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Kaupeepee

An

Idyll of

Hawaii

Renderedinto Verse

By

Leopold Blackman

Honolulu William

C Lyon

COPYRIGHT

31

To My Wife

HONOLULU THE MERCANTILE PRINTING COMPANY,

1902

Kaupeepee

Introduction

THE

^{deeds, the valorof}

^{Kaupeepee —}

The

bravest, noblest ofa noble race

—

The

story of his love, and

how

he

won The

gentle Hina:

won

andheld her, till

He, fighting manly,

manly

took the death:

Fair Hina, she the splendor of therace

That drew

its life-spring from the gods of yore,

Who

spread, athwart the gloom of dreary flood,

The

fragrant islands of theSouthern Sea.

Kaupeepee

FROM

^{out the}

^maze

^{of the}

^unnumbered

^isles,

That, everlulledby

balmy

springtime, sleep

Upon

the mighty sea that sternly thrusts

The

restless

West

from the lethargic East,

Came Nanaula —

^{offspringofthe} gods.

Then

were the days ofmist: the days

when

great But nigh forgotten deedsof god and

man Loom

dimly in thefirstthin ray of dawn;

Yet not less witness truth than shadows, traced

By

light ofnight's

young

crescent, truly limn

The

graceful fretting ofthe statelypalm.

A

thousand and four hundred times has earth

Drawn

from the gratefulsun her lifeanew, Since, guarded by the gods hebore,

who

lit

Each

night the beacon oftheguiding star,

And

leashed th'elusive

wind

within his sail,

Great

Nanaula

to

Owhyhee came

—

The

mighty founder ofa race ofmen.

So

came

he in thatlong grim barge, that built

Of

massive timbers closelyjoined and caulked, And, need be, might a hundredwarriors hold,

Had

constant battled on through unkeeled seas

Kaupeepee

And

grimly held herway; impatient cleft

The

long slowrollers with disdainful prow,

Had met

the reeling storm, and proudly hurled Its broken waters from her quivering deck, Exulting in her proof of mastery.

Thus Nanaula came

to Pele's isles,

From

the far islands ofthe incensed^south.

And

with

him

were his wife, his stalwart sons,

That

towered above the heightofmortal man, In godlike mien andperfect formthat told Their

wondrous

source^:thedreadedprieststhat

owe

Their mysticbirth-right to themystic three

—

Kane, theauthor ofthis

wondrous

frame;

And Ku

themighty architect,

whose

skill

Had wrought

the perfectwork; and Lono, he

Who

holds thewindsandcallswith rugged^voice,

And

tends the nether fires thatroar within

The

earth, and those on high thatvengingdart

From

out the sullen cloud: andlast, butset In lessermould, yet

men

ofnoble frame,

Whose

bronzed thews,

when

winds had slacked their aid,

The

ponderous cradle of their race had thrust Acrossthe wave, the fathers ofa nation Yet to be, are given

upon

the land.

And

here they dwell in simpleneed, and send

A

hardy race through all the isles, and fill

The

land with foodproducingtree and root,

— ^The

^{gift of theirfirst}

^home —

^for ere that time, These isles which

wanton

in a wealth of flower,

And

palm, and coolingfruit, werewell-nigh dry

And

empty; beating back the searing blaze

Of

da)^with quiveringbreath, and desolate

And

barren from those flames that raged

when

earth's

Wild

travail hurled

them

from thetroubled sea.

Thus

all the landwas peopled, and eachisle

Became

a chiefdom, and where'er were

men Or

holy ground, theretemples to thegods

Were

piled, where mystic priesthood offered to

The

mysticthree, and gods oflesser fame.

And

alltheland

was

ruled by simplelaw,

That

all the land might

know

and all might keep;

And

since the chiefsand nobleswere all

men Of

godlike race, around

them

and thepriests,

Whose

source no

man

might

know,

to hold

them

from

The common

touch,

was drawn

thedread

"Kapu,"

Whose

laws all said:

"Obey

or die!"

—

Yet were These easy kept, and

known

toevery man.

