Chapter I
Kuapakaa Prepares to Meet Keawenuiaumi in Search of Pakaa.—Canoe Fleet of Six District Chiefs, Recognized by Pakaa, Are Taunted by Kuapakaa as They Pass.—Keawenuiaumi Greeted with a Chant and Warned of Coming Storm Is Invited to Land.—On Advice of the Sailing Masters the King Sails on.
Kuapakaa was the own son of Pakaa, born to him while living in Molokai, of his wife, a high chiefess. The name of Kuapakaa was given to the boy after the father. As the boy grew up the father educated him in all the things pertaining to the office of an immediate servant under the king; and also in the different branches of learning of those days until his education was complete. After Kuapakaa had been educated in these things, they went to the shore to await the coming of Keawenuiaumi in his search of Pakaa.
In the trip out [to meet Keawenuiaumi], Pakaa’s paddle, Lapakahoe, [92] was taken by Kuapakaa, who took the important seat, the one in the stern, while Pakaa took the front seat. When they saw the canoes coming, Pakaa kept his eyes down, making believe that he was looking for uhu, [93] with his long hair let down over his eyes. They were in this position when the canoes came along; some with two men, some with three men and so on; some bearing the food and stewards, some the commanding officers, some the women and some the warriors.
When the canoes were approaching them, Kuapakaa asked of his father, Pakaa: “Where is the canoe containing my master?” Pakaa replied: “When the rays of the sun make their appearance, then the canoe bearing your master will come. The signs by which you will know his canoe are these: The sail is doubled down, so that his god could be seen, Kaili [94] by name, standing at its place. You will also see a high compartment in front in the middle of the raised platform; there your master sits; the sailing masters are directly behind him.”
While the two were conversing, the canoe of Keawenuiaumi was seen approaching with its sides glittering, being struck by the sun’s rays while the paddles of the rowers were bathed in light. When Kuapakaa saw the signs as described by his father, he said: “Here comes my master.” “Whereabouts?” “On the outside of us.” Pakaa said, “Hold up your paddle.” [95] When this was done, Lapakahoe who was standing up in the king’s canoe saw it and so reported to the king, saying: “Say, there is a small canoe floating there inside of us; some one is holding up a paddle.” Keawenuiaumi then said to the sailing masters: “Point the bow of the canoe for the small canoe; possibly it has a word for us.” The reason why the king said this was because while Pakaa had command of his canoe, it was his custom to make a call on any canoe that made signals of this kind; hence the king being accustomed with this, ordered that the canoe be directed for the small one. When the king’s canoe drew near, Pakaa asked of his son: “Where is the canoe of your master?” The boy replied: “It is here near us.” “Then question your master as to his reason of being here,” said Pakaa. Kuapakaa then called out:
Hold back there! Hold back! Be still there! Be still! Be calm there! Be calm! Gently there! Gently! The query, the question, whose the canoe?
“To Keawenuiaumi belongs the canoe.” The boy again asked: “A canoe and where is it going to?” “It is a canoe going in search of Pakaa.” “Search for Pakaa, what is Pakaa?” “A servant.” At this Kuapakaa turned and said to his father: “I thought you were a chief. I see that you are a servant. Well, what of that any way? Supposing you are a servant. I am a chief on my mother’s side and shall continue to be so as long as I live in Molokai.” Pakaa said to the boy: “Ask them again if he is a real servant.” Kuapakaa therefore asked: “Is he a real servant?” “No, he is not a real servant, but a backbone, [96] a holder of the kahili and bearer of the king’s calabash of ointment.” [97] By this answer the boy was satisfied that his father was, after all, of chiefly grade; so he said to his father: “Your rank as a chief and my mother’s position as a chiefess, make me a chief of some importance and I shall live as such, here in Molokai.”
The chiefs under Keawenuiaumi, they being the six district chiefs, were the first to come by. Before Kuapakaa spoke to the canoe of Keawenuiaumi, he first called each of the six chiefs by name, in their order, for Pakaa had already instructed his son in everything pertaining to them.
Wahilani’s was the first canoe, it being a beautifully made double one; Kuapakaa asked his father as to its owner. The father answered: “That is the canoe of Wahilani, the district chief of Kohala.” Kuapakaa then chanted: [98]
He is our chief of Kohala, Wahilani. He is not a chief by birth, he is a petty chief, One who played hide and seek in the sugar cane hills of Kohala. The fish of that land are the grasshoppers, On the leaf of the sugar cane, on the grass blade. It is a land without fish, And the food is the sweet potato, That is the fault found against the land. Wahilani is not a chief; Being a ruler of Kohala, He has been called a chief.
By these words of the boy, Wahilani was made very angry and so he made reply: “When did you ever know that, you deceitful boy?” With this Wahilani set off.
The second canoe was Ehu’s. Another beautiful double canoe came along, the one belonging to Ehu, the chief of Kona. On the approach of this canoe, Kuapakaa asked of his father: “Whose canoe is that?” “It is the canoe of Ehu, the chief of Kona.” Kuapakaa then chanted out:
Our chief of Kona, Ehu, is not a chief by birth; But as Keawenuiaumi went and lived in Kiholo, Ehu came down from the uplands with bundles of potatoes, And gave them to the king. Ehu then became an adopted son, And Keawenuiaumi gave him Kona, Therefore Ehu became a chief.
Because of this chant of Kuapakaa, Ehu became angry and said: “You are the most conceited boy I know of. Where did you ever know of me?” With this he sailed off in a rage.
The third canoe was Huaa’s. As this canoe approached Kuapakaa asked of his father: “Whose canoe is this?” “It is the canoe of Huaa, the chief of Kau.” Kuapakaa then chanted as follows:
Our chief of Kau, Huaa, He is not a chief [by birth], but a petty chief. He is a beater of the ilima of Kamaoa; By this way the people of that land get water to wash in, And it is the main fault of that land For I have lived there and know.
This angered Huaa and he too sailed off.
The fourth was the canoe of Hikinaakala. Another canoe approached, and the boy asked of Pakaa, and was told that it was the chief of Puna, Hikinaakala. [99] Kuapakaa then chanted:
Our chief of Puna, Hikinaakala, is not a chief [by birth]; He is like the prickly edges of the hala leaf; But since he became possessed of Puna, He is said to be a chief. He is not a chief.
This angered Hikinaakala and he sailed away.
The fifth canoe was that of Kulukulua. As it approached Kuapakaa again inquired of his father: “Whose canoe is this?” “That is the canoe of Kulukulua, [100] the chief of Hilo.” Kuapakaa then chanted as follows:
Our chief of Hilo, Kulukulua, is not a chief [by birth]; He is a snarer of the shrimps of Waiakea; After the snaring, He places the outside covering of the coconut on his ears. This is the fault of the land; But since he became possessed of Hilo, He is called a chief.
