Ka Oihana Lawaia: Lawaia Lamalama

D. Kahaulelio
June 1902

LAWAIA LAMALAMA.—He lawaia nui keia ma na wahi kai kohola apau o Hawaii nei, iwaena o ka poe hana mau i keia ano lawaia, o ka poe ike ole, a lako ole ina upena lawaia, e loaa ai ka iʻa. Ua kamailio ae nei au no ka lamalama puhi ana, a ia manawa like no ka lamalama no na ano iʻa apau, elike me ka puaula (ahuluhulu) anae, ula, alaihi, ame na ano iʻa e ae no, a o na upena poo ka oi aku o ka maikai, mamua aku o ke kakahi hao, oiai o na ano iʻa lamalama apau. he moe malie, kepa pono iho ka lama maluna, o ka puaula nae, he moe pili loa ia ilalo, a maluna iho no ka upena poo e kaomi malie ai, a pela no ka alaihi, aka, o ka anae, he lana malie no ia iluna, a he kioe mai no mamua a poholo ana iloko, o ka manawa kamalii ka wa makemake loa ia o keia ano lawaia, a he lawa no hoi ka pilikia nele iʻa mai i kahi manawa, a hookahi no wahi kanaka a oo o ko makou wahi, nana e alo nei keia mau kai lamalama o keia mau la, no ka ula wale no nae, no ka hookahua [sic] no o ke kaikamahine ana o H Ka inoa, eia nae ka mea apiki, ua haalele ia iho la, a ua lilo loa me ke keiki lalawai o Pakala - Nui no.

LAWAIA KIOLAOLA.—Ua pili no keia ano lawaia no ke kuikui ulua, aka, ma ke ano no nae o ka lawaia ana, he okoa no keia. O ka hana nui keia o kahi poe Lahaina nei, i keia mau makahiki o ke au o ka hookahuli aupuni. maluna o kahi uwapo o Keawaiki, o Makahi laua o Capt. D. Taylor na kumu lawaia kiolaola, a o Mr. C. R. Lindsey me Kimo na haumana, oiai he oki loa ka po kalewa wale iho no ma Hanakapo, ua loaa na ulua, na mana moi nunui i kela poe, a ua lilo i hana nanea mai ke ahiahi mai a hiki i ke ku ana mai o Kalaudina, a pela no hoi ka po Poaono e haalele ai o Kalaudina. mahope o ka holo ana, o Kailiponi me ke Kino na mea nana paa ka iʻa, o kahi Capt. Taylor no nae kahi lawaia laki mau i ka ulua laukea, no ka molowa ole mai no ke kumu, o kanaka, nele no, o ke oki ae la no ia, a o kahi Capt. Taylor hoomau no, ole no ia ka loaa o kai ala mana moi nui. Nolaila, he mea pono no i na haumana lawaia ke hahai i na kumu lawaia, hala aku la no o Makahi, koe iho la no o Capt. Taylor. O kaʻu haumana lawaia hoi, o Geo. H. Dunn, he molowa loa keia la ana lawaia, ala no kana lawaia hoihoi o ka lawaia ku kaula moana. nolaila, loaa ole no ka ulua laukea iaia o Keawaiki, i kela mau la hoi, ua hoomaha loa ua poe lawaia kiolaola nei no ka nui loa o ka iʻa moana, ame ka opelu i keia mau la.