And

all the land

was

peace, or nearly peace, Save when, attimes,

was

foughta hardy war;

Yet werethese not oflust, nor crafty waged,

Kawpeepee

Nor

stained by cruel deed, but of that sort

That

bringeth forth the

manly

in the man,

And

breeds a

manly

race.

And

thus theydwelt, Tillfromthat first were counted ^{fifteen chiefs,}

When

fromthoseisles

which

yielded

up

thisrace,

There

came upon

thesea a ruthless chief

Of

kindredblood, with

many

^{a hideous barge}

Of

ruthless men. These, atthe first by use

Of

wile and cunning tongue, got for

them

land;

Then, as they grew, from over sea, to strength,

Began

a savagewar; and

now

by craft

And

covertact, and

now

by open power

Of

bitter fight, possessed

them

ofthe isles

Save Molokai, and hereand therealand

Of

little worth,

which power

of caring god,

Or

mightof doughty chief, or strength of place Withheld.

And

now, throughoutaland,wherelate

Was

peaceand simplelaw,

was

sent thewail

Of

broken people, harried

by

a foe

That knew

no ruth; untilthe wailing

and The

people both

had

ceased. Stillwerethereleft

Those

valiantones ofMolokai, and here

And

there afew thatcould not brook defeat;

And

through the isles the blood of that fierce

horde

Of

second

men was

nobled by the first,

Who

gave unwilling wives.

Yet

was

this

war Of

slaughter hardly won; for

many

a j'ear

That came

with reeking blood and treachery,

With

treacheryand reeking blood wentout:

And many

a year those distant lands that gave

A

raceits birth, doled to a raceits death;

For

many

a time themournfulsluggish heave

Of

that dark floodgave

up

a hideous barge

Of

madly howling death, and

many

a

wind From

oversea boredeath upon a fleece

Of

softwhite foam. Till, afterthatred day, There came, in part, an end to bitterstrife.

Yetwas there never peace orrest within

The

^isles, such as there was, but ever change,

And war

of wild revenge, which called revenge,

That

echoed black revenge, throughout the

years.

Nor was

there

now

acode ofsimple rule

That

all might

know

and keep.

Nor

were the laws

Of kapu

those ofreason, such as first;

Butchiefand prince

who now

heldcruel sway, Presuming ontheir godlike birth, enforced

An

irksomecode of useless laws, thatwere Butlittle understood, butbroken paid

13

Kaupeepee

With

death.

Nor

werethere

now

thesimplegods,

But

untothesewere added awfulones,

Demanding

fearful rites, that slaked their lust In blood ofman, and scarce might be appeased.

Now,

Hakalanileo

was

ofthat

Fierceblood thatlate had

come

from Kahiki,

The

seatof ourfirst home.

By whom was

held,

By

right ofmight,

Owhyhee's

land that first Is heaved within the glowing dawn.

And

on

A

day

came

Uli oversea

—

^Uli

The

augur, mystic prophetess

— ^{whose ken}

That

looked far

down

the long

drawn way

of time,

A

sinuous barge had led untothat isle.

With whom

her daughter Hina,

wondrous

fair,

Who,

yet achild, foretold theglory of

A

perfect

womanhood. To

these, the due

Of

godlybirth and mysticart,

was

given

A

placewithin the land.

And

on the day

That

Hakalanileo

saw

thechild,

He

marvelling at her beauty, mused, and went His way: andUli saw, andseeing read

The day

that

was

to come.

And now

the years Brought Hakalanileo once again

To

seethe child, and

musing

at her grace

He

slowly passed:

and

Uli saw, and

knew That

daythe sadness of the

coming

years.

14

But Hina,all unmindful of the time, Rejoicing in mere life and youth, livedout

The

careless days; and learned the art of that Far time as fitted her high birth,

and knew The

water as the laud: theskill to poise

Upon

the curling wave, and fly

upon

Its crest that hurtles wildlyto theshore.

And now

shetrod the

wonder-way

that

marks The

passing of the maid, and trembling paused

Upon

the hallowed

marge

of

womanhood.

All beauty she.

Her

simple pa'u fell

From

waist toknee: noughtelse ofdress.

