Note 10 — Introductory material

Shortly after this Umi was requested by some of the people to go out with them to help paddle their canoe, and Umi, being only too glad to go out, gave his consent and they set out. On this fishing trip Umi showed his great strength, and on their return he was given his share of the catch. In the division Umi saw that the fish given him, although a large one, was taken from under the seat of the paddlers. When Umi saw this he took the fish, but again exchanged it with one of the other paddlers for one that he saw was taken from the middle of the canoe and not from under the seat like the one he had. In asking for the exchange Umi said to the man: “Here, take my aku in exchange for your’s; mine is a larger fish.” The man consented to this and the exchange was made. Umi did not, however, take the fish home to be eaten, but took it and gave it as an offering to his god, Kaili,10 which was hidden in a crevice in the cliff at Hokuli, in a place which no one but himself knew. Umi after this went out very often to fish for aku, and every time he was given his share he would take some and offer it to Kaili his god at its hiding place.