The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-29
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Honolulu. T. H., July a1.-(Ry the
Associated ss).-The kingdom
that "died" but was never conquerads
the kingdom with the smallest stand
ing army on record, three men; the
kingdom of Nualolo, behind ita walls
Of mountain and surf in an almost
forgotten corner Of the Island of
Kauai. is being "rediscovered."
This ancient domain, the only part
of Hawaii which King Kamehameha
the Great could not bring under. his
scepter when he routed all other
rivals in battle and united the is-
lands, has been reopened. A rope
ladder once again bangles from tho
Naulolo cliffs in the identical place,
fastened through the same holes cut
in the rocks by the Hawaiian war
riors Of long ago.
The kingdom of Nualolo is on the
northwest coast of the Island of
Kauai of the Hawaiian group, in the
heart of a wonderful precipica aec-
ton which rises abruptly from the
sea in almost perpendicular cliffs
from $500 to more than 1000 feet
IN height. 1t comprises nine valleys
three large and six small, each end
ing at the sea in precipice.
There are only three practicabl!
ways of getting into this old domain
One is by a dangerous trail upwar,
from the ocean front, second is by
another and sleeper trail over tn
mountains from the land side and the
bird and easiest, is by rope ladder
from Nualolo beach and thence owe,
narrow winding path, cut out Of
the rock, where a misstep means 6
fall to death. The ladder route re
Gently has been reopened by the plac
ing of new rope ladder where it:
predecessors hung many years ago
When Nualolo maintained it's in
dependence in the face of the ad
vances Of the Great Kamehameha
before the days of high explosives ane
airplanes, three men only were need
ed to keep its gates. An old Ha
waiian, named Ku, has given the
following graphic description OF
Nualolo's simple but effective meth
cd of defense.
Zone guard sat at the top of the
Honopu beach precipice with a pile
of rocks at his side. Only one enemy
at time could climb the trail and
III case of attack the guard dropped
a stone on the head of each enemy as
he appeared from below, or SMASHED
his fingers with rock as they clutch
ed the overhanging ledge.
AT Nualolo, where the trail is up
Il ladder, one guard was stationed al
he top of the ladder with a stone
axe. AS each hostile head appeared
the axe came into play.
"On the Kamaile trail from above
on the land side, a guard with pole
waited within niche in. the cliff OUT
of sight of the approaching enemy.
When the latter came within reach
along the narrow pathway the guard
would give him q shove with the pole
and a 1000 foot drop did the rest
Locked behind their barriers of
towering mountains and pounding
surf. The people of Nualolo develop
ed a system of. agricultural irriga-
ton which remains to this day as a
tribute to their industry and engi-
neering ability. -.
According to DR.. H. E. Gregory,
of the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, no
finer irrigation system ever has been
worked out by the Hawaiians than
that of the ancient valley kingdom.
Every available foot of the steep
values was made productive.
Very few persons have been able
to get into the old kingdom during
the past three-quarters of a century,
but the recent placing of the rope
ladder near Nualolo beach is expected
to end Naulolo's decades Of isolation
and reopen it's historic terraces and
trails once again to the foot Of man.