Note 36 — PREFACE.
Reading edition
As soon as the canoes touched the beach, the Kauai men were anxious to begin the attack, but Kaehuikiawakea stopped them saying: “Don’t fight them now. Let us carry the canoes to the dry sand and then let these people go and have a bath, and when they return, let them partake of some food; when they are satisfied they can then gird on their loin cloths, then after that we can fight them.”36 The men and the two officers agreed to this. The people then waded in and lifted up the canoe onto their shoulders, both on the inside and outside of the canoe with Kawelo, Kamalama as well as all the rest of the people still seated in the canoe. At this time Kawelo quietly asked Kamalama: “Where are we?” Kamalama answered: “We are over the dry sand where some of the prickly grass grows.” Kawelo then said to Kamalama: “You go to my feet.” Kamalama then proceeded to the feet of Kawelo, pulled the end of the rope which held the bundle, and Kawelo was loosened. Kawelo then rose with his war club, Kuikaa. When the people who were following along either side of the canoe saw Kawelo, they called out in a loud voice: “O, you will all be killed! Here is Kawelo standing in the canoe.” When those who were carrying the canoe on their shoulders heard this call, they looked onto the canoe and when they saw Kawelo, they dropped the canoe down, crushing a good many of the people, while some of them were so afraid of Kawelo they were unable to run. Kawelo then looked towards Wailua and saw that the sands were in disorder and were hollowed out in places, leaving little gulches here and there, with the rocks exposed. And when he saw the people like the bending of the surf, he chanted: