IV.

IV.True to the answer returned to Kaoleioku by his messenger, Nunu and Kakohe reached Waipunalei the following night; and when they saw the warlike preparations, and learned that Umi was present and that the acclaim of revolt was to be raised in his name, they wept for joy. It was past midnight, and their limbs were weary, but they could not sleep. At their request the door of Umi’s room was pointed out to them, and they went and sat down beside it. For an hour or more they did not speak. Then, when all was still within the walls, in a low tone they began the legendary chant of the kings of Hawaii. As they proceeded with a record which few on the island beside themselves could correctly repeat, their voices rose with their enthusiasm, and in a few minutes hundreds of half-naked men crept from their barrack lodgings and stood listening to the metric sentences of the learned historians. As they reached the name of Kiha, Umi stepped without the door. The priests recognized him and rose to their feet. Then, continuing themele, they chanted the name of Kiha, of Liloa, of Hakau, and finally of Umi, represented as having wrested the sceptre from his unworthy brother, who was hated by his subjects and abandoned by the gods. With this they dropped on their knees before him and boldly saluted him asmoiof Hawaii.This acquainted many of the warriors present for the first time of Umi’s rank, and the wildest enthusiasm seized them. They asked to be led at once to Waipio, and were only quieted when Kaoleioku appeared and assured them that their patriotic wishes would soon be gratified.At first Kaoleioku deemed this early development of the purposes of the movement untimely, if not, indeed, unfortunate. Many preparations remained to be made. It had been a suggestionof Umi that a part of the rebel forces should be sent to Waipio by water; but the canoes necessary for the expedition had not been secured, and not more than a thousand warriors had reported. Secrecy could no longer be maintained, and immediate and open action appeared to be now unavoidable. Yet it was through Nunu and Kakohe that his plans had been thwarted, and while he felt annoyed at what they had done, he retired, hoping they had acted advisedly in the matter.The conduct of the priests was explained and approved the next morning. They urged immediate action. Hakau was not prepared for a sudden attack. For many years there had been no wars of consequence, and such of his supporters as the king could hastily summon to his assistance would be improperly armed and without discipline.Their advice was for Umi to raise the standard of revolt at once. This news they would take to Waipio, with the further information that, although preparing for rebellion, Umi would not be strong enough to act for some time. Alarmed, Hakau would consult the high-priest Laeanui, who, notwithstanding their relations, was secretly his enemy, and a plan could be devised to induce the king to send his household guards and immediate followers to the mountains on some religious errand, when Umi, apprised of the situation by fires kindled at intervals on the hill-tops between Waipio and Waipunalei, could swoop down with a few hundred resolute warriors and seize the king and the capital, and thus with a bold stroke achieve a bloodless triumph.When the priests had developed this plan of action Kaoleioku rose to his feet and exclaimed with excitement:“The gods have instructed you!”“You have spoken truly; the gods have indeed instructed our friends!” said Umi, impressively; “for was it not said in your dreams that the victory would be bloodless if the spears of Hakau were sent beyond the call of theKiha-pu?”“The meaning is now plain,” returned the priest, reverentially. “The gods are with us, and we will be directed by them.”All the details were then carefully arranged, and the two priests returned to Waipio. It was soon rumored that they brought news of Umi, and Hakau sent for them, as had been expected. Fear had somewhat humbled him, and he greeted themwith what seemed to be the greatest friendship and cordiality. He even chided them for absenting themselves so long from the royal mansion, where their visits, he assured them, would always be welcome. They assumed to be greatly gratified at his protestations of good-will, but secretly despised him for his shallow hypocrisy.When questioned by the king the priests frankly informed him that they had left Umi and Kaoleioku together no longer than the day before, and advised him to lose no time in despatching to the mountains all the men he could summon, to gather fresh feathers of rare birds with which to redecorate his god of war.Hakau was startled by this advice, for the ceremony ofkauilaakuawas never performed except in times of war or other imminent peril.“What!” he exclaimed, with assumed astonishment, “shall this be done because Umi lives, and you have seen him with the high-priest ofManini?”“No; not because Umi lives,” replied Nunu quietly, “but because he is preparing for rebellion.”“Rebellion!” repeated Hakau, angrily. “Does he expect to be able to maintain himself in Hilo?”“His aims reach beyond Hilo,” ventured the priest.“To Puna?”“Beyond Puna.”“To Kau?”“Beyond Kau.”“Then he must aim at the whole island,” exclaimed Hakau, savagely.“At the whole island,” repeated the priest, maliciously.“He shall have land enough to bury him, and no more!” hissed the king. “But you are croakers, both of you. Before considering your advice I shall consult Laeanui and the seers ofPaakalani, and hear what the gods say of this wide-spread conspiracy, as your fears and cowardice tell the story.”Hakau abruptly dismissed the priests, and despatched a messenger for the high-priest Laeanui, but it was late in the afternoon before he could be found. He was old and venerable in appearance, and his hair, white as the snows of Mauna Kea, fell to his knees, covering his shoulders like a veil.They had met but rarely since the death of Liloa, for the old priest seldom left the temple grounds, and Hakau as seldom visited them; and as the bearded and white-haired prophet entered the royal mansion, all bent respectfully before him, and a feeling of awe crept over the king as the priest stood silently and with folded arms before him.“My greeting to you, venerable servant of the gods!” said the king.The priest bowed, but remained silent, and Hakau resumed abruptly:“I have learned that Umi and a priest named Kaoleioku are plotting treason together in Hilo, near the borders of Hamakua. What know you of Kaoleioku?”“A man to be feared if he is in earnest,” replied the priest curtly.“Have auguries of the movement been invoked?” inquired the king.With a gesture the priest replied in the negative.“And why not?” continued Hakau, impetuously. “What are priests and temples for, if not to guard the kingdom against coming dangers?”“If it so please them, the gods answer when they are asked through sacrifice,” replied the priest; and then, with rising anger, he continued: “Your father respected the gods, and came to the temple when he would consult them, and his son must do the same.”“Well, then,” said Hakau, discovering that the priest neither loved nor feared him, “I will be at the temple to-night, some time after sunset, and have you there the best of your diviners.”“I shall await your coming,” replied Laeanui, briefly, as he bowed low and retired.“Although he gave me his daughter,” muttered Hakau, as Laeanui left the room, “he has no love for me, and I as little for him. But no matter; I must not quarrel with him now. Wait until I have dealt with Umi and his confederates, and then—” But he did not finish the sentence, for he suddenly recollected that the high-priesthood was an inherited position, like his own, and its bestowal was not a royal prerogative. There were bloody means of creating vacancies, however, and these flashed through the wicked brain of Hakau.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.The night that followed was dark, with a steady wind from the northwest and occasional showers. It was some time after sunset before the king entered the outer gate of theheiauofPaakalani. He was accompanied by four attendants, two of whom bore a muzzled pig and two fowls; the others were trusty friends. Akukuitorch was kept burning in front of the house of the high-priest, another between the altar and inner court, and a third near the entrance of the royal retreat, with which thatheiau, like many others, was provided. Toward the latter Hakau and his party proceeded, and were soon joined by Laeanui and a number of officiating priests andkilos.Entering the royalhale, a few words passed between the king and Laeanui, when the attendants of Hakau were relieved of their burdens and sent without the enclosure. Thekaika, or large sacrificial drum, was then sounded with three measured strokes, and in a few minutes six officiating priests, three of them with knives in their hands and the others bearing torches, made their appearance. To them the pig and fowls were entrusted, and, preceded by the torch-bearers, the king and high-priest, followed by the attendants of the temple, with measured pace moved toward the altar.Reaching the place of sacrifice, the high-priest uttered a prayer to the godhead, and separate supplications toKane,KuandLono, intoned by the assisting priests, when the fowls were decapitated and their headless bodies placed upon the altar. The priest watched them until they were motionless, and then opened them and carefully examined the heart, liver and entrails of each.The king glanced anxiously at the priest, but the latter made no response. The pig was then ordered to be slain. The throat of the animal was cut and its bleeding body was also placed upon the altar. The flow of the blood was scrupulously noted, and, after the respirations had been counted and the animal ceased to breathe, the body was hastily opened. The spleen was removed and held above the head of the priest while another prayer was spoken, and then the other organs were separately examined.Completing the inspection, Laeanui stepped back from the altar.“Well,” said the king, impatiently, “what say the gods?”“The gods are angry, and the portents are evil,” replied the priest.“Then promise them a hundred human sacrifices,” exclaimed Hakau. “If their favor is to be purchased with blood, I will drown theheiauwith an ocean of it. But,” he continued, “I am not satisfied with these auguries. Let me hear from theanu.”Immediately behind the altar was the entrance to the inner court of the temple. Within, and about three paces back from the door, which was covered with a wide breadth ofkapa, was placed theanu, a wicker enclosure four or five feet in diameter, in which stood the oracle. On each side of the entrance were carved images ofKane,Ku,Lonoand other Hawaiian deities, while at intervals of three or four feet along the walls a score or more of gods of lesser potency stood guard above the sacred spot.To the last request of Hakau the priest replied: “The king shall hear from theanu.”The lights were then extinguished, and all except the king and high-priest retired some distance from the altar, that no whisper of the oracle might reach them. Hakau was nervous as he stepped with the priest in front of the entrance to the inner temple. A prayer was uttered by the priest; thekapascreen was drawn aside by hands unseen, and the king stood looking into the intense darkness of thesanctum sanctorumof the temple.“Speak!” said the priest, withdrawing behind the altar, and leaving the king alone before theanu.“Speak!” repeated a hollow voice from within the sacred enclosure.For some minutes Hakau remained awed and silent; then, in a voice which scarcely seemed to be his own, he said:“Great power, I hear that dangers threaten.”“Dangers threaten!” came like an echo from within.“How may they be averted?” inquired the king.For a time there was no answer. Finally a voice from theanureplied:“Do homage toKane; make glad the war-god of Liloa!”“So do I promise,” answered the king; “but will that give me victory?”“Victory!” was repeated from theanu.Elated at what he had heard, Hakau continued:“Now tell me, mighty spirit, whether Umi—”“Nothing more!” interrupted the voice from within, as thekapasuddenly dropped before the entrance.“Well, thanks for so much,” said Hakau, turning and joining the priest at the altar, and repeating to him, with some favorable additions, the words that he had heard. Darkness hid the smile upon the lips of Laeanui.“The day after to-morrow we will hold here a festival toKane, and the altar shall be heaped with offerings,” said the king. “To-morrow I will send my people to the mountains to gather feathers of sacred and royal colors, andKaili, the neglected war-god of Liloa, shall be made glorious in new plumage and glad with abundant sacrifice.”“It is well,” replied the priest.“Now let the conspirators marshal their spears!” continued Hakau, confidently, “and we will make short work of them. They cannot be punished in the hills of Hilo. With a showing of weakness we will lure them to Waipio, and not one of them shall escape. We will cut off their retreat, and close in their faces the gates of thepuhonui!”As already mentioned, of the twopuhonuis, or places of refuge, on Hawaii at that time, one was an adjunct of theheiauofPaakalani, at Waipio. In times of war their gates, with white flags to mark them, were always open, and those who succeeded in passing into the enclosure were safe from assault, even though pursued by the king himself.This savage proposal to close the gates of thepuhonuiwas promptly resented by Laeanui. He would as soon have thought of tumbling the gods from their pedestals and consigning them to the flames.“You suggest what is impossible,” said the priest. “Since the days of Wakea thepuhonuihas been sacred. Its gates cannot be closed to the defenceless, and the gods have said that he who shuts them against the weak shall seek in vain their shelter from the arm of the strong.”