THROUGH HAWAII. 
7? 
priests, to maintain their influence over the minds of 
the people. 
A smaller image of the same god was formed of nioi, 
a hard yellow wood, of which idols were usually made 
This was left at Morokai, the original being always 
carried about by Tamehameha, and, it is said, placed 
under his pillow whenever he slept. 
The following is the tradition given by the natives of 
the original idol. 
In the reign of Kumaraua , an ancient king of Mo¬ 
rokai, lived Kaneakama , a great gambler. Playing one 
day at maita, (a Hawaiian game,) he lost all that he 
possessed, except one pig, which, having dedicated to 
his god, he durst not stake on his game. In the even¬ 
ing he returned home, laid down on his mat, and fell 
asleep. His god appeared to him in a dream, and di¬ 
rected him to go and play again, on the following day, 
and stake this pig on his success in a particular part 
of the play. He awoke in the morning, did as the god 
had directed, and was remarkably successful through 
the day. Before he returned home in the evening, he 
went to the temple of his idol, and there dedicated the 
greater part of his gain. 
During his sleep that night the god appeared to him 
again, and requested him to go to the king, and tell 
him, that a clump of trees would be seen growing in a 
certain place in the morning; and that if he would 
have a god made out of one of them, he would reside 
in the image, and impart to it his power, signifying 
also, that Kaneakama should be his priest. • 
Early the next morning, the man who had received 
the communication from his god went and delivered it 
to the king, by whom he was directed to take a number 
