The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-09-08

AN OLD KAMAAINA TELLS ABOUT
THREE OF THEM.
One Found Nearly Twenty Years Ago
Mention at that Time of One Re
Gently Uncovered.

Star Newspaper-The papers having
mentioned the finding of the idol
"Waianuenue' at Keala, Kauai, lately,
i am thereby reminded of something
historical in regard to it.
| went to Kapaa, Kauai, with Capt.
Makee when he bought what is now
comprised in the "Makee Sugar Com
pany." This was in 1877.
On the table land at Kapaa, running
from the sea to the mountains. there
was then an old native ditch called by
dition being that a large eel or publ
had come up from the sea and by
working his way to the mountains had
formed the ditch. This the eel had
done as favor to, or at the bidding of
"NIanuo Kalanipo," an ancient high
chief, or god, or combination of both.
On Kappa, well up towards the noun
tains, is a place called Kapahi. From
there up the ditch was overgrown with
"hao" trees and the sides caved in
for the ditch had not been used for
many years. Capt. Makee, Mr.. j. +.
Bush (then governor of Kauai and
myself went up the ditch from this
point.
In 1878, | commenced cleaning out
the ditch from Kapahi up, and finally
rannhp1 n1ana XILhapa tba rap,oinc pf
an old dam were found. The dam be-
ing on the east side of the line of the
ditch, and having been put there on
account of the large body of water
that came out of Il gully on the west
side in times of heavy rains. The dam
was broken and on going down to the
east of the ditch line about 100 feet
found pool of water, and in it what
looked like a log, but which proved to
be an idol made of wood. On ques-
tioning the old natives who lived up
there, | learned that the idol was
known to them by tradition, it being
named "Manuokalanipo," and having
originally been set up on the top of
the dam to protect it. They spoke of
there being another idol on IA similar
ditch on Kealia, and its name was
"Waianuenue. This is probably the
one now found at Keala, in a swamp.
A third idol they told me of, has never
been found. Somewhere in one of the
wild gulches on the side of the high
est peak of Kauai 'Waaleale," is Il
quarry of the hard, black rock used in
old times for making the "koi'' or
digging adze, and at that quarry was a
stone idol cut from the same rock.
Probably IA land slide has long ago
covered up both quarry and idol.
After some dispute as to the owner
ship of the idol Git being visited in my
yard in the meantime by natives from
claimed by the late King Kalakaua,
the matter was finally settled by turn
ing it over to French gentleman
(whose name | have forgotten) and by
him turned over to the Government
Museum, after he had made a sketch
of it for a book he was writing on
Hawaii nei. When the Government
Museum was given up, in what is now
the Judiciary building, the idol, with
the other curios there, was sent to the
Bishop Museum, where it will now be
joined by its fellow god, "Waianuenue'
a final resting place for them not an
ticipated when they were made.
Mr.. j. e. Bush can corroborate what
| have written, as can also the mem
bers of the Hui Hawaiian" who may
be now living.
GEO. w. II. KING.
September 18th, 1896.