Marriages from a hundred years ago, 1916 / 2016.


On Saturday, the 19 of this month, there were two couples joined together in the holy covenant of marriage by the Rev. James Upchurch. The couple joined together was Miss Lizzie Alapai and Joseph Sane.  They are both youths; the young woman is from Puuanahulu in the lofty heights, and the young man is from the furrowed jagged cliff faces of Puuwaawaa in the hazy heavy mists.

The second couple was Mrs. Kamakahuki Kaumelelau and Mr. Kailihiwa Kuehu; both of whom are elderly [aoo], gray-haired ones of Puuanahulu in the lofty heights.

After the ceremony was over, there was held a simple meal, and on the following Sunday, February 20, there was party held with a table laden with the delicacies to be drooled at, and we ate until we were full of the things that were prepared by the couples. The ones who got joined together, were grandchildren and grandparents, and they live in one home. The grandchild got married, and the grandparent got married, the passion in the loving waters of Waialoha is shared. Yes, it is so. Marriage is an admired thing for all, lest one’s bed be sullied.

These have been sweltering days in Puuanahulu in the lofty heights, but the verdure of the land from one side to the other remains; there are much grasses of this mountainous region in the uplands of the Highlands [Hilina] of the assembly of hills.

My affection and appreciation,


Puuanahulu, Feb. 21, 1916.

[Na Kuawihi Ekolu is Ka Ohu Haaheo i na Kuahiwi Ekolu, which was a pen name for J. W. H. Isaac Kihe.]

(Hoku o Hawaii, 3/9/1916, p. 3)


Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume Buke 10, Helu 40, Aoao 3. Maraki 9, 1916.

Paaiea Pond, part 3, from the pen of J. W. H. Isaac Kihe, 1914.


Written for the Hoku o Hawaii by ka Ohu Haaheo i na Kuahiwi Ekolu¹


Meeting with Kolomu’o and Pahinahina.

When the woman left that place at the seaside of Kaelehuluhulu, she arrived in the uplands of Keoneeli, a place that is renown to this day called Kepuhiapele [‘the scorching of Pele’], a heap of aa lava that is almost 200 Feet high, downside of the place where J. A. MaGuire [known also as Keoni Kaimana] is living.

When the woman arrived there, there were two girls named Kolomu’o and Pahinahina broiling breadfruit, while the parents were away farming. This was a huge town during those days, with many people living there. When the woman met up with the girls broiling ulu. The woman said, “The ulu that you are cooking is done.” One of the girls responded, “We are cooking ulu, but it is not totally done.”

The woman went on, “When you ulu is cooked, who will partake of it first?” “La’i, my god, will eat first.” “So La’i is a powerful akua?” “Yes, La’i is powerful.” The name of this girl was Kolomu’o, and the area beneath that scorching of Pele is famous to this day and called Kolomu’o, and famous too is the Opelu fishing shrine [Ko’a] at the beach of Kaupulehu.

Then the woman asked the other girl, Pahinahina, “And when your ulu is done, who is it for?” “It is for Pele Honuamea, my god.” “Then it is our ulu; your ulu is cooked, let the two of us partake in it.” Pahinahina agreed, and the ulu was peeled [makikoe²] and eaten up. Continue reading

Paaiea Pond, from the pen of J. W. H. Isaac Kihe, 1914.




Paaiea was a great pond almost like the ponds of Wainanalii and Kiholo. In the olden days, when the great ruling chiefs were living, and when these fish ponds were full of the riches of Awa, Anae, and Ahole, along with all sorts of fish which swam within.

During that time, Konohiki were stationed, and he was the guard of the pond that watched over the pond and all things, as here we are talking about Paaiea Pond which was destroyed by lava and became pahoehoe lava which remains today, which is what the writer is introducing to the readers of the Hoku o Hawaii.

In the correct and trues story of this pond, its boundaries began from Kaelehuluhulu on the north and on the south was at the place called Wawaloli, and the distance from one end to the other was 3 miles or more, and that was the length of this pond; and today within these boundaries, there are a number of pools [lua wai loko] remaining during this time that the writer is speaking before the readers of the Hoku.

The great Overseer [Konohiki] who cared for this pond was Kepaalani, and everything fell under him: the storehouses [hale papaa] where poi and fish were stored, the halau for the fishing canoes, the nets and all thing, and from him the fishermen and the retainers of the court would obtain their sustenance.

And at this time when the pond was destroyed by lava, Kamehameha was residing in Hilo for the purpose of waging war, and this war was called Kaipalaoa; during this war, Namakehaikalani died and was offered atop the Heiau of Piihonua in Hilo; and this was Kamehameha’s final war, and his enemies lived quietly without uprising once again. This was the time between 1798 until 1801, and it is said that this is when lava destroyed this pond that was full of riches, and turned it into a land of pahoehoe lava which remains to this day. Continue reading

Makalei Cave, North Kona, Hawaii, 1924.



This is a cave to the south of the hill of Akahipuu, and it was there that a man named Ko’amokumoku-o-hueia [Ko’amokumokuoheeia] lived, who came from Koolau and settled here, living as a newcomer.

And he lived here with his family: his wife, whose name was Kahaluu; and their two daughters; and one young son named Makalei.

And it was for this boy that this cave is called the cave of Makalei until this day.

While this man was living here, he began to farm taro, sweet potato, banana, sugar cane, and awa; and it all appeared to be well watered.