This angered Kulukulua and he sailed off.
The sixth was the canoe of Wanua. Upon its approach the boy asked of Pakaa as to its owner, and Pakaa replied: “It is Wanua, the chief of Hamakua.”
Our chief of Hamakua, Wanua. He is not a chief by birth; He is a snarer of the eels of Hamakua. The fingers with the bait are placed on the rocks, The small eels would then crawl between the fingers And the eels placed in the calabash. But since he became possessed of Hamakua He is called a chief. He is not a chief.
This chief also became angry and sailed off.
These chiefs all went on, and all angry with the boy, because he had told them that they were not chiefs by birth, and also for telling the faults relating to their respective districts.
(We will now take up the facts relating to the canoe of Keawenuiaumi, aforementioned, which the narrator said should be inserted later, and was therefore out of place; care, however, should be taken in its perusal by which it may be plainly seen that the six canoes bearing the district chiefs were the first to meet the canoe of Kuapakaa.)
It was Lapakahoe, [101] the younger brother of Pakaa, that replied to the question, that it was the canoe of Keawenuiaumi. At this reply Kuapakaa chanted as follows: [102]
When the canoe is pushed ahead, The cause of the storm is come. Like a slanting cliff, dark and black Is the top of the Aluli mountain, because of the storm, Like black raiment that is worn Is the face of the cliffs of Kawaikapu. Running as though seeking every crevice Is the water that comes. The mountains appear to be filled, The sound is heard in the heaven, The voice is echoed back, The voice of the weeping sea, Urging onward the rising sea. Like the clouds at Kikiopua Is the flying and swimming outrigger of Malelewaa. The burden is swung to the back, Kaula looks as though climbing from behind. The cliffs of Wailau are joined and plated one on top of another, They are joined and plated, On the top of Pueohulunui, The cliffs where the owls fly.
Kuapakaa then chanted of the storm:
Gently! Gently! Gently! Comes the rain, the wind, the storm, From Puulenalena, from Hilo, From Hokukano, from Waiolomea, From the raising of the paddle from under the buttock, At the thought, at the pebbles, At the cutting down of the iako, at Kainaliu, The iako at the rear, At the opening between the two sailing masters. Get up from your seats, Take out your paddles, Pull up the weight, Watch for the waves As they twist and rise, As the waves twist and beat On the outside of the canoe; The wave is become quiet at the bow, Swing the canoe around and let the wave pass between, The water on the outside meet at the opening, The wave is a welcome thing to a castaway. But here I am, O death! Death to you is the small wave, Death to you is the large wave, Death to you is the long wave, Death to you is the short wave, The follower of Kuloku, The roaring, the trembling, The oopu, [103] the lauloa, [104] The waves that open up, The waves that will perchance open up my canoe. It will swamp. Because of the swamping of the small canoe, The large canoe will also swamp. Bind the paddles together, For they will be the only burden of a swamped canoe; The small paddle, the large paddle, The long paddle, the short paddle; The small bailing cup, the large bailing cup, The long bailing cup, the short bailing cup, The coarse bailing cup, the thin bailing cup. After rescuing the several things from the swamped canoe, Comes the thought to refloat the canoe. That block of wood, this block of wood [the waves], That rope is drawn, this rope is drawn; Some will rush there, some will rush here, The large wave will rise, The small wave will break, The sticks at the bow will fly off, The sticks at the stern will fly off. The priest is at last separated [from the king], The connection is become of no value, on a day of peril, The sea separates them, the cold is intense, The uku is softened, that snub-nosed thing, Your reputation, ye sailing masters, Ye prophet and priest, is injured. Had the sailing masters seen the star You would have reached land.
Keawenuiaumi then inquired of his sailing masters, the priest and the prophet, as to their conclusion, in the matter of the coming storm, and to see if the predictions made by the boy were to come true, for the king was afraid. These men all assured the king that the words of the boy were void of the truth and were entirely false. By this assurance the king’s fear disappeared and he gave way to their advice, therefore the boy again chanted:
The eyes have been covered by the sea, They have failed to see the rows of isles. Death you will meet in the days of Ku, The days when the currents draw outward. As the currents draw outward, The open mouth of the shark will meet you, The mouth of the shark, The mouth of the wave, Will close over you and you die; You will then return to Hawaii in spirit. [105] You stubborn king, Come ashore, it is stormy, Had you come yesterday You would have arrived in safety.
Again Keawenuiaumi inquired of his canoe men as well as of the others, saying: “How about us? Shall we land as requested by the boy, for he says, if we continue we will return to Hawaii in spirit?” The sailing masters replied: “Who is going to land on such a fine day?”
The heavens are cloudless, The shrubs are without moisture, The clouds have returned to the mountains, The wind has returned to Kumukahi, The pointed clouds have returned to Awalua, The soft breezes are wafting over the waves, The canoes have gone, a raging surf has arisen, The canoes have gone to the windy cape, The sea and the water have returned to Manawainui, Whence is the storm to come as predicted by the boy?
At this, Lapakahoe asked of the boy: “Who gave you such knowledge?” The boy replied: “Such learning is common with the small boys of this land of Molokai.” [106] Lapakahoe said: “Such knowledge was not imparted to you from any one else, not even by Kahikiokamoku, [107] the king’s favorite friend; there are only two of us who have acquired such knowledge, myself and my elder brother, [108] Pakaa. We composed those lines in honor of our master Keawenuiaumi.” Lapakahoe then asked of the boy: “If you know the whereabouts of Pakaa above here, you must tell us.” “There is no such man here, but we have heard that he is living on Kaula” [replied the boy]. This ended Lapakahoe’s remarks and he thought that the information given by Keawenuiaumi, relating to Pakaa as living on Kaula, was the truth after all. This information was given in a dream.
The sailing masters then called out to the paddlers, those in front and in the rear, to go ahead; but Lapakahoe countermanded the order, for he was interested in the boy. When Pakaa saw that the canoe was preparing to leave, he requested the boy to continue chanting.
The pointed clouds have become fixed in the heaven, The pointed clouds grow quiet like one in pains before childbirth, Ere it comes raining heavily, without ceasing. The umbilicus of the rain is in the heaven, The streams will yet be swollen by the rain, The roar of thunder, the shock of the earthquake, The flashing of the lightning in the heaven. The light rain, the heavy rain, The prolonged rain, the short rain. The rain in the winter comes slanting, Taking the breath away, pressing down the hair, Parting the hair in the middle. One sleeps doubled up, one sleeps with the face up. When anger rises, the hand acts tardily. Trouble has overcome thee, stubborn master. See, ye sailing masters, it has come; Trouble will overtake you in mid ocean, You have gone out to sea and have become castaways, You are spoken of as castaways. You will cut out hooks from the teeth of sharks, And fasten them to the fish-line, the fish will bite, The paka eel, the ulua, [For] Kaulua is the month. Take good care of the favorite son, Else he will be washed away by the sea of Kaulua. Let the canoe therefore come ashore, There is food ashore, there is kapa, there is malo, Live out the stormy days and continue on your way when it becomes calm, Then you can sail away, my master. This is a stormy day; yesterday was the calm day.
