Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-07-27

far.off mountain to rest herself.
Soon after her arrival she was
disturbed by the tum.tum of a drum.
She looked about and found that 1t
was being beaten to keep time for a
prince who was dancing the hula. She
straightway took part In the gayety
by singing the refrain TO words OF her
own composition.
The prince was naturally surprised
and enchanted by the appearance Of
the beautiful singer. When the song
was ended he invited the fair stranger
to the royal inclosure. offering her
refreshments and food. After a short
courtship they were married. After
living happily together for some time,
the fire goddess informed the prince
that she must return to her old home
and attend to her duties. as the fires
OF the volcano had died down until
there was nothing but little sparks
left. She had never revealed to her
husband that she was the fire goddess,
though he instinctively felt that she
was something more than ar ordinary
mortal. He was loath to have her de-
part, and finally prevailed upon her
to remain as his consort. That is why
the heart Of the volcano became cold.
and IL no longer a nj to the
safety Of the people.
Power Of Native Wizards.
No reference to the old order OF
things In Hawaii would be complete
without mention OF the kahuna. or
native doctor. He was a sort Of wizard
or sOothsayer, who was reyerenced and
feared by all the people. He was sup.
posed to have the power of life and
death. and 1t was accepted as a mat.
ter OF fact that be could pray ones
life away. Next to the voodoo priests
Of Hayti. the Hawaiian kahuna IL the
most mysterious individual Of whom
we have any account. They say 1t Is
not at all unusual for a man or woman
to be prayed to death, and the expla-
nation Is the use OF suggestion. When
the idea of death becomes fully lodged
In the mind of a patient the end is
easy from the sheer force Of magma
ton.
II has been charged that vegetable
noisons figure In these fatal prayings
but there seems to be no evidence tc
substantiate this claim The reader
may scoff at the idea Of a man being
able to pray a person TO death, but
one has only TO sec the banefulH ligh'
In the kahuna's eyes to recognize Tho
presence Of some strange power. Once
the Idea OF death suggests itself to {
sick person medicine can do him NJ
good. There are those who assert tina
the beautiful Princess Kainlani was
i victim OF the kahunas. II Is certain
that the honse was surrounded b,
, them at the time OF her death.
When her mother died she. too, wa
, strongly Influenced by the belief tina
the kahunas were praying her lii
z away. She remarked to one of he
white friends that 1t was no use 10
her to try to live against the innuenc
: of the native wizards. The white ply
~sicians tried to force medicine dow
. her throat, but she resisted with al
q her strength. She asserted that he
8 time had come and that she was read
w tO. iuIs IL HOi ktuei d1y SpOht
8 of. but II Is known to be true by man
8 people In Honolulu.
g s%oothsayers Dress cayIy.
: OF course the naaunas do not hav
/. the same hold upon the people ths
: they had in days gone by, The belle
Y In them IL a superstition which real
|, belongs to the old generation The
: are now regarded as doctors VII
practice without n license and nj
treated accordingly. Sometimes q
4 old inhabitant will insist upon bein
d treated by a kahuna. but II the natiS
l. doctor fails, a white physician is the
VI EgTA ri I