The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-05-22
INVESTIGATIONS LEADING BACK
TO THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
Abstract OF De. Emerson's Remarkable
Paper Read Recently Before
the Rhetorical Society.

The paper read by DIR. y. B. Emer-
son at the recent meeting OF the Ha-
waiian Historical Society deserves
more than passing mention. Repre-
senting as it does the result of months
of laborious research among ancient
Hawaiian archives, the investigation
Of numbers of old traditions, talks
with many old chiefs as to their earli-
est recollections and stories told them
in their infancy by their progenitors,
the paper is one of the most valuable
yet written on an almost unknown
subject, viz: ''The Ancient History of
Hawaii" While the paper purports
to be description of the earlier voy-
ages of the ancient Hawaiians, it con-
tains, in addition, much matter of
persons named and the customs of the
ancient races who formerly peopled
these islands and those to the far
south.
The Doctors researches extend to q
period as far back as the twelfth GEN.
folklore and traditions of the period,
was an era of long voyages between
widely separated groups of islands,
and of venturesome expeditions in
search of remote lands; an era that
developed navigators whoss deeds of
skill and daring would favorably COM
pare with those Of the great Columbus
himself
Commencing with the story of Ka-
rika and TSngiia, two Polynesian
chiefs who made much trouble in the
southern archipelago some twenty
five generations ago, and which is
more than interesting from the light
it sheds on the conditions of human
life OF that period, the doctor goes on
to state thai the same spirit of adven-
ture, activity and unrest which OBJ
tanned at Tahiti and other islands
south of the Hawaiian, also existed
in the latter, and that the earlier
voyages of the ancient Hawaiians
were really undertaken in return for
visits made them by their Polynesian
kindred.
OF the earlier navigators DIR. Emer-
son gives priority, both in importance
and time, to Paao and his older brother,
LOnopele, Samoan priests, both men
of authority and weight, highly
skilled in the arts of heather life.
Paao was exceptionally skilled in nav
igation, astronomy and divination. !
Quarrels between these two brothers,
in which each brought about the |
death of the others son, resulted |
In Paao fitting out an immense
canoe and starting in search of |
new lands. A long, minute and highly |
interesting description of this voyage |
up to the final landipg in the district |
OF funa - hawaii, then follows. Here
FAao built a temple in honor of his
idol Kukailimoku, which he had
brought with him, but afterwards
fixed his residence at KohaIa, where
he built the large temple of Mookini,
the ruins of which remain to the
present day.
Then follows description of the
condition of affairs in Hawaii at that
time, showing that the line of royal
chiefs had become so mixed with the
plebian classes by inter-marriage and
otherwise that the royal race had be-
come almost extinct, and no chief
with enough of the blood royal in his
veins was considered worthy to occupy
the throne of Hawaii.
1t was to correct this state of affairs,
and to secure for Hawaii ruler with
blue blood in his veins, that Paao,
after a few years, made a voyage to
Lue SoutHr III WHICH, lie went as lar as
Tahiti. Lonokaeho, a great chief and
kahuna of Tahiti, was Paao's choice
for the position, but he declined In
favor of Pill Kaaiea, who proved an
acceptable king to the people of Ha-
wall and established his seat of gov
eminent in the valley of Waipio.
After commenting on the character
and influence of Paao, and the fact
that it argues well for the vitality of
King Pills stock that twenty-one gen.
eratlons after him it was capable of
producing such lusty scion as Kane
hameha l., the paper goes on to give
history of other famous navigators of
that period, notably Paumakua, a
name of historic celebrity, claimed as
an Oahu king, and who is said to have
visited every land known to the an
clients. He it is who is said to have |
brought back with him from one of his |
distant voyages two white priests and |
q white wizard.
The latter half of the paper is de- |
voted to description of the voyages |
made between Hawaii and the south, |
extending to period about the six |
teenth or seventeenth century, after |
which the geographical knowledge of |
the Hawaiians refrigerated, and their |
ideas became vague and mixed, and |
Tahiti came to mean to them no more !
than any other foreign country.
DR.. Emerson is to be congratulated |
upon the great interest his paper has |
aroused, and the fact that it will soon |
be published in pamphlet form cannot |
falI TO be source of pleasure to those |
who We're prevented from hearing the |
original read. |