. They not unfrequently possessed large landed estates, the title to which remain in alienability in the family. Such, for example, was the ki haka estate in the district of Kona, Hawaii, which was the gift of li loa to li anui, and which remained with the descendants of that imminent high priest until the days of Kamehameha the first. Such as warrior priest of goodly possessions was Keo-le-oku of Waipuna-le. He was the high priest of the temple of Mani-ini at Kowa-la-leili, which was consecrated as before related in the time of li loa. Although for some years he had seldom officiated, except on important occasions, preferring the quieter life of his estate at Waipuna-le, he was greatly respected by the people of the district, and his influence proved a tower of strength to Umi. End of Chapter 16, Recording by Linda-Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C.