Upon hearing this, Keawenuiaumi asked of his canoe men: “What about the words of the boy?” “He is a deceiving boy; there is no storm. Where are the clouds? Where are the pointed clouds? Where is the rain? Where is the wind? Where is the lightning? Where is the thunder, whereby we would know that the boy is telling the truth? This day will land us in Kaula and you shall see your servant Pakaa.”
Chapter II
Kuapakaa Chants the Winds of Hawaii.—The King, Angered, Bids His Men Paddle on.—Winds of Kauai, Niihau and Kaula.—Winds of Maui and Molokai.—Of Halawa.—Chants the Name of His Master.—Of His Uncle and Men.—Pakaa Orders the Winds of Laamaomao Released.
Kuapakaa said to his father: “The men are advising the king to go on.” Pakaa said to the boy: “Call out for the winds of Hawaii.” [109]
THE WINDS OF HAWAII.
There they are! There they are! There they are! The apaapaa is of Kohala, The naulu is of Kawaihae, The kipuupuu is of Waimea, The olauniu is of Kekaha, The pili-a is of Kaniku, The ae is of Kiholo, The pohu is of Kona, The maaakualapu is of Kahaluu, The pilihala is of Kaawaloa, The kehau is of Kapalilua, The puahiohio is of Kau, The hoolapa is of Kamaoa, The kuehulepo is of Naalehu, The uwahipele is of Kilauea, The awa is of Leleiwi, The puulena is of Waiakea, The uluau is of the cliffs of Hilo, The koholalele is of Hamakua, The holopoopoo is of Waipio, The end of that wind, The end of this wind, Join and cause a whirlwind. Place the burden on the back, Thus a load is given to the swamped canoe. Because the small canoe is swamped, The large canoe will meet the same fate. Troubles will overtake the king, troubles will overtake the priest, Troubles will overtake the unstable ones, the followers of the king. The different officers of the king, They will search out, they will study out, To locate the stars in the heaven. The red star, the string of stars; They hasten singly, They hasten by twos. Say, Keawenuiaumi, come ashore. Yesterday was the calm day; Had you come yesterday, you would have reached your destination. This is a stormy day.
When Keawenuiaumi heard this, he became angry with the boy; because the boy was calling for the winds. He then ordered his men to paddle on. When Kuapakaa heard the order he said to Pakaa his father: “The king is sailing off.” Pakaa replied: “Call for the winds of Kauai and Niihau.”
THE WINDS OF KAUAI AND NIIHAU.
Arise, look you to the winds of Laamaomao! Roaring in the mountains, A sign of the coming of the wind at Kapaa; The wind is there at Kauai. The moae is of Lehua, The mikioi is of Kawaihoa, The naulu is of Niihau, The koolau is of Kaulakahi, The lawakua is of Napali, The lanikuuwaa is of Kalalau, The lauae is of Honopu, The aikoo is of Nualolo, The kuehukai is of Milolii, The puukapele is of Mana, The moeahua is of Kekaha, The waipaoa is of Waimea, The makaupili is of Peapea, The aoaoa is of Hanapepe, The naulu is of Wahiawa, The kuuanu is of Kalaleo, The ae is of Lawai, The malanai is of Koloa, The kuiamanini is of Weliweli, The makahuena is of Kapea, The one-hali is of Manenene, The koomakani is of Mahaulepu, The paupau is of Kipu, The alaoli is of Huleia, The waikai is of Kalopaki, The kaao is of Hanamaulu, The waipuaala is of Konolea, The waiopua is of Wailua, The waiolohia is of Nahanahai, The inuwai is of Waipouli, The hoolua is of Makaiwa, The kehau is of Kapaa, The malamalamaiki is of Kealia, The hulilua is of Hanaikawaa, The amu is of Anahola, The kololio is of Moloaa, The kuikainui is of Koolau, The meheu is of Kalihiwai, The nau is of Kalihikai, The luha is of Hanalei, The waiamau is of Waioli, The puunahele is of Waipa, The haukolo is of Lumahai, The lupua is of Wainiha, The pahelehala is of Naue, The limahuli is of Haena, The water from the handle of the paddle on the cliff. The end of that wind, The end of this wind, They meet in a whirlwind, They beat on the low lands. The storm is come, come ashore, Yesterday was the calm day; Had you come then you would have made land.
These were the names of the winds of Kauai, as called out by the boy, and they are known by these names to this day.
As soon as Kuapakaa ceased calling for the winds, a great roar was heard, like the coming of a mighty storm, by the people in the canoe of Keawenuiaumi. At the roar of the coming storm, Pakaa said to the boy: “You made a mistake in first calling for the winds of Kauai and Niihau. You see you had called for the winds of Hawaii, those in the east; you should have followed with the wind of Kaula, the wind in the west.” Kuapakaa then called for the wind of Kaula:
THE WIND OF KAULA.
Down by the rock of Ola, The black bird begged, The bird of Kaula begged, Floating up there above Waahila, The bird of Kaulanaula, The younger isle, given birth by Hina. The ekeeke is the wind of Kaula; Give me, give me, give me the wind.
In this call of Kuapakaa for the wind of Kaula, Keawenuiaumi, said: “You have indeed chanted well, boy; but in thus calling for the wind, you committed a grave mistake.”
Keawenuiaumi then gave orders to his canoe men and sailing masters to paddle ahead. The people from the rear to those in the middle of the canoe, then dipped down their paddles; but those in front, did not dip theirs for Lapakahoe refused to continue the voyage as he was greatly interested with the boy’s chant. When the men in the stern and in the middle started to paddle, Lapakahoe called out to those in front: “Kuia, Lou, Kipukohola, backwater with the paddles, to hold back the canoe so as not to allow it to go ahead.” By doing this the sound of the moving pebbles and the sand down below was heard and the double canoe was held back as though held by an anchor.
