250 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the number of men slain by them; ua ran , ua 
rau y ua rau , ka puaa i tioraia na rakou * four 
four hundreds, four hundreds, four hundreds of 
hogs have been thrown to them.f The whole 
island was considered as bound to pay them tri¬ 
bute, or support their heiaus, and kahu, (de¬ 
votees ;) and whenever the chiefs or people failed 
to send the proper offerings, or incurred their dis¬ 
pleasure by insulting them or their priests, or 
breaking the tabu (sacred restrictions) of their 
domains in the vicinity of the craters, they filled 
Kirauea with lava, and spouted it out, or, taking 
a subterranean passage, marched to some of their 
their houses (craters) in the neighbourhood where 
the offending parties dwelt, and from thence came 
down upon the delinquents with all their dreadful 
scourges. If a sufficient number of fish were not 
taken to them by the inhabitants of the sea-shore, 
they would go down, and with fire kill the fish, fill 
up with pahoehoe (lava) the shallow places, and de¬ 
stroy all the fishing-grounds. 
We were told that several attempts had been 
made to drive them off the islands, and that once 
they were nearly overpowered by Tamapuaa, child 
of a hog, from tama a child, and puaa a hog. He 
was the Centaur of Hawaii, a gigantic animal, 
half hog and half man. He travelled from Oahu 
to countries beyond the heavens, namely, beyond 
the visible horizon, the boundary where they sup- 
* This is a figurative expression signifying a great 
number, as we are accustomed to hear of thousands, and 
thousands, and thousands. 
f Vast numbers of hogs, some alive, others cooked, were 
thrown into the craters during the time they were in 
action, or when they threatened an eruption ; and also, 
during an inundation, many were thrown into the rolling 
torrent of lava, to appease the gods, and stay its progress. 
