The History of Moikeha. 



CHAPTER I. 



IT IS commonly spoken of in the history of Moikeha that he came from the land 

 known as Moanlanuiakea, and that he was a great chief; that he had lived with 

 Kapo, from whom a child was born to whom he gave the name of Laamaikahiki. 

 That upon the arrival of Olopana and his wife Luukia in Tahiti from Hawaii, Moikeha 

 became infatuated with Luukia and soon after took her as his paramour. Olopana, 

 the husband of Luukia, harbored no ill feeling at this action of Moikeha, but looked 

 on without showing his disapproval, and was, in fact, of one mind with his friend. 



Some time after this Olopana became the prime minister of all the lands of 

 Tahiti. At about this time Mua, a Tahitian Prince, also became infatuated with 

 Luukia, but his approaches were not approved, or, rather, were not encouraged by 

 Luukia, although he, upon several occasions, pressed his suit with great vigor. When 

 he saw that although his suit was being rejected, that of Moikeha's was being accepted, 

 he thereupon made up his mind to sow discord between her and her lover, and in that 

 way persuade Luukia to be separated from Moikeha. 



Moikeha was a chief who was very fond of athletic sports and often joined in 

 the games of pahee," olohu,' and various other games. It was often the case at these 

 places where the games were held for people to gather and to cheer the winners. In 

 the course of these games the cheering and commotion were often heard by Luukia. 



One day Mua, in order to carry out his designs to sow discord between Moikeha 

 and Luukia, happened to be in the presence of Luukia when the cheering at the games 

 was heard, and, believing that the opportune moment was come, asked Luukia: "Say, 

 Luukia, do you hear the cheering at the king's games?" Luukia answered: "Yes, 

 I hear the cheering." Mua then remarked to Luukia: "You must not for one moment 

 think that that cheering at all means well for you. No, Moikeha is publicly defaming 

 you. That cheering is not intended for your good." 



Upon hearing these words of falsehood, Luukia took them to heart and believed 

 them to be true, so she grew angry at Moikeha and made up her mind not even to live 

 with him as in days gone by. Luukia thereupon ordered her immediate attendants to 

 lash herself in such a way as to bar herself against his approaches. Luukia was then 

 corded with a fine rope from her waist to the middle of her thighs, and the ends of the 

 rope were then fixed in such a way as to make them almost impossible to be found. 

 This cording, spoken of as the "pau of Luukia",^ is used as a covering for water-gourds. 



'This was a popular betting f;aine which "consisted of 

 sliding a slender stick or javelin some four or more feet 

 in length, first striking the ground or smoothed grassy 

 plot in its flight; a variation from the short cane-arrow 

 game oi pua. 



^ Oloku, as also iilu, was the name of a stone disk used 

 in a game of same name, more particularly on Maui and 

 Oahu. It was more generally known as iiiaika, the 



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game consisting of rolling this round, smooth stone the 

 greatest distance, on which heavy stakes were wagered, 

 even to one's bones, meaning life itself. 



'The covering of water-gourds, to which the "pau of 

 Luukia" is likened, was a woven network of cord, with- 

 out apparent beginning or ending. D. Malo says the 

 canoe-lashing of the Luukia kind was reserved for the 

 canoes of royalty and was known as, or called, kaholo. 



