368 Pomander Collection of Hawaiian Folk-lore. 



mistaken in their interpretations ; because according to what I have seen, being also a 

 great priest, and in accordance with the knowledge gathered by my ancestors and 

 handed to me by them, your priests have indeed made a mistake in their interpreta- 

 tions to you, O Chief." Upon hearing this the chief asked Kapaahulani : "What are 

 your interpretations then? It is proper that you relate them." Kapaahulani then 

 replied to the chief : "My interpretations are these : If we go and make war upon Kualii, 

 we will be victorious in that battle. I believe that if we could go and make war upon 

 Kualii tomorrow, and it should happen that we meet him in the early morning, that 

 by noon the battle would not be fought;' but if we happen to meet his army at noon 

 time we would defeat him early in the evening." 



Because of these remarks, the chief thereupon ordered his men, amounting to 

 three lau (twelve hundred) to get ready to go to war. That night they went to the 

 upper part of Lihue, and from there on down to Honouliuli, till they arrived on the 

 plains of Keahumoa, just as the sun was coming up. At this same time Kapaahulani 

 saw the mark agreed upon by him and his brother. He then rushed to the front of 

 the army to the chief warriors and spoke to the people in the chief's immediate circle 

 as follows: 



"Say, Nuunewa (the chief warrior), we are surrounded by the enemy. I had 

 thought that we would be the victors if we arrived here first, but I see that we are sur- 

 rounded. Therefore I will chant my prayer, and if it should be acceptable this morn- 

 ing, we will be saved ; but if I chant my prayer and it should end badly this day, then 

 we will all be killed." 



Because of these remarks spoken by Kapaahulani, the chief's priests spoke up 

 saying: "It does seem strange. You told us that we would not be surrounded by the 

 enemy, and that we would be victorious if we were to reach this place first ; but it now 

 turns out that we are surrounded by the enemy." 



The chief then spoke up: "Stop your remarks. We have staked the life and 

 death of the army in his keeping, therefore we must abide by what he says. If what 

 he says is true, that we are indeed surrounded by the enemy, then it will redound to 

 his own good, and he shall be rewarded. But in case he lies and is deceiving us, then 

 my firm command as to his treatment is this: he shall die, and all his relations also, 

 and death shall gather up even those who befriend him." 



Kapaahulani then stood up in the presence of the army and prayed by chanting 

 the mele composed by him and his brother. 



' Would not be fought through, or decided. 