“Well, then, keep them open!” retorted the king, sharply. “They will run swiftly who enter them!”Torches were relighted, and the king and his attendants left theheiau. They had not passed beyond the outer wall before Nunu emerged from the inner court. His was the voice that had answered the king from theanu. Thus in the temple ofPaakalaniwas shaped the destruction of Hakau, and the priests whom he had insulted and defied opened broadly and surely the way to his death.The next morning an unusual commotion was observed in and around the royal mansion, and as party after party left the inclosure—some proceeding toward the sea-coast, and others up the valley and into the mountains beyond—the villagers wondered at the proceeding, and predicted that a stricttabuwould soon follow, whatever might be the occasion. But when they learned that the war-god was to be redecorated, and an imposing religious festival was to follow the day after, they knew that trouble of some kind was anticipated by the king, and soon found a correct explanation of the movement in the rumors which they, too, had heard concerning Umi and his friends in Hilo and eastern Hamakua. The possibility of an uprising against Hakau gave them no uneasiness, however, for his cruelties had secured for him their hatred, while the name of Umi was to all classes a synonym of strength and gentleness.The king was not indifferent to the danger with which he was about to be confronted, and promptly despatchedlunapaisto the district chiefs of Kohala, Kona, and Hamakua, ordering them to report without delay at Waipio with two thousand warriors each, while the governor of Hilo was commanded by a speciallunapaito march at once with a body of warriors to Waipunalei, with the view of precipitating the movement of Umi upon Waipio, where, it was not doubted, he would be overwhelmed and crushed.All these were proper precautions, but they were taken too late; for at the time the feather-hunters andlunapaiswere leaving on their respective missions, Umi, at the head of over two thousand well-armed and resolute warriors, had reached a point within a two hours’ march of Waipio, and was awaiting a signal to swoop down upon the valley.And now let us return to Waipunalei, and note what had been occurring there during the preceding forty-eight hours. As soon as the priests left for Waipio, two days before, trusty and intelligent sentinels followed and took their respective stations, designated by Maukaleoleo, on the summits of seven different hill-tops discernible from each other from Waipunalei to Waipio. The first, coming eastward from Waipio, was three miles,perhaps, from the temple ofPaakalani; the last was a rocky pinnacle about four miles from Waipunalei. This was the station of Maukaleoleo.The sentinels were instructed to gather large heaps of dry grass and bark; to keep small fires smouldering and ready for use; to vigilantly watch the peaks in the direction of Waipio; to apply the torch the instant a signal-fire was seen, and keep the pile burning until it was plainly answered by the next station toward Waipunalei.All that day and through the following night armed men were arriving at the rendezvous at Kaoleioku’s, until something more than two thousand warriors had reported, and every spare moment of the next day was devoted to forming them into companies and battalions, giving them leaders and preparing them for a rapid march.Many of the warriors were accompanied by their wives, daughters or sisters; for in those days, and later, women not unfrequently followed their fathers, brothers and husbands to battle, generally keeping in the rear to furnish them with food and water, but sometimes, in a close and desperate conflict, mingling bravely in the fight. In such cases they gave and received blows, and expected and were accorded no consideration because of their sex.Instances are given in Hawaiian tradition of the tide of battle being turned, on more than one occasion, by desperate women transformed from camp-followers into warriors; and as late as 1819 we behold Manona, wife of Kekuokalani, the last sturdy champion of the gods of his fathers, falling lifeless in battle upon the body of her dead husband at Kuamoo, while Kaahumanu and Kalakau, widows of the great Kamehameha, commanded the fleet of canoes operating with the land forces under Kalaimoku.After the visit of the priests from Waipio the purpose of the revolt was no longer disguised, and whenever Umi made his appearance among the assembled and assembling warriors he was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm. His romantic history was known to them, and had been made the theme of song. His many triumphs at the festival given by Liloa in honor of his formal recognition were recited by those who had witnessed them, and his grand proportions and noble bearing stamped himas of chiefly blood; and when his friends Piimaiwaa and Omaukamau spoke of the great learning displayed by him when questioned by the priests, and intimated that he had been instructed by the gods and was under their care, every doubt of success vanished, and the order for an advance upon Waipio was awaited with impatience.Maukaleoleo mysteriously came and went, but always at night, and seldom remaining longer than a few minutes. He was known to all within the enclosure, and allowed to pass unchallenged, as he could be mistaken for no one else. As he strode through the gateway, bearing a spear scarcely less than thirty feet in length, the sentinels regarded him with awe; and when they saw him converse with Umi and then silently depart, they shook their heads and said, “Perhaps he isLono!”The temple ofManini, dedicated by Liloa just before his meeting with the mother of Umi, and of which Kaoleioku was the high-priest, was a reconstruction and enlargement of an oldheiauwhich was in existence certainly as early as the time of the warlike Kalaunuiohua, who reigned between the years 1260 and 1300. With a large army and proportionate fleet of canoes he invaded Maui, Molokai and Oahu, and, taking their captured sovereigns with him, made a descent upon Kauai. But his triumphs ended there. After an obstinate battle he was defeated and taken prisoner, but was subsequently released and permitted to return to his own kingdom.It was during the reign of this sovereign that the prophetess Waahia lived. She accompanied him in his expeditions as far as Oahu, but refused to proceed with him to Kauai. She declared that the gods would bring calamity upon him if he invaded that island, and sought to persuade him to consolidate his conquests and return to Hawaii. But the warrior-king cared but little for priests or temples, and was in the habit of destroying both when they failed to subserve his purposes. Enraged at the unfavorable auguries of Waahia, and fearful that they might come to the ears of and demoralize his warriors, the king induced her to return to Hawaii. One tradition says she voluntarily abandoned Kalaunuiohua, while another relates that she consented to return only on condition that the war-god of the king be sent back with her. This god had been in the reigning family of Hawaii since the days of Paao, and had been sanctified by that father of thepriesthood. To distinguish it from other war-gods it was known asAkuapaao, and was held in great veneration. When asked for an explanation of the strange request, the prophetess boldly declared that, if the god was taken to Kauai, it would never return except at the head of a conquering army that would make of Hawaii a tributary kingdom.“Then take it with you!” exclaimed the king, savagely, “and if I return to Hawaii alive I will burn you both together!”“You will burn neither,” said Waahia. “When you return to Hawaii you will think better of the gods and their servants; and in generations to come, when angry spears shall be crossed in thehaleof the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.”The prophetess prepared to embark. The god, wrapped in a fold ofkapa, so that it might not be recognized, was brought to the beach and delivered to the departing seeress. The canoe, which was large enough to accommodate thirty persons, was shoved into the surf. It was provided with food and a calabash of water. Declining all assistance or companionship in her journey, Waahia stepped into the canoe with the image in her arms, and, after carefully depositing it in the bow of the boat, returned and seated herself near the stern. Half a dozen men were waiting for the word to launch the canoe from the sands upon which the stern was lightly resting. But the seeress raised no sail, touched no oar. For some minutes she sat, silent and motionless, with bent head and clasped hands, as if in prayer, while hundreds of curious eyes watched her in amazement, wondering what would become of her, even should the unmanned craft be successful in passing the breakers. Then she slowly rose to her feet, and the canoe began to glide toward the reef. Faster and faster it moved, until, mounting a retreating wave, it was borne swiftly out into the calmer waters; then, slightly turning in its course, it dashed southward with the speed of the wind, and was soon lost to the view of the awe-stricken beholders.Waahia looked beneath the waves and smiled, forUkanipo, the shark-god, with scores of assistants, was bearing her onward; and then from hisipu Laamaomao, the Hawaiian Æolus, let loose the imprisoned winds, and refreshing zephyrs cooled the face of the prophetess and accelerated the speed of the canoe, until it seemed to leap from wave to wave; and great sea-birds screamedwith fright as it dashed past and awoke them from their billowy slumbers, leaving behind it a long trail of troubled waters.Passing to the southward of the intervening islands, the canoe was borne with undiminished speed through the channel of Alenuihaha to the northeastern coast of Hawaii, and before sunset was beached at Koholalele. The prophetess knew the meaning of this. Near by was the oldheiauofManini, and thither, as she felt instructed, was taken and deposited the war-godAkuapaao, with the solemn injunction to the high-priest in charge that it was never to be removed from the inner court unless the life of themoiwas in peril or the kingdom was invaded by a foreign foe.The oldheiauhad given place to a more imposing structure during the reign of Liloa. Its outer walls had been enlarged, raised and repaired, and its inner belongings improved and redecorated; but its sacred relics had not been disturbed, and its many gods remained where they had been for generations.Among the most sacred idols of the temple, even after the death of Liloa, was theAkuapaao. Its name indicated alike its age and sanctity; and while the legends connected with it had become vague and distorted in their transmission through a long line of priests, the prophecy of Waahia still clung to it, and it was especially reverenced by the few to whom was entrusted the secret of its functions.Hakau had learned of this god from his royal father, and the same morning that his retainers were sent to the hills for feathers two priests were despatched to Koholalele, with orders to bring to Waipio, in the king’s name and without delay, the war-godAkuapaao. Should the priests of the temple refuse to surrender the idol, then the messengers were instructed to call upon the district chiefs for assistance, and take it by force, no matter at what cost of life.But the king was too late, for at early daylight of the morning of the day before his messengers left Waipio, Maukaleoleo strode into the rebel headquarters with theAkuapaaoin his arms. Kaoleioku had, of course, instructed the giant where and how to secure the image, for in years past he had been its custodian, and his orders continued to be obeyed by the priests ofManini. The idol, completely wrapped inkapa, was deposited in the privateheiauof the high-priest, and Maukaleoleo left the enclosureas quietly as he had entered it a few minutes before. The sentinels wondered, as usual, but bowed in silence as he came and went.The priest rose with the sun, and learned that Maukaleoleo had already been a visitor that morning. He hastened to theheiau, and there found theAkuapaao. He was overjoyed. He removed thekapacovering from the idol, placed it upon a pedestal between the images ofKuandLono, and then found Umi and brought him to theheiau. Entering, Kaoleioku closed the door and pointed to theAkuapaao. Umi bowed reverently before it.“Listen, O Umi!” said the priest; “listen, O son of Liloa! Behold the war-god of your fathers! It was sanctified by the touch of Paao, and for generations, in the inner chamber ofManini, has awaited your coming. From Waahia, the prophetess, have come down, through the chief priests of theheiau, these words: ‘When angry spears shall be crossed in the hale of the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be the stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.’ The spears are about to be crossed; the god is here; let yours be the hand, and not Hakau’s, to place thelei-aiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao!”The words of the prophecy came to Umi as a dream. Overwhelmed with their significance, he fell upon his knees and exclaimed:“God of my fathers! be you my guide until I prove unworthy of your protection!”“Your realm is yet small,” said the priest, “and is enclosed within these walls. Let us pay respect to the gods, that its boundaries may be enlarged.”Thereupon a stricttabuwas ordered to all within the walls, to begin at midday and continue until the setting of the sun. The time was brief, but events were pressing, and it could not safely be extended.Thetabu, orkapu, as it is sometimes written, was strictly a prerogative of the high chiefs and priests of olden Hawaii. There were fixedtabusof custom, and declaredtabusof limited duration by the temporal and spiritual rulers. The penalty for the violation of alltabuswas death. It wastabuof custom for men and women to eat together, or for women to eat of the flesh of swine, fowls, turtle and many kinds of fish. Everythingbelonging to the kings, priests and temples wastabu, or sacred, and springs, paths, fishing-grounds, water-courses, etc., were frequently thus kept from the use of the people. Declared generaltabus, for the propitiation of the gods or the amelioration of a public evil, were either strict or common, according to the emergency. During the time of a commontabuthe people were required to abstain from their usual avocations and attend at theheiau, where morning and evening prayers were offered. A stricttabuwas more sacred. While it continued—generally one or two days—all, with the exception of thealii-nuiand priests, were compelled to remain within doors. Every fire and every light was extinguished; no canoe was launched; all noises ceased; the pigs and dogs were muzzled, and fowls were placed under calabashes. Thesetabuswere proclaimed by heralds, and their wanton violation was an unpardonable offence.In preparation for thetabuto be declared by Umi, flowers and feathers were brought, andleisof both were woven. Everything being in readiness, heralds proclaimed thetabuand its duration, with the further announcement that the occasion was the arrival of the mighty war-godAkuapaaoand its coming decoration by Umi.As the sun touched the mark of meridian, the gates of the enclosure were barred and guarded by the religious attendants of the priest; the fires were everywhere extinguished; the few animals within the walls were either muzzled or hidden; men, women and children suddenly disappeared within their dwellings or quarters, and mats were hung at the openings; Umi and the priest retired alone to theheiauand closed the door, and silence, disturbed only by low whispers and the muffled footfalls of the watching priests, reigned over the twenty-five hundred persons gathered within the enclosure.In theheiau, or apartment of the gods, to which Umi and the high-priest retired, were a number of images and sacred relics. Near the centre of the room was a small altar, upon which had been deposited theleisprovided for the decoration ofAkuapaao. They sat down beside it, and for an hour or more nothing was heard but the whispered prayers of the priest, addressed in turn to the several gods before him. Then, rising and leading Umi by the hand to theAkuapaao, in a low voice he formally presented him to the god as the son of Liloa and rightful ruler of the Hawaiianpeople. Another prayer was uttered, and then Umi, with the words, “Accept this, OAkuapaao, with the homage of Umi!” proceeded reverently to place around the head and neck of the image a number of fragrantleisof flowers and wreaths of brilliant feathers.The priest watched the act intently. As the last wreath of feathers, resembling a crown in appearance—thelei-hula-alii—was placed upon the head of the image, a sunbeam flashed through what seemed to be a small rent in the thatched roof, and for a moment haloed the heads of Umi and the god. The priest read the answer and smiled. He felt as assured of the favor of the gods as if it had been pledged in a voice of thunder, and Umi bent low in acknowledgment of the joyful revelation.The sun dropped behind the hills; twilight turned to bronze the gold of the valleys, and thetabuwas at an end. It was proclaimed that the auguries were highly favorable, and the silence of thetabuwas broken by wild strains of music and shouts of rejoicing.

