Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-10-08
KALANI OF OAHU.
An Historical Romano. Of Hawaii.


An Historical Romance of Hawaii.
The above is the name Of romano
recently published in Boston by th
author G. NJ. Newell, the scene Of whc
IS laid on this island in the vicinity o
Honolulu. The book is dedicated 10 dHi
Majesty David Kalaknua, Kamehameha
8thc VII. King Of the eight isles" Her
8the author makes the first of his MINER
Nous errors, for King Kalaknua is not
Mhamehameha. The plot Of the story is n
INfollows: Kalanikupule the last King o
8lOahu, whom tho author calls tllc "bv-
ID KING" with one canoe manned by sixt'
Nwnrriors went TO Hawaii TO seek persona
Encounter with Kamchameha, and on ,
Every dark and stormy night landed on
aCoco island near Hilo where Karnehamehi
gwas sleeping, and attacked and killed hin
sand took prisoners his wife Kaahumanr
Sand daughter Pelclulu. The goddess
Cpele, however, appeared and restored
Hhamehameha TO life, and Kalanikupulf
i;ajreturned TO his canoe, being hard pressed
Sby the Hawaiians, and made good his
grctreat. Kaahumanu made her escape
;ifrom captivity but Pelelulu was taken to
sAlaui and aftcrward TO Oahu and became
Ethe queen of Kalani!supule. The story
Snext describes the wars OF Kaluni with
Ekamehamcha and Kaeo Of Kauai until
6the famous battle of the Nuuanu Pail was
thought in which Kalani and all Of his war
.riors were killed, and Kupule, who
swatched the contest from the mountain
[side above, rushed down to Kalani's corpse
kupon which she died.
Pelclulu, or Kupule, is creation of the
Lauthor's, but the others who figure in the
NGf. vu rnpl IL, /.
full of incongruities from beginning to
Lend. This must be expected to some
sextent in a novel, but as "Kalani of
oahu is called IAN historical romance y
A he many glazing errors cannot be over
Hooked.
The second chapter describes the ship
Etcrora of which John Young was boat
Bswain, heading for Upolu point in the
storm, for by turning the point they
would be under the Ice of the land off
kohala She experienced two or three
2heavy earthquakes and then suddenly
athey beheld flames leap hundreds of yards
from the top of n distant mountain
II Mauna LOAF and saw the goddess Pele
i dancing exultingiy on the crest of the
fiery ebulition." The light from Mauna
j Loa soon became 81 like the glare of noon
day" and the seaman aboard the Eianoaa
discovered double war canoe manned by
sixty nude natives, the leader of whom,
skalanikupule, arose and waved to them to-
.change their course, and at that moment
they saw the "crags of Hilo" directly
across their path. In Waipunalei or the
Swimming Gulch, near Hifo, crimson
]lava-flood was pouring furiously" at this
Gtlme and the war canoe was seen to speed
sonward to Coco isle. Here was Kameha-
!meha, Kaahumanu and Pelelulu, guarded
Gby three hundred chosen warriors. Ka-
2lanikupule and his men run into little
Cove where were anchored twenty war
scanoes, and these they scuttled and sank
ito gain time in case of pursuit, for the
writer says, Kalanikupule and his chiefs
8well knew that T., sunken canoe, were il
drowned in hundred feet of water, was'
mo t'ifffcuie tash ,hpr their country diversl
smen' women or children, to unlade of their,
slava blocks or coral stone and bring to
tthe surface again. haahumailu 81 D.
.lelulu were safely abducted while asleep
sand then the Oahuans were posted before,
sthe doors of the houses waiting for an
sorder from their chief to make the
Onslaught Not a soul was visible in the
Eintense darkness says the writer, all
Though short time before, not more than
Jan hour certainly, it was stated that the
flight from the volcano was like the glare
sof noon day" With tho first flash Of light
gning Kalanikupule waved his bright
Sword and the contest began. Here the
sauthor errs in saying only the ghostly
flight of few slumbering embers in the
centre of the room showed where lay the
sleeping monarch" 1t was not the custom
Sof ancient Hawaiians to have fires in their
Houses, as the heat in a tropical climate
lwould have been unbcarable. In other
splnccs the position of armies encamped at
Knight is represented as being made appar
Gent by the numerous camp fires" an idea
.that originated with the author. But to
sreturn to the attack The struggle was
Fsevere and resulted in Kamehameha being
Eslain. At this juncture Pele, the beau
Stiful Ignipotcat of Mauna Loa,' appeared
Sand restored him to life. The Oahuans
Slaughtered many Hawaiians and drove
sSthe remainder into the sea, and then with
athc beautiful Pelelulu took their depart
s ure from the isle This was very queer
scanic eruption, earthquakes, thunder and
astorm all at once.
8 The conversation of Kalani and Pele
%ulu, upon whom he bestowed the latter
apart of his own name, Kupule is much
alike the phraseology used in describing
1.-THE conversation of American Indians. Ii
Hmany places this same style is noticeable
1.-THE author makes them speak Of taking
l&the ''war path" and alludes to the natives
Z smoking the pipe of peace and call.
{ kahuaas " medicine men," AT the time tn,
hero of this story tlourished, the "pipe o
sVpeace" had not become an institution
Hamong Polynesan nations. Kupule, ad
: miring the soft eyes of kalani, compared
ss4them to those of the "cooing wood
Hloves she had left behind. There wer
I no doves on the islands at that time.
81 Kupule is spoken of AS n descendant o
eaPele, and her mother would sometime
lump into the fiery lakes of Kilauea an,
Swim round in them with Pele At thi
time the crater of Kilauea wns tabue'
TO women and they were not allowed +
enter it. And such absurd statements d
not serve to increase ones interest in tn
\ STORY.
Z After Kalani returned from Maui !
h Hawaii to wage war upon kamehamehi
he is spoken of at Kawaihae with tn
Irvine bird god, richly decorated with rar
feathers and costly pearls, together wit
brilliant jewels long since descended I
the Kings Of Maui heir-looms from th
Did Spanish priests wrecked in their ric
argosy upon Pua Pele centuries before.