When Kuapakaa saw that the double canoe was being held back and saw also the anger shown in the face of Keawenuiaumi, he turned and reported it to Pakaa. When Pakaa heard this, he said to the boy: “Call again.” (This was in the style of a chant.) [110] Kuapakaa therefore called forth:
Gently! Gently! Gently! Hasten this way, hasten that way, The ocean is like a wreath around your neck. The heaven is cloudless, The earth is in distress, The month is Kalo-pau. [111] Up comes lepe, down sits lepe. The iwa [112] bird is in the sky, it is a windy day. The rain falls, the water runs. The shrimps are coming up, the sea-caves are exposed. Where the sea is foamy, there the moi [113] dwell; Where the sea is rough, the mullet spawn. When the sea is at low tide, the squids are speared, The ina [114] are gathered, the wana[114] are hooked up. The turtles come up to breathe on a windy day. Where the sea is not clear, there the manini [115] live; Where the shoals are rocky, the uoa turn over; Where the sea is blue, the sharks dwell; Where the feeding ground is deep, the kahala [116] grows thin; Where the kukui-nut is spat on, the sea is smooth, The uhu are caught; Caught by those in front, by Mumu, by Wawa. As it falls down, the rain leaves holes, The wind doubles over, The beach at Kaunakahakai is marshy, The scent of Kawela is strong, The sound is deafening, As you paddle to destruction at the point of Lehua, Ualapue, Kaluaaha, Molokai.
After the boy had chanted this, Pakaa said to him: “Call for the winds of Maui and Molokai.”
THE WINDS OF MAUI AND MOLOKAI.
The pakiele is of Waiakea, The aimaunu is of Hana, The ailoli is of Kaupo, The papa is of Honuaula, The naulu is of Kanaloa, The kehau is of Kula, The uapokoa is of Kokomo, The elehei-rain is of Lilikoi, The iaiki is of Wailuku, The oopu is of Waihee, The kaula is of Pohakuloa, The waiuli is of Honolua, The pohakea is of Mahinahina, The maaa is of Lahaina, The alani is of Liloa, The paala is of Nakaha, The laukowai is of Kekula, The holokaomi is of Paomai, The wind that doubles up is of the lowlands; It is the kupa, the okea wind. The paiolua is of the ocean, It is the hoolua and the moae. The kaele is of Palaau, The iaiki is of Hoolehua, The kuapa is of Moomomi, The kaele is of Kalelewaa, The puupapai is of Kaamola, The pakaikai is of Wailua, The hoolua is of Halawa.
A word of explanation. Halawa is the place which excels in the variety of winds given here, therefore the reader will do well to consider them clearly.
THE WINDS OF HALAWA.
The hoolua-noe is of Halawa, The hoolua-wahakole is of Halawa, The kaao is of Halawa, The laukamani is of Halawa, The okia is of Halawa, The ualehu is of Halawa, The laiku is of Halawa, The naulu is of Halawa, The kehau is of Halawa, The koi-pali is of Halawa, The li-anu is of Halawa, The ehukai is of Halawa.
In following this list of names of the different winds of Molokai, we again take up the winds for the rest of Molokai, after the winds of Halawa.
The moa-ula is of Kalawao, The kilioopu is of Makaluhau, The koki is of Kalaupapa, The alahou is of Kalamaula, The moae is of Kona, The hoolua is of Koolau, The pelu is of Kalaau, The koa is of Malei, The malualua is of Haleolono, They heat up the dry plain. When the sun is set, it becomes intensely cold, The sea is drawn up, it becomes as low tide, For the burden of the moae wind is the storm. The moae stays there above, It is heard clear down beyond, As it blows here and there on the coral reef, Like the strong wind in the forest, And the landing at Keawa is made rough. Here is the landing, land now, Whilst thou art near, master; Whilst I am near, the servant, And await the calm day, For this is Welehu, the stormy month; [117] Then come Makali, Kaelo, Kaulua, Kaulua, Kauluawaena. In Olana is the settled calm, Then come Welo and Ikiiki, In which when you look the sea appears long, The isles seem near, and the canoe can land. Seek for Pakaa and find Pakaa. For Waimea is a land of crabs. The rains of Molokai are heavy.
While chanting the last lines, Lapakahoe said: “The boy is deceiving us.” Lapakahoe then turned to Kuapakaa and said: “Your chant was indeed good, but you are deceiving us, for Pakaa is not ashore, yet you ask us to land.” After making this remark, Lapakahoe ordered the men in front and behind to paddle away. The order was also given the sailing masters. When they were starting off, Kuapakaa said to his father: “My master is off.” Pakaa replied: “Chant the name of your master.”
Gently! Gently! Gently! Gently! Be prepared, make ready, That canoe, this canoe. Steady the hand, Take up the paddle, Shake off the water from the feet, Avoid being slippery, Let the back and sides be slippery. Sit up, those in front and behind, So as to keep the hands dry when paddling. The burden of the hands is the paddle, The opponent of the wave is the paddle, You make your deposit, the blue, You take up your share, the white. You turn up the white foam with the paddle, Within and without the canoe. The going forth of the canoe is in jerks, It is agitated, it shakes. The men fall on the canoe, The bailing cups are knocked about, The ohia [mast] rattles; The lauhala [sail] is breaking, The opponent of the wind; The bow of the canoe is filled with water, Who is at the bow?
Pakaa then said to his son Kuapakaa: “Lapakahoe is my younger brother, he is your uncle.” The boy then called out each of the men of Keawenuiaumi by name, thinking this would induce them to land. The boy called as follows:
THE NAMES OF THE MEN.
Lapakahoe, who next? Hookahikuamoo, who next? Alapanaiwi, who next? Limakainui, who next? Kamahuakoaie, who next? Kipukohola, who next? Kaili, the god, who next? Kuanaepa, who next? Nohoanaepa, who next? Kauwilaakahoe, who next? Kaneheakapoohiwi, who next? Kahaluluakoaie, who next? Mokukaiakapahi, who next? Ahuakaiaiwa, who next? Uluakamoanaiakaiehu, who next? Owakahoealima, who next? Halawaimekamakani, who next? Hamamakawahaokaale, who next? Uakukalailalo, who next? Uahaihaikaka, who next? Uanahaekaie, who next? Oiukamaewa, who next? Okioikekahuna, who next? Okahikuokamoku, who next? Keawenuiaumi, who next?
After Kuapakaa had called out the names of the men who sat singly, he then called out those who sat two [118] in a seat:
Nanaimua, Nanaihope, who next? Neneimua, Neneihope, who next? Kahaneeaku, Kahaneemai, who next? Ku,—Ka, who next? Kapalikua, Kapalialo, who next? Kapohina, Kapoae, who next? Kaukaiwa, Lamakani, who next? Puupuukoa, Kainei, who next? Koaloa, Koapoko, who next? Hulihana, Hulilawa, who next? Pulale, Makaukau, who next? Kuia, Lou, who next? Hookeleihilo, Hookeleipuna, [119] who next?
