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Fornander collection of Hawaiian antiquities and folk-lore, Volume 1 (of 3)

Note 5 — Introductory material (continued 3)

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On the return voyage Wahanui first landed at Kauai, where they met a great crowd of people together with the king Kupakoili and his prophet Luluupali. Because of the shouts made by the people ashore Wahanui went ashore with his present.5 When the people saw this strange object they gave a mighty shout. When Kupakoili heard the shout, he inquired of his prophet, Luluupali: “How can I get possession of that image?” Luluupali answered: “Kill the king and his people and burn up the canoes.” This advice was carried out by Kupakoili, and Wahanui was killed and his image taken away. One man, however, escaped; he was one of the bailers; he dove into the sea and escaped. After a time he took unto himself a wife, a Kauai woman and settled there, taking up fishing as his occupation. It was this man’s usual custom while on his fishing trips to carry a large quantity of food along with him. After he had done this for some time his wife began to be inquisitive and at last asked him why he took so much food; he answered: “What fault is there in taking this food? Food is easily brought back again.” Shortly after this while out fishing, a storm came up and he was blown out to sea, and after a number of days he managed to land on Hawaii. When he met the people he told them that Wahanui and his followers had all been killed in Kauai, and that he was the only one who escaped. A proclamation was then issued calling the people of Hawaii to come together and to make preparations for avenging the death of their king. A double canoe was then sent to Kauai to invite Kupakoili and his people to come to Hawaii and get all the canoes and all the property on that island. The invitation was as follows: “Let no man, woman, or child remain, all must sail for Hawaii.” This invitation was accepted and all the people sailed for Hawaii where they were all killed; no one escaped.

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