Rice — Hazvaiiaii Legends 41 



When at last the Menehune were quieted they heard the voice of the 

 high sheriff saying, "One word from the king, and we shall obey in every- 

 thing. It is only by listening to his words, and by obeying him that our 

 race shall be kept together. Otherwise rebellion will come. All must be 

 done as he says." 



Then a great stillness fell upon the assembled people. The herald of 

 the king rose, and cried out, "Let no word be spoken ! Words are kapu. 

 Meha melta^ be absolutely still! The heavens speak through the voice of 

 your king. Lie down on your faces before him!" 



After seeing these signs of his people's obedience the king rose and 

 said, "Listen, my people, to these words which shall come from my mouth. 

 I deny the request of Mo-ho-ki-a. I ask you not to leave him behind. We 

 shall start on our way tomorrow night. Take only what food you need for 

 a few days. Leave all the growing crops for the Hawaiian women you 

 have taken as wives, lest criticism fall upon us. Before we depart I wish 

 a monument to be erected to show that we have lived here." 



As soon as the people had heard these words they began to build a pile 

 of stones on the top of the mountain. When they had finished their work 

 they placed a grooved stone on top, as a monument to the Menehune king 

 and his leaders. Not far from it was dug a square hole, with caves in its 

 sides. This was the monument to the Menehune of common birth. 



When these last works of their hands were completed, the little men 

 raised such a great shout that the fish in the pond of Nomilu, across the 

 island, jumped in fright, and the moi, the wary fish, left the beaches. 



The rest of the night was used by the konohiki, who separated the men 

 into twenty divisions of sixteen thousand each. The women were divided 

 into eight divisions of twenty thousand each. Besides these, there were 

 ten thousand half-grown boys, and of girls up to the age of seventeen 

 there were ten thousand six hundred. Each division was placed under a 

 leader. The work of the first division was to clear the road of logs, and 

 similar obstructions. That of the second was to lower the hills. The third 

 was to sweep the path. Another division had to carry the sleds and sleep- 

 ing mats, for the king. One division had charge of the food and another 

 of the planting. One division was composed of kahuna, soothsayers, and 

 astrologers. Still another was made up of story-tellers, fun-makers, 

 minstrels, and musicians, who furnished amusement for the king. Some of 

 the musicians played the nose-flute, which was one and a half spans long, 

 and half an inch in diameter, and made of bamboo. One end was closed, 

 and about two inches below, was the hole into which they breathed, and 

 blew out the music. About the middle of the flute was another hole which 

 they fingered, to make the different notes. Others blew the ti-leaf trumpets. 



