The record-union., 1898-08-28

medicine man, or sorcerer But that
is a. game at which two can play, as
this story unfolds.
Parts two, three and four give an ac-
count of Iwaiwa's bringing up from
boyhood to youth and young manhood,
sometimes leading the life of a bird
catcher in the central wilderness of
Hawaii, and sometimes that of al fisher
man on the coats Of the Puma district.
Later, we find him in the calm wea-
Their district of Kona, the pupil of a
celebrated wrestler and trainer, whose
adventures and remarkable character
form an interesting episode in the
story"
Without wandering too far afeld, the
author has woven into this romantic
story many threads from the folklore
and traditions of Polynesia that have
not before seen print. His study OF
kahunaism is realistic and the result
of much research, aided by a lifelong
acquaintance with the vernacular
tongue of Hawaii.
The story breathes of the mountain
and the ocean and is faithful study of
the manner of life and traditions of
The following is verbatim from the
opening chapter:
'It was a gaia day at Kohala; the
people from far and near had gathered
to celebrate with games and contests
the annual festival of the makahiki.
THE burden of the year had been
lifted by payment to the King and lord
of the land Of the annual taxes, which
stood piled about the rude stone altar
that marked the dividing line between
district and district.
The procession of exacting officials.
| priests, constables and stewards. car
rying decorated stats, idols and 3m-
blems of Office, had passed through the
| land as an army of locusts, stayed by
| until all demands were satisfied-until
it's NAV was gorged-and then moved
on laden with it's plumber
This might be itemized somewhat as
| follows: Item-Fine mats of the grass
like makaloa rush in variegated pat
| terms, for the Kings special use. on
which to serve the royal fish and poi,
| or couch his sacred form in the heat
of the day; item-Coarser mats, braided
| from the pandanus leaf, serviceable to
cover the floor, to build up the bed. or
| for general domestic use; item-Three-
| cornered mats, tightly woven from Sc
| lected young leaves of the pandanus of
extra toughness, to serve as sails fer
| the canoes of the King, Keawe-mua a
| Uni (meaning Keawe, the great, son Of
UmD; item-Sets (kuanD of strong tapa
cloth for bedding, five ample sheets in
each set, stitched together along one
| O nf o
| in color blue, pink, yellow, brown,
with patterns new coined by the saw
age mind item-One choice robe of tapa
| (on-kolowaD Of a delicate yellow, gauzy
as lace in texture, scented with wood
| land perfumes of MALE, mokehana and
ginger root. destined to wrap the Shout
| ders of the sovereign himself, or his ia
vorite wife; item-Figured loin-cloths
| (malo), fine and soft in texture, hand
| stamped in colored patterns resembling
| serrate leaves of fern, ocean waves,
| fish scales, stars and crescent moons, on
background of white, yellow or pink.
! These delicate fabrics are nicely folded
| and packed in polished travelling
| trunk carved in cylindrical fashion out
| of a section of kou log-most handsome
of woods with cover of the same ma
| terial, both held in place and made
handy for transportation by a strong,
! close-woven net of the tough, aerial
roots of parasitic trailer, supplement-
ed by cords of olona, the Hawaiian
| flax. The odor which distils from the
contents of this choice casket, when its
cover is lifted, is most ravishing to the
| senses; item-In another container Of
similar, but less delicate construction,
are ornaments and utensils carved In
| ivory, bone, what not. Here are mas
| sive whale teeth, yellow with age. SOL
emn as a crucifix, carved in apparent
| imitation of the human tongue, to be
suspended about the neck by solid
| braids of human hair, black as night,
once the pride and growth of many a
dusky maiden's scalp-ornament which
the King himself will not disdain to
wear on occasion Of state or boastful
| show"
The domestic scenes that abound
| throughout the book are unlike any
thing seen in all literature, as are the
| tales of courtship and rivalry between
! lovers. The hero becomes victorious
| by the exercise Of the sturdy traits of
character dear to Hawaiian ideals of
| the old day. There is an atmosphere as
| ancient as the world throughout the
story, while the descriptions of scenery
are made from the Hawaiian point of
| view, in such a way as to show the
reader how the ancient Hawaiian loved
his beautiful land, what thoughts were
inspired in him by the glories Of land
and sea, and what horrors superstition
wrought on his sensitive mind There
is much in the book that illustrates in
| new way the meaning of tapu or
taboo, as we'll as the inner meaning of
the old religion, with it's multiplicity Of
gods and its queer world Of rewards
! and punishments.