The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-03-21
DIGGING FOR A SILVER MINE
On PUNCHBOwL.
Queer Fondness of the SPIRIT for
Rum.

stated that there was an unihipili,
or familiar spirit in the family Of
J. w. Alapai, the heathen old dea,
con of Kaumakapili Church. Ala.
pal himself is notorious citizen
He was one of the leaders of the
Hui Kalaiaina and figured conspi-
cuously in tall hat and long coat
on the memorable 14th of January.
The ADVERTISER has made some
inquiries as to the familiar spirit
which haunts the Alapai family
mansion, and the following is the
statement of a native who is well
posted:
J. w. Alapai is a luna apana in
Kaumakapili Church, A luna apana
is church leader for a particular
district, and Alapai conducts the
meetings in Palama. Some years ago,
one Sunday evening, Mrs. Alapai was
coming into town from Palama, on
her way to church, and had reached
the Soap Works when suddenly she
found spirit resting upon her; not
the Holy Spirit, but one worshipped
according to heather customs. This
caused her serious illness, probably
in her stomach, and she was taken to
foreign doctor. The doctor said to
her: "You are full of wind. Here is
glass of brandy; drink it," She
drank it and returned home and de-
clared to her friends that spirit
dwelt in or on her, This was the
beginning of her practice of sorcery,
as her friends believed her to possess
great powers. She then began the
practice of medicine according to
Hawaiian ideas. Her first patient
was a woman, who was sick and went
to her for treatment. The familiar
spirit declared that the woman would
get we'll, but the prediction was an
unlucky one, for the woman died.
THE RUM AND BANANA CURE.
Some time later, Rev. Keaweamahi,
who was supposed TO be leper, came
under her treatment. She prescribed
rum and bananas, to be taken in
honor of the familiar spirit which
rested upon her. 1t was not the pa
tient, however, but the priestess, who
took the prescription. The patients
share consisted in paying for it. The
treatment did not work, i. e., Keawe-
amahi got no benefit, and so he de-
nounced her as a fraud. The rum
and banana treatment had been kept
up at stated periods for several
months. The eating and drinking
cure was a favorite one with
the priestess, for bottles of
rum and edibles were always con-
dition precedent to diagnosis. Dur
ing these months the priestess told
Keaweamahi that her spirit had re-
vealed to her the existence of a large
quantity of silver at the base of
Punchbowl, and directed that natives
should go and dig for it. They dug,
but got nothing. This shook the
faith of the doubling, and many fell
away from her. One at least of her
friends warned her year or two ago |
that the unihipili was something
which needed to be cast out. About |
the time of the dethronement of the |
Queen, it is stated that Alapai went
to her and urged her to worship the
old gods publicly, and in that way to
strengthen her kingdom, but Liliuo-
kalani refused.
soRCERERs NUMEROUS.
Mrs. Alspai is not the only Hawai-
ian priestess in Honolulu. The AD-
vERTIsER's informant stated that these
superstitions we're very general. He
enumerated several, among whom
were the two following:
JACK, who lives on Nuuanu street,
claims to have an aumakua, who
is no less a parsonage than Pele.
Jack tells his friends that if they
will worship Pele they will get the
good things of this world, whereas
if they worship Jehovah they will
get nothing at all.
2. PALAU, a man who formerly
worked with j. 7. Waterhouse, and
who at one time belonged to the
Society for the Suppression of Idola-
try, but differing from the rest of the
society on the subject of the lottery,
which he said came from God, he
was turned out. Two weeks later,
an unihipili descended upon Palau's
wife, and has remained with her ever
since. Palau claims that his wife's
unihipili healed him from sickness.
1t appears that there is a general
belief among those Hawaiian Chris
tians who still practice idolatry that
spiritual blessings come from Jeho
yah, but material blessings from the
native gods. By combining the two
systems of religion, they get the good
things both of this world and the
next. Many worship Jehovah when
well, but turn to the old household
gods in case of sickness.
The ADVERTISERS informant stated
he was assured by other Hawaiians
that the ex Queen patronized kahu-