The natives of the area came to him and said, “The problem with this land is the water; it is a land without water, and you have to get water from the cave, but the places to store water here are kapu and cannot be fetched from in secret; if you are caught, you will be killed by the one who the water belongs.

Ko’amokumoku-o-heeia heard this talk of the locals, and this caused him to contemplate about where he and his family could get their water; and therefore, he made a reservoir [pa-o wai ?] for himself, and when the rains returned, water would fill receptacles [haona] then be held in the reservoir.

While living there with the family, one day, the boy went to relieve himself at a ravine behind their house, and while he was throwing the old waste into a plain old hole, right then wind blew out from that hole, and Makalei examined it and saw this deep, dark hole.

This boy was however not frightened at all; he stood up and went to where his father was farming and said:

“I went over there to defecate, but this is the astonishing thing, there was a lot of wind coming from that pit, maybe it is a hole of winds.”

“Where?” the father asked. “Down there,” and the father went to see.

When Ko’amokumoku-o-heeia reached the area and cleared away the stones covering the hole, he saw that it was a deep cave and wind rose from it as if it came from the mountains.

He turned and said to the child, “We have our place to hold water for our life here in this land without water, and I will make a hole for us to defecate in.”

The mouth to the cave was finished off nicely and there they defecated; while one side of the opening was made so that a person could enter.

No kamaaina knew of this cave, and he did not tell his wife, and nor did he talk of it again to his son; he totally refused to speak of the things pertaining to this cave.

One day, he entered the cave and saw the great vastness, and that he could walk upright without his head touching the wall above, and there was a lot of water dripping down; he decided to make containers [waa] of ohia, and containers of wiliwili.

In the night he fetched wiliwili and carried it on his back inside the cave, and it was inside of the cave that he dug until he made the opening of the wiliwili water container; the ohia chosen was dug out by the farmer and he carried it on his back into the cave. The inside of the cave grew criss-crossed with water troughs of wiliwili and ohia; there was just so many of the water containers that continued to be fitted inside.

When the dry season of this land returned as always, he did nothing other than farm, and he had ample water and had no problems with it.

It was at night that he fetched water and filled containers and gourds [olo], until the reservoir was full, and this was their drinking water for the month, and so forth.

The locals were suspicious about where these people go their water from, being that they did not see the source of their water, and they spoke often about the water of these malihini.

This cave still remains, and the entrance is very small but made like the entrance to a house, but within is very spacious and the walls are very tall.

When Maguire lived at Huehue, a great water catchment was built inside of the cave and a pipe was laid from the catchment until his house because he wanted cold water like ice water; also, pipes were laid above the catchment so that more water would go into it.

The story of this boy, Makalei is a beautiful one, along with his father, and it is a very long story; and should the writer have time to write this touching entertainment, then Makalei will be seen, the one whose name this cave is named after, Makalei Cave.

Here we will list the famous storied places [wahi pana kaulana] of these ahupuaa, from the sea until the summit of the mountain of Hualalai. With their names that they were called by the people of old.

1. Kileo hill.

2. Kaaialalaua.

3. Kapuukao.

4. Pahulu.

5. Moanuiahea.

6. Puumamaki.

7. Puuiki.

8. Puukoa.

9. Kaiwopele [Kaiwiopele].

10. Puuuhinuhinu.

11. Kahuaiki.

12. Kamawae.

13. Hikuhia, in the uplands of Napua.

14. Uau pooole [Uaupooole].

15. Na hale o Kaua [Nahaleokaua].

16. Kipuka o Oweowe.

17. Pualala.

18. Kawahapele.

19. Keoneeli.

20. Hinakapoula.

21. Kalulu.

22. Na puu Mahoe [Napuumahoe].

23. Kumu mamane [Kumumamane].

24. Kaluamakani.

25. Pohokinikini.

26. Hopuhopu.

27. Kipahee.

28. Hanakaumalu.

29. Kapuu o Honuaula [Honuaula Hill].

30. Ka puu o Hainoa [Hainoa Hill].

31. The summit of Hualalai and the pit of Milu.

32. Kipahee.

33. Makanikiu, Hill.

The pit of Milu [lua o Milu] spoken of is the pit which Hikuikanahele went to fetch Kawelu under the [Nuu ?] of Milu, the chief of the dark night; this is the round pit atop the summit of Hualalai which still remains to this day; it is a very deep hole and if you drop a rock down the pit, you will not hear the rattling of the rock.

The width of the mouth of this pit is perhaps about 6 to 7 feet in my estimation as I am familiar with those regions.

The water of Kipahee is a pit which goes down and reaches a spring.

It is not rippling water from which to scoop water out of, but it is moss [limu] which you collect until the container is full and then return to the top.

Climbing back up is troublesome; should you try to go straight up thinking you will exit immediately, you won’t be able to because you will keep sliding back until you are sitting after exhaustion from sliding down. In order to return to the top with ease, you have to climb zigzag, turning to the right and then to the left, and that is how you climb back to the top easily.

(Not complete.)

[This article continues into the next issue (6/5/1924, p. 4) and is signed: “Ka Ohu Haaheo I na Kuahiwi Ekolu. Kona Hawaii, April 30 1924.”]

(Hoku o Hawaii, 5/29/1924, p. 4)


Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Buke XVIII, Helu 1, Aoao 4. Mei 29, 1924.