KA LAWAIA OPIHI.—O kahi lawaia keia, pau kane me ka wahine, me kamalii, me ke ao mua ole, ke hiki no i kahi o ka opihi, he pohaku no, he laau, ala ka pono o ka loaa, aole hoi pela ka poe i ike i ke kui opihi. O ka opihi makaiauli, oia ka opihi loaa i kamalii. ma ka pali o Kaholo, Lanai, kahi kaulana i keia mea he opihi, he oiaio no ia, aka, ma ka nunui o ka opihi, aole e loaa aku o Kanapou, Kahoolawe, ma Kahoolawe. ua kamaaina keia mau wahi i ko oukou mea kakau, aka, ma ka nunui, aole e loaa aku keia wahi o Kanapou, oia kela kahawai nui e huli pono ia i Honuaula, ua like ka opihi me ke bola o kau halekuai, aole hoi o ke bola nunui, o ka mea kuu iki, a ua hiki no ka io kao ke kupa ia a moa iloko o ka opihi, o ka io bipi hapaha o makou o Lahaina nei, ua lawa ia ke kupa ia apau iloko o ka opihi o kela wahi. aole no he opihi luu, aka, he opihi no e kau ana i kahakai pali, he hookahi pule ka noho ana o ko oukou mea kakau ilaila, me ka ai ole i ka ai, o ka wai, o ka iʻa, opihi, kao, oia wale no ka ai, a pela i ike ia ai, oia kahi o ka opihi nunui, a he nui no ke dala loaa mai no ka opihi, a ua ike ko Honolulu poe i ka waiwai oia lawaia. he mau kauna opihi no i kahi pa liilii, he hapaha no ke kumukai, a ma na wahi e ae, he lawa me ke kumukuai ole, a ma na wahi e ae, he lawa me ke kumukuai ole, a i makemake oukou e ike i kela opihi nunui, e holo no ilaila i pau kuhihewa. A malia paha he kanalua kekahi poe heluhelu no ka oiaio o keia, alaila, he mea pono e hai aku au i kekahi wahi moolelo kahiko o kakahi kanaka, a oia ka ke kumu i nunui ai ka opihi oia wahi, wahi a koʻu mau kupuna i hai mai iaʻu. He wahi kanaka no Hawaii o Puuiaiki ka inoa, ua haalele oia ia Kohala maluna o kona wahi waa, a mawaenakonu o Alenuihaha, ua poi pu ia iho la kahi waa e pa ale, a make kahi waa, ua noke kela i ka hoolana, a hiki ole, hooholo iho la keia e au mai i Kahoolawe ka pono, o ke puhi mai o ka makani, he maalahi ka au ana mai, iaia nei no e au mai ana, lana ana keia wahi opihi makaiauli mamua pono oia nei. i iho la keia iloko iho ona, he keu hoi keia o kahi opihi kupaianaha, aole ka hoi he poho iho iloko o ke kai, pehea la ke ano, ame ka manao o keia wahi opihi? Ko Puuiaiki lalau aku la no ia paa i ko ia nei lima, me ka ninau mau ana i ke ano, ame ka hana a keia wahi opihi makaiauli.

E ka poe heluhelu, he oiaio he wahi opihi keia i hoounaia mai e ka makaula Moaula, a oia no kela wahi puu e ku la iluna o Kahoolawe, a o ko laila wahi mauna iho la no ia, no kona aloha ia Puuiaiki, hoouna oia i keia wahi opihi i hoopakele nona. E haalele kakou i ka moolelo o kahi opihi, a e nana ae kakou iho no o ka lalau ana o ua wahi Puuiaiki nei i ka opihi, kaale ana keia mano nui, a e hamama pono mai ana ka waha, o ke-a luna i ka ilikai, o ke-a lalo i ka hohonu o ka moana, ia wa pane aku la o Puuiaiki:

Ina e nahu ana oe iaʻu oia au, a ina e moni ana oe iaʻu a komo iloko o ka opu, alaila make au, o ke poholo aku la no ia iloko a komo aku la o Puuiaiki iloko o ka opu o ua mano nei me keia wahi opihi, hoomaka keia e wauwau i ka io o ua mano nei, ekolu no hoi po, ekolu ao, pae ana ua mano nei i ke awa o Kanapou ma Kahoolawe, make no hoi ua mano nei, oili aku la no hoi o Puuiaiki, ua hele no hoi ke poo a ohule, hinuhinu, a hoomaka aku la keia e pii mai kahakai aku a ka akulikuli e hihi ana i ke one, hoomaha iho la keia. hapuku ae la keia i ka lau pohuehue a kau maluna o ke poo, ike mai nei kanaka lawaia i ko ia nei noho, hoholo mai nei e ike iaia nei me ke ano makau, me ka manao he pupule. Aloha ea, wahi a kanaka lawaia, ae, aloha no. Ea! He wahi wai no ko oukou. aole o makou wai, aka, aia no ka punawai mauka ae nei, ina oe e makemake, alaila, alakai aku makou ia oe, ae, wahi a ua Puuiaiki nei, e hoomaha ae hoi a oluolu, alaila, pii aku au. I kanaka lawaia i hoi aku ai, pane ae nei kahi kanaka, ea, o ka kaou hana pono wale no e pepehi kakou iaia, ina aole make kela kanaka, e papau ana kakou i ka make, he kupua kela. O Puuiaiki kona inoa, a pehea auanei kakou e pepehi ai? Aia oia a iho ilalo o ka punawai, alaila, hailuku kakou i ka pohaku i ka pohaku a nui, a ku ka paila ma hai o ka punawai. kii aku nei lakou ia Puuiaiki. me ka ninau ana, pehea oe i hiki mai nei ianei? Alaila, hoomaka o Puuiaiki e hoike i ka moolelo a kakou e ike ae la maluna nolaila, maopopo loa iho la ia lakou nei, he kupua io keia kanaka. ke make ole ia i ka mano, nolaila, i ka hiki ana i kahi punawai, me he la no, ma ka hoomaopopo ana a ko oukou mea kakau, He eha no kapuai ka hohonu, ua eli hoohio la no. Ia Puuiaiki e iho nei ilalo e inu, kulou aku la no hoi kela lau, me ka moe loihi no hoi o na wawae iluna, a oiai kela e inu ana, ua hoomaka iho la lakou nei i ka hailuku i na pohaku ke noke la [] kela i ka inu i ka wai, a hiki i ka piha ana o ua wahi punawai nei i ka pohaku, a paila maoli iluna. eia nae ka mea kupanaha, i kekahi kakahiaka ae, i hele aku ka hana o ua poe lawaia nei e hamama mai ana ua punawai nei, a e ku ana ke ahua o ka pohaku ma ka aoao mauka, eia ka auanei, ua kii mai la no ka makaula Moaula, a ua hoi [] no laua ilaila e noho ai. O ia mau hamama no ko ua punawai la a hiki i ko makou pae olulo ana aku i ka M. H. 1848, a inu no hoi i ka wai o ua punawai la a Puuiaiki, a ina aole keia punawai, alaila, he poe kino kupapau makou apau ewalu, eono kanaka makua, elua maua mau keiki opiopio, no 13 makahiki o kahi o maua. a no 11 makahiki hoi o ko oukou mea kakau.