While Kuapakaa was calling the names of the men, the double canoe of the king, Keawenuiaumi, gradually drew away from their sight. When the double canoe was away off, so that it appeared but a mere speck, Pakaa said to the boy: “Uncover the wind calabash, Laamaomao.” Kuapakaa then uncovered the wind calabash and the storm in all its fury came up. The front canoes were caught by the waves and wind from the Kalaau point; being those that contained the chiefs and the men. When the large canoes saw that the small canoes were swamped, the large ones went to their rescue, but they too were swamped. The waves became larger and larger and they beat from all sides. The wind and the storm swept along until the canoe of Keawenuiaumi was met and it too was swamped. Keawenuiaumi then said to the priest, the prophet and the sailing masters: “How strange this is! The boy’s every word has come true. When the boy said this was a stormy day, you all contradicted him, saying this was a pleasant day; but here we are nigh unto death. I questioned you several times about the matter, to make sure that you were right; but you all denied it.”
Chapter III
The Swamping of the Canoes.—They Return and Land on Molokai.—The King Is Given Dry Kapa and Malo, as Also Awa and Food.—Delayed by the Storm, the Party Is Provided With Food.—After Four Months, They Prepare to Embark.
The double canoe of Keawenuiaumi was swamped as well as all the others, not one was saved. The people suffered a terrible cold and many of their things were lost; the food, the fish and meat, their apparel and everything else. At this, the king wept in his agony and suffered severely from cold, he then said: “This is the very reason why I am in search of my servant Pakaa, because you are not equal to the occasion; you are without knowledge and do not know how to tell the future. My buttocks were never wet when Pakaa was my sailing master; but since I have taken you, they have become wet.”
When Pakaa saw that the wind and the storm was in its fury, he said to the boy: “Cover up the wind calabash, for your master may perish, as he is indeed cold.” Kuapakaa then placed the cover on the calabash, Laamaomao, and the calm came immediately and the canoes of the king were saved.
After the canoes had been righted, the king gave his orders to all the canoes, saying: “Let us return, perchance the boy’s canoe is still floating where we left it. Should he invite us to land we must obey.”
After giving his orders the several canoes turned about and all returned, without maintaining their order, for each was anxious to get to the place where Kuapakaa was floating. In this return, the canoe of Keawenuiaumi being the swiftest, was the first to arrive at the place where Kuapakaa was waiting, while the others were strung out behind.
When Kuapakaa saw the king’s canoe, he said to Pakaa: “Here comes the double canoe of my master, Keawenuiaumi.” Pakaa said to the boy: “When your master arrives and should show a willingness to land, say to him that you wish to go in ahead a little ways and wait for him, for the passage way is crooked.” By this Pakaa was anxious to keep the canoe of Keawenuiaumi behind them, for his men being stronger, they would be able to get to the landing first and in that way Pakaa would be recognized, so Pakaa thought out a way to get out of the difficulty, and made believe that the way in was crooked. As the canoe of Keawenuiaumi was drawing near, Kuapakaa again chanted, saying:
Gently! Gently! Comes the wind, the rain; the isle is in darkness, The master is on the edge of disaster. The rain drove, the canoe rolled, The sea is raging, the moi leap. The inwards are retreating, the waves are being fed, The burden is cast away. They look about in doubt for love of the children, They weep for the love of the wife. The seat is unsafe, insecure. The dog barks at the sea, It bites at the prow of the canoe. The old companion is become strained, The new companion is become separated, The comradeship of the priest is also parted, He goes alone, he shudders, He twists, he shivers, The hairs on the temple are wet, Ye stubborn sailors of the ocean, ’Tis the first cold day for the king. Say, Keawenuiaumi, come ashore.
Keawenuiaumi made reply: “Yes, I will come ashore for your very words have come true. I was willing to land, but these fellows were so learned. I thought they were indeed learned, but I have found that they are not.” Kuapakaa said: “There, you have faced disaster. Come ashore at the boy’s landing.” The king then expressed his willingness to land. Kuapakaa then said to the king: “Say, listen to me; we will go in first and when I beckon to you, you may come, because the passage way is crooked, and furthermore the proper time for making a landing is past. Had you consented to make land at my first invitation, we would have had no trouble; for at that time the tide was low and the coral exposed; but now the tide is high, so that the coral is covered deep, and we will miss our bearings if we go in together.” To this, Keawenuiaumi gave his consent, saying: “That is well.”
Pakaa and his son therefore entered the passageway first, and when they stopped they beckoned to the king’s canoe as well as the others to come in. This zigzag was continued until they were almost in, when Pakaa said to the boy: “Say, let us paddle in; you must exert all your strength, that we may land before the others.” With this the two worked with all their might and made land before the others. Pakaa then jumped ashore and ran into the house reserved for the preparation of food, thinking that in this house he would be safe, for such houses were never entered by kings. When Pakaa jumped from the canoe, Lapakahoe saw and thought he recognized Pakaa by the limp he made while running, for his legs had been injured; but he was not certain, believing that Pakaa was in Kaula.
Late that afternoon, all the canoes made land, including the canoe of Keawenuiaumi, who still sat on the platform and had not come ashore, for the reason that he did not have any clothes, and no loin cloth, all having been wet and the spare ones had all been lost at sea. When Kuapakaa saw his master sitting there naked on the canoe, he returned to the house and told his father of what he had seen. When Pakaa heard this, he took out a loin cloth and gave it to Kuapakaa, saying to the boy: “You take this loin cloth and give it to your master, and the loin cloth that is wet, you bring it here, for you are privileged to wear his loin cloth and he yours.” [120]
Kuapakaa therefore took up the loin cloth and returned to Keawenuiaumi. When he came to the king’s presence he said: “Here is my loin cloth, you can use it and let me take your wet one.” Keawenuiaumi reached out for the loin cloth and looked at it, and saw that it looked like his own, the kind he used to wear when Pakaa had charge. At seeing this, Keawenuiaumi said: “Say, this loin cloth looks just like my own.” Kuapakaa replied: “This is my own loin cloth, but you being the king, I give it to you.” Kuapakaa then took the wet one and returned to Pakaa, who said to him: “Hang up your master’s loin cloth over the door way, so that the people will not try to enter this house. You can enter it and can go out, because all the sacred things belonging to your master are free to you. When the king’s stewards come for food you can hand it to them from the inside of this house, while they stand outside.” This was cunning of Pakaa. [121]
When Kuapakaa looked and saw that Keawenuiaumi was sitting without any covering, he took pity on him and so told Pakaa about it. When Pakaa heard this he took out a kapa from the wind calabash, Laamaomao and handed it to Kuapakaa, saying: “You take this and give it to your master. If he should say that it looks like his, you tell him, that this is your own kapa made by your mother.” The name given to such kapas was “ouholowai of Laa.” [122] They were very sweet, having been scented with the fragrant shrubs and vines of Laa and Puna, called the olapa, the kupaoa, the mokihana, the apiipii and others.
