Old Hawaiian Carvings. 



13 



i 



crushed through into the cave beneath the roadwa}-. It was found to contain many 

 articles, but the day was so far spent when the workmen had extricated the cart and horses 

 that they left further exploration for the next nioruing. They returned to work very 

 early, but the cave was empt}'. Doubtless the kahu had removed the deposit from the 

 opened cave to another in the neighborhood: caves are common enough in that region. 

 The Papa kupalupalu manu (two platters on which human flesh was used for 

 shark bait) of Alapai nui (died 1754) were in a puoa in Puuanahuln, North Kona, 



Hawaii, when the lava flow of 186S-69 threatened their 



% destrucflion. The cave was buried in the advancing 



*. stream, but the platters were removed to the house of 



the kahii in Kaupulehu where they were preserved until 

 April 8, 1883, when the last of the kahu, an old woman, 

 died. They were then sold and came to the Museum, 

 where they bear the numbers 157-158. 



A stone idol (Mus. No. 4898) was found in blasting 

 while road making; the blast opening a small cave which 

 was nearly filled by the image; this was secured at once 

 before any possible kahu could intervene. It is well 

 known that a house at Kailua, Hawaii, where Kameha- 

 meha died May 8, 1819, was filled with his pensonal 

 property and made kapu. What became of these kapued 

 things after the cessation of the kapu I do not know, 

 but he left several widows. 



3 and 4. Next in the list come the two aumakua or 

 household gods. In these the intricate carving almost 

 rivals the beautiful rapa (stern of a war canoe) of the 

 Maori carver, and is sufficiently shown in Plate XVII 

 and Figs. 5-6. The immense mouth and plentiful teeth 

 are iisual charadleristics of divine images, but the elabo- 

 rate head dress is b}' no means common, or on any of these images preserved in 

 museums. What it signifies I do not know, nor are there any natives here who can 

 or will tell. The terminal rod was almost universal and served to support the figure 

 on a pile of stones, on a heap of offerings, or in the ground while pra3'er was addressed 

 to it. These aumakua are fresh and unsoiled and have evidently been carefully pre- 

 served; probably thej' have never been exposed to the weather. They show no sexual 

 attribiites except the absence of mammse, and it may be noted here that no male figure 

 was found in this cave. The measiirements are: — 3. Height 26.7 in. from base of 

 feet to top of head dress ; from feet to end of rod 15.4 in. This rod has four polj^hedral 



[175] 



Fig. 12. INLAID IPU AINA IN 

 BISHOP MUSEUM. 