IV.True to the answer returned to Kaoleioku by his messenger, Nunu and Kakohe reached Waipunalei the following night; and when they saw the warlike preparations, and learned that Umi was present and that the acclaim of revolt was to be raised in his name, they wept for joy. It was past midnight, and their limbs were weary, but they could not sleep. At their request the door of Umi’s room was pointed out to them, and they went and sat down beside it. For an hour or more they did not speak. Then, when all was still within the walls, in a low tone they began the legendary chant of the kings of Hawaii. As they proceeded with a record which few on the island beside themselves could correctly repeat, their voices rose with their enthusiasm, and in a few minutes hundreds of half-naked men crept from their barrack lodgings and stood listening to the metric sentences of the learned historians. As they reached the name of Kiha, Umi stepped without the door. The priests recognized him and rose to their feet. Then, continuing themele, they chanted the name of Kiha, of Liloa, of Hakau, and finally of Umi, represented as having wrested the sceptre from his unworthy brother, who was hated by his subjects and abandoned by the gods. With this they dropped on their knees before him and boldly saluted him asmoiof Hawaii.This acquainted many of the warriors present for the first time of Umi’s rank, and the wildest enthusiasm seized them. They asked to be led at once to Waipio, and were only quieted when Kaoleioku appeared and assured them that their patriotic wishes would soon be gratified.At first Kaoleioku deemed this early development of the purposes of the movement untimely, if not, indeed, unfortunate. Many preparations remained to be made. It had been a suggestionof Umi that a part of the rebel forces should be sent to Waipio by water; but the canoes necessary for the expedition had not been secured, and not more than a thousand warriors had reported. Secrecy could no longer be maintained, and immediate and open action appeared to be now unavoidable. Yet it was through Nunu and Kakohe that his plans had been thwarted, and while he felt annoyed at what they had done, he retired, hoping they had acted advisedly in the matter.The conduct of the priests was explained and approved the next morning. They urged immediate action. Hakau was not prepared for a sudden attack. For many years there had been no wars of consequence, and such of his supporters as the king could hastily summon to his assistance would be improperly armed and without discipline.Their advice was for Umi to raise the standard of revolt at once. This news they would take to Waipio, with the further information that, although preparing for rebellion, Umi would not be strong enough to act for some time. Alarmed, Hakau would consult the high-priest Laeanui, who, notwithstanding their relations, was secretly his enemy, and a plan could be devised to induce the king to send his household guards and immediate followers to the mountains on some religious errand, when Umi, apprised of the situation by fires kindled at intervals on the hill-tops between Waipio and Waipunalei, could swoop down with a few hundred resolute warriors and seize the king and the capital, and thus with a bold stroke achieve a bloodless triumph.When the priests had developed this plan of action Kaoleioku rose to his feet and exclaimed with excitement:“The gods have instructed you!”“You have spoken truly; the gods have indeed instructed our friends!” said Umi, impressively; “for was it not said in your dreams that the victory would be bloodless if the spears of Hakau were sent beyond the call of theKiha-pu?”“The meaning is now plain,” returned the priest, reverentially. “The gods are with us, and we will be directed by them.”All the details were then carefully arranged, and the two priests returned to Waipio. It was soon rumored that they brought news of Umi, and Hakau sent for them, as had been expected. Fear had somewhat humbled him, and he greeted themwith what seemed to be the greatest friendship and cordiality. He even chided them for absenting themselves so long from the royal mansion, where their visits, he assured them, would always be welcome. They assumed to be greatly gratified at his protestations of good-will, but secretly despised him for his shallow hypocrisy.When questioned by the king the priests frankly informed him that they had left Umi and Kaoleioku together no longer than the day before, and advised him to lose no time in despatching to the mountains all the men he could summon, to gather fresh feathers of rare birds with which to redecorate his god of war.Hakau was startled by this advice, for the ceremony ofkauilaakuawas never performed except in times of war or other imminent peril.“What!” he exclaimed, with assumed astonishment, “shall this be done because Umi lives, and you have seen him with the high-priest ofManini?”“No; not because Umi lives,” replied Nunu quietly, “but because he is preparing for rebellion.”“Rebellion!” repeated Hakau, angrily. “Does he expect to be able to maintain himself in Hilo?”“His aims reach beyond Hilo,” ventured the priest.“To Puna?”“Beyond Puna.”“To Kau?”“Beyond Kau.”“Then he must aim at the whole island,” exclaimed Hakau, savagely.“At the whole island,” repeated the priest, maliciously.“He shall have land enough to bury him, and no more!” hissed the king. “But you are croakers, both of you. Before considering your advice I shall consult Laeanui and the seers ofPaakalani, and hear what the gods say of this wide-spread conspiracy, as your fears and cowardice tell the story.”Hakau abruptly dismissed the priests, and despatched a messenger for the high-priest Laeanui, but it was late in the afternoon before he could be found. He was old and venerable in appearance, and his hair, white as the snows of Mauna Kea, fell to his knees, covering his shoulders like a veil.They had met but rarely since the death of Liloa, for the old priest seldom left the temple grounds, and Hakau as seldom visited them; and as the bearded and white-haired prophet entered the royal mansion, all bent respectfully before him, and a feeling of awe crept over the king as the priest stood silently and with folded arms before him.“My greeting to you, venerable servant of the gods!” said the king.The priest bowed, but remained silent, and Hakau resumed abruptly:“I have learned that Umi and a priest named Kaoleioku are plotting treason together in Hilo, near the borders of Hamakua. What know you of Kaoleioku?”“A man to be feared if he is in earnest,” replied the priest curtly.“Have auguries of the movement been invoked?” inquired the king.With a gesture the priest replied in the negative.“And why not?” continued Hakau, impetuously. “What are priests and temples for, if not to guard the kingdom against coming dangers?”“If it so please them, the gods answer when they are asked through sacrifice,” replied the priest; and then, with rising anger, he continued: “Your father respected the gods, and came to the temple when he would consult them, and his son must do the same.”“Well, then,” said Hakau, discovering that the priest neither loved nor feared him, “I will be at the temple to-night, some time after sunset, and have you there the best of your diviners.”“I shall await your coming,” replied Laeanui, briefly, as he bowed low and retired.“Although he gave me his daughter,” muttered Hakau, as Laeanui left the room, “he has no love for me, and I as little for him. But no matter; I must not quarrel with him now. Wait until I have dealt with Umi and his confederates, and then—” But he did not finish the sentence, for he suddenly recollected that the high-priesthood was an inherited position, like his own, and its bestowal was not a royal prerogative. There were bloody means of creating vacancies, however, and these flashed through the wicked brain of Hakau.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.The night that followed was dark, with a steady wind from the northwest and occasional showers. It was some time after sunset before the king entered the outer gate of theheiauofPaakalani. He was accompanied by four attendants, two of whom bore a muzzled pig and two fowls; the others were trusty friends. Akukuitorch was kept burning in front of the house of the high-priest, another between the altar and inner court, and a third near the entrance of the royal retreat, with which thatheiau, like many others, was provided. Toward the latter Hakau and his party proceeded, and were soon joined by Laeanui and a number of officiating priests andkilos.Entering the royalhale, a few words passed between the king and Laeanui, when the attendants of Hakau were relieved of their burdens and sent without the enclosure. Thekaika, or large sacrificial drum, was then sounded with three measured strokes, and in a few minutes six officiating priests, three of them with knives in their hands and the others bearing torches, made their appearance. To them the pig and fowls were entrusted, and, preceded by the torch-bearers, the king and high-priest, followed by the attendants of the temple, with measured pace moved toward the altar.Reaching the place of sacrifice, the high-priest uttered a prayer to the godhead, and separate supplications toKane,KuandLono, intoned by the assisting priests, when the fowls were decapitated and their headless bodies placed upon the altar. The priest watched them until they were motionless, and then opened them and carefully examined the heart, liver and entrails of each.The king glanced anxiously at the priest, but the latter made no response. The pig was then ordered to be slain. The throat of the animal was cut and its bleeding body was also placed upon the altar. The flow of the blood was scrupulously noted, and, after the respirations had been counted and the animal ceased to breathe, the body was hastily opened. The spleen was removed and held above the head of the priest while another prayer was spoken, and then the other organs were separately examined.Completing the inspection, Laeanui stepped back from the altar.“Well,” said the king, impatiently, “what say the gods?”“The gods are angry, and the portents are evil,” replied the priest.“Then promise them a hundred human sacrifices,” exclaimed Hakau. “If their favor is to be purchased with blood, I will drown theheiauwith an ocean of it. But,” he continued, “I am not satisfied with these auguries. Let me hear from theanu.”Immediately behind the altar was the entrance to the inner court of the temple. Within, and about three paces back from the door, which was covered with a wide breadth ofkapa, was placed theanu, a wicker enclosure four or five feet in diameter, in which stood the oracle. On each side of the entrance were carved images ofKane,Ku,Lonoand other Hawaiian deities, while at intervals of three or four feet along the walls a score or more of gods of lesser potency stood guard above the sacred spot.To the last request of Hakau the priest replied: “The king shall hear from theanu.”The lights were then extinguished, and all except the king and high-priest retired some distance from the altar, that no whisper of the oracle might reach them. Hakau was nervous as he stepped with the priest in front of the entrance to the inner temple. A prayer was uttered by the priest; thekapascreen was drawn aside by hands unseen, and the king stood looking into the intense darkness of thesanctum sanctorumof the temple.“Speak!” said the priest, withdrawing behind the altar, and leaving the king alone before theanu.“Speak!” repeated a hollow voice from within the sacred enclosure.For some minutes Hakau remained awed and silent; then, in a voice which scarcely seemed to be his own, he said:“Great power, I hear that dangers threaten.”“Dangers threaten!” came like an echo from within.“How may they be averted?” inquired the king.For a time there was no answer. Finally a voice from theanureplied:“Do homage toKane; make glad the war-god of Liloa!”“So do I promise,” answered the king; “but will that give me victory?”“Victory!” was repeated from theanu.Elated at what he had heard, Hakau continued:“Now tell me, mighty spirit, whether Umi—”“Nothing more!” interrupted the voice from within, as thekapasuddenly dropped before the entrance.“Well, thanks for so much,” said Hakau, turning and joining the priest at the altar, and repeating to him, with some favorable additions, the words that he had heard. Darkness hid the smile upon the lips of Laeanui.“The day after to-morrow we will hold here a festival toKane, and the altar shall be heaped with offerings,” said the king. “To-morrow I will send my people to the mountains to gather feathers of sacred and royal colors, andKaili, the neglected war-god of Liloa, shall be made glorious in new plumage and glad with abundant sacrifice.”“It is well,” replied the priest.“Now let the conspirators marshal their spears!” continued Hakau, confidently, “and we will make short work of them. They cannot be punished in the hills of Hilo. With a showing of weakness we will lure them to Waipio, and not one of them shall escape. We will cut off their retreat, and close in their faces the gates of thepuhonui!”As already mentioned, of the twopuhonuis, or places of refuge, on Hawaii at that time, one was an adjunct of theheiauofPaakalani, at Waipio. In times of war their gates, with white flags to mark them, were always open, and those who succeeded in passing into the enclosure were safe from assault, even though pursued by the king himself.This savage proposal to close the gates of thepuhonuiwas promptly resented by Laeanui. He would as soon have thought of tumbling the gods from their pedestals and consigning them to the flames.“You suggest what is impossible,” said the priest. “Since the days of Wakea thepuhonuihas been sacred. Its gates cannot be closed to the defenceless, and the gods have said that he who shuts them against the weak shall seek in vain their shelter from the arm of the strong.”“Well, then, keep them open!” retorted the king, sharply. “They will run swiftly who enter them!”Torches were relighted, and the king and his attendants left theheiau. They had not passed beyond the outer wall before Nunu emerged from the inner court. His was the voice that had answered the king from theanu. Thus in the temple ofPaakalaniwas shaped the destruction of Hakau, and the priests whom he had insulted and defied opened broadly and surely the way to his death.The next morning an unusual commotion was observed in and around the royal mansion, and as party after party left the inclosure—some proceeding toward the sea-coast, and others up the valley and into the mountains beyond—the villagers wondered at the proceeding, and predicted that a stricttabuwould soon follow, whatever might be the occasion. But when they learned that the war-god was to be redecorated, and an imposing religious festival was to follow the day after, they knew that trouble of some kind was anticipated by the king, and soon found a correct explanation of the movement in the rumors which they, too, had heard concerning Umi and his friends in Hilo and eastern Hamakua. The possibility of an uprising against Hakau gave them no uneasiness, however, for his cruelties had secured for him their hatred, while the name of Umi was to all classes a synonym of strength and gentleness.The king was not indifferent to the danger with which he was about to be confronted, and promptly despatchedlunapaisto the district chiefs of Kohala, Kona, and Hamakua, ordering them to report without delay at Waipio with two thousand warriors each, while the governor of Hilo was commanded by a speciallunapaito march at once with a body of warriors to Waipunalei, with the view of precipitating the movement of Umi upon Waipio, where, it was not doubted, he would be overwhelmed and crushed.All these were proper precautions, but they were taken too late; for at the time the feather-hunters andlunapaiswere leaving on their respective missions, Umi, at the head of over two thousand well-armed and resolute warriors, had reached a point within a two hours’ march of Waipio, and was awaiting a signal to swoop down upon the valley.And now let us return to Waipunalei, and note what had been occurring there during the preceding forty-eight hours. As soon as the priests left for Waipio, two days before, trusty and intelligent sentinels followed and took their respective stations, designated by Maukaleoleo, on the summits of seven different hill-tops discernible from each other from Waipunalei to Waipio. The first, coming eastward from Waipio, was three miles,perhaps, from the temple ofPaakalani; the last was a rocky pinnacle about four miles from Waipunalei. This was the station of Maukaleoleo.The sentinels were instructed to gather large heaps of dry grass and bark; to keep small fires smouldering and ready for use; to vigilantly watch the peaks in the direction of Waipio; to apply the torch the instant a signal-fire was seen, and keep the pile burning until it was plainly answered by the next station toward Waipunalei.All that day and through the following night armed men were arriving at the rendezvous at Kaoleioku’s, until something more than two thousand warriors had reported, and every spare moment of the next day was devoted to forming them into companies and battalions, giving them leaders and preparing them for a rapid march.Many of the warriors were accompanied by their wives, daughters or sisters; for in those days, and later, women not unfrequently followed their fathers, brothers and husbands to battle, generally keeping in the rear to furnish them with food and water, but sometimes, in a close and desperate conflict, mingling bravely in the fight. In such cases they gave and received blows, and expected and were accorded no consideration because of their sex.Instances are given in Hawaiian tradition of the tide of battle being turned, on more than one occasion, by desperate women transformed from camp-followers into warriors; and as late as 1819 we behold Manona, wife of Kekuokalani, the last sturdy champion of the gods of his fathers, falling lifeless in battle upon the body of her dead husband at Kuamoo, while Kaahumanu and Kalakau, widows of the great Kamehameha, commanded the fleet of canoes operating with the land forces under Kalaimoku.After the visit of the priests from Waipio the purpose of the revolt was no longer disguised, and whenever Umi made his appearance among the assembled and assembling warriors he was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm. His romantic history was known to them, and had been made the theme of song. His many triumphs at the festival given by Liloa in honor of his formal recognition were recited by those who had witnessed them, and his grand proportions and noble bearing stamped himas of chiefly blood; and when his friends Piimaiwaa and Omaukamau spoke of the great learning displayed by him when questioned by the priests, and intimated that he had been instructed by the gods and was under their care, every doubt of success vanished, and the order for an advance upon Waipio was awaited with impatience.Maukaleoleo mysteriously came and went, but always at night, and seldom remaining longer than a few minutes. He was known to all within the enclosure, and allowed to pass unchallenged, as he could be mistaken for no one else. As he strode through the gateway, bearing a spear scarcely less than thirty feet in length, the sentinels regarded him with awe; and when they saw him converse with Umi and then silently depart, they shook their heads and said, “Perhaps he isLono!”The temple ofManini, dedicated by Liloa just before his meeting with the mother of Umi, and of which Kaoleioku was the high-priest, was a reconstruction and enlargement of an oldheiauwhich was in existence certainly as early as the time of the warlike Kalaunuiohua, who reigned between the years 1260 and 1300. With a large army and proportionate fleet of canoes he invaded Maui, Molokai and Oahu, and, taking their captured sovereigns with him, made a descent upon Kauai. But his triumphs ended there. After an obstinate battle he was defeated and taken prisoner, but was subsequently released and permitted to return to his own kingdom.It was during the reign of this sovereign that the prophetess Waahia lived. She accompanied him in his expeditions as far as Oahu, but refused to proceed with him to Kauai. She declared that the gods would bring calamity upon him if he invaded that island, and sought to persuade him to consolidate his conquests and return to Hawaii. But the warrior-king cared but little for priests or temples, and was in the habit of destroying both when they failed to subserve his purposes. Enraged at the unfavorable auguries of Waahia, and fearful that they might come to the ears of and demoralize his warriors, the king induced her to return to Hawaii. One tradition says she voluntarily abandoned Kalaunuiohua, while another relates that she consented to return only on condition that the war-god of the king be sent back with her. This god had been in the reigning family of Hawaii since the days of Paao, and had been sanctified by that father of thepriesthood. To distinguish it from other war-gods it was known asAkuapaao, and was held in great veneration. When asked for an explanation of the strange request, the prophetess boldly declared that, if the god was taken to Kauai, it would never return except at the head of a conquering army that would make of Hawaii a tributary kingdom.“Then take it with you!” exclaimed the king, savagely, “and if I return to Hawaii alive I will burn you both together!”“You will burn neither,” said Waahia. “When you return to Hawaii you will think better of the gods and their servants; and in generations to come, when angry spears shall be crossed in thehaleof the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.”The prophetess prepared to embark. The god, wrapped in a fold ofkapa, so that it might not be recognized, was brought to the beach and delivered to the departing seeress. The canoe, which was large enough to accommodate thirty persons, was shoved into the surf. It was provided with food and a calabash of water. Declining all assistance or companionship in her journey, Waahia stepped into the canoe with the image in her arms, and, after carefully depositing it in the bow of the boat, returned and seated herself near the stern. Half a dozen men were waiting for the word to launch the canoe from the sands upon which the stern was lightly resting. But the seeress raised no sail, touched no oar. For some minutes she sat, silent and motionless, with bent head and clasped hands, as if in prayer, while hundreds of curious eyes watched her in amazement, wondering what would become of her, even should the unmanned craft be successful in passing the breakers. Then she slowly rose to her feet, and the canoe began to glide toward the reef. Faster and faster it moved, until, mounting a retreating wave, it was borne swiftly out into the calmer waters; then, slightly turning in its course, it dashed southward with the speed of the wind, and was soon lost to the view of the awe-stricken beholders.Waahia looked beneath the waves and smiled, forUkanipo, the shark-god, with scores of assistants, was bearing her onward; and then from hisipu Laamaomao, the Hawaiian Æolus, let loose the imprisoned winds, and refreshing zephyrs cooled the face of the prophetess and accelerated the speed of the canoe, until it seemed to leap from wave to wave; and great sea-birds screamedwith fright as it dashed past and awoke them from their billowy slumbers, leaving behind it a long trail of troubled waters.Passing to the southward of the intervening islands, the canoe was borne with undiminished speed through the channel of Alenuihaha to the northeastern coast of Hawaii, and before sunset was beached at Koholalele. The prophetess knew the meaning of this. Near by was the oldheiauofManini, and thither, as she felt instructed, was taken and deposited the war-godAkuapaao, with the solemn injunction to the high-priest in charge that it was never to be removed from the inner court unless the life of themoiwas in peril or the kingdom was invaded by a foreign foe.The oldheiauhad given place to a more imposing structure during the reign of Liloa. Its outer walls had been enlarged, raised and repaired, and its inner belongings improved and redecorated; but its sacred relics had not been disturbed, and its many gods remained where they had been for generations.Among the most sacred idols of the temple, even after the death of Liloa, was theAkuapaao. Its name indicated alike its age and sanctity; and while the legends connected with it had become vague and distorted in their transmission through a long line of priests, the prophecy of Waahia still clung to it, and it was especially reverenced by the few to whom was entrusted the secret of its functions.Hakau had learned of this god from his royal father, and the same morning that his retainers were sent to the hills for feathers two priests were despatched to Koholalele, with orders to bring to Waipio, in the king’s name and without delay, the war-godAkuapaao. Should the priests of the temple refuse to surrender the idol, then the messengers were instructed to call upon the district chiefs for assistance, and take it by force, no matter at what cost of life.But the king was too late, for at early daylight of the morning of the day before his messengers left Waipio, Maukaleoleo strode into the rebel headquarters with theAkuapaaoin his arms. Kaoleioku had, of course, instructed the giant where and how to secure the image, for in years past he had been its custodian, and his orders continued to be obeyed by the priests ofManini. The idol, completely wrapped inkapa, was deposited in the privateheiauof the high-priest, and Maukaleoleo left the enclosureas quietly as he had entered it a few minutes before. The sentinels wondered, as usual, but bowed in silence as he came and went.The priest rose with the sun, and learned that Maukaleoleo had already been a visitor that morning. He hastened to theheiau, and there found theAkuapaao. He was overjoyed. He removed thekapacovering from the idol, placed it upon a pedestal between the images ofKuandLono, and then found Umi and brought him to theheiau. Entering, Kaoleioku closed the door and pointed to theAkuapaao. Umi bowed reverently before it.“Listen, O Umi!” said the priest; “listen, O son of Liloa! Behold the war-god of your fathers! It was sanctified by the touch of Paao, and for generations, in the inner chamber ofManini, has awaited your coming. From Waahia, the prophetess, have come down, through the chief priests of theheiau, these words: ‘When angry spears shall be crossed in the hale of the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be the stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.’ The spears are about to be crossed; the god is here; let yours be the hand, and not Hakau’s, to place thelei-aiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao!”The words of the prophecy came to Umi as a dream. Overwhelmed with their significance, he fell upon his knees and exclaimed:“God of my fathers! be you my guide until I prove unworthy of your protection!”“Your realm is yet small,” said the priest, “and is enclosed within these walls. Let us pay respect to the gods, that its boundaries may be enlarged.”Thereupon a stricttabuwas ordered to all within the walls, to begin at midday and continue until the setting of the sun. The time was brief, but events were pressing, and it could not safely be extended.Thetabu, orkapu, as it is sometimes written, was strictly a prerogative of the high chiefs and priests of olden Hawaii. There were fixedtabusof custom, and declaredtabusof limited duration by the temporal and spiritual rulers. The penalty for the violation of alltabuswas death. It wastabuof custom for men and women to eat together, or for women to eat of the flesh of swine, fowls, turtle and many kinds of fish. Everythingbelonging to the kings, priests and temples wastabu, or sacred, and springs, paths, fishing-grounds, water-courses, etc., were frequently thus kept from the use of the people. Declared generaltabus, for the propitiation of the gods or the amelioration of a public evil, were either strict or common, according to the emergency. During the time of a commontabuthe people were required to abstain from their usual avocations and attend at theheiau, where morning and evening prayers were offered. A stricttabuwas more sacred. While it continued—generally one or two days—all, with the exception of thealii-nuiand priests, were compelled to remain within doors. Every fire and every light was extinguished; no canoe was launched; all noises ceased; the pigs and dogs were muzzled, and fowls were placed under calabashes. Thesetabuswere proclaimed by heralds, and their wanton violation was an unpardonable offence.In preparation for thetabuto be declared by Umi, flowers and feathers were brought, andleisof both were woven. Everything being in readiness, heralds proclaimed thetabuand its duration, with the further announcement that the occasion was the arrival of the mighty war-godAkuapaaoand its coming decoration by Umi.As the sun touched the mark of meridian, the gates of the enclosure were barred and guarded by the religious attendants of the priest; the fires were everywhere extinguished; the few animals within the walls were either muzzled or hidden; men, women and children suddenly disappeared within their dwellings or quarters, and mats were hung at the openings; Umi and the priest retired alone to theheiauand closed the door, and silence, disturbed only by low whispers and the muffled footfalls of the watching priests, reigned over the twenty-five hundred persons gathered within the enclosure.In theheiau, or apartment of the gods, to which Umi and the high-priest retired, were a number of images and sacred relics. Near the centre of the room was a small altar, upon which had been deposited theleisprovided for the decoration ofAkuapaao. They sat down beside it, and for an hour or more nothing was heard but the whispered prayers of the priest, addressed in turn to the several gods before him. Then, rising and leading Umi by the hand to theAkuapaao, in a low voice he formally presented him to the god as the son of Liloa and rightful ruler of the Hawaiianpeople. Another prayer was uttered, and then Umi, with the words, “Accept this, OAkuapaao, with the homage of Umi!” proceeded reverently to place around the head and neck of the image a number of fragrantleisof flowers and wreaths of brilliant feathers.The priest watched the act intently. As the last wreath of feathers, resembling a crown in appearance—thelei-hula-alii—was placed upon the head of the image, a sunbeam flashed through what seemed to be a small rent in the thatched roof, and for a moment haloed the heads of Umi and the god. The priest read the answer and smiled. He felt as assured of the favor of the gods as if it had been pledged in a voice of thunder, and Umi bent low in acknowledgment of the joyful revelation.The sun dropped behind the hills; twilight turned to bronze the gold of the valleys, and thetabuwas at an end. It was proclaimed that the auguries were highly favorable, and the silence of thetabuwas broken by wild strains of music and shouts of rejoicing.