A

lei

Of

bright redblossoms in her hair; and round

Her

throat the kapued golden plumesthat tell

Of

noble birth.

Her

form, puredignity:

Of

noble height, and stately as the grace

Of

coco

palm

againsta crescent

moon

That

hangs

upon

the silvered night.

Her

face,

Pure loveliness.

Her

eyes, full largeand dark,

Glowed

with the

dawn

oflife.

Her waving

hair, Fine asthespider-web and blackas night, Caressed thesoft

warm

roundings ofher form,

And

rippling draped her gleaming skin. Clean curved

And

^full, herlips; yet not that fullness

shown By

baser blood, but such astells of youth.

Her

voice, rich, clear, and soft, and full of trills

And

little runs ofmelody, as hold

The

ear entrancedby their pure sweettones,

15

Kaopeepee

Unheedfulofmere words. This

Hina

was.

All beauty she, and in the radiant

dawn Of

perfect

womanhood.

And now

again

Came

Hakalanileo back tosee

The

maid, and loved;

and

straight to Uli said:

"Give

me

thy Hina, for I would she be

My

bride."

Then

Uli, augur, sadly spake

The

evil she had seen that needsbefall:

"

Not

so; no bride for thee."

Then

once again:

'

'

No

brideforthee.^''

And

peering

down

thelong

Drawn way

of time, with darkenedeyes: "I see

The coming

doom, that gives her notto thee."

Then

cried he proudty: ^"

Nought

is

doom

to me.

Long

have I loved.

Thy doom

I nothing fear,

And

therefore shallshe be

my

bride."

Then

spake

Weird

Uli, mystically, in anger: " 'Shall'?

Now

hear me, for I say, though thrice thou be

That

chief thou art. For that one proud

word

'Shall,'

Thus

say the gods: ^' This

Hina

shall be thine,

And

yetnot thine, forsoon the windsshall bear

Her

from thee, and thy years shall slowly wear, In weary search and helpless longing for

The

love thy prowess could not hold.' "

Then

once

Again

thatchief: "

Thy

threats tolove are vain.

But fools are they

who

fear totake a prize, 16

L,estthey

may some

day lose.

Not

such

am

^I,

And Hina

shall be mine, and I, with life,

Will hold.

Thy

darkened threats to love are nought."

Then

she, the augur-prophetess replied:

"Yea

^so. This

Hina

shall be thine. Yet shall

The

windsbear her

away

from thee. Forstrive

Ye

as ye may, the

shadowed

fate will come."

Thus

Hakalanileobore

away

His bride, and proudly scorned the threatened doom.

Now

through the years the isleofMolokai

Had

held against that second race, by might

Of

right, andstood, alone

among

the isles,

Unconquered, unafraid.

Whose

chief,

now

near

The

shadowed vale,

drew

life in line direct

From

that great one

who

^first had keeled these seas.

To whom

two sons: the first born, he of song, Kaupeepee

—

noble, valiant, true.

Now when

he

saw

theland helovedbeneath

The

heavy yoke of foe that

knew

no ruth,

That

ravened through the isles and had no sate,

And

swallowed all the increase, thus hespake:

'

'Oh,brother!

Long my

hearthasfailed tosee This desolation on oursisterisles,

— A

prey unto a foe of kindred blood, 17

Kaupeepee

That

rapines withoutlet. These lands, thatonce

Were

filled with simple people ofourblood,

Know them no

more, but this fierce second throng

Now

lordsthe remnant with a heavy rule,

And

gluts itsfearful greed

—

^a

^hungry

shark

That

tears the helpless flesh, and gulps the life

And

will notbe appeased. I dry beneath

A

burning passion for afierce revenge:

My

brain all madness, and

my

heart all dead

To

kindness, and the gentle

ways

oflife.

"This

cruelfoe has

shown

no pity, nor

Has

slacked its grasp, so will notI. Behold

I dedicate

my

days unto revenge,

And

as a scourgewill ravage all their coasts,

And

yield the land to wails,

and

blood, and death,

And come

upon this alien as ablight

That

blastsinleague with darkness. Fearshallbe

On

all the harried lands, and addedto

The

fear of crueldeath, shall be a fear

That

clutchesat theheart, fornoneshall

know The hand

thatsmiteth.

