Legend of Iwa. 



Messengers of Umi Obtain Keaau's Famed Cowries. — Keaau Seeks a Smart Thief 

 TO Recover Them. — Learns of Iwa, a Boy, on Oahu, and Secures His Aid. — 

 Falling in with Umi Fishing with the Shells, the Boy Dives Down and Cuts 

 Them from the Line. — Reaching the Canoe They Set Out for Hilo. — Umi, 

 AT Loss of the Shells, Hears of and Finds Iwa, Who Steals Them Back from 

 Keaau. — Is Engaged to Steal Umi's Lost Axe from the VVaipio Temple, Then 

 Wins in a Thieving Contest Against Six Experts. 



THE SCENE of this legend is laid in Keaau, Puna, in which part of the country 

 there once lived a man by the name of Keaau, who owned two Iclw^ shells (cow- 

 ries ) called Kalokuna. Whenever the possessor of these shells went out squid 

 fishing- all that was necessary to do was to take and expose them and the squids would 

 come up and enter the canoe. This was Keaau's regular occupation every day. The ex- 

 istence of these extraordinary shells was in time carried to Umi, who was then living in 

 Kona. \Miereupon he ordered his messengers to go to the home of Keaau and obtain 

 ]wssession of them, and at their demand' the shells were given up and the messengers 

 returned with them to the king. 



After the shells were secured by LTmi, a deep yearning sprang up in the breast of 

 Keaau for them. After studying for a time for means of recovering the shells, he one 

 day prepared his canoe for sea, procured a pig, some awa and ouholowai^ and eleuli, 

 kapas of Olaa. The kapas he put into a calabash and then the pig, the awa and the 

 calabash were placed into the canoe, which he then boarded and set out on a journey 

 around Hawaii in search of some one who could steal back his shells from Umi. 



All through the district of Puna he found no smart thief.* He next traveled 

 through the district of Kau, without success ; then through Kona, still unable to find his 

 man. He next touched at Kohala, and on through that district and the district of Ha- 

 makua and Hilo, meeting with the same failure ; he found no one smart enough. Keaau 

 then left Hawaii for Maui and traveled around that island; still he met the same disap- 

 pointment. He found men good in the art of stealing, but none smart enough to recover 

 his shells. He next set out for Lanai and traveled around that island, but he met the 

 same fate. He then set out for Molokai and journeyed around it till, off the point of 

 Kalaeokalaau, he met a man of that island who was out fishing. The man upon seeing 

 him called out, saying: "Where is your canoe sailing for?" Keaau replied: "I am in 

 search of a person who can steal back my leho shells from Umi. I have here with me 



'The cowrie shells of greatest value to Hawaiians in 'The frequent mention in tradition of these kapas of 



squid fishing were those of dark reddish hue, contain- Olaa indicate them as treasurahle products of high value, 



ing the attractive fire, as they called it, necessary for The Ouhol()Z\.'ai kapa was made from the bark of the 



baiting the octopus. mainaki (Piptnrus albidus), dyed differently on its two 



'Old time Hawaiians had nothing they could hold as sides. The clcidi is described as a perfumed kapa, 



their own ; everything they possessed was liable to rarely met with. 



seizure by one or another of rank above them. 'Even in ancient Hawaii the principle of setting a 



thief to catcli a tliicf was understood and observed. 

 (284) 