IV.True to the answer returned to Kaoleioku by his messenger, Nunu and Kakohe reached Waipunalei the following night; and when they saw the warlike preparations, and learned that Umi was present and that the acclaim of revolt was to be raised in his name, they wept for joy. It was past midnight, and their limbs were weary, but they could not sleep. At their request the door of Umi’s room was pointed out to them, and they went and sat down beside it. For an hour or more they did not speak. Then, when all was still within the walls, in a low tone they began the legendary chant of the kings of Hawaii. As they proceeded with a record which few on the island beside themselves could correctly repeat, their voices rose with their enthusiasm, and in a few minutes hundreds of half-naked men crept from their barrack lodgings and stood listening to the metric sentences of the learned historians. As they reached the name of Kiha, Umi stepped without the door. The priests recognized him and rose to their feet. Then, continuing themele, they chanted the name of Kiha, of Liloa, of Hakau, and finally of Umi, represented as having wrested the sceptre from his unworthy brother, who was hated by his subjects and abandoned by the gods. With this they dropped on their knees before him and boldly saluted him asmoiof Hawaii.This acquainted many of the warriors present for the first time of Umi’s rank, and the wildest enthusiasm seized them. They asked to be led at once to Waipio, and were only quieted when Kaoleioku appeared and assured them that their patriotic wishes would soon be gratified.At first Kaoleioku deemed this early development of the purposes of the movement untimely, if not, indeed, unfortunate. Many preparations remained to be made. It had been a suggestionof Umi that a part of the rebel forces should be sent to Waipio by water; but the canoes necessary for the expedition had not been secured, and not more than a thousand warriors had reported. Secrecy could no longer be maintained, and immediate and open action appeared to be now unavoidable. Yet it was through Nunu and Kakohe that his plans had been thwarted, and while he felt annoyed at what they had done, he retired, hoping they had acted advisedly in the matter.The conduct of the priests was explained and approved the next morning. They urged immediate action. Hakau was not prepared for a sudden attack. For many years there had been no wars of consequence, and such of his supporters as the king could hastily summon to his assistance would be improperly armed and without discipline.Their advice was for Umi to raise the standard of revolt at once. This news they would take to Waipio, with the further information that, although preparing for rebellion, Umi would not be strong enough to act for some time. Alarmed, Hakau would consult the high-priest Laeanui, who, notwithstanding their relations, was secretly his enemy, and a plan could be devised to induce the king to send his household guards and immediate followers to the mountains on some religious errand, when Umi, apprised of the situation by fires kindled at intervals on the hill-tops between Waipio and Waipunalei, could swoop down with a few hundred resolute warriors and seize the king and the capital, and thus with a bold stroke achieve a bloodless triumph.When the priests had developed this plan of action Kaoleioku rose to his feet and exclaimed with excitement:“The gods have instructed you!”“You have spoken truly; the gods have indeed instructed our friends!” said Umi, impressively; “for was it not said in your dreams that the victory would be bloodless if the spears of Hakau were sent beyond the call of theKiha-pu?”“The meaning is now plain,” returned the priest, reverentially. “The gods are with us, and we will be directed by them.”All the details were then carefully arranged, and the two priests returned to Waipio. It was soon rumored that they brought news of Umi, and Hakau sent for them, as had been expected. Fear had somewhat humbled him, and he greeted themwith what seemed to be the greatest friendship and cordiality. He even chided them for absenting themselves so long from the royal mansion, where their visits, he assured them, would always be welcome. They assumed to be greatly gratified at his protestations of good-will, but secretly despised him for his shallow hypocrisy.When questioned by the king the priests frankly informed him that they had left Umi and Kaoleioku together no longer than the day before, and advised him to lose no time in despatching to the mountains all the men he could summon, to gather fresh feathers of rare birds with which to redecorate his god of war.Hakau was startled by this advice, for the ceremony ofkauilaakuawas never performed except in times of war or other imminent peril.“What!” he exclaimed, with assumed astonishment, “shall this be done because Umi lives, and you have seen him with the high-priest ofManini?”“No; not because Umi lives,” replied Nunu quietly, “but because he is preparing for rebellion.”“Rebellion!” repeated Hakau, angrily. “Does he expect to be able to maintain himself in Hilo?”“His aims reach beyond Hilo,” ventured the priest.“To Puna?”“Beyond Puna.”“To Kau?”“Beyond Kau.”“Then he must aim at the whole island,” exclaimed Hakau, savagely.“At the whole island,” repeated the priest, maliciously.“He shall have land enough to bury him, and no more!” hissed the king. “But you are croakers, both of you. Before considering your advice I shall consult Laeanui and the seers ofPaakalani, and hear what the gods say of this wide-spread conspiracy, as your fears and cowardice tell the story.”Hakau abruptly dismissed the priests, and despatched a messenger for the high-priest Laeanui, but it was late in the afternoon before he could be found. He was old and venerable in appearance, and his hair, white as the snows of Mauna Kea, fell to his knees, covering his shoulders like a veil.They had met but rarely since the death of Liloa, for the old priest seldom left the temple grounds, and Hakau as seldom visited them; and as the bearded and white-haired prophet entered the royal mansion, all bent respectfully before him, and a feeling of awe crept over the king as the priest stood silently and with folded arms before him.“My greeting to you, venerable servant of the gods!” said the king.The priest bowed, but remained silent, and Hakau resumed abruptly:“I have learned that Umi and a priest named Kaoleioku are plotting treason together in Hilo, near the borders of Hamakua. What know you of Kaoleioku?”“A man to be feared if he is in earnest,” replied the priest curtly.“Have auguries of the movement been invoked?” inquired the king.With a gesture the priest replied in the negative.“And why not?” continued Hakau, impetuously. “What are priests and temples for, if not to guard the kingdom against coming dangers?”“If it so please them, the gods answer when they are asked through sacrifice,” replied the priest; and then, with rising anger, he continued: “Your father respected the gods, and came to the temple when he would consult them, and his son must do the same.”“Well, then,” said Hakau, discovering that the priest neither loved nor feared him, “I will be at the temple to-night, some time after sunset, and have you there the best of your diviners.”“I shall await your coming,” replied Laeanui, briefly, as he bowed low and retired.“Although he gave me his daughter,” muttered Hakau, as Laeanui left the room, “he has no love for me, and I as little for him. But no matter; I must not quarrel with him now. Wait until I have dealt with Umi and his confederates, and then—” But he did not finish the sentence, for he suddenly recollected that the high-priesthood was an inherited position, like his own, and its bestowal was not a royal prerogative. There were bloody means of creating vacancies, however, and these flashed through the wicked brain of Hakau.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.The night that followed was dark, with a steady wind from the northwest and occasional showers. It was some time after sunset before the king entered the outer gate of theheiauofPaakalani. He was accompanied by four attendants, two of whom bore a muzzled pig and two fowls; the others were trusty friends. Akukuitorch was kept burning in front of the house of the high-priest, another between the altar and inner court, and a third near the entrance of the royal retreat, with which thatheiau, like many others, was provided. Toward the latter Hakau and his party proceeded, and were soon joined by Laeanui and a number of officiating priests andkilos.Entering the royalhale, a few words passed between the king and Laeanui, when the attendants of Hakau were relieved of their burdens and sent without the enclosure. Thekaika, or large sacrificial drum, was then sounded with three measured strokes, and in a few minutes six officiating priests, three of them with knives in their hands and the others bearing torches, made their appearance. To them the pig and fowls were entrusted, and, preceded by the torch-bearers, the king and high-priest, followed by the attendants of the temple, with measured pace moved toward the altar.Reaching the place of sacrifice, the high-priest uttered a prayer to the godhead, and separate supplications toKane,KuandLono, intoned by the assisting priests, when the fowls were decapitated and their headless bodies placed upon the altar. The priest watched them until they were motionless, and then opened them and carefully examined the heart, liver and entrails of each.The king glanced anxiously at the priest, but the latter made no response. The pig was then ordered to be slain. The throat of the animal was cut and its bleeding body was also placed upon the altar. The flow of the blood was scrupulously noted, and, after the respirations had been counted and the animal ceased to breathe, the body was hastily opened. The spleen was removed and held above the head of the priest while another prayer was spoken, and then the other organs were separately examined.Completing the inspection, Laeanui stepped back from the altar.“Well,” said the king, impatiently, “what say the gods?”“The gods are angry, and the portents are evil,” replied the priest.“Then promise them a hundred human sacrifices,” exclaimed Hakau. “If their favor is to be purchased with blood, I will drown theheiauwith an ocean of it. But,” he continued, “I am not satisfied with these auguries. Let me hear from theanu.”Immediately behind the altar was the entrance to the inner court of the temple. Within, and about three paces back from the door, which was covered with a wide breadth ofkapa, was placed theanu, a wicker enclosure four or five feet in diameter, in which stood the oracle. On each side of the entrance were carved images ofKane,Ku,Lonoand other Hawaiian deities, while at intervals of three or four feet along the walls a score or more of gods of lesser potency stood guard above the sacred spot.To the last request of Hakau the priest replied: “The king shall hear from theanu.”The lights were then extinguished, and all except the king and high-priest retired some distance from the altar, that no whisper of the oracle might reach them. Hakau was nervous as he stepped with the priest in front of the entrance to the inner temple. A prayer was uttered by the priest; thekapascreen was drawn aside by hands unseen, and the king stood looking into the intense darkness of thesanctum sanctorumof the temple.“Speak!” said the priest, withdrawing behind the altar, and leaving the king alone before theanu.“Speak!” repeated a hollow voice from within the sacred enclosure.For some minutes Hakau remained awed and silent; then, in a voice which scarcely seemed to be his own, he said:“Great power, I hear that dangers threaten.”“Dangers threaten!” came like an echo from within.“How may they be averted?” inquired the king.For a time there was no answer. Finally a voice from theanureplied:“Do homage toKane; make glad the war-god of Liloa!”“So do I promise,” answered the king; “but will that give me victory?”“Victory!” was repeated from theanu.Elated at what he had heard, Hakau continued:“Now tell me, mighty spirit, whether Umi—”“Nothing more!” interrupted the voice from within, as thekapasuddenly dropped before the entrance.“Well, thanks for so much,” said Hakau, turning and joining the priest at the altar, and repeating to him, with some favorable additions, the words that he had heard. Darkness hid the smile upon the lips of Laeanui.“The day after to-morrow we will hold here a festival toKane, and the altar shall be heaped with offerings,” said the king. “To-morrow I will send my people to the mountains to gather feathers of sacred and royal colors, andKaili, the neglected war-god of Liloa, shall be made glorious in new plumage and glad with abundant sacrifice.”“It is well,” replied the priest.“Now let the conspirators marshal their spears!” continued Hakau, confidently, “and we will make short work of them. They cannot be punished in the hills of Hilo. With a showing of weakness we will lure them to Waipio, and not one of them shall escape. We will cut off their retreat, and close in their faces the gates of thepuhonui!”As already mentioned, of the twopuhonuis, or places of refuge, on Hawaii at that time, one was an adjunct of theheiauofPaakalani, at Waipio. In times of war their gates, with white flags to mark them, were always open, and those who succeeded in passing into the enclosure were safe from assault, even though pursued by the king himself.This savage proposal to close the gates of thepuhonuiwas promptly resented by Laeanui. He would as soon have thought of tumbling the gods from their pedestals and consigning them to the flames.“You suggest what is impossible,” said the priest. “Since the days of Wakea thepuhonuihas been sacred. Its gates cannot be closed to the defenceless, and the gods have said that he who shuts them against the weak shall seek in vain their shelter from the arm of the strong.”“Well, then, keep them open!” retorted the king, sharply. “They will run swiftly who enter them!”Torches were relighted, and the king and his attendants left theheiau. They had not passed beyond the outer wall before Nunu emerged from the inner court. His was the voice that had answered the king from theanu. Thus in the temple ofPaakalaniwas shaped the destruction of Hakau, and the priests whom he had insulted and defied opened broadly and surely the way to his death.The next morning an unusual commotion was observed in and around the royal mansion, and as party after party left the inclosure—some proceeding toward the sea-coast, and others up the valley and into the mountains beyond—the villagers wondered at the proceeding, and predicted that a stricttabuwould soon follow, whatever might be the occasion. But when they learned that the war-god was to be redecorated, and an imposing religious festival was to follow the day after, they knew that trouble of some kind was anticipated by the king, and soon found a correct explanation of the movement in the rumors which they, too, had heard concerning Umi and his friends in Hilo and eastern Hamakua. The possibility of an uprising against Hakau gave them no uneasiness, however, for his cruelties had secured for him their hatred, while the name of Umi was to all classes a synonym of strength and gentleness.The king was not indifferent to the danger with which he was about to be confronted, and promptly despatchedlunapaisto the district chiefs of Kohala, Kona, and Hamakua, ordering them to report without delay at Waipio with two thousand warriors each, while the governor of Hilo was commanded by a speciallunapaito march at once with a body of warriors to Waipunalei, with the view of precipitating the movement of Umi upon Waipio, where, it was not doubted, he would be overwhelmed and crushed.All these were proper precautions, but they were taken too late; for at the time the feather-hunters andlunapaiswere leaving on their respective missions, Umi, at the head of over two thousand well-armed and resolute warriors, had reached a point within a two hours’ march of Waipio, and was awaiting a signal to swoop down upon the valley.And now let us return to Waipunalei, and note what had been occurring there during the preceding forty-eight hours. As soon as the priests left for Waipio, two days before, trusty and intelligent sentinels followed and took their respective stations, designated by Maukaleoleo, on the summits of seven different hill-tops discernible from each other from Waipunalei to Waipio. The first, coming eastward from Waipio, was three miles,perhaps, from the temple ofPaakalani; the last was a rocky pinnacle about four miles from Waipunalei. This was the station of Maukaleoleo.The sentinels were instructed to gather large heaps of dry grass and bark; to keep small fires smouldering and ready for use; to vigilantly watch the peaks in the direction of Waipio; to apply the torch the instant a signal-fire was seen, and keep the pile burning until it was plainly answered by the next station toward Waipunalei.All that day and through the following night armed men were arriving at the rendezvous at Kaoleioku’s, until something more than two thousand warriors had reported, and every spare moment of the next day was devoted to forming them into companies and battalions, giving them leaders and preparing them for a rapid march.Many of the warriors were accompanied by their wives, daughters or sisters; for in those days, and later, women not unfrequently followed their fathers, brothers and husbands to battle, generally keeping in the rear to furnish them with food and water, but sometimes, in a close and desperate conflict, mingling bravely in the fight. In such cases they gave and received blows, and expected and were accorded no consideration because of their sex.Instances are given in Hawaiian tradition of the tide of battle being turned, on more than one occasion, by desperate women transformed from camp-followers into warriors; and as late as 1819 we behold Manona, wife of Kekuokalani, the last sturdy champion of the gods of his fathers, falling lifeless in battle upon the body of her dead husband at Kuamoo, while Kaahumanu and Kalakau, widows of the great Kamehameha, commanded the fleet of canoes operating with the land forces under Kalaimoku.After the visit of the priests from Waipio the purpose of the revolt was no longer disguised, and whenever Umi made his appearance among the assembled and assembling warriors he was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm. His romantic history was known to them, and had been made the theme of song. His many triumphs at the festival given by Liloa in honor of his formal recognition were recited by those who had witnessed them, and his grand proportions and noble bearing stamped himas of chiefly blood; and when his friends Piimaiwaa and Omaukamau spoke of the great learning displayed by him when questioned by the priests, and intimated that he had been instructed by the gods and was under their care, every doubt of success vanished, and the order for an advance upon Waipio was awaited with impatience.Maukaleoleo mysteriously came and went, but always at night, and seldom remaining longer than a few minutes. He was known to all within the enclosure, and allowed to pass unchallenged, as he could be mistaken for no one else. As he strode through the gateway, bearing a spear scarcely less than thirty feet in length, the sentinels regarded him with awe; and when they saw him converse with Umi and then silently depart, they shook their heads and said, “Perhaps he isLono!”The temple ofManini, dedicated by Liloa just before his meeting with the mother of Umi, and of which Kaoleioku was the high-priest, was a reconstruction and enlargement of an oldheiauwhich was in existence certainly as early as the time of the warlike Kalaunuiohua, who reigned between the years 1260 and 1300. With a large army and proportionate fleet of canoes he invaded Maui, Molokai and Oahu, and, taking their captured sovereigns with him, made a descent upon Kauai. But his triumphs ended there. After an obstinate battle he was defeated and taken prisoner, but was subsequently released and permitted to return to his own kingdom.It was during the reign of this sovereign that the prophetess Waahia lived. She accompanied him in his expeditions as far as Oahu, but refused to proceed with him to Kauai. She declared that the gods would bring calamity upon him if he invaded that island, and sought to persuade him to consolidate his conquests and return to Hawaii. But the warrior-king cared but little for priests or temples, and was in the habit of destroying both when they failed to subserve his purposes. Enraged at the unfavorable auguries of Waahia, and fearful that they might come to the ears of and demoralize his warriors, the king induced her to return to Hawaii. One tradition says she voluntarily abandoned Kalaunuiohua, while another relates that she consented to return only on condition that the war-god of the king be sent back with her. This god had been in the reigning family of Hawaii since the days of Paao, and had been sanctified by that father of thepriesthood. To distinguish it from other war-gods it was known asAkuapaao, and was held in great veneration. When asked for an explanation of the strange request, the prophetess boldly declared that, if the god was taken to Kauai, it would never return except at the head of a conquering army that would make of Hawaii a tributary kingdom.“Then take it with you!” exclaimed the king, savagely, “and if I return to Hawaii alive I will burn you both together!”“You will burn neither,” said Waahia. “When you return to Hawaii you will think better of the gods and their servants; and in generations to come, when angry spears shall be crossed in thehaleof the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.”The prophetess prepared to embark. The god, wrapped in a fold ofkapa, so that it might not be recognized, was brought to the beach and delivered to the departing seeress. The canoe, which was large enough to accommodate thirty persons, was shoved into the surf. It was provided with food and a calabash of water. Declining all assistance or companionship in her journey, Waahia stepped into the canoe with the image in her arms, and, after carefully depositing it in the bow of the boat, returned and seated herself near the stern. Half a dozen men were waiting for the word to launch the canoe from the sands upon which the stern was lightly resting. But the seeress raised no sail, touched no oar. For some minutes she sat, silent and motionless, with bent head and clasped hands, as if in prayer, while hundreds of curious eyes watched her in amazement, wondering what would become of her, even should the unmanned craft be successful in passing the breakers. Then she slowly rose to her feet, and the canoe began to glide toward the reef. Faster and faster it moved, until, mounting a retreating wave, it was borne swiftly out into the calmer waters; then, slightly turning in its course, it dashed southward with the speed of the wind, and was soon lost to the view of the awe-stricken beholders.Waahia looked beneath the waves and smiled, forUkanipo, the shark-god, with scores of assistants, was bearing her onward; and then from hisipu Laamaomao, the Hawaiian Æolus, let loose the imprisoned winds, and refreshing zephyrs cooled the face of the prophetess and accelerated the speed of the canoe, until it seemed to leap from wave to wave; and great sea-birds screamedwith fright as it dashed past and awoke them from their billowy slumbers, leaving behind it a long trail of troubled waters.Passing to the southward of the intervening islands, the canoe was borne with undiminished speed through the channel of Alenuihaha to the northeastern coast of Hawaii, and before sunset was beached at Koholalele. The prophetess knew the meaning of this. Near by was the oldheiauofManini, and thither, as she felt instructed, was taken and deposited the war-godAkuapaao, with the solemn injunction to the high-priest in charge that it was never to be removed from the inner court unless the life of themoiwas in peril or the kingdom was invaded by a foreign foe.The oldheiauhad given place to a more imposing structure during the reign of Liloa. Its outer walls had been enlarged, raised and repaired, and its inner belongings improved and redecorated; but its sacred relics had not been disturbed, and its many gods remained where they had been for generations.Among the most sacred idols of the temple, even after the death of Liloa, was theAkuapaao. Its name indicated alike its age and sanctity; and while the legends connected with it had become vague and distorted in their transmission through a long line of priests, the prophecy of Waahia still clung to it, and it was especially reverenced by the few to whom was entrusted the secret of its functions.Hakau had learned of this god from his royal father, and the same morning that his retainers were sent to the hills for feathers two priests were despatched to Koholalele, with orders to bring to Waipio, in the king’s name and without delay, the war-godAkuapaao. Should the priests of the temple refuse to surrender the idol, then the messengers were instructed to call upon the district chiefs for assistance, and take it by force, no matter at what cost of life.But the king was too late, for at early daylight of the morning of the day before his messengers left Waipio, Maukaleoleo strode into the rebel headquarters with theAkuapaaoin his arms. Kaoleioku had, of course, instructed the giant where and how to secure the image, for in years past he had been its custodian, and his orders continued to be obeyed by the priests ofManini. The idol, completely wrapped inkapa, was deposited in the privateheiauof the high-priest, and Maukaleoleo left the enclosureas quietly as he had entered it a few minutes before. The sentinels wondered, as usual, but bowed in silence as he came and went.The priest rose with the sun, and learned that Maukaleoleo had already been a visitor that morning. He hastened to theheiau, and there found theAkuapaao. He was overjoyed. He removed thekapacovering from the idol, placed it upon a pedestal between the images ofKuandLono, and then found Umi and brought him to theheiau. Entering, Kaoleioku closed the door and pointed to theAkuapaao. Umi bowed reverently before it.“Listen, O Umi!” said the priest; “listen, O son of Liloa! Behold the war-god of your fathers! It was sanctified by the touch of Paao, and for generations, in the inner chamber ofManini, has awaited your coming. From Waahia, the prophetess, have come down, through the chief priests of theheiau, these words: ‘When angry spears shall be crossed in the hale of the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be the stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.’ The spears are about to be crossed; the god is here; let yours be the hand, and not Hakau’s, to place thelei-aiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao!”The words of the prophecy came to Umi as a dream. Overwhelmed with their significance, he fell upon his knees and exclaimed:“God of my fathers! be you my guide until I prove unworthy of your protection!”“Your realm is yet small,” said the priest, “and is enclosed within these walls. Let us pay respect to the gods, that its boundaries may be enlarged.”Thereupon a stricttabuwas ordered to all within the walls, to begin at midday and continue until the setting of the sun. The time was brief, but events were pressing, and it could not safely be extended.Thetabu, orkapu, as it is sometimes written, was strictly a prerogative of the high chiefs and priests of olden Hawaii. There were fixedtabusof custom, and declaredtabusof limited duration by the temporal and spiritual rulers. The penalty for the violation of alltabuswas death. It wastabuof custom for men and women to eat together, or for women to eat of the flesh of swine, fowls, turtle and many kinds of fish. Everythingbelonging to the kings, priests and temples wastabu, or sacred, and springs, paths, fishing-grounds, water-courses, etc., were frequently thus kept from the use of the people. Declared generaltabus, for the propitiation of the gods or the amelioration of a public evil, were either strict or common, according to the emergency. During the time of a commontabuthe people were required to abstain from their usual avocations and attend at theheiau, where morning and evening prayers were offered. A stricttabuwas more sacred. While it continued—generally one or two days—all, with the exception of thealii-nuiand priests, were compelled to remain within doors. Every fire and every light was extinguished; no canoe was launched; all noises ceased; the pigs and dogs were muzzled, and fowls were placed under calabashes. Thesetabuswere proclaimed by heralds, and their wanton violation was an unpardonable offence.In preparation for thetabuto be declared by Umi, flowers and feathers were brought, andleisof both were woven. Everything being in readiness, heralds proclaimed thetabuand its duration, with the further announcement that the occasion was the arrival of the mighty war-godAkuapaaoand its coming decoration by Umi.As the sun touched the mark of meridian, the gates of the enclosure were barred and guarded by the religious attendants of the priest; the fires were everywhere extinguished; the few animals within the walls were either muzzled or hidden; men, women and children suddenly disappeared within their dwellings or quarters, and mats were hung at the openings; Umi and the priest retired alone to theheiauand closed the door, and silence, disturbed only by low whispers and the muffled footfalls of the watching priests, reigned over the twenty-five hundred persons gathered within the enclosure.In theheiau, or apartment of the gods, to which Umi and the high-priest retired, were a number of images and sacred relics. Near the centre of the room was a small altar, upon which had been deposited theleisprovided for the decoration ofAkuapaao. They sat down beside it, and for an hour or more nothing was heard but the whispered prayers of the priest, addressed in turn to the several gods before him. Then, rising and leading Umi by the hand to theAkuapaao, in a low voice he formally presented him to the god as the son of Liloa and rightful ruler of the Hawaiianpeople. Another prayer was uttered, and then Umi, with the words, “Accept this, OAkuapaao, with the homage of Umi!” proceeded reverently to place around the head and neck of the image a number of fragrantleisof flowers and wreaths of brilliant feathers.The priest watched the act intently. As the last wreath of feathers, resembling a crown in appearance—thelei-hula-alii—was placed upon the head of the image, a sunbeam flashed through what seemed to be a small rent in the thatched roof, and for a moment haloed the heads of Umi and the god. The priest read the answer and smiled. He felt as assured of the favor of the gods as if it had been pledged in a voice of thunder, and Umi bent low in acknowledgment of the joyful revelation.The sun dropped behind the hills; twilight turned to bronze the gold of the valleys, and thetabuwas at an end. It was proclaimed that the auguries were highly favorable, and the silence of thetabuwas broken by wild strains of music and shouts of rejoicing.

