The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-04
AN OLD HAWAIIAN LEGEND.
''The Lovers and Mauna Kea"-Ha-
wall a Field for the Novelist.

Record Union Sacramento, Cal)
1t is quite likely that the Hawaiian islands
will yet furnish fruitful field for the
novelist. as we'll as for the student of his
tory. 1t is now generally known that the
islands abound in legendary lore of char
acter that is not met anywhere else in the
world. In spite of the fact that Professor
Alexander, of Honolulu, and DR. Emerson,
of the same place, have written a great
deal concerning the early history of the
people, who are supposed to have come from
Polynesia, there is much rare and interest
ing learning that has escaped the publisher.
The Record-Union is able to present to its
readers this week one of the prettiest of
all the legends that have come to light.
The writer, who spent a year in the islands,
will not vouch for the truth of the legend
in all its details, but it is enough like the
story of the original to make the matter in
teresting to the historian, as we'll as to the
student of general literature.
The story. or legend, which is called "The
Lovers and Mauna Kea,' has caused much
discussion among the masters of Hawaiian
lore. 1t is based on the reported discovery
of an old manuscript in a burial cave on the
island of Maui, and adapted from the IA
nous masterpiece of Buel, which it closely
follows. 1t is apparent that the difficulties
of language have made it necessary to in
vent non-Hawaiian Names in lieu of which
many names like those of American Indians
have been substituted. The story is as fol-
lows:
"Minneola was the daughter of Nanke-
tuka, chief of the Petonahs. She lived like
a queen in the sun-lit realms of Hawaii, and
grew to be the flower of all the islands
mi ho "a ybr1 c1,h6
the roses bloom in ner cheeks and drove the
shadows from her life. Her beauty was
warm and mellow as the sunny hours, and
her form graceful as the bow of heaven.
The dews of Paradise were in her eyes, and
the symphony of shadow musicians dwelt in
her voice, the tones of which were as mellow
as a matin bell. Flowers sprang from her
footsteps, and out of her midnight tresses
she flung the stars.
as the spring bud loves the sun. He bathed
in the ife-giving light of her eyes, and
dropped like a perishing flower in her alb
sence. To him her tiny feet seemed too
small to mark out the rugged paths of life
alone. So loved Minneola, but Nanketuka,
the lion father whose heart was as infiexible
as Mauna Kea, the mountain hated Pocata-
Gus, and sought to bend the love of his lovely
daughter toward Wonomeda, the crafty
warrior of the isle. Failing thus in his en-
deavors, Nanketuka imprisoned Minneola in
a lonely mountain cave, with a secret en-
trance known only to Wonomeda, who visit
ed the maiden and poured his love into her
fretful ear promising her freedom and the
rarest treasures the womb of the earth could
bear. But she saw no favor in his Offer for
her heart was like the dewdrops that sparkle
only in the sun, and pinned she for PocatacuS,
the elixir of her life.
"Unrelenting in his purpose the chief con-
sidered not the happiness of his lovely
daughter, and with bitter rage he seized
Pocatacus and cast him into cave on the
opposite side of the mountain Here he lin
affection but with grief for Minneola. Here
while kneeling in devotion pouring out his
lamentations in the damp and dugeon cave,
he cast his useless eyes around him, and
perceiving in the distance light of flicker
ing brightness his heart leapt with emotion,
then with anguish, lest II be messengers
from Nanketuka 10 execute his death.
But when nearly it approached him he
perceived the bearer was a maiden on whose
the Spirit of the Cave. Coming nearer, she
addressed him. saying: Why hast thou
invaded the precincts of the phantoms;
come into the shadows where mortals must
not be? Speak. lest the fire hold consume
thee, and thy life be taken here.
Then answered Pocatacus end told his
love for the maiden and. with head bowed
low before the phantom, babe the spirit
consume his anguished heart But the an
ger of her face uplifted. and, with pity
stealing Ger her. she gave her hand to the
lover and answered, Follow me-.
'Straightway the two went forward and
the cavern walls rolled backward. clearing
a pathway before them. until sitting in the
distance. wailing and despairing, he saw his
Minneola and soon clasped her in his arms.
meeting of the sunbeams, the union of the
flowers, or the kissing Of sweet incense. so
clasped they each other lest some sorrow
come between.
While the lovers were thus raptured.
dwelling in the fragrance of their own
sweet meeting. the tramp of Nanketuka and
Wonomeda and their angered tone Of venge-
ance came ringing through the cave. Fear
and sorrow brooded DER the lovers. but the
Spirit gave them promise of protection
Then the rocks heaved heavily. and one by
one rolled together until the granite walls
inclosed them. and OF earth they saw no
more. Still the chieftain sought his daugh-
ter. the lovely Minneola; sought her in the
caves and forests, mourned her long and
prayed for pitv--but he found her never
more.
There, beneath the sombre mountain. by
crystal water through the valleys and the
trees. lives the athlete Pocatacus and his
sweet wife Minneola. Passed from life into
the shadows. from the body TO the soul life.
without passing through the portal where
the body rusts and hleaches. passed they