The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-06-07
BURIAL OF HAWAIIAN KING.
Bones Were Carried BY Chiefs To .
subterranean Cavern.


The discovery of rare relics of old
Hawaii in a burial cave in Waipio
Gulch, Hawaii, recalls to Hawaiians
advanced in years many of the tradi-
tions concerning burials in ancient
times, says the Honolulu Commercial
Advertiser. "One story which was
handed down through a family is to
the q THAT long before the mis-
sionarfes arrived in the Hawaiian Is
lands two native farmers went near
Waipio Gulch at the close of a day to
look after their potatoes. Darkness
came on while they we're still work.
ing.
Suddenly light appeared on the
summit Of the hill. 1t was kukui
torch. Then another same into view
until finally the summit and the slope
were a bobbing mass of lights. The
natives knew that burial was about
to take place. If discovered, they, &C
cording to law of the times, would be
killed. They threw themselves down
In the weeds and remained quiet. The
procession came close to them and
stopped.
In a litter carried by several men
was a young girl apparently in the last
throes of death. Wailing and the
chanting of meles was heard and then
the girl apparently died Retainers
left the main body and went toward
the stream, which they damned up,
4barobx, di,,or+iroy tbo cfroar, In tho
old bed of the stream the retainers
worked until they uncovered the
mouth OF cave. The body of the
girl, together with many calabashes,
tapas, etc, was carried in, the cave
was scaled up again, and the stream
was once more allowed to run its usual
course.
AS to Kamehameha the Great whose
Mains, according to rumor may have
been discovered by Mr. Forbes in Wal
Pic Gulch, his body was taken by
Prince Hoapili and his half-brother,
the high chief Ho'olulu, and hidden
in submarine cave, the secret of the
location perishing at the death of
Ho'olulu. Kamerameha's body lay in
state at Kamakahonu. Kailua, Kona,
Hawaii. His temporary grave there
was named Ahuena and the spot Is
known at the present day as Kamaka-
honu-i-Ahuena.
Hoapili and Ho-olulu watched the
grave, waiting for a time when the
high chiefs, who were waving kahilis,
and the groups Of natives would fall
asleep. When the time was opportune
the two high chiefs snatched UP the
bundle of Kamehameha the Greats
bones, which had been woven into
net and enveloped In an Ahu'ula cloak
yellow feather cloak.
: Prince Hoapili had given his brother
a pistol, once the property of John
Young, and commanded him to shoot
down any person whom they met. They
ran along the sea coast with their roy
al burden until half way between Ke-
haha and Waimen. There they met
youth.
When Prince Hoapili saw him he
stood perfectly still so as not to at
tract the youths attention. Ho-olulu
came right on and met the man, but
fearing the report of the pistol if dis
charged would alarm others he gave
the man blow with the butt end, in
tending to kill him. The chiefs re-
sumed their flight until they reached
a place on the shore where a canoe
was drawn up. They sailed along the
coast, it is said. until they came to
place which natives assert was KAN
ehameha's last resting place. Ho-olulu
dived into the water and swan
through an entrance into a large cave
and there reposited the royal remains.
This must have been about May IL,
1919, for according to tradition the
oldtime Hawaiians removed human
flesh from the bones of their dead on
the third or fourth day after death.
According to the Kehaweaumoku
who resided at Laie, in 1870, the two
high chiefs did enter a canoe with the
remains of Kamehameha, for he
claims that it was his father whom
Ho-olulu knocked down on the beach.
After the assaulted man realized what
was taking place he followed the
chiefs stealthily until he saw them get
into the canoe at Kekaha,
If the submarine cave has a long
tunnel, as many lava caves have on
Hawaii, the cave in Paipio Gulch may
have been the land end.
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