EMEKsoN] UNWKITTEN LITERATURE OF HAWAII 131 



Kane, the chief god of the HaAvaiian i)antheoii, in company with 

 other immortals, his boon companions, met in revehy on the heights 

 bounding Wai-pi'o valley. AVith each potation of awa they sounded 

 a blast upon their conch-shells, and the racket was almost continuous 

 from the setting of the sun until drowsiness overcame them or the 

 coming of day put an end to their revels. 



The tumult of sound made it impossible for the priests to perform 

 accej)tably the offices of religion, and the pious king, Liloa, Avas dis- 

 tressed beyond measure. The Avhole valley was disturbed and 

 troubled with forebodings. at the suspension of divine worship. 



The chief offender was Kane himself. The trumpet which he held 

 to his lips was a conch of extraordinary size (pi. xrv') and credited 

 with a divine origin and the possession of supernatural power; its 

 note was heard above all the others. This shell, the famed Kiha-pu, 

 had been stolen from the heiau of Paka'a-hina, Liloa 's temple in Wai- 

 pi'o valley, and after many adventures had come into the hands of 

 god Kane, who used it, as we see, for the interruption of the very 

 services that Avere intended for his honor. 



The relief from this novel and imprecedented situation came from 

 an unexpected quarter. King Liloa's aAva-patches were -found to be 

 suffering from the nocturnal visits of a thief. A watch Avas set; the 

 thief proA^ed to be a dog, Puapua-lenalena, whose master Avas a con- 

 firmed aAva-toper. When master and dog AA^ere brought into the 

 presence of King Liloa, the shreAvd mcmarch divined the remarkable 

 character of the animal, and at his suggestion the dog Avas sent on 

 the errand Avhich resulted in the recovery by stealth of the famed 

 conch Kiha-pu. As a result of his loss of the conch, Kane put an 

 end to his revels, and the valley of Wai-pi'o again had peace. 



This mele is an admirable specimen of Hawaiian poetry, and may 

 be taken as representatiA^e of the best product of HaAvaii^s classical 

 period. The language is elegant and concise, free from the redun- 

 dancies that so often load down Hawaiian compositions. No one, it 

 IS thought, Avill den}^ to the subject-matter of this mele an unusual 

 degree of interest. 



There is a historic side to the story of the conch-shell Kiha-pvi. 

 Not many years ago the HaAvaiian Museum contained an ethnological 

 specimen of great interest, the conch-shell Kiha-pu. It Avas fringed, 

 after the fashion of a Avitch-doll, Avith strings, beads, and Avampum- 

 like bits of mother-of-pearl, and had great repute as a kupi/a or luck- 

 bringer. King Kalakaua, Avho affected a sentimental leaning to the 

 notions of his mother's race, took possession of this famous " curio " 

 and it disa^Dpeared from public view. 



