The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-14
STORY OF KILA.
THE LIFE OF ONE OF THE AN
GENT HAWAIIANS.
Read Before the Hawaiian Historical
Society by Dr.. -. =. Emerson on
May 70, 1899.

If We may believe tradition, KiIa at
an early age displayed decided taste
for aquatic sports, which his sur
roundings were admirably fitted to
crafty and develop. We are told that
as child Kila's chosen plaything
was a toy canoe. Near his fathers
residence flowed the famous WaiIua
river, which, as visitors to that
romantic region will remember, after
precipitatiDg itself over the beautiful
falls Of the same name, offers for sew
eral miles-until it reaches the ocean
"A fine stretch of slack water, along
each bank of which grows a thick
- fringe of bulrushes. To an enter
prising boy Of Kila's tastes il must
have been veritable paradise, the
= best possible school for initiating him
Z inc n the management of a canoe. 1t is
sy to- imagine what enthusiasm and
Hllttee' or he must have put into the con-
TO call Cctioln aud launching of his first
go o. 4irTHsles,~ by which he soon
lsJer, 10 Welcoelf acquainted with every
and to give burn of this fairy stream.
in regard to tees after being cut and slightly
desire. o ades; tiaPPeIing at each end, and
IT,: ound with cord or some substi-
tute. 1ibaye often seen the tough stems of
The koali vine (cOnvOlvulus), which grows
70 a great length, used for this purpose
These primary bundles bound firmly
into two or three parts of equal size. and
these in turn, are dashed together side By
side 10 form the canoe. When taste and
skull are used the result IS craft that will
do excellent service for months which
Il IS possible to venture with safety quite
out into the ocean.
Ptrf I,n - d.
he remained content with this clumsy
structure. His ambition must have
sought early satisfaction in the pos
session OF a genuine canoe dug out of
n kOa tree felIed in the mountains,
fashioned, rugged and ccnsecrated
with the scrupulouS care that must
have been regarded his due, as the
favorite son of Moikeha, who had
now become high chief or king of the
- district. The possession of this new
treasure, coupled with the nearness
of the ocean, was an invitation to eX-
tend the range of his adventures that
lie could not have long resisted.
As kila attained the dignity of pad
ding his own canoe, the fascinating
IS sport OF Sps+fidiDS tpakaka- naIu) be-
IamST one of his favorite pastimes.
as sport, though ii resembles, diff
be materially, from hee-nalu, in
eIp IN the swimmer enters the water
eau fuses u surf-bOard, while in paka-
i'm snalu the player rides the surf sit
A e in his canoe. The canoe, poised
the inclined plane in advance of the
N i've, is carried shOrewards at speed,
Il that it is possible to maintain this
Ia sition and avoid broaching to and
pa ing upset, with the danger of break
nes 3 the canoe, only by delicate adj
T.. yNment of forces and great skill and
90 y,iuaent with the paddle. This pas
daps which there was smack of
AND EXACTLY suited Kila's taste,
was Sssqe to excel in it. Thus it
- the ~~Sl>kila grew up expert in
p ss6RWhHanagement of the canoe
al, true to the sea-faring instincts of
e. IS parents, learned to meet and mas
Iy deter old ocean in all his moods.
shOul In addition to this practical training,
Stat kila was carefully instructed in navi-
the cation and astronomy. He was taught
pres the names and positions of many con-
Han stellations and the principal heavenly
aid 66Ttess with the times of their rising
II and setting, for which purpose no
knowloubt the services of the old bard ka-
methot ahualele We're called into requisition
this coninstructor. Another way by which
you, and2 probably added to his store of
Won desiwledge on these matters was re-
tion and to the halau, or canoe-house, of
greetingl distinguished canOe-man (kahu-
70 meet alalai-waa), where were to be heard
ordinaryland lectures and discussions by
a you nguished experts on the canoe
the pres The art of navigation, with men,
the Urn, no doubt, of kukulu o kahiki-a
ing the m that included what was known
il afforforeign geography. Here, too, was
-rdscussed meteOrology, not forgetting
the study of the heavens.
However much we may be inclined
to hold in light esteem the knowledge
of the heavenly bodies which Kila
was able to obtain from the best teach
ings of his elders, we shodld not for
get that ii proved sufficient to guide
him oyer-the tTacklesS waters of the
Pacific and bring him with precision
to his desired destination, after a
VOYAGE of over twenty-three hundred
miles, and this without the aid of
chart, compass, or any instrument OF
precision known to modern science
solely by the educated use of his I'M
spoiled senses.
In his old age Moikeha, who had
never ceased to think of his son Laa
in Tahiti, determined to send an eX-
petition to bring him that he might
look once more on his face and posi-
bly, make him heir to his kingdom.
e He accordingly announced his lnten-
ton to his sons, and informed them
that in order to decide with imparti-
ality which one of them should head
the expedition, he would submit them
all TO a competitive test OF skill IN
handling the canoe. This being done,
KiIa proved himself so greatly their
superior as canOe-man that he was
put in command, greatly to the cha
grin and dissatisfaction of his broth
ers 1t was wisely arranged that the
sage Kamahualele, veteran naviga-
tor, should accompany the young cap
tain on his first voyage.
ce1,. KILAs VOYAGE To TAHITI.
Latter eat was the interest and curiosity
again Gale natives in all the districts along
informed In Kila passed on his way south.
,,odo hire vOyaged under the lee of Oahu,
iHauC iIrew in quite near to the sand
was lrIIches of Waianae, and the people,
ON at the unusual sight of q royal, double
ell,