KUKAILIMOKU. 



The Polynesian trinity of Kane, Kii and Lono, worshipped with yarions 

 attributes and together or indiyidually, deyeloped on the Hawaiian Group 

 a number of yariations from the Polynesian originals ( as indeed was the 

 case elsewhere), and from Ku was deriyed (not descended) the war-like 

 deity especially honored by the great Umi,"' and later bj- Kamehameha 

 who in other things as in parity of religion resembled his renowned prede- 

 cessor. One recalls with Mr. Ellis"° that Taire | Kaili | was a famous war 

 god of Tahiti. Kuakimotumotu is the Maori name of a cluster of stars 

 FIG 21 KU- placed on the breast of Rangi | Lani, the heayens | by his son Tane 

 KAii.iMOKr. j Kane I . Kamehameha was a religious man and from his war-like youth 

 to the last scenes in his yery aftiye life Kukailimoku was the god to whom due rites 

 were always paid. Hence it is not surprising that a number of effigies of this god, 

 made in the most costly wa\- known to the Hawaiians, — of feather work — should liaye 

 suryiyed the general destruAion of idols after the accession of Liholiho. 



It can hardly be out of place to trace briefly the conquest of the Group since 

 Kukailimoku was considered the dire6ling deity. On the death of Kalaniopuu, King 

 of Hawaii at the time of Cook's yisit, the kingdom was left to Kiwalao, his son by 

 Kalola, and to his foster son Kamehameha jointly, although the son was to be moi in 

 chief. This was at the beginning of 17S2 and before the year was half gone Kameha- 



-e> 



meha had slain his foster brother in the battle of Mokuohai. When Cook landed 

 Kalaniopuu was king of all Hawaii and of East Maui; Kahekili of West Maui; Kunia- 

 koa of Molokai; Keliiaa of Lanai; Kahahana of Oahu; and Keawe of Kauai. By the 

 death of Kiwalao Kamehameha became nominal king of Hawaii, but l)y this time 

 Kahekili had extended his power oyer all Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Oahu, and his 

 brother Kaeo was king of Kaiiai. All this change was not effe(5led without great loss 

 of life, and a part of the great decrease of population noticed by \\ancouyer in the four- 

 teen years since his yisit as sub-officer of Cook was due to these wars, which if not 

 always yery bloody certainly at times kept the ayerage a high one. After the con- 

 Cjuest of Oahu Kahekili ayenged a conspiracy against his rule by so bloody a punish- 

 ment that the Ka-po-luku or night of slaughter is said to haye choked with the bodies 

 of the slain the stream of Niuhelewai, just west of Honolulu; and at Moanalua a house 

 was built of the bones of the yi(5lims. Another terrible slaughter was at the hill of Kau- 

 wiki in Hana, East ]Maui, the result of which was to make Kahekili master of all Maui. 

 When Kamehameha heard of the capture of East Maui he at once prepared to 

 reconquer it and collecfled a considerable fleet of canoes at Kamilo in sight of the oppo- 



'9Unii was the son of Liloa, King of Hawaii. For his romantic Coutribittioni,o/ a vftwrabU' sai'ugc to tht- ancit'iit Uistoiv I'f tht' Ha'tvaiiati 

 story see Ri^cits d'nm I'i^tix' Sauz'agf pour sei"i'ir a I'histohe ancinutc dc Islands; Boston, iS6S, by the present author. 

 ffaivaii, pat Jules Rt-mv; or a translation of the same work entitled -"Polyut'stau Rfsrarcltirs, 1., zyS. 



31 