IV.True to the answer returned to Kaoleioku by his messenger, Nunu and Kakohe reached Waipunalei the following night; and when they saw the warlike preparations, and learned that Umi was present and that the acclaim of revolt was to be raised in his name, they wept for joy. It was past midnight, and their limbs were weary, but they could not sleep. At their request the door of Umi’s room was pointed out to them, and they went and sat down beside it. For an hour or more they did not speak. Then, when all was still within the walls, in a low tone they began the legendary chant of the kings of Hawaii. As they proceeded with a record which few on the island beside themselves could correctly repeat, their voices rose with their enthusiasm, and in a few minutes hundreds of half-naked men crept from their barrack lodgings and stood listening to the metric sentences of the learned historians. As they reached the name of Kiha, Umi stepped without the door. The priests recognized him and rose to their feet. Then, continuing themele, they chanted the name of Kiha, of Liloa, of Hakau, and finally of Umi, represented as having wrested the sceptre from his unworthy brother, who was hated by his subjects and abandoned by the gods. With this they dropped on their knees before him and boldly saluted him asmoiof Hawaii.This acquainted many of the warriors present for the first time of Umi’s rank, and the wildest enthusiasm seized them. They asked to be led at once to Waipio, and were only quieted when Kaoleioku appeared and assured them that their patriotic wishes would soon be gratified.At first Kaoleioku deemed this early development of the purposes of the movement untimely, if not, indeed, unfortunate. Many preparations remained to be made. It had been a suggestionof Umi that a part of the rebel forces should be sent to Waipio by water; but the canoes necessary for the expedition had not been secured, and not more than a thousand warriors had reported. Secrecy could no longer be maintained, and immediate and open action appeared to be now unavoidable. Yet it was through Nunu and Kakohe that his plans had been thwarted, and while he felt annoyed at what they had done, he retired, hoping they had acted advisedly in the matter.The conduct of the priests was explained and approved the next morning. They urged immediate action. Hakau was not prepared for a sudden attack. For many years there had been no wars of consequence, and such of his supporters as the king could hastily summon to his assistance would be improperly armed and without discipline.Their advice was for Umi to raise the standard of revolt at once. This news they would take to Waipio, with the further information that, although preparing for rebellion, Umi would not be strong enough to act for some time. Alarmed, Hakau would consult the high-priest Laeanui, who, notwithstanding their relations, was secretly his enemy, and a plan could be devised to induce the king to send his household guards and immediate followers to the mountains on some religious errand, when Umi, apprised of the situation by fires kindled at intervals on the hill-tops between Waipio and Waipunalei, could swoop down with a few hundred resolute warriors and seize the king and the capital, and thus with a bold stroke achieve a bloodless triumph.When the priests had developed this plan of action Kaoleioku rose to his feet and exclaimed with excitement:“The gods have instructed you!”“You have spoken truly; the gods have indeed instructed our friends!” said Umi, impressively; “for was it not said in your dreams that the victory would be bloodless if the spears of Hakau were sent beyond the call of theKiha-pu?”“The meaning is now plain,” returned the priest, reverentially. “The gods are with us, and we will be directed by them.”All the details were then carefully arranged, and the two priests returned to Waipio. It was soon rumored that they brought news of Umi, and Hakau sent for them, as had been expected. Fear had somewhat humbled him, and he greeted themwith what seemed to be the greatest friendship and cordiality. He even chided them for absenting themselves so long from the royal mansion, where their visits, he assured them, would always be welcome. They assumed to be greatly gratified at his protestations of good-will, but secretly despised him for his shallow hypocrisy.When questioned by the king the priests frankly informed him that they had left Umi and Kaoleioku together no longer than the day before, and advised him to lose no time in despatching to the mountains all the men he could summon, to gather fresh feathers of rare birds with which to redecorate his god of war.Hakau was startled by this advice, for the ceremony ofkauilaakuawas never performed except in times of war or other imminent peril.“What!” he exclaimed, with assumed astonishment, “shall this be done because Umi lives, and you have seen him with the high-priest ofManini?”“No; not because Umi lives,” replied Nunu quietly, “but because he is preparing for rebellion.”“Rebellion!” repeated Hakau, angrily. “Does he expect to be able to maintain himself in Hilo?”“His aims reach beyond Hilo,” ventured the priest.“To Puna?”“Beyond Puna.”“To Kau?”“Beyond Kau.”“Then he must aim at the whole island,” exclaimed Hakau, savagely.“At the whole island,” repeated the priest, maliciously.“He shall have land enough to bury him, and no more!” hissed the king. “But you are croakers, both of you. Before considering your advice I shall consult Laeanui and the seers ofPaakalani, and hear what the gods say of this wide-spread conspiracy, as your fears and cowardice tell the story.”Hakau abruptly dismissed the priests, and despatched a messenger for the high-priest Laeanui, but it was late in the afternoon before he could be found. He was old and venerable in appearance, and his hair, white as the snows of Mauna Kea, fell to his knees, covering his shoulders like a veil.They had met but rarely since the death of Liloa, for the old priest seldom left the temple grounds, and Hakau as seldom visited them; and as the bearded and white-haired prophet entered the royal mansion, all bent respectfully before him, and a feeling of awe crept over the king as the priest stood silently and with folded arms before him.“My greeting to you, venerable servant of the gods!” said the king.The priest bowed, but remained silent, and Hakau resumed abruptly:“I have learned that Umi and a priest named Kaoleioku are plotting treason together in Hilo, near the borders of Hamakua. What know you of Kaoleioku?”“A man to be feared if he is in earnest,” replied the priest curtly.“Have auguries of the movement been invoked?” inquired the king.With a gesture the priest replied in the negative.“And why not?” continued Hakau, impetuously. “What are priests and temples for, if not to guard the kingdom against coming dangers?”“If it so please them, the gods answer when they are asked through sacrifice,” replied the priest; and then, with rising anger, he continued: “Your father respected the gods, and came to the temple when he would consult them, and his son must do the same.”“Well, then,” said Hakau, discovering that the priest neither loved nor feared him, “I will be at the temple to-night, some time after sunset, and have you there the best of your diviners.”“I shall await your coming,” replied Laeanui, briefly, as he bowed low and retired.“Although he gave me his daughter,” muttered Hakau, as Laeanui left the room, “he has no love for me, and I as little for him. But no matter; I must not quarrel with him now. Wait until I have dealt with Umi and his confederates, and then—” But he did not finish the sentence, for he suddenly recollected that the high-priesthood was an inherited position, like his own, and its bestowal was not a royal prerogative. There were bloody means of creating vacancies, however, and these flashed through the wicked brain of Hakau.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.The night that followed was dark, with a steady wind from the northwest and occasional showers. It was some time after sunset before the king entered the outer gate of theheiauofPaakalani. He was accompanied by four attendants, two of whom bore a muzzled pig and two fowls; the others were trusty friends. Akukuitorch was kept burning in front of the house of the high-priest, another between the altar and inner court, and a third near the entrance of the royal retreat, with which thatheiau, like many others, was provided. Toward the latter Hakau and his party proceeded, and were soon joined by Laeanui and a number of officiating priests andkilos.Entering the royalhale, a few words passed between the king and Laeanui, when the attendants of Hakau were relieved of their burdens and sent without the enclosure. Thekaika, or large sacrificial drum, was then sounded with three measured strokes, and in a few minutes six officiating priests, three of them with knives in their hands and the others bearing torches, made their appearance. To them the pig and fowls were entrusted, and, preceded by the torch-bearers, the king and high-priest, followed by the attendants of the temple, with measured pace moved toward the altar.Reaching the place of sacrifice, the high-priest uttered a prayer to the godhead, and separate supplications toKane,KuandLono, intoned by the assisting priests, when the fowls were decapitated and their headless bodies placed upon the altar. The priest watched them until they were motionless, and then opened them and carefully examined the heart, liver and entrails of each.The king glanced anxiously at the priest, but the latter made no response. The pig was then ordered to be slain. The throat of the animal was cut and its bleeding body was also placed upon the altar. The flow of the blood was scrupulously noted, and, after the respirations had been counted and the animal ceased to breathe, the body was hastily opened. The spleen was removed and held above the head of the priest while another prayer was spoken, and then the other organs were separately examined.Completing the inspection, Laeanui stepped back from the altar.“Well,” said the king, impatiently, “what say the gods?”“The gods are angry, and the portents are evil,” replied the priest.“Then promise them a hundred human sacrifices,” exclaimed Hakau. “If their favor is to be purchased with blood, I will drown theheiauwith an ocean of it. But,” he continued, “I am not satisfied with these auguries. Let me hear from theanu.”Immediately behind the altar was the entrance to the inner court of the temple. Within, and about three paces back from the door, which was covered with a wide breadth ofkapa, was placed theanu, a wicker enclosure four or five feet in diameter, in which stood the oracle. On each side of the entrance were carved images ofKane,Ku,Lonoand other Hawaiian deities, while at intervals of three or four feet along the walls a score or more of gods of lesser potency stood guard above the sacred spot.To the last request of Hakau the priest replied: “The king shall hear from theanu.”The lights were then extinguished, and all except the king and high-priest retired some distance from the altar, that no whisper of the oracle might reach them. Hakau was nervous as he stepped with the priest in front of the entrance to the inner temple. A prayer was uttered by the priest; thekapascreen was drawn aside by hands unseen, and the king stood looking into the intense darkness of thesanctum sanctorumof the temple.“Speak!” said the priest, withdrawing behind the altar, and leaving the king alone before theanu.“Speak!” repeated a hollow voice from within the sacred enclosure.For some minutes Hakau remained awed and silent; then, in a voice which scarcely seemed to be his own, he said:“Great power, I hear that dangers threaten.”“Dangers threaten!” came like an echo from within.“How may they be averted?” inquired the king.For a time there was no answer. Finally a voice from theanureplied:“Do homage toKane; make glad the war-god of Liloa!”“So do I promise,” answered the king; “but will that give me victory?”“Victory!” was repeated from theanu.Elated at what he had heard, Hakau continued:“Now tell me, mighty spirit, whether Umi—”“Nothing more!” interrupted the voice from within, as thekapasuddenly dropped before the entrance.“Well, thanks for so much,” said Hakau, turning and joining the priest at the altar, and repeating to him, with some favorable additions, the words that he had heard. Darkness hid the smile upon the lips of Laeanui.“The day after to-morrow we will hold here a festival toKane, and the altar shall be heaped with offerings,” said the king. “To-morrow I will send my people to the mountains to gather feathers of sacred and royal colors, andKaili, the neglected war-god of Liloa, shall be made glorious in new plumage and glad with abundant sacrifice.”“It is well,” replied the priest.“Now let the conspirators marshal their spears!” continued Hakau, confidently, “and we will make short work of them. They cannot be punished in the hills of Hilo. With a showing of weakness we will lure them to Waipio, and not one of them shall escape. We will cut off their retreat, and close in their faces the gates of thepuhonui!”As already mentioned, of the twopuhonuis, or places of refuge, on Hawaii at that time, one was an adjunct of theheiauofPaakalani, at Waipio. In times of war their gates, with white flags to mark them, were always open, and those who succeeded in passing into the enclosure were safe from assault, even though pursued by the king himself.This savage proposal to close the gates of thepuhonuiwas promptly resented by Laeanui. He would as soon have thought of tumbling the gods from their pedestals and consigning them to the flames.“You suggest what is impossible,” said the priest. “Since the days of Wakea thepuhonuihas been sacred. Its gates cannot be closed to the defenceless, and the gods have said that he who shuts them against the weak shall seek in vain their shelter from the arm of the strong.”“Well, then, keep them open!” retorted the king, sharply. “They will run swiftly who enter them!”Torches were relighted, and the king and his attendants left theheiau. They had not passed beyond the outer wall before Nunu emerged from the inner court. His was the voice that had answered the king from theanu. Thus in the temple ofPaakalaniwas shaped the destruction of Hakau, and the priests whom he had insulted and defied opened broadly and surely the way to his death.The next morning an unusual commotion was observed in and around the royal mansion, and as party after party left the inclosure—some proceeding toward the sea-coast, and others up the valley and into the mountains beyond—the villagers wondered at the proceeding, and predicted that a stricttabuwould soon follow, whatever might be the occasion. But when they learned that the war-god was to be redecorated, and an imposing religious festival was to follow the day after, they knew that trouble of some kind was anticipated by the king, and soon found a correct explanation of the movement in the rumors which they, too, had heard concerning Umi and his friends in Hilo and eastern Hamakua. The possibility of an uprising against Hakau gave them no uneasiness, however, for his cruelties had secured for him their hatred, while the name of Umi was to all classes a synonym of strength and gentleness.The king was not indifferent to the danger with which he was about to be confronted, and promptly despatchedlunapaisto the district chiefs of Kohala, Kona, and Hamakua, ordering them to report without delay at Waipio with two thousand warriors each, while the governor of Hilo was commanded by a speciallunapaito march at once with a body of warriors to Waipunalei, with the view of precipitating the movement of Umi upon Waipio, where, it was not doubted, he would be overwhelmed and crushed.All these were proper precautions, but they were taken too late; for at the time the feather-hunters andlunapaiswere leaving on their respective missions, Umi, at the head of over two thousand well-armed and resolute warriors, had reached a point within a two hours’ march of Waipio, and was awaiting a signal to swoop down upon the valley.And now let us return to Waipunalei, and note what had been occurring there during the preceding forty-eight hours. As soon as the priests left for Waipio, two days before, trusty and intelligent sentinels followed and took their respective stations, designated by Maukaleoleo, on the summits of seven different hill-tops discernible from each other from Waipunalei to Waipio. The first, coming eastward from Waipio, was three miles,perhaps, from the temple ofPaakalani; the last was a rocky pinnacle about four miles from Waipunalei. This was the station of Maukaleoleo.The sentinels were instructed to gather large heaps of dry grass and bark; to keep small fires smouldering and ready for use; to vigilantly watch the peaks in the direction of Waipio; to apply the torch the instant a signal-fire was seen, and keep the pile burning until it was plainly answered by the next station toward Waipunalei.All that day and through the following night armed men were arriving at the rendezvous at Kaoleioku’s, until something more than two thousand warriors had reported, and every spare moment of the next day was devoted to forming them into companies and battalions, giving them leaders and preparing them for a rapid march.Many of the warriors were accompanied by their wives, daughters or sisters; for in those days, and later, women not unfrequently followed their fathers, brothers and husbands to battle, generally keeping in the rear to furnish them with food and water, but sometimes, in a close and desperate conflict, mingling bravely in the fight. In such cases they gave and received blows, and expected and were accorded no consideration because of their sex.Instances are given in Hawaiian tradition of the tide of battle being turned, on more than one occasion, by desperate women transformed from camp-followers into warriors; and as late as 1819 we behold Manona, wife of Kekuokalani, the last sturdy champion of the gods of his fathers, falling lifeless in battle upon the body of her dead husband at Kuamoo, while Kaahumanu and Kalakau, widows of the great Kamehameha, commanded the fleet of canoes operating with the land forces under Kalaimoku.After the visit of the priests from Waipio the purpose of the revolt was no longer disguised, and whenever Umi made his appearance among the assembled and assembling warriors he was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm. His romantic history was known to them, and had been made the theme of song. His many triumphs at the festival given by Liloa in honor of his formal recognition were recited by those who had witnessed them, and his grand proportions and noble bearing stamped himas of chiefly blood; and when his friends Piimaiwaa and Omaukamau spoke of the great learning displayed by him when questioned by the priests, and intimated that he had been instructed by the gods and was under their care, every doubt of success vanished, and the order for an advance upon Waipio was awaited with impatience.Maukaleoleo mysteriously came and went, but always at night, and seldom remaining longer than a few minutes. He was known to all within the enclosure, and allowed to pass unchallenged, as he could be mistaken for no one else. As he strode through the gateway, bearing a spear scarcely less than thirty feet in length, the sentinels regarded him with awe; and when they saw him converse with Umi and then silently depart, they shook their heads and said, “Perhaps he isLono!”The temple ofManini, dedicated by Liloa just before his meeting with the mother of Umi, and of which Kaoleioku was the high-priest, was a reconstruction and enlargement of an oldheiauwhich was in existence certainly as early as the time of the warlike Kalaunuiohua, who reigned between the years 1260 and 1300. With a large army and proportionate fleet of canoes he invaded Maui, Molokai and Oahu, and, taking their captured sovereigns with him, made a descent upon Kauai. But his triumphs ended there. After an obstinate battle he was defeated and taken prisoner, but was subsequently released and permitted to return to his own kingdom.It was during the reign of this sovereign that the prophetess Waahia lived. She accompanied him in his expeditions as far as Oahu, but refused to proceed with him to Kauai. She declared that the gods would bring calamity upon him if he invaded that island, and sought to persuade him to consolidate his conquests and return to Hawaii. But the warrior-king cared but little for priests or temples, and was in the habit of destroying both when they failed to subserve his purposes. Enraged at the unfavorable auguries of Waahia, and fearful that they might come to the ears of and demoralize his warriors, the king induced her to return to Hawaii. One tradition says she voluntarily abandoned Kalaunuiohua, while another relates that she consented to return only on condition that the war-god of the king be sent back with her. This god had been in the reigning family of Hawaii since the days of Paao, and had been sanctified by that father of thepriesthood. To distinguish it from other war-gods it was known asAkuapaao, and was held in great veneration. When asked for an explanation of the strange request, the prophetess boldly declared that, if the god was taken to Kauai, it would never return except at the head of a conquering army that would make of Hawaii a tributary kingdom.“Then take it with you!” exclaimed the king, savagely, “and if I return to Hawaii alive I will burn you both together!”“You will burn neither,” said Waahia. “When you return to Hawaii you will think better of the gods and their servants; and in generations to come, when angry spears shall be crossed in thehaleof the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.”The prophetess prepared to embark. The god, wrapped in a fold ofkapa, so that it might not be recognized, was brought to the beach and delivered to the departing seeress. The canoe, which was large enough to accommodate thirty persons, was shoved into the surf. It was provided with food and a calabash of water. Declining all assistance or companionship in her journey, Waahia stepped into the canoe with the image in her arms, and, after carefully depositing it in the bow of the boat, returned and seated herself near the stern. Half a dozen men were waiting for the word to launch the canoe from the sands upon which the stern was lightly resting. But the seeress raised no sail, touched no oar. For some minutes she sat, silent and motionless, with bent head and clasped hands, as if in prayer, while hundreds of curious eyes watched her in amazement, wondering what would become of her, even should the unmanned craft be successful in passing the breakers. Then she slowly rose to her feet, and the canoe began to glide toward the reef. Faster and faster it moved, until, mounting a retreating wave, it was borne swiftly out into the calmer waters; then, slightly turning in its course, it dashed southward with the speed of the wind, and was soon lost to the view of the awe-stricken beholders.Waahia looked beneath the waves and smiled, forUkanipo, the shark-god, with scores of assistants, was bearing her onward; and then from hisipu Laamaomao, the Hawaiian Æolus, let loose the imprisoned winds, and refreshing zephyrs cooled the face of the prophetess and accelerated the speed of the canoe, until it seemed to leap from wave to wave; and great sea-birds screamedwith fright as it dashed past and awoke them from their billowy slumbers, leaving behind it a long trail of troubled waters.Passing to the southward of the intervening islands, the canoe was borne with undiminished speed through the channel of Alenuihaha to the northeastern coast of Hawaii, and before sunset was beached at Koholalele. The prophetess knew the meaning of this. Near by was the oldheiauofManini, and thither, as she felt instructed, was taken and deposited the war-godAkuapaao, with the solemn injunction to the high-priest in charge that it was never to be removed from the inner court unless the life of themoiwas in peril or the kingdom was invaded by a foreign foe.The oldheiauhad given place to a more imposing structure during the reign of Liloa. Its outer walls had been enlarged, raised and repaired, and its inner belongings improved and redecorated; but its sacred relics had not been disturbed, and its many gods remained where they had been for generations.Among the most sacred idols of the temple, even after the death of Liloa, was theAkuapaao. Its name indicated alike its age and sanctity; and while the legends connected with it had become vague and distorted in their transmission through a long line of priests, the prophecy of Waahia still clung to it, and it was especially reverenced by the few to whom was entrusted the secret of its functions.Hakau had learned of this god from his royal father, and the same morning that his retainers were sent to the hills for feathers two priests were despatched to Koholalele, with orders to bring to Waipio, in the king’s name and without delay, the war-godAkuapaao. Should the priests of the temple refuse to surrender the idol, then the messengers were instructed to call upon the district chiefs for assistance, and take it by force, no matter at what cost of life.But the king was too late, for at early daylight of the morning of the day before his messengers left Waipio, Maukaleoleo strode into the rebel headquarters with theAkuapaaoin his arms. Kaoleioku had, of course, instructed the giant where and how to secure the image, for in years past he had been its custodian, and his orders continued to be obeyed by the priests ofManini. The idol, completely wrapped inkapa, was deposited in the privateheiauof the high-priest, and Maukaleoleo left the enclosureas quietly as he had entered it a few minutes before. The sentinels wondered, as usual, but bowed in silence as he came and went.The priest rose with the sun, and learned that Maukaleoleo had already been a visitor that morning. He hastened to theheiau, and there found theAkuapaao. He was overjoyed. He removed thekapacovering from the idol, placed it upon a pedestal between the images ofKuandLono, and then found Umi and brought him to theheiau. Entering, Kaoleioku closed the door and pointed to theAkuapaao. Umi bowed reverently before it.“Listen, O Umi!” said the priest; “listen, O son of Liloa! Behold the war-god of your fathers! It was sanctified by the touch of Paao, and for generations, in the inner chamber ofManini, has awaited your coming. From Waahia, the prophetess, have come down, through the chief priests of theheiau, these words: ‘When angry spears shall be crossed in the hale of the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be the stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.’ The spears are about to be crossed; the god is here; let yours be the hand, and not Hakau’s, to place thelei-aiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao!”The words of the prophecy came to Umi as a dream. Overwhelmed with their significance, he fell upon his knees and exclaimed:“God of my fathers! be you my guide until I prove unworthy of your protection!”“Your realm is yet small,” said the priest, “and is enclosed within these walls. Let us pay respect to the gods, that its boundaries may be enlarged.”Thereupon a stricttabuwas ordered to all within the walls, to begin at midday and continue until the setting of the sun. The time was brief, but events were pressing, and it could not safely be extended.Thetabu, orkapu, as it is sometimes written, was strictly a prerogative of the high chiefs and priests of olden Hawaii. There were fixedtabusof custom, and declaredtabusof limited duration by the temporal and spiritual rulers. The penalty for the violation of alltabuswas death. It wastabuof custom for men and women to eat together, or for women to eat of the flesh of swine, fowls, turtle and many kinds of fish. Everythingbelonging to the kings, priests and temples wastabu, or sacred, and springs, paths, fishing-grounds, water-courses, etc., were frequently thus kept from the use of the people. Declared generaltabus, for the propitiation of the gods or the amelioration of a public evil, were either strict or common, according to the emergency. During the time of a commontabuthe people were required to abstain from their usual avocations and attend at theheiau, where morning and evening prayers were offered. A stricttabuwas more sacred. While it continued—generally one or two days—all, with the exception of thealii-nuiand priests, were compelled to remain within doors. Every fire and every light was extinguished; no canoe was launched; all noises ceased; the pigs and dogs were muzzled, and fowls were placed under calabashes. Thesetabuswere proclaimed by heralds, and their wanton violation was an unpardonable offence.In preparation for thetabuto be declared by Umi, flowers and feathers were brought, andleisof both were woven. Everything being in readiness, heralds proclaimed thetabuand its duration, with the further announcement that the occasion was the arrival of the mighty war-godAkuapaaoand its coming decoration by Umi.As the sun touched the mark of meridian, the gates of the enclosure were barred and guarded by the religious attendants of the priest; the fires were everywhere extinguished; the few animals within the walls were either muzzled or hidden; men, women and children suddenly disappeared within their dwellings or quarters, and mats were hung at the openings; Umi and the priest retired alone to theheiauand closed the door, and silence, disturbed only by low whispers and the muffled footfalls of the watching priests, reigned over the twenty-five hundred persons gathered within the enclosure.In theheiau, or apartment of the gods, to which Umi and the high-priest retired, were a number of images and sacred relics. Near the centre of the room was a small altar, upon which had been deposited theleisprovided for the decoration ofAkuapaao. They sat down beside it, and for an hour or more nothing was heard but the whispered prayers of the priest, addressed in turn to the several gods before him. Then, rising and leading Umi by the hand to theAkuapaao, in a low voice he formally presented him to the god as the son of Liloa and rightful ruler of the Hawaiianpeople. Another prayer was uttered, and then Umi, with the words, “Accept this, OAkuapaao, with the homage of Umi!” proceeded reverently to place around the head and neck of the image a number of fragrantleisof flowers and wreaths of brilliant feathers.The priest watched the act intently. As the last wreath of feathers, resembling a crown in appearance—thelei-hula-alii—was placed upon the head of the image, a sunbeam flashed through what seemed to be a small rent in the thatched roof, and for a moment haloed the heads of Umi and the god. The priest read the answer and smiled. He felt as assured of the favor of the gods as if it had been pledged in a voice of thunder, and Umi bent low in acknowledgment of the joyful revelation.The sun dropped behind the hills; twilight turned to bronze the gold of the valleys, and thetabuwas at an end. It was proclaimed that the auguries were highly favorable, and the silence of thetabuwas broken by wild strains of music and shouts of rejoicing.

