Note 1 — PREFACE.

There are twelve islands in this group and they are situated in the Pacific Ocean to the north of the Equator and between latitude 18° 54′ and 22° 17′, in west longitude 154° 54′. The wise people are not all agreed as to the origin of these islands, and some have thought that they appeared or grew up from the sea. But according to the history of Hawaii, the ideas of the learned historians were entirely different from that theory. According to the traditions of Wakea1 and his wife Papa, these islands were the real children of this pair, being born of Papa and having Wakea for their father. Hawaii was the first child of Papa and Wakea, and some time afterwards Maui was born, and in this manner there were successive births of eleven islands. But Kahoolawe was not born of Papa and Wakea, but according to the tradition or legend of Haumea, Hina2 was the one who gave birth to this island and it was called Kahoolawe.