A oia iho la ke kumu i nunui ai ka opihi o kela wahi, a o ka mea akaka loa, ua like ka nunui o ka opihi me ke ano bola poi o Lahainaluna i ke au kahiko. a i keia manawa no. A no elua manawa, i kipa ai ko oukou mea kakau ma Kanapou, a ma na wahi e ae o Kahoolawe. he like no ka opihi me ko na wahi e ae a puni ka Paeaina. a ina e makemake e ike pono i ka nunui o ka opihi o ia wahi, e kuai nui iho no e J. K. Nahale ma i waapa mokuahi, a kii mai iaʻu, naʻu hoi paha ia e lawe aku e hoikeike i ua opihi kaulana la a Puuiaiki.

(Aole i pau.)

Torch Fishing
Translated by Mrs. Mary Kawena Pukui
The Smithsonian Institution National Anthropological Archives: Mary Kawena Pukui collection #37 Fish and Fishing.

TORCH FISHING.—This was much practices all over Hawaii nei where the seas are shallow. Those who practice this kind of fishing are those who do not know how to fish and are not supplied with nets to fish with. I have already spoken of torch fishing for eels and at this time how to catch all kinds of fish such as puaula (ahuluhulu), mullet, ula alaihi and other kinds of fish. Fishing with a bag net is best and better than a piece of iron, because all fish when in torch light remain quiet. Hold the torch right above it. The puaula fish lies close to the sea floor and one must press the net down over it. Sit is with the alaihi, but the anae float quietly above and is scooped up from in front. This kind of fishing was greatly enjoyed by children and helped to supply the larder with fish sometimes when there weren’t any. There is but one elderly man of our place that is still doing torch fishing in these seas now-a-days, but only for lobsters. His daughter, H., had a yearning (hookauhua) for them but the worst thing is that she left him and went off with the fishing lad of Pakala. What a lot of trouble.

KIOLAOLA FISHING.—This is similar to the kuikui fishing for ulua but the method of fishing is different. This was much practiced by some people of Lahaina during these years in which there is a change in government. On the wharf of Keawaiki Makahi and Capt. D. Taylor were the instructors for Kiolaola fishing and Mr. C. R. Lindsey and Kimo were the pupils. It was better than letting night go to waste at Hanakapo. They caught some ulua and some large seized [sic] moi and it became an interesting way to while away time in the evening until the Claudine came in, also on Saturday nights when the Claudine left, after she had sailed. Kailiponi and Kekino were the ones who held the fish. Captain Taylor was always lucky in catching the ulua laukea, because he was not lazy. The men who were not lucky gave it up while Captain Taylor persisted and never a day did he lack catching a big moi. Therefore it is well for fishing pupils to follow the teachings of their instructors. Makahi is gone and Captain Taylor remains. My fishing pupil is George H. Dunn. He is lazy in this kind of fishing and what he likes id [sic] the kukaula fishing in the deep sea, therefore he never catches an ulua laukea of Keawaiki. Those kiolaola fishermen are on a long vacation now-a-days because there are so much deep sea fish and opelu now.