When Kuapakaa came to the presence of the king with the kapa and handed it to Keawenuiaumi, Keawenuiaumi took it and spread it out. As he did this he caught the sweet scent of the olapa. He then inquired of the boy: “Where did you get this kapa?” The boy replied: “It belongs here in Molokai.” Keawenuiaumi said: “There are no kapas in other places like those of Hawaii; and they are not common with other chiefs. I am the only one who possesses such things. I believe this is my kapa. It must be that Pakaa is here.” “It was my mother that made this kapa for my own use, for my mother is a chiefess of Molokai and kapas are scented on this island, and it has been kept for my own use. The name given my kapa is wailau. [123] That is the best and most fragrant kapa in this place, like what you call the ouholowai of Laa; they smell the same.” This satisfied the king.
That evening the chiefs came together with their men and as they were sitting quite close to the king, the king said: “If Pakaa was here, of an evening like this, he would have my awa ready with two fresh hinalea. [124] I would drink the awa and as its effects come over me, I would feel like a newly made net, nice and snug, all night. How I do miss Pakaa.”
When Kuapakaa heard this he returned to his father, Pakaa, and said: “My master is in want of some awa, and he has expressed his affection for you and showed that he still remembers you.” When Pakaa heard this, he took down the awa cup, the awa dish, the grass used for straining awa, the piece of awa and two portions of awa already prepared and said to the boy: “You take these to your master and show them to him. If he should ask you to prepare the awa for him, give your consent. Then you turn to one side where it is dark, leave the piece that is not prepared, take up the portions that are ready, strain them into the cup. He will compliment you for being very quick, for I was ever ready with these things when I was with him. After you have strained the awa into the cup, hand the cup to your master, then run as fast as you can to the pool where we keep the hinalea and catch two for your master, for he would want the fish to take away the bitter taste of the awa from his mouth.”
When Kuapakaa came to the presence of Keawenuiaumi, he said: “Here is my awa for you.” The king looked and saw that it was quite a large piece, so he said: “You had better prepare it for me.” Kuapakaa then turned into a dark corner, took the portions already prepared, strained the same and handed the cup to the king. The boy then ran for the fish, the two hinalea, and shortly after he returned with them to the king.
Because of these things performed by the boy, Keawenuiaumi complimented him for being quick and for carrying himself like a person who has always lived with kings, and for conducting himself so well. The king then drank up the awa and as the effects of it stole over him, combined with the weariness of a hard and eventful day, he fell into a deep sleep.
Upon seeing this, Kuapakaa decided to uncover the wind calabash, Laamaomao, and to keep it uncovered, so that the winds would continue to blow and the storm hold for days; and in this way keep the king with him. So Kuapakaa uncovered Laamaomao, and the storm kept up day after day; and by it the expedition for the search was postponed. Because of this storm Keawenuiaumi and his men were forced to wait for the abating of the storm until one month went by, when their food which had been brought from Hawaii was exhausted. At this, the chiefs went before Keawenuiaumi and told him of their trouble, that they had run out of food. When Keawenuiaumi heard this he sent a man to go and ask of the boy, if he had any food. Said the king: “If he has any food, tell him that we are without any.”
When the man came before Kuapakaa he told him what Keawenuiaumi had said to him. When Kuapakaa heard this, he said: “There is food; but you must go back to the king and tell him the food is up in the uplands. Tell him there are six chiefs here and I have six small patches. Furthermore, if you should go for food, don’t take the big potatoes only and leave the small ones; for if you do so you will not get another chance to go up there for food.” With this the messenger returned to the presence of Keawenuiaumi and reported to him of what the boy had said. When Keawenuiaumi heard this he ordered his men and the chiefs to go up for food.
When they came to the uplands, where the potatoes were growing they saw that there were six large patches, each of very great extent, and were so long that the other ends could not be seen. The men then said to themselves: “How wonderful! The boy said there were six small patches, but here there are six very large patches.” The men then began to dig up the potatoes, and after they had dug up enough, they collected the potatoes and in obedience to the boy’s order, they took the large ones as well as the small ones and returned with the potatoes to the beach, lighted the ovens, and after the potatoes were cooked, they sat down and ate their fill.
After this Kuapakaa came to them and said: “I want you to take the large potatoes for your own use and keep the small ones for me.” “Why, no, not so; you must have some of the large ones, too, because the potatoes are yours.” “No,” said Kuapakaa, “you take the large ones and save the small ones for me. But I want you to do this: peel the skin and then set out the potatoes to dry.” [125] The people then asked Kuapakaa: “What do you intend doing with the food, boy?” Kuapakaa replied: “I am doing this, because I know you will eat up those potato patches and the bad weather of this land generally comes about this time, when the sea will be rough, which will keep you here for some time, for there are three bad months yet to come; Makalii, Kaelo and Kaulua. [126] In the month of Olana, [127] it is possible that fine weather will come, then you people will be able to get away. By that time my potatoes will all be consumed by you, but by doing this, saving and drying out the small potatoes, I will not be without food and will not be hungry, for I shall then live on the small potatoes which I ask you to keep for me. With this food I will be supplied during the time of planting and care of a new crop.” This talk by Kuapakaa, although true, was intended to deceive them, for Kuapakaa well knew that Keawenuiaumi was going to urge that he go along with him in the search for Pakaa, when good weather once more prevailed. The men, in obedience to this order, faithfully kept all the small potatoes after every cooking day.
When Keawenuiaumi left Hawaii on this expedition, he left word with the chiefs and the common people that he would take up a month in the search for Pakaa. He was, however, mistaken in this, for he was in Molokai for four months. In this prolonged absence the people of Hawaii began to mourn for their king, believing that he was dead. After staying in Molokai for four months, the followers of Keawenuiaumi began to think of their wives, children and parents, and there was a general feeling amongst them that they abandon the search for Pakaa and return to Hawaii.
At the expiration of the four months, during which bad weather was to prevail as predicted by Kuapakaa, he closed the wind calabash of Laamaomao, and good weather was once more experienced. He then said to the people: “This is Olana, the pleasant month, then come Welo and Ikiikii (May and June), the period of time when the fisherman’s fish line is always wet. These months are the pleasant months, and hence the fisherman’s line is never dry, because they go out fishing every day.” He then said to the chiefs and men: “Bind the lashings of the canoes, for I have kept you for four months because of the bad weather; now that good weather has come, you must return home.” When the chiefs heard this, they made ready their canoes, renewed the lashings, and pushed the canoes out into the sea and moored them, for the expedition of kings is ever alert. Very late that evening, when it was almost midnight, Kuapakaa called out in a chant, as follows:
Arise! Arise! Arise! The night is spent, the night is spent. All tiredness, soreness and weariness have vanished; Also darkness that prevents the sailing of canoes. Arise! Arise! Arise! Hikiliimakaounulau [128] is up, The star at the end of the land. Arise, make a move! Arise, make a move!