IV.

True to the answer returned to Kaoleioku by his messenger, Nunu and Kakohe reached Waipunalei the following night; and when they saw the warlike preparations, and learned that Umi was present and that the acclaim of revolt was to be raised in his name, they wept for joy. It was past midnight, and their limbs were weary, but they could not sleep. At their request the door of Umi’s room was pointed out to them, and they went and sat down beside it. For an hour or more they did not speak. Then, when all was still within the walls, in a low tone they began the legendary chant of the kings of Hawaii. As they proceeded with a record which few on the island beside themselves could correctly repeat, their voices rose with their enthusiasm, and in a few minutes hundreds of half-naked men crept from their barrack lodgings and stood listening to the metric sentences of the learned historians. As they reached the name of Kiha, Umi stepped without the door. The priests recognized him and rose to their feet. Then, continuing themele, they chanted the name of Kiha, of Liloa, of Hakau, and finally of Umi, represented as having wrested the sceptre from his unworthy brother, who was hated by his subjects and abandoned by the gods. With this they dropped on their knees before him and boldly saluted him asmoiof Hawaii.This acquainted many of the warriors present for the first time of Umi’s rank, and the wildest enthusiasm seized them. They asked to be led at once to Waipio, and were only quieted when Kaoleioku appeared and assured them that their patriotic wishes would soon be gratified.At first Kaoleioku deemed this early development of the purposes of the movement untimely, if not, indeed, unfortunate. Many preparations remained to be made. It had been a suggestionof Umi that a part of the rebel forces should be sent to Waipio by water; but the canoes necessary for the expedition had not been secured, and not more than a thousand warriors had reported. Secrecy could no longer be maintained, and immediate and open action appeared to be now unavoidable. Yet it was through Nunu and Kakohe that his plans had been thwarted, and while he felt annoyed at what they had done, he retired, hoping they had acted advisedly in the matter.The conduct of the priests was explained and approved the next morning. They urged immediate action. Hakau was not prepared for a sudden attack. For many years there had been no wars of consequence, and such of his supporters as the king could hastily summon to his assistance would be improperly armed and without discipline.Their advice was for Umi to raise the standard of revolt at once. This news they would take to Waipio, with the further information that, although preparing for rebellion, Umi would not be strong enough to act for some time. Alarmed, Hakau would consult the high-priest Laeanui, who, notwithstanding their relations, was secretly his enemy, and a plan could be devised to induce the king to send his household guards and immediate followers to the mountains on some religious errand, when Umi, apprised of the situation by fires kindled at intervals on the hill-tops between Waipio and Waipunalei, could swoop down with a few hundred resolute warriors and seize the king and the capital, and thus with a bold stroke achieve a bloodless triumph.When the priests had developed this plan of action Kaoleioku rose to his feet and exclaimed with excitement:“The gods have instructed you!”“You have spoken truly; the gods have indeed instructed our friends!” said Umi, impressively; “for was it not said in your dreams that the victory would be bloodless if the spears of Hakau were sent beyond the call of theKiha-pu?”“The meaning is now plain,” returned the priest, reverentially. “The gods are with us, and we will be directed by them.”All the details were then carefully arranged, and the two priests returned to Waipio. It was soon rumored that they brought news of Umi, and Hakau sent for them, as had been expected. Fear had somewhat humbled him, and he greeted themwith what seemed to be the greatest friendship and cordiality. He even chided them for absenting themselves so long from the royal mansion, where their visits, he assured them, would always be welcome. They assumed to be greatly gratified at his protestations of good-will, but secretly despised him for his shallow hypocrisy.When questioned by the king the priests frankly informed him that they had left Umi and Kaoleioku together no longer than the day before, and advised him to lose no time in despatching to the mountains all the men he could summon, to gather fresh feathers of rare birds with which to redecorate his god of war.Hakau was startled by this advice, for the ceremony ofkauilaakuawas never performed except in times of war or other imminent peril.“What!” he exclaimed, with assumed astonishment, “shall this be done because Umi lives, and you have seen him with the high-priest ofManini?”“No; not because Umi lives,” replied Nunu quietly, “but because he is preparing for rebellion.”“Rebellion!” repeated Hakau, angrily. “Does he expect to be able to maintain himself in Hilo?”“His aims reach beyond Hilo,” ventured the priest.“To Puna?”“Beyond Puna.”“To Kau?”“Beyond Kau.”“Then he must aim at the whole island,” exclaimed Hakau, savagely.“At the whole island,” repeated the priest, maliciously.“He shall have land enough to bury him, and no more!” hissed the king. “But you are croakers, both of you. Before considering your advice I shall consult Laeanui and the seers ofPaakalani, and hear what the gods say of this wide-spread conspiracy, as your fears and cowardice tell the story.”Hakau abruptly dismissed the priests, and despatched a messenger for the high-priest Laeanui, but it was late in the afternoon before he could be found. He was old and venerable in appearance, and his hair, white as the snows of Mauna Kea, fell to his knees, covering his shoulders like a veil.They had met but rarely since the death of Liloa, for the old priest seldom left the temple grounds, and Hakau as seldom visited them; and as the bearded and white-haired prophet entered the royal mansion, all bent respectfully before him, and a feeling of awe crept over the king as the priest stood silently and with folded arms before him.“My greeting to you, venerable servant of the gods!” said the king.The priest bowed, but remained silent, and Hakau resumed abruptly:“I have learned that Umi and a priest named Kaoleioku are plotting treason together in Hilo, near the borders of Hamakua. What know you of Kaoleioku?”“A man to be feared if he is in earnest,” replied the priest curtly.“Have auguries of the movement been invoked?” inquired the king.With a gesture the priest replied in the negative.“And why not?” continued Hakau, impetuously. “What are priests and temples for, if not to guard the kingdom against coming dangers?”“If it so please them, the gods answer when they are asked through sacrifice,” replied the priest; and then, with rising anger, he continued: “Your father respected the gods, and came to the temple when he would consult them, and his son must do the same.”“Well, then,” said Hakau, discovering that the priest neither loved nor feared him, “I will be at the temple to-night, some time after sunset, and have you there the best of your diviners.”“I shall await your coming,” replied Laeanui, briefly, as he bowed low and retired.“Although he gave me his daughter,” muttered Hakau, as Laeanui left the room, “he has no love for me, and I as little for him. But no matter; I must not quarrel with him now. Wait until I have dealt with Umi and his confederates, and then—” But he did not finish the sentence, for he suddenly recollected that the high-priesthood was an inherited position, like his own, and its bestowal was not a royal prerogative. There were bloody means of creating vacancies, however, and these flashed through the wicked brain of Hakau.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.The night that followed was dark, with a steady wind from the northwest and occasional showers. It was some time after sunset before the king entered the outer gate of theheiauofPaakalani. He was accompanied by four attendants, two of whom bore a muzzled pig and two fowls; the others were trusty friends. Akukuitorch was kept burning in front of the house of the high-priest, another between the altar and inner court, and a third near the entrance of the royal retreat, with which thatheiau, like many others, was provided. Toward the latter Hakau and his party proceeded, and were soon joined by Laeanui and a number of officiating priests andkilos.Entering the royalhale, a few words passed between the king and Laeanui, when the attendants of Hakau were relieved of their burdens and sent without the enclosure. Thekaika, or large sacrificial drum, was then sounded with three measured strokes, and in a few minutes six officiating priests, three of them with knives in their hands and the others bearing torches, made their appearance. To them the pig and fowls were entrusted, and, preceded by the torch-bearers, the king and high-priest, followed by the attendants of the temple, with measured pace moved toward the altar.Reaching the place of sacrifice, the high-priest uttered a prayer to the godhead, and separate supplications toKane,KuandLono, intoned by the assisting priests, when the fowls were decapitated and their headless bodies placed upon the altar. The priest watched them until they were motionless, and then opened them and carefully examined the heart, liver and entrails of each.The king glanced anxiously at the priest, but the latter made no response. The pig was then ordered to be slain. The throat of the animal was cut and its bleeding body was also placed upon the altar. The flow of the blood was scrupulously noted, and, after the respirations had been counted and the animal ceased to breathe, the body was hastily opened. The spleen was removed and held above the head of the priest while another prayer was spoken, and then the other organs were separately examined.Completing the inspection, Laeanui stepped back from the altar.“Well,” said the king, impatiently, “what say the gods?”“The gods are angry, and the portents are evil,” replied the priest.“Then promise them a hundred human sacrifices,” exclaimed Hakau. “If their favor is to be purchased with blood, I will drown theheiauwith an ocean of it. But,” he continued, “I am not satisfied with these auguries. Let me hear from theanu.”Immediately behind the altar was the entrance to the inner court of the temple. Within, and about three paces back from the door, which was covered with a wide breadth ofkapa, was placed theanu, a wicker enclosure four or five feet in diameter, in which stood the oracle. On each side of the entrance were carved images ofKane,Ku,Lonoand other Hawaiian deities, while at intervals of three or four feet along the walls a score or more of gods of lesser potency stood guard above the sacred spot.To the last request of Hakau the priest replied: “The king shall hear from theanu.”The lights were then extinguished, and all except the king and high-priest retired some distance from the altar, that no whisper of the oracle might reach them. Hakau was nervous as he stepped with the priest in front of the entrance to the inner temple. A prayer was uttered by the priest; thekapascreen was drawn aside by hands unseen, and the king stood looking into the intense darkness of thesanctum sanctorumof the temple.“Speak!” said the priest, withdrawing behind the altar, and leaving the king alone before theanu.“Speak!” repeated a hollow voice from within the sacred enclosure.For some minutes Hakau remained awed and silent; then, in a voice which scarcely seemed to be his own, he said:“Great power, I hear that dangers threaten.”“Dangers threaten!” came like an echo from within.“How may they be averted?” inquired the king.For a time there was no answer. Finally a voice from theanureplied:“Do homage toKane; make glad the war-god of Liloa!”“So do I promise,” answered the king; “but will that give me victory?”“Victory!” was repeated from theanu.Elated at what he had heard, Hakau continued:“Now tell me, mighty spirit, whether Umi—”“Nothing more!” interrupted the voice from within, as thekapasuddenly dropped before the entrance.“Well, thanks for so much,” said Hakau, turning and joining the priest at the altar, and repeating to him, with some favorable additions, the words that he had heard. Darkness hid the smile upon the lips of Laeanui.“The day after to-morrow we will hold here a festival toKane, and the altar shall be heaped with offerings,” said the king. “To-morrow I will send my people to the mountains to gather feathers of sacred and royal colors, andKaili, the neglected war-god of Liloa, shall be made glorious in new plumage and glad with abundant sacrifice.”“It is well,” replied the priest.“Now let the conspirators marshal their spears!” continued Hakau, confidently, “and we will make short work of them. They cannot be punished in the hills of Hilo. With a showing of weakness we will lure them to Waipio, and not one of them shall escape. We will cut off their retreat, and close in their faces the gates of thepuhonui!”As already mentioned, of the twopuhonuis, or places of refuge, on Hawaii at that time, one was an adjunct of theheiauofPaakalani, at Waipio. In times of war their gates, with white flags to mark them, were always open, and those who succeeded in passing into the enclosure were safe from assault, even though pursued by the king himself.This savage proposal to close the gates of thepuhonuiwas promptly resented by Laeanui. He would as soon have thought of tumbling the gods from their pedestals and consigning them to the flames.“You suggest what is impossible,” said the priest. “Since the days of Wakea thepuhonuihas been sacred. Its gates cannot be closed to the defenceless, and the gods have said that he who shuts them against the weak shall seek in vain their shelter from the arm of the strong.”“Well, then, keep them open!” retorted the king, sharply. “They will run swiftly who enter them!”Torches were relighted, and the king and his attendants left theheiau. They had not passed beyond the outer wall before Nunu emerged from the inner court. His was the voice that had answered the king from theanu. Thus in the temple ofPaakalaniwas shaped the destruction of Hakau, and the priests whom he had insulted and defied opened broadly and surely the way to his death.The next morning an unusual commotion was observed in and around the royal mansion, and as party after party left the inclosure—some proceeding toward the sea-coast, and others up the valley and into the mountains beyond—the villagers wondered at the proceeding, and predicted that a stricttabuwould soon follow, whatever might be the occasion. But when they learned that the war-god was to be redecorated, and an imposing religious festival was to follow the day after, they knew that trouble of some kind was anticipated by the king, and soon found a correct explanation of the movement in the rumors which they, too, had heard concerning Umi and his friends in Hilo and eastern Hamakua. The possibility of an uprising against Hakau gave them no uneasiness, however, for his cruelties had secured for him their hatred, while the name of Umi was to all classes a synonym of strength and gentleness.The king was not indifferent to the danger with which he was about to be confronted, and promptly despatchedlunapaisto the district chiefs of Kohala, Kona, and Hamakua, ordering them to report without delay at Waipio with two thousand warriors each, while the governor of Hilo was commanded by a speciallunapaito march at once with a body of warriors to Waipunalei, with the view of precipitating the movement of Umi upon Waipio, where, it was not doubted, he would be overwhelmed and crushed.All these were proper precautions, but they were taken too late; for at the time the feather-hunters andlunapaiswere leaving on their respective missions, Umi, at the head of over two thousand well-armed and resolute warriors, had reached a point within a two hours’ march of Waipio, and was awaiting a signal to swoop down upon the valley.And now let us return to Waipunalei, and note what had been occurring there during the preceding forty-eight hours. As soon as the priests left for Waipio, two days before, trusty and intelligent sentinels followed and took their respective stations, designated by Maukaleoleo, on the summits of seven different hill-tops discernible from each other from Waipunalei to Waipio. The first, coming eastward from Waipio, was three miles,perhaps, from the temple ofPaakalani; the last was a rocky pinnacle about four miles from Waipunalei. This was the station of Maukaleoleo.The sentinels were instructed to gather large heaps of dry grass and bark; to keep small fires smouldering and ready for use; to vigilantly watch the peaks in the direction of Waipio; to apply the torch the instant a signal-fire was seen, and keep the pile burning until it was plainly answered by the next station toward Waipunalei.All that day and through the following night armed men were arriving at the rendezvous at Kaoleioku’s, until something more than two thousand warriors had reported, and every spare moment of the next day was devoted to forming them into companies and battalions, giving them leaders and preparing them for a rapid march.Many of the warriors were accompanied by their wives, daughters or sisters; for in those days, and later, women not unfrequently followed their fathers, brothers and husbands to battle, generally keeping in the rear to furnish them with food and water, but sometimes, in a close and desperate conflict, mingling bravely in the fight. In such cases they gave and received blows, and expected and were accorded no consideration because of their sex.Instances are given in Hawaiian tradition of the tide of battle being turned, on more than one occasion, by desperate women transformed from camp-followers into warriors; and as late as 1819 we behold Manona, wife of Kekuokalani, the last sturdy champion of the gods of his fathers, falling lifeless in battle upon the body of her dead husband at Kuamoo, while Kaahumanu and Kalakau, widows of the great Kamehameha, commanded the fleet of canoes operating with the land forces under Kalaimoku.After the visit of the priests from Waipio the purpose of the revolt was no longer disguised, and whenever Umi made his appearance among the assembled and assembling warriors he was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm. His romantic history was known to them, and had been made the theme of song. His many triumphs at the festival given by Liloa in honor of his formal recognition were recited by those who had witnessed them, and his grand proportions and noble bearing stamped himas of chiefly blood; and when his friends Piimaiwaa and Omaukamau spoke of the great learning displayed by him when questioned by the priests, and intimated that he had been instructed by the gods and was under their care, every doubt of success vanished, and the order for an advance upon Waipio was awaited with impatience.Maukaleoleo mysteriously came and went, but always at night, and seldom remaining longer than a few minutes. He was known to all within the enclosure, and allowed to pass unchallenged, as he could be mistaken for no one else. As he strode through the gateway, bearing a spear scarcely less than thirty feet in length, the sentinels regarded him with awe; and when they saw him converse with Umi and then silently depart, they shook their heads and said, “Perhaps he isLono!”The temple ofManini, dedicated by Liloa just before his meeting with the mother of Umi, and of which Kaoleioku was the high-priest, was a reconstruction and enlargement of an oldheiauwhich was in existence certainly as early as the time of the warlike Kalaunuiohua, who reigned between the years 1260 and 1300. With a large army and proportionate fleet of canoes he invaded Maui, Molokai and Oahu, and, taking their captured sovereigns with him, made a descent upon Kauai. But his triumphs ended there. After an obstinate battle he was defeated and taken prisoner, but was subsequently released and permitted to return to his own kingdom.It was during the reign of this sovereign that the prophetess Waahia lived. She accompanied him in his expeditions as far as Oahu, but refused to proceed with him to Kauai. She declared that the gods would bring calamity upon him if he invaded that island, and sought to persuade him to consolidate his conquests and return to Hawaii. But the warrior-king cared but little for priests or temples, and was in the habit of destroying both when they failed to subserve his purposes. Enraged at the unfavorable auguries of Waahia, and fearful that they might come to the ears of and demoralize his warriors, the king induced her to return to Hawaii. One tradition says she voluntarily abandoned Kalaunuiohua, while another relates that she consented to return only on condition that the war-god of the king be sent back with her. This god had been in the reigning family of Hawaii since the days of Paao, and had been sanctified by that father of thepriesthood. To distinguish it from other war-gods it was known asAkuapaao, and was held in great veneration. When asked for an explanation of the strange request, the prophetess boldly declared that, if the god was taken to Kauai, it would never return except at the head of a conquering army that would make of Hawaii a tributary kingdom.“Then take it with you!” exclaimed the king, savagely, “and if I return to Hawaii alive I will burn you both together!”“You will burn neither,” said Waahia. “When you return to Hawaii you will think better of the gods and their servants; and in generations to come, when angry spears shall be crossed in thehaleof the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.”The prophetess prepared to embark. The god, wrapped in a fold ofkapa, so that it might not be recognized, was brought to the beach and delivered to the departing seeress. The canoe, which was large enough to accommodate thirty persons, was shoved into the surf. It was provided with food and a calabash of water. Declining all assistance or companionship in her journey, Waahia stepped into the canoe with the image in her arms, and, after carefully depositing it in the bow of the boat, returned and seated herself near the stern. Half a dozen men were waiting for the word to launch the canoe from the sands upon which the stern was lightly resting. But the seeress raised no sail, touched no oar. For some minutes she sat, silent and motionless, with bent head and clasped hands, as if in prayer, while hundreds of curious eyes watched her in amazement, wondering what would become of her, even should the unmanned craft be successful in passing the breakers. Then she slowly rose to her feet, and the canoe began to glide toward the reef. Faster and faster it moved, until, mounting a retreating wave, it was borne swiftly out into the calmer waters; then, slightly turning in its course, it dashed southward with the speed of the wind, and was soon lost to the view of the awe-stricken beholders.Waahia looked beneath the waves and smiled, forUkanipo, the shark-god, with scores of assistants, was bearing her onward; and then from hisipu Laamaomao, the Hawaiian Æolus, let loose the imprisoned winds, and refreshing zephyrs cooled the face of the prophetess and accelerated the speed of the canoe, until it seemed to leap from wave to wave; and great sea-birds screamedwith fright as it dashed past and awoke them from their billowy slumbers, leaving behind it a long trail of troubled waters.Passing to the southward of the intervening islands, the canoe was borne with undiminished speed through the channel of Alenuihaha to the northeastern coast of Hawaii, and before sunset was beached at Koholalele. The prophetess knew the meaning of this. Near by was the oldheiauofManini, and thither, as she felt instructed, was taken and deposited the war-godAkuapaao, with the solemn injunction to the high-priest in charge that it was never to be removed from the inner court unless the life of themoiwas in peril or the kingdom was invaded by a foreign foe.The oldheiauhad given place to a more imposing structure during the reign of Liloa. Its outer walls had been enlarged, raised and repaired, and its inner belongings improved and redecorated; but its sacred relics had not been disturbed, and its many gods remained where they had been for generations.Among the most sacred idols of the temple, even after the death of Liloa, was theAkuapaao. Its name indicated alike its age and sanctity; and while the legends connected with it had become vague and distorted in their transmission through a long line of priests, the prophecy of Waahia still clung to it, and it was especially reverenced by the few to whom was entrusted the secret of its functions.Hakau had learned of this god from his royal father, and the same morning that his retainers were sent to the hills for feathers two priests were despatched to Koholalele, with orders to bring to Waipio, in the king’s name and without delay, the war-godAkuapaao. Should the priests of the temple refuse to surrender the idol, then the messengers were instructed to call upon the district chiefs for assistance, and take it by force, no matter at what cost of life.But the king was too late, for at early daylight of the morning of the day before his messengers left Waipio, Maukaleoleo strode into the rebel headquarters with theAkuapaaoin his arms. Kaoleioku had, of course, instructed the giant where and how to secure the image, for in years past he had been its custodian, and his orders continued to be obeyed by the priests ofManini. The idol, completely wrapped inkapa, was deposited in the privateheiauof the high-priest, and Maukaleoleo left the enclosureas quietly as he had entered it a few minutes before. The sentinels wondered, as usual, but bowed in silence as he came and went.The priest rose with the sun, and learned that Maukaleoleo had already been a visitor that morning. He hastened to theheiau, and there found theAkuapaao. He was overjoyed. He removed thekapacovering from the idol, placed it upon a pedestal between the images ofKuandLono, and then found Umi and brought him to theheiau. Entering, Kaoleioku closed the door and pointed to theAkuapaao. Umi bowed reverently before it.“Listen, O Umi!” said the priest; “listen, O son of Liloa! Behold the war-god of your fathers! It was sanctified by the touch of Paao, and for generations, in the inner chamber ofManini, has awaited your coming. From Waahia, the prophetess, have come down, through the chief priests of theheiau, these words: ‘When angry spears shall be crossed in the hale of the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be the stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.’ The spears are about to be crossed; the god is here; let yours be the hand, and not Hakau’s, to place thelei-aiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao!”The words of the prophecy came to Umi as a dream. Overwhelmed with their significance, he fell upon his knees and exclaimed:“God of my fathers! be you my guide until I prove unworthy of your protection!”“Your realm is yet small,” said the priest, “and is enclosed within these walls. Let us pay respect to the gods, that its boundaries may be enlarged.”Thereupon a stricttabuwas ordered to all within the walls, to begin at midday and continue until the setting of the sun. The time was brief, but events were pressing, and it could not safely be extended.Thetabu, orkapu, as it is sometimes written, was strictly a prerogative of the high chiefs and priests of olden Hawaii. There were fixedtabusof custom, and declaredtabusof limited duration by the temporal and spiritual rulers. The penalty for the violation of alltabuswas death. It wastabuof custom for men and women to eat together, or for women to eat of the flesh of swine, fowls, turtle and many kinds of fish. Everythingbelonging to the kings, priests and temples wastabu, or sacred, and springs, paths, fishing-grounds, water-courses, etc., were frequently thus kept from the use of the people. Declared generaltabus, for the propitiation of the gods or the amelioration of a public evil, were either strict or common, according to the emergency. During the time of a commontabuthe people were required to abstain from their usual avocations and attend at theheiau, where morning and evening prayers were offered. A stricttabuwas more sacred. While it continued—generally one or two days—all, with the exception of thealii-nuiand priests, were compelled to remain within doors. Every fire and every light was extinguished; no canoe was launched; all noises ceased; the pigs and dogs were muzzled, and fowls were placed under calabashes. Thesetabuswere proclaimed by heralds, and their wanton violation was an unpardonable offence.In preparation for thetabuto be declared by Umi, flowers and feathers were brought, andleisof both were woven. Everything being in readiness, heralds proclaimed thetabuand its duration, with the further announcement that the occasion was the arrival of the mighty war-godAkuapaaoand its coming decoration by Umi.As the sun touched the mark of meridian, the gates of the enclosure were barred and guarded by the religious attendants of the priest; the fires were everywhere extinguished; the few animals within the walls were either muzzled or hidden; men, women and children suddenly disappeared within their dwellings or quarters, and mats were hung at the openings; Umi and the priest retired alone to theheiauand closed the door, and silence, disturbed only by low whispers and the muffled footfalls of the watching priests, reigned over the twenty-five hundred persons gathered within the enclosure.In theheiau, or apartment of the gods, to which Umi and the high-priest retired, were a number of images and sacred relics. Near the centre of the room was a small altar, upon which had been deposited theleisprovided for the decoration ofAkuapaao. They sat down beside it, and for an hour or more nothing was heard but the whispered prayers of the priest, addressed in turn to the several gods before him. Then, rising and leading Umi by the hand to theAkuapaao, in a low voice he formally presented him to the god as the son of Liloa and rightful ruler of the Hawaiianpeople. Another prayer was uttered, and then Umi, with the words, “Accept this, OAkuapaao, with the homage of Umi!” proceeded reverently to place around the head and neck of the image a number of fragrantleisof flowers and wreaths of brilliant feathers.The priest watched the act intently. As the last wreath of feathers, resembling a crown in appearance—thelei-hula-alii—was placed upon the head of the image, a sunbeam flashed through what seemed to be a small rent in the thatched roof, and for a moment haloed the heads of Umi and the god. The priest read the answer and smiled. He felt as assured of the favor of the gods as if it had been pledged in a voice of thunder, and Umi bent low in acknowledgment of the joyful revelation.The sun dropped behind the hills; twilight turned to bronze the gold of the valleys, and thetabuwas at an end. It was proclaimed that the auguries were highly favorable, and the silence of thetabuwas broken by wild strains of music and shouts of rejoicing.

