The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-05-11
SKELETONS UNEARIRED
COL. MACFARLANE FINDS FIVE
IN AN OLD HEIAU.
Dramatic and Startling Circumstan-
ccs of the Discovery of Grucsnme
Relics of the Time Of Kamehamcha.

Five human skeletons unearthcd
from an ancient heiau, the existence
of which had been forgotten, was the
announcement with which Col. George
Macfarlane startled local antiquarllus
yesterday and set those who take IN
interest in Hawaiian history to dow
ing in books of forgotten lore.
But Col. Macfarlane's announcement
did not starte the antiquarians half
as much as the actual finding # the
skeletons did the japanese laborr1 :
who made the find. And indeed +he
dramatic circumstances of the dis
coverN might well have startled The
most composed nerves.
Col. Macfarlane has been For some
time engaged in laying out and Level
ing the extensive grounds on ;hc
Waikiki beach which he has leased
from the Bishop estate, preparatory
to building the seaside annex TO the
Hawaiian hotel which he has IN con
temptation. Yesterday he set some
men at work lcveling off a mound at
the extreme Eva side of the Bishop
property, not far from he well
known lily pond near the Waikiki
road. The mound is some distance
from where the buildings are to I've
erected. 1t is overgrown with alge-
roba trees and one of these the n
borers started to dig out and remove.
They had got along pretty well re-
moving the earth from around the
roots when the lunch hour arrived.
just as the men were coming back
from lunch, a sudden breeze. or per
hans n G1inht ~ rt hnnnlyn Shnnl-
red. The cocoa palms suddenly ienr
to the unrest. whatever it was. Their
leaves shook and rustled with the
movement, startling the laborcrs.
The fish in the pond. affected by the
unwonted agitation, jumped up out
| of the water, still further inspirihg
awe at this strange mood of ma ire
Then just at this supreme moment
| the half dug out algeroba tree yield
| ed, toppled over and threw into The
| air three skeletons, which were wi
IDENTIFY interlaced in its roots. 1t vas
as if the earth, having hid in bei
bosom these mementoS so long. hat
| given them up as she heaved Il siGl,
The startled laborers turned ant
flew. but not so quickly but that on,
of them was hit by a flying skull
which was thrown as by catapul
by the sudden giving way of the root
of the tree. 1t was some time befor,
the laborerS could be persuaded to re
turn. When they did they found
three almost complete skeletons scat
tered about and little more digging
brought two more to light.
The bones are for the most part il
an excellent state of preservation
One of the skeletons was found in
sitting position, and another with TIL,
arms stuck up over the head One O
the skulls indicates that it is that o
a comparatively young woman. Tn,
teeth are perfectly preserved. The
others seem to be those of men. ant
one or two bear evidence of having
come to violent death.
The news of the find soon attracted
a large number of curious natives. IA
ohe, very old woman. who lives nea1
| by, an old retainer of Mrs. Bishop
says that the mound is the site of al
| old heiau, known as Pun Niihau
and that the bodies of those slain il
Kamehameha's battles i'm the vicinit'
were brought there for interment. :
1 row of stones barely dscernible ol
the surface, gives an air of probabil
ity to this conjecture. \. S. Cleg
horn thinks the skeletons NAV dat
from the time of Vancouver. VIII
spent some time in this vicinity. IA
mehameha lived near here for tim
and had store house not three hun
dred yards from where the skeleton
were discovered.
Col. Macfarlane intends to have tn
mound thoroughly exploited and t.
seek the best antiquarian advice a
to the history of the place.