Storv of the Formation of these Islands and 

 Origin of this Race. 



CHAPTER I. 

 Prefatory Remarks. 



THERE are twelve islands in this group and tlie}- are situated in the Pacific 

 Ocean to the north of the Equator and between latitude i8° 54' and 22° 17', in 

 west longitude 154° 54'. The wise people are not all agreed as to the origin of 

 these islands, and some have thought that thej- appeared or grew up from the sea. 

 But according to the history of Hawaii, the ideas of the learned historians were entirely 

 different from that theory. According to the traditions of Wakea' and his wife Papa, 

 these islands were the real children of this pair, being born of Papa and having 

 Wakea for their father. Hawaii was the first child of Papa and Wakea, and some 

 time afterwards Maui was born, and in this manner there were successive births of 

 eleven islands. But Kahoolawe was not born of Papa and Wakea, but according to 

 the tradition or legend of Haumea, Hina' was the one who gave birth to this island 

 and it was called Kahoolawe. 



In the tradition of Opuukahonua^ it is therein claimed that the island of Hawaii 

 was found by a fisherman, and that Opuukahonua was the progenitor of this race; and 

 this is the story as told by the historian named Kahakuikamoana, one of the famous 

 men belonging to the order of priesthood. It is handed down in mele or poetic form: 



1 Then arose Hawaiinuiakea, 



Arose from inside, from the inner darkness. 

 Then appeared the island, the land, 

 The row of islands of Nuumea, 

 The group of islands on the borders of 

 Tahiti. 



2 Maui was born an island, a land, 



A dwelling place for the children of Kania- 

 lalawalu. 



■ Wakea and Papa as here shown are the traditional 

 creators of nearh* all the islands of the Hawaiian fjrou]). 

 Other legends refer to this pair as the progenitors of 

 the Hawaiian race; also, that Wakea was the eldest of 

 three sons of Kahiko, an ancestor of the people. From 

 Wakea sprang the line of chiefs, while the second son. 

 Lihau-ula, is stated as founding the priesthood. 



^Hina appears to have been a name easily conjured 

 with, for it figures, by itself, or with suggestive appel- 

 lations, more frequently than any other in events of 

 mythical character in the songs and traditions of Ha- 

 waii, and is well known also throughout Polynesia. 

 ( 2 ) 



3 Kuluwaiea of Haumea as the husband, 

 Of Hinanuiakalana as the wife 



Was born Molokai, a god, a priest, 

 The first morning lights from Nuumea. 



4 Here stands the king, the heavenly one,' 

 The life-giving water-drops, from Tahiti. 

 Lanai was found, an adopted child. 



5 It was Keaukanai who had married. 

 Had married with Waliuuu from Holani, 



^Opuukahonua (given also in places as Opukahonua) 

 signifies "budding earth", and it is coincident that the 

 account of the islands' birth is narrated by such a per- 

 sonification. In like manner the further tradition of 

 their origin is appropriately sung by Kahakuikamoana, 

 "the roar or boom of the sea", while the version by 

 Pakui, signifying "adde<l on; joined", deals with the 

 traditional development of the group. 



■•The first offspring is given figuratively as a yellow 

 flower; also, as the first morning light. 



'Referring to Kamehameha's kingly and ascribed 

 divine genealogy. 



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