To

this end I live;

Nor

shall there

come

an enduntil I cease.

Thine isthis people. Thine thebirth-right.

Yea

I yield

them

both to thee.

Look

that thou keep

Them

sure. Fare-well.^''

So

spakethatnoble one Kaupeepee, and in silence passed.

Kaupeepec

Now

onthat side of Molokaithat fronts

The

starthat holdsitsconstantplace, thecoast Is rugged, broken into bouldered capes,

And

angry foaming gulfs; and alltheland Is wildlydesolate.

And

there, arange

Of

rugged cliffs is found that thrusts into

The

sea,

and

lifts itsponderous bulk sheer from

The

surgingseas thatthunder deep below.

A

land of horror, sinisterand wild,

And

boulder-strewn with rocks ofawful form

A

land alltorn,

and

deeply scarred as from

The

fires that hurled

them

from the

womb

of

earth.

A

land in shape a club, with haft unto

The

shore

—

^{grim threat of}

^coming

^blood

—

^broad

out

To

^sea and flat, and narrowingtothe land,

And

allaround a towering wall ofrock.

And

on eachsidethis hideous land ofgloom,

A

gulf of ragingsea, that roars between

That

firstand other mighty bouldered piles.

And

on allsides are caverns,

yawning

wide

Which

suck the restless wave, and angry spue

Itforth in gleamingclouds offleecyspray,

That

ever sudden shoot, and slowly fade

Away

against theblasted wallsofcliff.

And

such

Haupu's

rock

—

the land of doom.

And

hitherwith avaliant few, all

men That

hada cause against the alienrace,

19

Kaupeepce

That

chief

Kaupeepee

came.

And

here

They

builta heiau tothe gods, and

homes

For wife and child,

and

piled a mighty wall

Of

massive rock acrossthenarrow haft

Of

land, and hollowed long canoes, and

hung Huge

stones

upon

the beetlingcliff, tohurl

Upon

the foe; and bode until their strength

Were

sure, and then the time

was

full.

And now Was

loosed

upon

the sleepingshore of all

The

isles, swift deathenleagued with night, that held

The

coasts in fear. For swooping

down

beneath

The

dark, thosevengers took a heavy toll

Of

spoil and bloody death. For

many

a

maid Was

borne

away

tosee her

home

no more;

And many

a spear, with crimson ^life

grew

red,

For love of veryhate; and

many

a

home Was

put unto the torch, topay a debt

Of

kind.

And

ere theveil of night

was

raised,

Thoseglidingsombre barks put off

upon The

flood, and passed unseen intothe night.

And

on a time, the coastof far

Wahoo Was

putto flame and spear, beneath the dark.

But in the dawn, the fleeing clutch of long Canoes

was

seen

—

^a dark andhideous school

Of

^glutted sharks

—

^{held by} the wind, near shore.

Kaupeepee

And

then began a contest wild and fierce;

Forall that coast sent forth itssleuth canoes,

And

all its pride ofmen,

who

thrust the

wave With

strokesof bitter hate, and lust forblood.

And

all that day therace

was

sternly urged,

And

all thatday defiantshrieks of

war

Were

hurled and counter hurled from foe to foe;

Till in the eve, theland of Molokai

Was

nearly reached

—

^{the avengers hard astern.}

And now

that howling horde of alien men,

With

coming blood enflamed, have well-nigh Clutched. But this the god that keepsthat sea Will not, and drapes adarkening mistaround

Those

valiant ones,

who

fade intothe gloom.

Yet did not thosefiercealiens slack theirhand, But hasted unto

him who swayed

that land,

— ^The

aged ^sire of that

unknown

the3^r sought

—

With whom was

peace,andcried: "Thisbloody scourge

That

blasts our landsis harbored in thine isle.

Giveus the

way

toseek, that

we may

sate

Our

lust." In bitter ironythat chief:

"

Go

search

Haupu's

rock for

whom

ye lust,

And wreak

such vengeance on

him

asye list."

