The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-08-30
NARROWED ON
BARREN ISLAND
Hawaiian Boy, Deserted, Lives
on KahoolaWe for Three
Long Months.

Robinson Crusoe has felt wish to un.
dergo the thrilling experience narrated
by him, writes Ben Harden in the Maui
News, who relate remarkable story
of hardship suffered within sight of the
Valley Isle. Only last week, he writes,
Hawaiian boy, aged eighteen, ended
three months Robinson orusoe life
on the desert Island of Kahoolawe. He
is glad to get back to where he could
hear the sweet sounds Of human speech
and does not know that, in the eyes of
adventurous boys, he has achieved the
acme Of juvenile glory.
It is also strange, while people in
high places were discussing in an altru
istie way on what to do with the barren
water.ringed dust heap known as the
Island of Kahoolawe, that a mere boy
marooned there by forgetful "bbss ="
should be trying to move heaven and
earth at the same time for a chance.
to get out of the place.
During the month of May, after the
annual roundup and shearing of sheep,
Maikai, the broncho buster and fore
man for the present lessee, told Kalua
Kaaihue to look after the sheep and to
hunt goats until he returned, and then
sailed away to Lahaina, where he still
lives under the cool leaves Of bread
fruit trees.
Togo, Japanese laboren and dog
remained with the boy, Kalua Kaai-
hue. They understood that Maikai, the
foreman, was to return within week
or ten days. The pay envelopes due
the two hands were in arrears, and af-
ter waiting ten days Togo said he was
going to look up the delinquent boss
and get his pay, and went, taking pass
age in Lahaina fishing boat belong
ing to James Roberts.
Togo failed to return, but Kalua Ka-
aihue and the dog tended, sheep and
hunted goats between times. The dog
and boy gave the goats little rest until
a wise old he goat butted the dog
squarely and threw him down a preci-
pice, where the dog died from his in
juries. With the loss of his dog the
boy began to feel lonesome. There was
plenty of provisions, such as flour and
rice; and fresh fish he could get in any
quantity. AS the months passed with
no word from the absent foreman, the
boy grew worried and like a shipwreck
waif, would eagerly day by day scan
the horizon, but in vain, for Maikai
and his gasoline launch never came
back. At last it slowly daYned on him
that his boss had abandoned him, heart
lessly, to live or perish on the barren
island.
He left the ranch premises and NOV
ed over to Hakiawa, on the other side
facing Maizena,, near where the schoon-
er Olga went ashore some seven years
ago. He built himself shelter from
the wreckage and, to attract the atten-
ton of passing craft, built watch fires
and kept them burning day after day
but, strange, neither passing fishing
boats nor the people on the neighboring
shores of Maui would come to his
rescue. Those who saw his fires thought
it belonged to some fisherman, who had
gone ashore to cook his dinner.
The rain came in torrents and ex-
tinguished his fires and what was worse
destroyed his scanty supply of matches.
No longer able to kindle a fire for cook
ing his food or for making signals to
passing boats he was in a perilous pre-
when in such difficulties the hero al
ways manages to find a piece of flint
from which he could get a spark of fire,
or to rub two sticks together until the
resulting friction produces fire.
On Kahoolawe, Kalua Kaaihue could
not find piece Of rock of sufficient
hardness to produce fire under the first
formula Under the second formula,
the much desired sparks of IRE could
not be coaXed to respond to his rub
bling. Either the wood was not right
or he had rubbed the sticks the wrong
way. While it might rbe, and it prob.
ably is, easy for fiction heroes to get
up a fictitious blaze when a fire is
needed to round off story, in Ka-
lua Kaaihue's actual experience as a
Hawaiian Robinson Crusoe he could not
raise the smoke by such methods. Re-
duced to the hard surroundings of the
primitive man he was compelled to eat
his food raw, and when the cravings
of hunger could not be appeased other
wise mix -four with a little water and
,eat the stuff uncookedl
The lack of tobacco was another
privation keenly felt. He had a boy g
craving for cigarettes and without IRE
or tobacco it could not be satisfied.
AT home in rocky Kaupo where his
father Kaaihue, and his mother Keawe
still lived, Kalua had faithfully attend.
ed the Mormon Church and in his pres,
ent straits he thought of his mother,
who always prayed for him He had
never known how to pray before, but
he got over that quickly, and was soon
praying aloud just as he had seen his
elders do in church. Not as the wise
would pray but as one in desperation
would grope and cry abound from his
inmOst soul to the seen and unseen
powers for relief. With privations,
threatened starvation and loneliness
weighing heavily on his young mind he
perceived he must work out his own
salvation. He gathered together some
timbers from the wreekage of the Olga
and made a raft When he ventured
forth IL sank under him. With tools
obtained from the ranch premises he
took heavy timbers and built a bigger
raft, at best a fimsy thing ON which
TO brave the powerful sweep of cur.
rents in the shark infested waters OF
the Alalakeik Channel. He rugged a
mast with sail for H. but found the
craft too heavy for him TO push into
the water unaided
a this stage Of his adventures the