The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-07-20
A POLYNESIAN BORGIA.
The Battle Between White Mans Medicine and the Mysterious
Power of a Hawaiian Kahuna.
BY ETHEL WATTS MUMFORD.


growth of weeds and moss. A strip of
rich, welI-watered land lies in the cen
ter, with here and there native houses
: lost in clusters of banana and papaia
, trees. The picturesque huts of the
Chinese market gardeners occupy each
: dry island in the green sea of new
grown rice and lly-leaved taro. There
is not a white man in the valley, and
its human census would hardly pass a
hundred. 1t makes little difference to
the outer world what goes on up that
rough path, fit only for the use Of lean
buckskin ponies or the soft pat, pat, of
: bare feet of Celestials as they trot
: along under the weight of laden bas-
: ketS, swung from the ends of jolting
shoulder poles.
At last they reached their destination
"a hut set back from the road in a
neglected garden. Gloom hung about
the place. The trees were withered.
i The yellow pony staring over the fence
was sick and lame. The house dog
hardly raised his head as the stranger
came in at the gate that hung listlessly
! open. Loki leading the way, Karl
/ mounted the rickety steps and entered
the main room.
The woman on the bed was a young
and comedy counterpart of her sister.
! She might once have possessed the
4 cheerful embonpoint of the nurse, but
fear and sickness had wasted her form
, till it lay upon the bed a huddled brown
! skeleton. Her great Polynesian eyes
shone like twin black stars; the heavy,
red tinged. black hair lay bound in two
silky braids, contrasting by its luxuri-
! ance and vitality with the emaciation
/ of the face.
This is the kauka Furtzhofer's son,
| Liliha," said Loki gently. He is ka-
uka too. and his father was a great ka-
I huna. He says he can cure you, so tell
him everything. I will CO." She step
ped out upon the lanai, threw herself
among the red pillows, and crouched,
| watching the door.
Kari sat down by the bed in a mat
ter-of-fact way, took the patients hand
in his, and noted her temperature and
pulse, while appearing to administer
only comforting caress. Fever" he
commented inwardly. He glanced at
the drunken jaws. This has been
going on for some time. Wonder if il
is too late.
"Tel me-" he said aloud in the ma
tive speech. "have you done evil 10
your neighbor? Have you taken that
which is not yours, or spoken ill Of
any one without justifcation?"
The woman shook her head
mo" she answered weakly. ut is
not thaJ; it is anana."
Yes" he nodded. What is your
quarrel?"
The woman's face twitched nervous
~.
II spoke in anger to Neula. She had
prayed five to death in one household
the last was but a child, who had done
her no harm. She had killed Amosa
and Alika. Was that not enough?"
Where is the Bible?" he asked.
She turned her eyes in the direction
of the little table by the bed. Karl ,
picked up worn volume, a translation
in the native tongue. He opened it at
random, glanced down the page, select
ed a verse, and read aloud:
Though 1 walk in the valley of the
Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil
The woman's eyes had followed his
movements anXiously. as if fearing
some fatal verdict While he read her /
eyes cleared and her mouth relaxed.
Fear no evil" she murmured.
You see," said the doctor gently, as /
he put back the book, you are to have !
no fear" He knew what store the Ha- |
waiians set upon this mode of reading !
the future, and was confident that Lii /
liha would gain courage from the IA /
vorable augury. He let her rest a few
moments, then proceeded with his in !
quiries. Tell me. what has this Ne /
ula done to your
''She came the first time she an
swered with a shudder, ION the day
that Kaala died. I had said that I,
with my cousin, would go to the mar
-l,,l
Liliha stopped with a gasp, and roll
ed over in sudden agony.
ooh OH" she screamed. ''The pain!'
The doctor leaned over, looked at the
eyes. forced apart the set
eeth. and looked at the swollen tongue.
H M" he said shortly, watching with
dawning comprehension the agonized
struggles of the wasted form before
him.
The paroxysm passed as quickly as it
had come; the woman fell back. silent
iac exhausted. while the sN eat broke
sut all over her suffering body Earl
Urned to Lolli. who stGor: al the door.
,ummoned by her Sisters screams.
''What has she ea-e1'" he asked.
y Il ing but Doi and csh that is ,,
ILL.," the nurse answered. "I made the
,oi myself" !
W idI hllli bL uSn the CIOSS-ts&- =
.miner continued.
Any kind we can get. Our nephew
,oes every day to work at Waikiki
,each. and stops long enough each
light to spear something for Liliha."
Have the rest Of you ever eaten Of !
he fish brought for her?" :
She shook her head.
Good he replied. Now listen
he must eat no more of this gift: but =,
Il it be brought every day. Let every :
ne think that she eats it. Wrap the -
ext one up and give it to me. Make
he poi yourself each day and wash the d.
owl well with water. into which YOU >
lust melt the powder I viii give you. :
think I can see to what your pro- q.
hetess owes the answer TO her pray 7
rs. Your Neula. my dear Lol1i. is. in -,
~ opinion, a hrst-class reincarnatiou -
Lucretia Borgia. You don't know
he lady do you? Well. if she had -
cen born on the island OF Oahu she :,
ould have been a most successful /
~anrfEF NJ oil 4,TT