The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-18
wITcHcRAFT IN hawaii.
Kahunas who Will Undertake TO Pray
Men to Death Quickly and C~heaply.

From the New York Sun.
When the Stars and Stripes were
raised over the Hawaiian Islands I'm
Gle Sam took under his care some pc
culiar people. The Ksnakas are a
oueer mixture of barbarism md civil
ization. They never have worked and
never will, but in their ideal Island
home physical labor is not a requisite
of obtaining sustenance. Fruits and
fish are the food of the people, and
they can be obtained with little or no
exertion. Clothes are not necessary,
| except for purposes of adornment. The
thermometer is seldom less than 20 de-
grees or more than so degrees. Cocoa
nuts and bananas are always ripe. TO
a large extent they are public property.
Imagination is the most highly de-
veloped faculty Of the Kanaka. Gnomes
and fairies are more real to him n
the boyle man and ant Claus TO the
| child of civilization. When a Kanaka
has an enemy he takes a curious but
| often successful way II getting rid OF
/ him. In Honolulu and the villages
are a large class of persons known as
kahunas The Hawaiian who has had
a dispute with his neighbor hires n
of these kahunas to visit the e
and pray him 70 death. The only
means for escaping is for the persecut-
ed person TO hire another kahuna who
is equally powerful. Some OF the rec
| SHOWN DN lAESE MI
are curious in the extreme. The docu-
mepts often set forth that the posses
sor has caused the death of a certain
person within a few days, ana with
hut little expense and trouble to his
client. The manner in which the ka-
hunas go about the work would be lud-
icrous IL the results were less serious.
shortly after he has been employed
the kahuna calls on his victim. He
Crave1v saws that the victim is dis
pJeased the goddess Pele by unseemly
conduct in assaulting or reVillng ms
client, and then announces that ne VIII
deliver many fervent petitions TO have
him punished. Then he expiates upon
mis- known standing with the goddess,
and asserts that his prayers are sure
70 be answered. During all this time
the victim has been listening patiently,
for there is nc greater onense In the
category of sins than 10 assault a ka'
huna OF good repute.
Two days after his first visit the ka-
huna again calls on his victim. Tbs
wretched offender may have gone to
another part of the island, or he may
have hidden in some Of the groves, but
the kahuna finds him. During the time
which has elapsed since the first noti
fcatfon that he was to be prayed e
death the Kanakas have attributed
every evil that has befallen him TO, th'
bad influence of the powerful kahunf
his enemy has employed. This time
unless there is an immediate satisfac
tory adjustment Of the difficulties. tn
kahuna announces that he will no
leave him until he dies. Quite Otter
the kahuna on his second visit Is me
} by another kahuna who has been en-
pioyed by the prosecuted one. In sucl
I cases the kahunas retire 10 some Sc
] cluded spot and consult. Their conduc
toward each other Is most polite, and
indeed. their manner are as careful
as those of the medical profession Il
T a civilized country.
. The first thing which the kahuna
discuss is whether OF not IL viii be Z
their financial benefit to end the affai
8 or carry il on 10 the bitter end. II tn
o case is to be settled fees are paid b.
both parties 10 the contest. General
{ II is more profitable 10 have the con
- test continue. In this event both ka
hunas go back 10 the place where the
have left the unfortunate man. The ae
gressive kahuna that HI
prayers have been answered. and tha
=, the great Pele will shortly affiict hir
u with a raging fever. He then falls I
his knees and begins a series Of lou
lamentations. The other kahuna, to OF
/ set the m~alevolent influences, pray
that his client may be allowed 10 cor
; tlnue in good health; but IL he notice