Rice — Hazmiian Legends 35 



their tremendous strength and energy and their great numbers that they 

 were able to accompHsh the wonderful things they did. These pygmy 

 people were both obedient and industrious, always obeying their leaders. 

 Their average height was only from two feet, six inches, to three feet, 

 but they were intelligent and well organized. They took no food from 

 other lands, but cultivated enough for themselves. As they were hard 

 workers, they always had plenty of food. Their favorite foods were hau- 

 pia, a pudding made of arrow-root, sweetened with coconut milk; pala-ai, 

 the squash, and ko-ele-pa-lau, or sweet potato pudding. They were also 

 very fond of luau, the cooked young leaves of the taro, fern-fronds, and 

 other greens. They had elaborately made and carved wooden dishes and 

 utensils for their food. 



One curious thing about the Menehune was that they never worked 

 in daylight, as they never wanted to be seen. It was their rule that any 

 enterprise they undertook had to be finished in a single night. If this 

 could not be done they never returned to that piece of work. Being such 

 a strong people, they almost always finished the task in one night. It is 

 not known where their houses were, but it is said that they lived in caves 

 and hollow logs, and as soon as it began to be daylight, they all disappeared. 

 One great thing that they did was to cultivate the wild taro, either on the 

 pali or in the swamps, for they planted anywhere they could find room for 

 a single plant. 



On the cliffs of Kauai are still seen many paths and roads which were 

 built by them, and which are still called Ke-ala-pii-a-ka-Menehune, the 

 Trails-of-the-Menehune. These trails are still to be seen above Hanapepe, 

 Makaweli, Mana, Napali, Milolii, Nualolo and Hanapu. In the little 

 hollows on the cliffs, they planted wild taro, yams, ferns, and bananas. 

 No cliff was too steep for them to climb. 



They also built many heiaus, including those of Elekuna, Polihale, and 

 Kapa-ula, near Mana, Malae at Wailua, on the Lihue side of the river, just 

 above the road, and Poli-ahu on the high land, between the branching of the 

 Wailua river and the Opai-kaa stream. All the stones for these heiaus were 

 brought from Makaweli. The Menehune formed two lines, and passed 

 the stones from man to man. They also built the heiau at Kiha-wahine 

 on Niihau. It is built of coral rock and is oblong in shape, with two 

 corners fenced in as kapu places ; one for the sacrificial altar, and the other 

 for the kahitna, or high priest. 



The Menehune hewed out two stone canoes, which were called by the 

 Hawaiians, Waa-o-kau-meli-eli. These canoes, covered with earth, are 

 still to be found at the Mana side of the Waimea Hotel. 



