The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-12-02
Mauoki.

About three and a quarter miles from the Bell
tower, out on the Beretania road and a little
mauka of it, stands an ancient hei0u or heather
temple. known as " Mauoki." This relic OF an
people is, like all time-worn monuments,
weather-worn and broken but the outlines OF
the structure are still plainly visible, and, IN
fact, the walls are still standing. These walls,
some twenty feet in thickness at the base, rise TO
an average height Of ten feet, where they are
some eight feet wide. Commencing at the west
side on the bank of a pond of brackish water
the wall runs easterly about 200 feet, ana then
at right angles say 800 feet. Here q wing wall
built parallel with the first one spoken OF
runs back to the fish pond, completing three
sides of a square which Is bounded on the fourth
by the pond. Within this enclosure, there are
several smaller walls that divide the interior IN
to three or four parts. From where the south
wall joins the easterly one. another has been
built running east for a short distance to a gate
way or entrance. Beyond this entrance the wall
Is carried on q short distance further in an east
erly direction and then forms a right angle and
runs southerly over 4 slight hollow for about i've
hundred feet. This last mentioned wall stands
IN the same relation to the heiGu, as a curtain
wall thrown across a valley from one fort to an
other does to the fortresses themselves. Under the
lee, as it were, of this curtain wall IS a spring that
tradition saws was used by the high chiefs alone;
and, from the position of the curtain spoken OF we
are inclined to believe that 1t was built as q sort
of break-wind, for those VIII bathed IN the
pool. The hsiau is not one OF the Oldest type.
We know that the first ones built, of which many
| EXAMPLES still remain, were constructed as SlLnple
platforms. They were square-sided, truncated
pyramids, and on their level SUBMITS the priests
performed their incantations and offered their
sacrifices. This was done-in the more ancient
tines-in full view OF the people and these heIaus
were almest invariably placed on some rise of
ground in plain sight. But, to quote one
who has studied the subject, AS the religion Of
these people became darker, more obscure and
more the work of the priests, the ceremonies at
tendant upon u due observance of the rites be-
came more bloody and secret. Then the style
of building the heiaus changed, and they were
constructed as high walls enclosing a space that
was either matched over or occupied by nuts,
under which the kohunds and aliis offered the
bloody sacrifices that they hardly dared exhibit
to the people" Mauoki belongs to this last
named class of temples; and still it is very an
cient, and should be permitted to stand as one
of the mementoes of the old Hawaiians.
Attention having been called to it through q
report to the effect that the stones were being
used as material for paving the streets, our re-
porter started out to investigate the matter
Happening upon Road-Supervisor Fart just OIL
his way to the scene of operations, he was in
vited TO take n ride in that direction. In the frs
place the dump for prepared road metal was
examined. This is located on or over the ex
cavation on the upper corner OF Alapal ant
Beretania streets. The railway track Is ex
tended out on trestle-work that stands some
ten or twelve feet high. On this the loaded
cars are run and their contents shot on to tn
pile below ready for the carts that carry 1t on t.
the streets, as it may be needed. The track iron
this point runs out on one side of Bertlan1
street to a point considerably beyond Punahou
and then curves to the left and runs to alongsid
of the long wall alluded to. AT this point
switch is arranged on to which the empty car
are shunted until they are to be filled. Just a
present the material is moved as it is found t
, ballast the as yet uncompleted road, and a spac
is being cleared for the stone crusher. VINE
this machine is put in positiOn-the latter PAL
of this week probably-the stone will be broke
. up ready for laying, and carried to the dump.
/! The s'breakerr can if pushed, prepare on
. hundred tons per day, and as each car is ca
culated to hold two tons and five cars are draw
,r each trip, and eight trips can be made in a day
it will be seen that some eighty tons per day ca
be placed on the 'dump."
. The wall from which this material is obtaine
= contains about 100, 900 cubic feet-say $50
tons-which will keep the crusher and cars goin
y steadily for a long time. 1t has been estimate
that there is sufficient material in this old wa
to properly macadamize five miles of streets
Honolulu, and near at hand is as much mo-
that can be used, and the old heiau left intact
future ages. Our reporter thanks MIR. hart Il
facilities and Information afforded him.