True to the answer returned to Kaoleioku by his messenger, Nunu and Kakohe reached Waipunalei the following night; and when they saw the warlike preparations, and learned that Umi was present and that the acclaim of revolt was to be raised in his name, they wept for joy. It was past midnight, and their limbs were weary, but they could not sleep. At their request the door of Umi’s room was pointed out to them, and they went and sat down beside it. For an hour or more they did not speak. Then, when all was still within the walls, in a low tone they began the legendary chant of the kings of Hawaii. As they proceeded with a record which few on the island beside themselves could correctly repeat, their voices rose with their enthusiasm, and in a few minutes hundreds of half-naked men crept from their barrack lodgings and stood listening to the metric sentences of the learned historians. As they reached the name of Kiha, Umi stepped without the door. The priests recognized him and rose to their feet. Then, continuing themele, they chanted the name of Kiha, of Liloa, of Hakau, and finally of Umi, represented as having wrested the sceptre from his unworthy brother, who was hated by his subjects and abandoned by the gods. With this they dropped on their knees before him and boldly saluted him asmoiof Hawaii.

This acquainted many of the warriors present for the first time of Umi’s rank, and the wildest enthusiasm seized them. They asked to be led at once to Waipio, and were only quieted when Kaoleioku appeared and assured them that their patriotic wishes would soon be gratified.

At first Kaoleioku deemed this early development of the purposes of the movement untimely, if not, indeed, unfortunate. Many preparations remained to be made. It had been a suggestionof Umi that a part of the rebel forces should be sent to Waipio by water; but the canoes necessary for the expedition had not been secured, and not more than a thousand warriors had reported. Secrecy could no longer be maintained, and immediate and open action appeared to be now unavoidable. Yet it was through Nunu and Kakohe that his plans had been thwarted, and while he felt annoyed at what they had done, he retired, hoping they had acted advisedly in the matter.

The conduct of the priests was explained and approved the next morning. They urged immediate action. Hakau was not prepared for a sudden attack. For many years there had been no wars of consequence, and such of his supporters as the king could hastily summon to his assistance would be improperly armed and without discipline.

Their advice was for Umi to raise the standard of revolt at once. This news they would take to Waipio, with the further information that, although preparing for rebellion, Umi would not be strong enough to act for some time. Alarmed, Hakau would consult the high-priest Laeanui, who, notwithstanding their relations, was secretly his enemy, and a plan could be devised to induce the king to send his household guards and immediate followers to the mountains on some religious errand, when Umi, apprised of the situation by fires kindled at intervals on the hill-tops between Waipio and Waipunalei, could swoop down with a few hundred resolute warriors and seize the king and the capital, and thus with a bold stroke achieve a bloodless triumph.

When the priests had developed this plan of action Kaoleioku rose to his feet and exclaimed with excitement:

“The gods have instructed you!”

“You have spoken truly; the gods have indeed instructed our friends!” said Umi, impressively; “for was it not said in your dreams that the victory would be bloodless if the spears of Hakau were sent beyond the call of theKiha-pu?”

“The meaning is now plain,” returned the priest, reverentially. “The gods are with us, and we will be directed by them.”

All the details were then carefully arranged, and the two priests returned to Waipio. It was soon rumored that they brought news of Umi, and Hakau sent for them, as had been expected. Fear had somewhat humbled him, and he greeted themwith what seemed to be the greatest friendship and cordiality. He even chided them for absenting themselves so long from the royal mansion, where their visits, he assured them, would always be welcome. They assumed to be greatly gratified at his protestations of good-will, but secretly despised him for his shallow hypocrisy.

When questioned by the king the priests frankly informed him that they had left Umi and Kaoleioku together no longer than the day before, and advised him to lose no time in despatching to the mountains all the men he could summon, to gather fresh feathers of rare birds with which to redecorate his god of war.

Hakau was startled by this advice, for the ceremony ofkauilaakuawas never performed except in times of war or other imminent peril.

“What!” he exclaimed, with assumed astonishment, “shall this be done because Umi lives, and you have seen him with the high-priest ofManini?”

“No; not because Umi lives,” replied Nunu quietly, “but because he is preparing for rebellion.”

“Rebellion!” repeated Hakau, angrily. “Does he expect to be able to maintain himself in Hilo?”

“His aims reach beyond Hilo,” ventured the priest.

“To Puna?”

“Beyond Puna.”

“To Kau?”

“Beyond Kau.”

“Then he must aim at the whole island,” exclaimed Hakau, savagely.

“At the whole island,” repeated the priest, maliciously.

“He shall have land enough to bury him, and no more!” hissed the king. “But you are croakers, both of you. Before considering your advice I shall consult Laeanui and the seers ofPaakalani, and hear what the gods say of this wide-spread conspiracy, as your fears and cowardice tell the story.”

Hakau abruptly dismissed the priests, and despatched a messenger for the high-priest Laeanui, but it was late in the afternoon before he could be found. He was old and venerable in appearance, and his hair, white as the snows of Mauna Kea, fell to his knees, covering his shoulders like a veil.

They had met but rarely since the death of Liloa, for the old priest seldom left the temple grounds, and Hakau as seldom visited them; and as the bearded and white-haired prophet entered the royal mansion, all bent respectfully before him, and a feeling of awe crept over the king as the priest stood silently and with folded arms before him.

“My greeting to you, venerable servant of the gods!” said the king.

The priest bowed, but remained silent, and Hakau resumed abruptly:

“I have learned that Umi and a priest named Kaoleioku are plotting treason together in Hilo, near the borders of Hamakua. What know you of Kaoleioku?”

“A man to be feared if he is in earnest,” replied the priest curtly.

“Have auguries of the movement been invoked?” inquired the king.

With a gesture the priest replied in the negative.

“And why not?” continued Hakau, impetuously. “What are priests and temples for, if not to guard the kingdom against coming dangers?”

“If it so please them, the gods answer when they are asked through sacrifice,” replied the priest; and then, with rising anger, he continued: “Your father respected the gods, and came to the temple when he would consult them, and his son must do the same.”

“Well, then,” said Hakau, discovering that the priest neither loved nor feared him, “I will be at the temple to-night, some time after sunset, and have you there the best of your diviners.”

“I shall await your coming,” replied Laeanui, briefly, as he bowed low and retired.

“Although he gave me his daughter,” muttered Hakau, as Laeanui left the room, “he has no love for me, and I as little for him. But no matter; I must not quarrel with him now. Wait until I have dealt with Umi and his confederates, and then—” But he did not finish the sentence, for he suddenly recollected that the high-priesthood was an inherited position, like his own, and its bestowal was not a royal prerogative. There were bloody means of creating vacancies, however, and these flashed through the wicked brain of Hakau.

Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.

Small Temple on Kauai, 1793.

