40 Bcruicc P. Bishop Muscinn — Bulletin 



Hawaiians tried to steal their food, and were always turned into stone on 

 the spot where they were overtaken. 



After they had been living in this valley for some time the king found 

 that many of his men were marrying Hawaiian women. This worried 

 him greatly as he was anxious to keep his race pure. At last he decided 

 to leave the islands. Summoning his counselors, his astrologers, and his 

 leading men, he told them his plans. They agreed with their king, and a 

 proclamation was issued calling all the Menehune together on the night 

 of the full moon. 



On the appointed night such a crowd gathered on the plain of Ma-hi-e 

 that the vegetation there was trampled down, and the place, to this day, 

 is barren. 



There, in the moonlight, the king saw all the Menehunc and their first- 

 born sons, and he addressed them with these words, "My people, you whom 

 I love, I have called you together to explain my plans for leaving this 

 island. I desire that we keep our race distinct from others, and in order 

 to do this we must go to other lands. You must leave behind you, your 

 wives chosen from the Hawaiian race. You may take with you only your 

 older sons. The food we have planted in this valley is ripe. It shall be 

 left for your wives." 



As soon as the king had finished speaking, a man called Mo-hi-ki-a said, 

 "We have heard your words, O King. I have married a Hawaiian woman 

 and we have a son grown to manhood. I have taught him all the skill 

 I possess in making stone and koa canoes. He can polish them as well as 

 hew them out. I beg you to take him in my place. He holds in his right 

 hand the stone adz for making stone canoes, and in his left hand the adz 

 for koa canoes. I have had mighty strength. No stone was too large for 

 me to move. No tree was too tall for me to cut down, and make into a 

 canoe. My son has strength, as I have had. Take him in my place. If at 

 any time you need me, send a messenger for me. My son can be that 

 messenger. He has been taught to run." 



Having heard this request, Kii-la-mi-ki, the speaker of the Menehune, 

 rose and answered in this manner : "You who beg to be left behind to live 

 with your Hawaiian wife, listen ! That woman has only lately come into 

 your life. The king has always been in your life. We see your first-born 

 there, but none of us have seen him work, and we do not know what he 

 can do. You say that you have taught him all you know in canoe building, 

 but we have never seen him work. We do not know that he can take 

 your place. We all feel that you must go with us." 



These words were echoed by a great chorus from the crowd: "He 

 shall not stay! He shall go!" 



