The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1910-08-27
LONE BOY MAROONED
ON BARREN KAHOOLAWE
After Heartess DesertiOn by His Employer an Hawaiian
Boy Lives Three Months on UncOOked
Rice and Flour

| On Kahoolawe Kalua Kaaihue
could not find piece of rock of
sufficient hardness to produce fire
under the first formula. Under the
second formular the much desired
sparks of fire could not he coaxed
to respond to his rubbing. Either
the wood was not right or he had
rubbed the sticks the wrong way.
While it might be, and it probably
is, easy for fiction heroes to get up
a fictitious blaze when a fire is
needed to round off a story, but in
Kalua Kaaihue's actual experience
I as an Hawaiian Robinson Crusoe he
could not raise the smoke' by such
methods. Reduced to the hard sur
roundings of the primitive man he
was compelled to eat his food raw,
and when the cravings Of hun
ger could not be appeased otherwise
mix -four with little water and
eat the stuff uncooked!
The lack of tobacco was another
privation keenly felt. He had a
boys craving for cigarettes and
without fire or tobacco it could not
be satisfied.
At home in rocky Kaupo where
his father Kaaihue, and his mother
Keawe still lived, Kalua had faith
fully attended the Mormon Church
and in his present 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 rs one in desperation
would grope and cry aloud from his
inmost soul 70 the seen and unseen
powers for relief. With privations,
threatened starvation and loneli-
ness weighing heavily on his young
mind he perceived he must work out
his own salvation. He gathered to-
gether some timbers from the wreck
age of the Olga and made a raft.
When he ventured forth it sank
under him. With tools obtained
from the ranch premises he took
heavy timbers and built. bigger
raft at best flimsy thing on which
to brave the powerful sweep of cur
rents in the shark infested waters of
the Alalakeiki Channel. He rugged
a mast with a sail for it, but found
the craft too heavy for him to push
into the water unaided.
At this stage of his adventures
the power fishing boat Maui Maru
from Kihei hove in sight on her
way to the usual Kahoolawe land
ing, and Kalua hurried over to in
tercept the visitors. His appearance
was surprise to the fishermen, for
his hair had grown down to his
shoulders, which in way verified
his strange story, but gave him such
an uncanny appearance that his
rescuers suggested clipping it of
with sheep shears, an indignity he
resented.
| When interviewed by the writer,
barber had shorn his head of hair
and was there nothing to remind
one of boys unusual experience. He
was then assisting John Kupahu, ,one
of his rescuers who had befriended
, him in his destitution, at knocking
, together a small house, and making
good use of a knowledge of carpen.
try acquired under nerve trying con-
; ditions. He related his adventures
as simply as one would tell fish
story, and had nothing to say against
Maikai, the foreman, who forgot al
} about him as readily as one would
/ forget to look after chicken. Only
/ once did Kalua Kaaihue betray any
! feeling and that was when the
/ writer unwisely asked about tn,
!, mother, who is patiently waiting
: for word from her wandering
boy.-Ben Harden,