OPIHI FISHING.—In this kind of fishing, men, women and children did it without being taught. When they reached the place where the opihi sea shells were, stones or sticks were used just as long as they could get some. Those who know how to gather by the children at the cliffs of Kaholo Lanai, a place famed for its opihis. True, but for the big size they were not equal to those Kanapou, Kahoolawe. Your writer is well acquainted with these places. For bigness, they do not compare to Kanapou’s. It is at that large stream facing Honuaula. The opihi are as large as the bowls found in shops, not large ones but the smaller ones. Goat meat could be boiled in opihi shells and the twenty-five cents worth of beef bought in Lahaina could be cooked entirely in the opihi shells of that locality, not the opihi dived for but that which cling to the sea cliffs. Your writer was there for a week without vegetable food, living only on water, fish, opihi and large opihi. Much money is gained by selling opihi and Honolulu’s people know the value of this food, for only a few times four (mau kauna) opihi in a saucer for the price of twenty-five cents. In other places they are taken without price and if you wish to see those large opihi go there and see for yourselves. Perhaps some doubt the truth of this statement, so it will be well for me to tell an old story of a certain man. He caused the largeness of the opihi of this place, so my grandfather told me. A certain man of Hawaii named Puuiaiki, left Kohala on his small canoe an [sic] midway between Alanuihaha channel his canoe was swamped by the billows and could not make it move. He tried to float it, and failing, decided that it was better to swim to Kahoolawe. The wind blew him along and the swimming was easy. As he swam, an opihi makaiauli appeared before him. He said to himself, "What a strange opihi this is. It does not to sink into the sea. What kind of a thing is this and what does it mean?" Puuiaiki reached out and grasped it in his hand, as he asked repeatedly what it was about and what this opihi makaiauli meant.

O readers, in truth this was an opihi sent hither by the prophet Moaula, and that is the little hill standing on Kahoolawe and that is the only mountain of that land. He was sorry for Puuiaiki and sent the opihi to rescue him. Let is [sic] leave the opihi and turn to look at Puuiaiki swimming in the sea. Soon after Puuiaiki had grasped the opihi, a shark came by with his mouth opened wide. The upper jaw stretched up to the surface and the lower jaw reached down into the depth of the sea. Then Puuiaiki spoke:

"If you bite me, I’ll live. If you swallow me whole into your stomach, I’ll die." Puuiaiki slipped into the mouth of the shark to its stomach with his opihi. There he scraped the flesh of the shark for three nights and three days. The shark landed at the bay of Kanapou on Kahoolawe and died. Out came Puuiaiki, with bald, shiny head and went up from the beach to where the akulikuli weeds crept over the sand. There he rested with pohuehue leaves shading his head. Some fishermen saw him sitting there and decided to come to take a look at him yet they were fearful, thinking that perhaps he was crazy. "Aloha," greeted the fishermen. "Aloha," he replied, "have you a little water?" "We have no eater but there is a spring above here and if you wish we will lead you there." "Yes," said Puuiaiki, "I will rest until I feel better and I’ll go up." As the fishermen went back one said, "Say, what we should do is to kill him. If we do not destroy him then we ourselves will be destroyed for that is a demigod (kupua). His name is Puuiaiki, but how are we to kill him? When he goes to the spring then you pelt him with stones until they are piles up high beside the spring. Let us go fetch Puuiaiki and ask him how he got here." Puuiaiki told them the story I had mentions above. They were certain that he was a kupua because the shark had not succeeded in destroying him. When they arrived at the spring, which your writer thinks is about four feet deep and nicely dug out, Puuiaiki went down to drink. As he drank he leaned down with his legs slanted upward. They began to stone him but he kept on drinking until the spring was filled with stones and heaped high above. Strangely, the next morning, when the people went there to [sic] the spring was open and stones piled on the side toward the upland, for in the meanwhile the prophet Moaula came to get him to go and live with him. The spring is open to this day. We got there as castaways in the year 1848 and drank the water of that spring of Puuiaiki’s. If it were not for this spring we eight would have been corpses, six adults and two of us young boys, one thirteen and your writer who was then eleven.

This is why the opihi of this place are so large and to make the idea of the size clear, they were as large as the poi bowls of Lahainaluna in the olden days and also at this time. Your writer had visited Kanapou twice and on other places of Kahoolawe the opihi were the same everywhere else in the island group. If you wish to see the largeness of the opihi of that place, let J. K. Nahale buy a steam launch and come to get me. I’ll take you to see the famous opihi of Puuiaiki.