The night that followed was dark, with a steady wind from the northwest and occasional showers. It was some time after sunset before the king entered the outer gate of theheiauofPaakalani. He was accompanied by four attendants, two of whom bore a muzzled pig and two fowls; the others were trusty friends. Akukuitorch was kept burning in front of the house of the high-priest, another between the altar and inner court, and a third near the entrance of the royal retreat, with which thatheiau, like many others, was provided. Toward the latter Hakau and his party proceeded, and were soon joined by Laeanui and a number of officiating priests andkilos.

Entering the royalhale, a few words passed between the king and Laeanui, when the attendants of Hakau were relieved of their burdens and sent without the enclosure. Thekaika, or large sacrificial drum, was then sounded with three measured strokes, and in a few minutes six officiating priests, three of them with knives in their hands and the others bearing torches, made their appearance. To them the pig and fowls were entrusted, and, preceded by the torch-bearers, the king and high-priest, followed by the attendants of the temple, with measured pace moved toward the altar.

Reaching the place of sacrifice, the high-priest uttered a prayer to the godhead, and separate supplications toKane,KuandLono, intoned by the assisting priests, when the fowls were decapitated and their headless bodies placed upon the altar. The priest watched them until they were motionless, and then opened them and carefully examined the heart, liver and entrails of each.

The king glanced anxiously at the priest, but the latter made no response. The pig was then ordered to be slain. The throat of the animal was cut and its bleeding body was also placed upon the altar. The flow of the blood was scrupulously noted, and, after the respirations had been counted and the animal ceased to breathe, the body was hastily opened. The spleen was removed and held above the head of the priest while another prayer was spoken, and then the other organs were separately examined.

Completing the inspection, Laeanui stepped back from the altar.

“Well,” said the king, impatiently, “what say the gods?”

“The gods are angry, and the portents are evil,” replied the priest.

“Then promise them a hundred human sacrifices,” exclaimed Hakau. “If their favor is to be purchased with blood, I will drown theheiauwith an ocean of it. But,” he continued, “I am not satisfied with these auguries. Let me hear from theanu.”

Immediately behind the altar was the entrance to the inner court of the temple. Within, and about three paces back from the door, which was covered with a wide breadth ofkapa, was placed theanu, a wicker enclosure four or five feet in diameter, in which stood the oracle. On each side of the entrance were carved images ofKane,Ku,Lonoand other Hawaiian deities, while at intervals of three or four feet along the walls a score or more of gods of lesser potency stood guard above the sacred spot.

To the last request of Hakau the priest replied: “The king shall hear from theanu.”

The lights were then extinguished, and all except the king and high-priest retired some distance from the altar, that no whisper of the oracle might reach them. Hakau was nervous as he stepped with the priest in front of the entrance to the inner temple. A prayer was uttered by the priest; thekapascreen was drawn aside by hands unseen, and the king stood looking into the intense darkness of thesanctum sanctorumof the temple.

“Speak!” said the priest, withdrawing behind the altar, and leaving the king alone before theanu.

“Speak!” repeated a hollow voice from within the sacred enclosure.

For some minutes Hakau remained awed and silent; then, in a voice which scarcely seemed to be his own, he said:

“Great power, I hear that dangers threaten.”

“Dangers threaten!” came like an echo from within.

“How may they be averted?” inquired the king.

For a time there was no answer. Finally a voice from theanureplied:

“Do homage toKane; make glad the war-god of Liloa!”

“So do I promise,” answered the king; “but will that give me victory?”

“Victory!” was repeated from theanu.

Elated at what he had heard, Hakau continued:

“Now tell me, mighty spirit, whether Umi—”

“Nothing more!” interrupted the voice from within, as thekapasuddenly dropped before the entrance.

“Well, thanks for so much,” said Hakau, turning and joining the priest at the altar, and repeating to him, with some favorable additions, the words that he had heard. Darkness hid the smile upon the lips of Laeanui.

“The day after to-morrow we will hold here a festival toKane, and the altar shall be heaped with offerings,” said the king. “To-morrow I will send my people to the mountains to gather feathers of sacred and royal colors, andKaili, the neglected war-god of Liloa, shall be made glorious in new plumage and glad with abundant sacrifice.”

“It is well,” replied the priest.

“Now let the conspirators marshal their spears!” continued Hakau, confidently, “and we will make short work of them. They cannot be punished in the hills of Hilo. With a showing of weakness we will lure them to Waipio, and not one of them shall escape. We will cut off their retreat, and close in their faces the gates of thepuhonui!”

As already mentioned, of the twopuhonuis, or places of refuge, on Hawaii at that time, one was an adjunct of theheiauofPaakalani, at Waipio. In times of war their gates, with white flags to mark them, were always open, and those who succeeded in passing into the enclosure were safe from assault, even though pursued by the king himself.

This savage proposal to close the gates of thepuhonuiwas promptly resented by Laeanui. He would as soon have thought of tumbling the gods from their pedestals and consigning them to the flames.

“You suggest what is impossible,” said the priest. “Since the days of Wakea thepuhonuihas been sacred. Its gates cannot be closed to the defenceless, and the gods have said that he who shuts them against the weak shall seek in vain their shelter from the arm of the strong.”

“Well, then, keep them open!” retorted the king, sharply. “They will run swiftly who enter them!”

Torches were relighted, and the king and his attendants left theheiau. They had not passed beyond the outer wall before Nunu emerged from the inner court. His was the voice that had answered the king from theanu. Thus in the temple ofPaakalaniwas shaped the destruction of Hakau, and the priests whom he had insulted and defied opened broadly and surely the way to his death.

The next morning an unusual commotion was observed in and around the royal mansion, and as party after party left the inclosure—some proceeding toward the sea-coast, and others up the valley and into the mountains beyond—the villagers wondered at the proceeding, and predicted that a stricttabuwould soon follow, whatever might be the occasion. But when they learned that the war-god was to be redecorated, and an imposing religious festival was to follow the day after, they knew that trouble of some kind was anticipated by the king, and soon found a correct explanation of the movement in the rumors which they, too, had heard concerning Umi and his friends in Hilo and eastern Hamakua. The possibility of an uprising against Hakau gave them no uneasiness, however, for his cruelties had secured for him their hatred, while the name of Umi was to all classes a synonym of strength and gentleness.

The king was not indifferent to the danger with which he was about to be confronted, and promptly despatchedlunapaisto the district chiefs of Kohala, Kona, and Hamakua, ordering them to report without delay at Waipio with two thousand warriors each, while the governor of Hilo was commanded by a speciallunapaito march at once with a body of warriors to Waipunalei, with the view of precipitating the movement of Umi upon Waipio, where, it was not doubted, he would be overwhelmed and crushed.

All these were proper precautions, but they were taken too late; for at the time the feather-hunters andlunapaiswere leaving on their respective missions, Umi, at the head of over two thousand well-armed and resolute warriors, had reached a point within a two hours’ march of Waipio, and was awaiting a signal to swoop down upon the valley.

And now let us return to Waipunalei, and note what had been occurring there during the preceding forty-eight hours. As soon as the priests left for Waipio, two days before, trusty and intelligent sentinels followed and took their respective stations, designated by Maukaleoleo, on the summits of seven different hill-tops discernible from each other from Waipunalei to Waipio. The first, coming eastward from Waipio, was three miles,perhaps, from the temple ofPaakalani; the last was a rocky pinnacle about four miles from Waipunalei. This was the station of Maukaleoleo.

The sentinels were instructed to gather large heaps of dry grass and bark; to keep small fires smouldering and ready for use; to vigilantly watch the peaks in the direction of Waipio; to apply the torch the instant a signal-fire was seen, and keep the pile burning until it was plainly answered by the next station toward Waipunalei.

All that day and through the following night armed men were arriving at the rendezvous at Kaoleioku’s, until something more than two thousand warriors had reported, and every spare moment of the next day was devoted to forming them into companies and battalions, giving them leaders and preparing them for a rapid march.

Many of the warriors were accompanied by their wives, daughters or sisters; for in those days, and later, women not unfrequently followed their fathers, brothers and husbands to battle, generally keeping in the rear to furnish them with food and water, but sometimes, in a close and desperate conflict, mingling bravely in the fight. In such cases they gave and received blows, and expected and were accorded no consideration because of their sex.

Instances are given in Hawaiian tradition of the tide of battle being turned, on more than one occasion, by desperate women transformed from camp-followers into warriors; and as late as 1819 we behold Manona, wife of Kekuokalani, the last sturdy champion of the gods of his fathers, falling lifeless in battle upon the body of her dead husband at Kuamoo, while Kaahumanu and Kalakau, widows of the great Kamehameha, commanded the fleet of canoes operating with the land forces under Kalaimoku.

After the visit of the priests from Waipio the purpose of the revolt was no longer disguised, and whenever Umi made his appearance among the assembled and assembling warriors he was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm. His romantic history was known to them, and had been made the theme of song. His many triumphs at the festival given by Liloa in honor of his formal recognition were recited by those who had witnessed them, and his grand proportions and noble bearing stamped himas of chiefly blood; and when his friends Piimaiwaa and Omaukamau spoke of the great learning displayed by him when questioned by the priests, and intimated that he had been instructed by the gods and was under their care, every doubt of success vanished, and the order for an advance upon Waipio was awaited with impatience.

Maukaleoleo mysteriously came and went, but always at night, and seldom remaining longer than a few minutes. He was known to all within the enclosure, and allowed to pass unchallenged, as he could be mistaken for no one else. As he strode through the gateway, bearing a spear scarcely less than thirty feet in length, the sentinels regarded him with awe; and when they saw him converse with Umi and then silently depart, they shook their heads and said, “Perhaps he isLono!”

The temple ofManini, dedicated by Liloa just before his meeting with the mother of Umi, and of which Kaoleioku was the high-priest, was a reconstruction and enlargement of an oldheiauwhich was in existence certainly as early as the time of the warlike Kalaunuiohua, who reigned between the years 1260 and 1300. With a large army and proportionate fleet of canoes he invaded Maui, Molokai and Oahu, and, taking their captured sovereigns with him, made a descent upon Kauai. But his triumphs ended there. After an obstinate battle he was defeated and taken prisoner, but was subsequently released and permitted to return to his own kingdom.

It was during the reign of this sovereign that the prophetess Waahia lived. She accompanied him in his expeditions as far as Oahu, but refused to proceed with him to Kauai. She declared that the gods would bring calamity upon him if he invaded that island, and sought to persuade him to consolidate his conquests and return to Hawaii. But the warrior-king cared but little for priests or temples, and was in the habit of destroying both when they failed to subserve his purposes. Enraged at the unfavorable auguries of Waahia, and fearful that they might come to the ears of and demoralize his warriors, the king induced her to return to Hawaii. One tradition says she voluntarily abandoned Kalaunuiohua, while another relates that she consented to return only on condition that the war-god of the king be sent back with her. This god had been in the reigning family of Hawaii since the days of Paao, and had been sanctified by that father of thepriesthood. To distinguish it from other war-gods it was known asAkuapaao, and was held in great veneration. When asked for an explanation of the strange request, the prophetess boldly declared that, if the god was taken to Kauai, it would never return except at the head of a conquering army that would make of Hawaii a tributary kingdom.

“Then take it with you!” exclaimed the king, savagely, “and if I return to Hawaii alive I will burn you both together!”

“You will burn neither,” said Waahia. “When you return to Hawaii you will think better of the gods and their servants; and in generations to come, when angry spears shall be crossed in thehaleof the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.”

The prophetess prepared to embark. The god, wrapped in a fold ofkapa, so that it might not be recognized, was brought to the beach and delivered to the departing seeress. The canoe, which was large enough to accommodate thirty persons, was shoved into the surf. It was provided with food and a calabash of water. Declining all assistance or companionship in her journey, Waahia stepped into the canoe with the image in her arms, and, after carefully depositing it in the bow of the boat, returned and seated herself near the stern. Half a dozen men were waiting for the word to launch the canoe from the sands upon which the stern was lightly resting. But the seeress raised no sail, touched no oar. For some minutes she sat, silent and motionless, with bent head and clasped hands, as if in prayer, while hundreds of curious eyes watched her in amazement, wondering what would become of her, even should the unmanned craft be successful in passing the breakers. Then she slowly rose to her feet, and the canoe began to glide toward the reef. Faster and faster it moved, until, mounting a retreating wave, it was borne swiftly out into the calmer waters; then, slightly turning in its course, it dashed southward with the speed of the wind, and was soon lost to the view of the awe-stricken beholders.

Waahia looked beneath the waves and smiled, forUkanipo, the shark-god, with scores of assistants, was bearing her onward; and then from hisipu Laamaomao, the Hawaiian Æolus, let loose the imprisoned winds, and refreshing zephyrs cooled the face of the prophetess and accelerated the speed of the canoe, until it seemed to leap from wave to wave; and great sea-birds screamedwith fright as it dashed past and awoke them from their billowy slumbers, leaving behind it a long trail of troubled waters.

Passing to the southward of the intervening islands, the canoe was borne with undiminished speed through the channel of Alenuihaha to the northeastern coast of Hawaii, and before sunset was beached at Koholalele. The prophetess knew the meaning of this. Near by was the oldheiauofManini, and thither, as she felt instructed, was taken and deposited the war-godAkuapaao, with the solemn injunction to the high-priest in charge that it was never to be removed from the inner court unless the life of themoiwas in peril or the kingdom was invaded by a foreign foe.

The oldheiauhad given place to a more imposing structure during the reign of Liloa. Its outer walls had been enlarged, raised and repaired, and its inner belongings improved and redecorated; but its sacred relics had not been disturbed, and its many gods remained where they had been for generations.

Among the most sacred idols of the temple, even after the death of Liloa, was theAkuapaao. Its name indicated alike its age and sanctity; and while the legends connected with it had become vague and distorted in their transmission through a long line of priests, the prophecy of Waahia still clung to it, and it was especially reverenced by the few to whom was entrusted the secret of its functions.

Hakau had learned of this god from his royal father, and the same morning that his retainers were sent to the hills for feathers two priests were despatched to Koholalele, with orders to bring to Waipio, in the king’s name and without delay, the war-godAkuapaao. Should the priests of the temple refuse to surrender the idol, then the messengers were instructed to call upon the district chiefs for assistance, and take it by force, no matter at what cost of life.

But the king was too late, for at early daylight of the morning of the day before his messengers left Waipio, Maukaleoleo strode into the rebel headquarters with theAkuapaaoin his arms. Kaoleioku had, of course, instructed the giant where and how to secure the image, for in years past he had been its custodian, and his orders continued to be obeyed by the priests ofManini. The idol, completely wrapped inkapa, was deposited in the privateheiauof the high-priest, and Maukaleoleo left the enclosureas quietly as he had entered it a few minutes before. The sentinels wondered, as usual, but bowed in silence as he came and went.

The priest rose with the sun, and learned that Maukaleoleo had already been a visitor that morning. He hastened to theheiau, and there found theAkuapaao. He was overjoyed. He removed thekapacovering from the idol, placed it upon a pedestal between the images ofKuandLono, and then found Umi and brought him to theheiau. Entering, Kaoleioku closed the door and pointed to theAkuapaao. Umi bowed reverently before it.

“Listen, O Umi!” said the priest; “listen, O son of Liloa! Behold the war-god of your fathers! It was sanctified by the touch of Paao, and for generations, in the inner chamber ofManini, has awaited your coming. From Waahia, the prophetess, have come down, through the chief priests of theheiau, these words: ‘When angry spears shall be crossed in the hale of the kings of Hawaii, the hand will be the stronger that places the freshleiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao.’ The spears are about to be crossed; the god is here; let yours be the hand, and not Hakau’s, to place thelei-aiupon the shoulders ofAkuapaao!”

The words of the prophecy came to Umi as a dream. Overwhelmed with their significance, he fell upon his knees and exclaimed:

“God of my fathers! be you my guide until I prove unworthy of your protection!”

“Your realm is yet small,” said the priest, “and is enclosed within these walls. Let us pay respect to the gods, that its boundaries may be enlarged.”

Thereupon a stricttabuwas ordered to all within the walls, to begin at midday and continue until the setting of the sun. The time was brief, but events were pressing, and it could not safely be extended.

Thetabu, orkapu, as it is sometimes written, was strictly a prerogative of the high chiefs and priests of olden Hawaii. There were fixedtabusof custom, and declaredtabusof limited duration by the temporal and spiritual rulers. The penalty for the violation of alltabuswas death. It wastabuof custom for men and women to eat together, or for women to eat of the flesh of swine, fowls, turtle and many kinds of fish. Everythingbelonging to the kings, priests and temples wastabu, or sacred, and springs, paths, fishing-grounds, water-courses, etc., were frequently thus kept from the use of the people. Declared generaltabus, for the propitiation of the gods or the amelioration of a public evil, were either strict or common, according to the emergency. During the time of a commontabuthe people were required to abstain from their usual avocations and attend at theheiau, where morning and evening prayers were offered. A stricttabuwas more sacred. While it continued—generally one or two days—all, with the exception of thealii-nuiand priests, were compelled to remain within doors. Every fire and every light was extinguished; no canoe was launched; all noises ceased; the pigs and dogs were muzzled, and fowls were placed under calabashes. Thesetabuswere proclaimed by heralds, and their wanton violation was an unpardonable offence.

In preparation for thetabuto be declared by Umi, flowers and feathers were brought, andleisof both were woven. Everything being in readiness, heralds proclaimed thetabuand its duration, with the further announcement that the occasion was the arrival of the mighty war-godAkuapaaoand its coming decoration by Umi.

As the sun touched the mark of meridian, the gates of the enclosure were barred and guarded by the religious attendants of the priest; the fires were everywhere extinguished; the few animals within the walls were either muzzled or hidden; men, women and children suddenly disappeared within their dwellings or quarters, and mats were hung at the openings; Umi and the priest retired alone to theheiauand closed the door, and silence, disturbed only by low whispers and the muffled footfalls of the watching priests, reigned over the twenty-five hundred persons gathered within the enclosure.

In theheiau, or apartment of the gods, to which Umi and the high-priest retired, were a number of images and sacred relics. Near the centre of the room was a small altar, upon which had been deposited theleisprovided for the decoration ofAkuapaao. They sat down beside it, and for an hour or more nothing was heard but the whispered prayers of the priest, addressed in turn to the several gods before him. Then, rising and leading Umi by the hand to theAkuapaao, in a low voice he formally presented him to the god as the son of Liloa and rightful ruler of the Hawaiianpeople. Another prayer was uttered, and then Umi, with the words, “Accept this, OAkuapaao, with the homage of Umi!” proceeded reverently to place around the head and neck of the image a number of fragrantleisof flowers and wreaths of brilliant feathers.

The priest watched the act intently. As the last wreath of feathers, resembling a crown in appearance—thelei-hula-alii—was placed upon the head of the image, a sunbeam flashed through what seemed to be a small rent in the thatched roof, and for a moment haloed the heads of Umi and the god. The priest read the answer and smiled. He felt as assured of the favor of the gods as if it had been pledged in a voice of thunder, and Umi bent low in acknowledgment of the joyful revelation.

The sun dropped behind the hills; twilight turned to bronze the gold of the valleys, and thetabuwas at an end. It was proclaimed that the auguries were highly favorable, and the silence of thetabuwas broken by wild strains of music and shouts of rejoicing.

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