The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-21
FROM WAR CANOE TO BATTLESHIP I

dragged the incomplete craft through
the forest. down steep hills, up guich
sides. the bow being carefully defended
from sharp rocks by men specially des-
ignated for that purpose, Sometimes
it took DAYS 10 reach the shore, and on
arrival there the canoe was placed IN
the longhouse,' where the finishing
touches were added and the outriggers
adjusted Then came the final eere-
mony of launching, when more hogs,
c0coanuts. red fish and ava were of
fered as a sacrifice to the gods. The
priest offered long prayer unique IN
the cathOlieity of it's requests upon the
gods of the elements.
'Iisten. thou. to the beauty of the
finishing of the canoe, - he began; ION,
god of the canoe, the heavens, the earth,
the mountains. the sea, the day, the
night; here Is the canoe of the Old
Woman: Who is the Old Womane The
Old Woman is Papa, wife Of Wakea,
who hewed it. who gave it drink, who
travelled to faraway places, who tres
passed and broke a tabu - the tabu
against the hewing of the canoe of Wa
kea. This Is the canoe of the Old
Woman. Who is the Old Womanf The
Old Woman is Lea, wife of Mokuhalii,
who hewed the canoe and drank the
water. and travelled and trespassed so
that the tabu of hewing the canoe
ceased. Deal, thou, carefully with this
canoe
The Stars as Guides.
The canoe was then launched upon
the waters and the navigator was ready
to commence his cruise of the sea and
to follow the stars. He set his course
by night, picking up the north star
fhaku hook ele wa 'a--canoe NAVIGATOR
and the morning star, called the dds
lance star" The Big Dipper and the
Little Dipper were reckoned on, but the
latter had a twofold meaning, for its
Then came the evening star, known to
search for schools of deep-water fishes
Then came the evening star, known to
them as the "canoe sentinel" When
the morning star had risen to fixed
about and started back for the land
for it meant that day was approaching.
They had a fear also that if they did
not turn about their enemy, the sword
fish, would attack them. If they saw
two fiery eyes apparently coming to-
ward them swiftly on the crest of a
wave, they threw themselves face down
ward in the canoe, for the swordfsh
would leap and possibly pierce their
cheeks or rip their sail. The morning
star was called "hoku loa." One of
the Hawaiian meles composed by XII
noole describes Venus and the morning
star
"s Burst forth, oh red clouds,
Expose the eastern point (of Hawaii) /;
"Diselose the Star of Distance,
"Companion of the Little Satellite -
This was the ceremony of the canoe
and of the water, elaborate. but neces-
sary, in those "good old days. when
nothing bigger than an outrigger sailed
the Hawaiian waters.
Used by Invaders.
And so the fleets of canoes from
Maui and Hawaii landed their men upor
the shores of Oahu, so that in time
Waikiki became the haven of canoe:
and there sprang up from the village
a great town, which in time became
the residence of the king. At time:
thousands of canoes lined the beach
most of them the war craft of the
conquering chiefs of other islands
When Kamehameha landed with hi
great armies, the canoes numbered into
the thousands, and were the great
double war-eanoes stately Frigates o
Old.
And so when the first sailing ship.
of traders came into Hawaiian water
they found safe anchorage off Waikiki