Upon hearing this, the chiefs said: “How strange! it is not yet anywheres near daylight, but the boy is calling us to sail off. This is only in the early evening.”
Chapter IV
Departure from Molokai.—The Names of the Six Districts of Hawaii.—The King Desires Kuapakaa to Accompany Him.—The Boy Consents Under Conditions.—They Start Off.—Meeting With Adverse, Cold Winds, the Two Sailing Masters Fall Overboard.
By this expression used by the chiefs, it was their intention to delay their sailing until the change of the Milky Way, after midnight, when they would make the start. Hearing this expression, Kuapakaa again called out; this time naming the six different districts of Hawaii, and also the six chiefs.
THE NAMES OF THE DISTRICTS.
Arise, Kona, land of the calm seas! The shady clouds of Keei are flying. The clouds are like ridge poles over Weli. How long you have indeed slept! When I mentioned you the fact, You sit calmly and make no stir.
Make a move, Kohala, arise! Make a move, Kohala, thou of the solid step, Causing Papa the begetter of the isles, to hearken, The one who gave birth to Koolau.
Arise, Hilo! Hilo of the incessant rains of the sharp head. The flower of the lehua is withered By the pelting down of the rain, Prepare the ki leaf [129] in the calm For the net-fishing of the nehu at Punahoa.
Arise, Puna! Puna the land made fragrant by the hala From one end to the other, To the very breadfruit trees of Kailua That stand unmolested by the winds of Kau.
Arise, Kau! Kau the large windy land, Land where the current draws to Alae, Where the canoes sail here and there, To Kailikii, to Kaulana, Sailing singly, sailing in pairs, Sailing by threes, sailing by fours, Sailing by fives, sailing by sixes, Sailing by sevens, sailing by eights, Sailing by nines, sailing by tens. They all sail, the small canoes, The canoes of the chiefs must sail.
After this call of the boy, the chiefs and the men arose about midnight, boarded their canoes and set sail, and when out at sea they hove to and awaited for the canoe of Keawenuiaumi, which was to come later; for the king had given them his order to go to sea and await his coming. In waiting for the king, the chiefs allowed their canoes to drift away; and in drifting they all fell asleep. The men who were anxious to get back home then headed the canoes for Kawaihae in Kohala, Hawaii; at daylight the next day, the chiefs awoke and when they looked about them they saw that the land in sight was Hawaii. Instead of getting angry, they felt happy, for they knew that they were about to see their wives and children; they, however, felt some regrets, for they loved their king, Keawenuiaumi.
At daylight, a man came to Kuapakaa from the king with the request that he go to the king. When Kuapakaa came before Keawenuiaumi the king said: “I have sent for you to ask you that you accompany me to Kaula and back.” Kuapakaa replied: “I cannot go with you, for I would be leaving my old man by himself and he is very weak.” But since the king kept on urging him, Kuapakaa agreed to accompany the king. This by the way was the wish of Kuapakaa. In giving his consent, Kuapakaa made his going conditional, saying: “I am willing to go with you, if you will take my things along. If you allow this, I will accompany you; but if you will not allow my things to go along, I will not go with with you.” The king gave his consent, [130] saying: “I am willing that you go with your things.” Keawenuiaumi then told the men to take the things belonging to the boy and place them on the canoe, believing that this would allow the boy to accompany him.
When the men came to the place where the boy’s things were, they looked and saw a large log of wood as long as the double canoe of the king. When the men saw this log they expressed their doubts as to its being able to be carried by the double canoe for they feared that it would be too much of a load. The men, however, took it up with some difficulty and placed it on the canoe, which set the canoe deep in the water. The boy then pointed to another thing, a rock, with a groove cut around it; thus making two things the boy wished placed in the canoe.
This large log of wood was hollow and contained food and various other things. Because of this large log, the men gave the boy the name, “The boy of Kaluakoi with the large package.” After the things belonging to the boy had been placed on the double canoe, Keawenuiaumi and Kuapakaa, as well as the rest of the men, boarded it and set sail.
In setting out, they experienced pleasant winds, called Kaao; Kuapakaa at once looked at the two sailing masters and asked that they give him one of the paddles, but they refused, saying: “We cannot give you one because this is our sign of authority. We will be blamed if we surrender it to you.” By this Kuapakaa wanted to place the responsibility upon their own heads, in case of coming disaster, for these were the very men who had made things so unpleasant for his father, Pakaa, who was forced to go away from the presence of Keawenuiaumi.
The canoe sailed on and passed to the lee of Oahu, then on into the sea of Kaieiewaho, [131] where they saw Kauai; after a time they went past Waimea. At this place Kuapakaa uncovered his wind calabash, Laamaomao and immediately they were encompassed by a terrible storm. In meeting this storm the king did not worry for he had the boy with him. When they were beset with this storm, Keawenuiaumi asked of the sailing masters: “What are we to do?” The two were unable to make answer, at that time, for the waves were beating into the canoe, and it was only being kept afloat through the exertion of the bailers. Soon after this the storm increased and the wind and rain were terrible; the thunder and lightning too was severe, and they began to drift away until Kauai was almost lost to their sight.
As the storm increased, Keawenuiaumi turned to the boy and asked: “What about this storm?” Kuapakaa answered: “I have nothing else to meet it, except this rock; it must be cast out to serve as an anchor to hold the canoe and in that way prevent our being blown away by the wind and lose sight of land.” At this, Keawenuiaumi surrendered the entire command of the canoe to Kuapakaa; it was his to carry them to destruction or to safety. Kuapakaa then opened out one end of the log, and taking out a rope he fastened it to the rock, and threw it into the sea, and they were held in one place.
When Kuapakaa saw that the men and the king were shivering from the intense cold, that their hair hung down straight and every one was suffering, he took out some palm leaves [132] from the log and gave the men one apiece and one to the king; but he did not give the sailing masters, Hookeleihilo and Hookeleipuna, any. Soon after this he took out food and meat from the log, and gave some to the men and to the king; but he again refused to give anything to the sailing masters.
By this action of Kuapakaa the two sailing masters were in great distress, for they were shivering with the cold and were in great need of food. Not very long after this, Hookeleihilo fell overboard, unable to withstand any longer the terrible sufferings. At this the man who sat in front of Hookeleiho called out: “Hookeleihilo has fallen overboard.” Not very long after this, Hookeleipuna succumbed and he too fell overboard, dead; thus were the two sailing masters disposed of.
Chapter V
At Death of Pakaa’s Enemies, Calm Prevails.—The Boy Is Made Sailing Master.—He Directs the Canoes to Hawaii.—The Men Are Made Glad, but the King Is Sad at Failing to Find Pakaa.—Kuapakaa Foretells His Neglect by the King.—Landing at Kawaihae He Is Deserted.—He Joins Two Fishermen and Makes a Fair Catch.—Falling in with a Six-manned Canoe He Wagers on a Race, Single-handed, Against All Eight and Wins.—He Hides the Fish in the King’s Canoe.—They Plan a Canoe Race to Take Place in Kau, Life to Be the Forfeit.
When Kuapakaa saw that the enemies of his father, Pakaa, were dead, he closed the wind calabash, Laamaomao, and immediately the storm abated and a great calm came over the ocean. At the coming of the pleasant weather, the office of sailing master was given over to the boy. But before this, the king said to the boy, that he wished to continue the search of Pakaa at Kaula. After giving this order the king and the men all fell asleep, for they were worn out with the efforts to save themselves during the storm.
After they had all fallen asleep a fair wind from land sprung up; Kuapakaa then swung the canoe around as well as the sail and sailed straight for Hawaii, all that day and night until daylight of the next day, when they saw the top of Maunakea above the mist, passing and repassing in the distance like a pointed cloud. At this the men all woke up at the call, “There is Hawaii.” Some said that it was not Hawaii; but when they got nearer to Kawaihae, they were made certain that it was Hawaii. This was the cause of great rejoicing amongst the men; but Keawenuiaumi was not at all made happy for he had failed to find his servant Pakaa, and had not reached Kaula.
As the canoe drew near the land the men became excited, for they were to see their wives and children after a long separation. Upon seeing this, Kuapakaa said to them: “Say, what a disappointment it will be for the boy.” They asked: “Why?” Kuapakaa replied: “He will be neglected as soon as the canoe touches land.” Lapakahoe then asked: “Why should you be neglected?” Kuapakaa replied: “I see that you are all excited and are anxious to land; and when you do, and meet your wives and children you will forget me and I will get left, for I have no friends here.” Lapakahoe said: “The king will not forget you, because by you these bones were saved.” “That may be so, but the boy will be forgotten as soon as the canoe touches land.” These words of Kuapakaa were realized and proved too true, as the following events will show.
When they touched land at Kawaihae, everybody landed and there was weeping by the women and by the children, and while doing this, the boy was entirely forgotten. Kuapakaa, not having any other place to go to, stayed by the canoes day and night, sleeping under them at night. In living at this place, the boy had no friends, and the food he lived on was the dried potatoes saved in his log of wood.
Some time after this, Kuapakaa heard that the season for flying-fish had commenced at Kohala, so very early one morning he came upon a couple of fishermen, who were fastening on the lashings of their canoe, making preparations for going out fishing for flying-fish. When he saw the men, he said: “What are you two going to do with the canoe?” “We are making ready to go out fishing for flying-fish.” “Will you let me accompany you in your canoe?” “No, it will be too much of an extra load for the canoe.” Kuapakaa replied: “Do you think so? I believe every canoe ought to have a bailer. If I accompany you, I know that I don’t share with you on your catch. I know how to fish, and if I make a large catch, I will have to share with the rowers; and even if the catch be small, I must share with you on my catch. In this way, you can see, I will not in any way be entitled to a division of your catch.” As the boy spoke pleasantly and in a way, wisely, the men gave their consent and expressed their willingness to take Kuapakaa along with them.
Upon coming to the fishing grounds, several flying-fish were caught, a fair division was then made and they headed for home. On their return they met a canoe which was manned by six paddlers, while the canoe in which Kuapakaa was a paddler had only three. When Kuapakaa saw the other canoe, he said to his two companions: “Let us have a race with that canoe, and make a wager, [133] our flying-fish, that we can beat them.” This proposition angered one of his companions, who said: “Why, who said so? How can you beat six men in a canoe race?” Kuapakaa said to the one who made the answer: “You had better get into that other canoe, making seven of you, and the two of us will race the seven of you.”
The other man then replied: “I am afraid I will be deprived of my share of our catch. How can our strength be compared to the strength of all such full grown men? We will never be able to beat them.” When Kuapakaa heard this, he said to the man: “You can take the other canoe then, making eight of you, while I shall take this canoe all by myself; and let us place our shares as our wagers. If you get ashore first, you can have my catch and if I make land first I will take your catch.”
This satisfied the others and they asked that Kuapakaa hand over his share of the fish for them to hold; but to this Kuapakaa replied: “No, I think you ought to give me the fish and I act as the stake-holder; because if I beat you, you will be apt to keep the stakes, and if I jump in to take it from you, you would beat me, for there are too many of you and I am all alone. But on the other hand, if you beat me, I will not be able to keep the stakes away from you for you are too many for me, you can take the stakes away from me anyhow.” There was nothing wrong in this, so it was agreed, and the fish were handed over to Kuapakaa. Soon after this, the preparations for the race commenced and the canoes were brought to the mark. As soon as the word was given, the paddles all came down with a jerk and away the two canoes went.
On the start the canoe containing the eight men took the lead, while the one containing Kuapakaa was left to the rear. As soon as Kuapakaa saw this, he called out to his grandmother, Laamaomao, to send him three surfs to carry his canoe to shore. Soon after the call, a large surf came from behind him and then another and another; by these surfs he was taken ashore. The other people, when they saw the surfs coming, were frightened, they being too large, and so they held back their canoe; in this way Kuapakaa rode in on the surfs alone and landed ahead of the others. As soon as Kuapakaa landed, he took the flying-fish and hid the whole lot within the canoe of Keawenuiaumi. When the others came ashore, they asked of Kuapakaa about the fish, saying: “Where is our fish?” “There is none left, I have given the whole lot away, for I knew it was mine.”
When the men heard this, they were satisfied, but were greatly surprised that such a small boy should beat them. They were, however, determined to try again, and proposed another race, saying to Kuapakaa: “Let us have another race.” Kuapakaa replied: “You can satisfy yourselves on that matter; but the trouble is I have nothing to wager against you.” They all said: “There is always one wager, our bones. If we beat you, you forfeit your life to us, and if you should beat us, why we forfeit ours.” Kuapakaa replied: “I do not want to wager our lives, for if I should win, your wives and children and your friends would weep for you; whereas on my side I am all by myself, without a single relative and can afford to die; but this is not the case with you. So therefore, if you think best we will wager some property, for there is my double canoe over there which you can have if you beat me.” The men replied: “That is not your canoe, it belongs to Keawenuiaumi.” Kuapakaa said: “Keawenuiaumi has no canoe there, that is my canoe. They were merely passengers, for I am the one that is keeping it; had the canoe been theirs they would have stayed by it and taken care of it.” The men then replied: “We do not want the canoe. We would much prefer that our lives be the wager.” The boy assented to this, saying: “All right, why not?”
The result of the first race was spread abroad about Kohala, Hamakua and Hilo. In the arrangement for the second race the men said to the boy: “The race must take place in Kau. Each canoe must be six fathoms in length.” This arrangement was also spread abroad until it went the whole round of Hawaii.