Then

to

Haupu's

seas the vengingband

And saw

thelittle few thatdwelt secure,

Kaupeepee

And

thought not of attack.

And

straight re- turned,

From whence

they were,

and came

with eighty count

Of

sails, thatglided on, untilthe land

Of

hate

was made

by ^night. Then, parting ways,

The

hostile fleets give silent for the gulfs

That

cutfarin the riven shorebeneath

Haupu's

hangingwalls,

and

wait until thedawn.

And now

the east is pale, and putting for

The

sleeping land, thoseserried lines of

war Are

caught

upon

a

mighty

tide,

and

hurled Far

up

thelittle beach of soft whitesand

That

heads each gulfbetween the jaws of rock.

And now

they leap

upon

the narrowbeach,

And

haste to

draw

their vessels from thewave,

And

run

now

here,

now

there, to find a

way

Above, and gaze

amazed

at thecliffs

That

overhang thenarrowshore.

And now They

pause,

awed

by the dreadful silenceof

The

^{place, held} by the spell of

coming doom.

And

even asthey stand irresolute,

The

horrid roarthatcrashes through thecloud

When

gods are wroth, brake forth, and all the lines

Of

cliffthattouch

upon

the sky, descend,

And

cast

them

tothe earth, and hurl, in ire,

Theirbatteredcorpses tothe

hungry

sea.

Yetdid a few, of

whom

theirchief, escape Within thebattered barks, totell the rage

Of

thosefierce godsthatkeep

Haupu

sure.

And

thus, their lust appeased, they got

them

back

From whence

they were.

Now when

the agedchief

Of

Molokai heard

how

thatfew had flung

The

aliensback to sea, he sent, by stealth,

Forthen

was

outward peacebetwixt the isles,

A

cloak

wrought

of the golden

plumage

of

The

sacredbird thatdread

kapu

but grants

To

chiefs

—

^a cloak of pricelessworth,

That

twice one hundredyears scarceyielded

up The

tale of golden plumes.

And

that

same day The

sea gave

up

aponderous bargeby night,

Wrung

from a sea-borne bole

—

^the mightiest of

The

isles

—

^with well

upon

a hundred

men And

all theirgear of war.

And

this

huge

gift

Of

sire to son,

Kaupeepee

stains

All red: from mastto keel onered.

And,

in

Thisscarlet bark of death, sweepsall the seas

That wash

those isles; and atthe topmostspar

A

proud kahili flaunts of crimson hue,

That

all the coasts

may know

andtrembling fear.

23

Kaupeepee

And now Haupu

fills her

homes

with spoil

Of

untoldworth,

wrung

fromthefoe. Brightmats

Of

^richestdye,

and

kapa, soft and fine

As

valley mistthat melts beforethe dawn.

Huge

calabashes of rare

wood

of rich Design,

and

ornaments of ivory

And

^shell, rough carved with cunning skill.

And

store

Of

featheredhelms andcapes,brightred,andgold,

And

green, that tell, each one,

how

^fell the head

Of some

old nobleline.

And when

that long

Red

death thrustback its scarlet

prow

to land,

Deep down

withspoil, Moaalii, he

The

fierce shark-godof Molokai,

whose

veil

Of

darkhad snatched

them

from theclosing foe,

Whose

hideous mighty bulk, all draped with bright

And

fragrantleis of

bloom

glared outabove

The

cliff,

was

firstdonesacrifice.

And

all

The

land

was

giventofeast, anddance,and song.

Now

^Hina, bride ofsix sweet years,

was come Unto

theperfectday of

womanhood.

All gloryshe, mysterious, beautiful.

And

through theisles her fame

was

sung,

and

passed

To

Molokai, and thus, at length, to great 24

Kaupeepee.

Now when

he, the first

And

mightiest of that distant day, had heard

Of

her, the fairest of that hated race,

He

straightbethought

him

of his bitterhate.

Then

that redbarge

was

filledwith proven men,

And

storeof war, and foodfor

many

_days,

And

glided from its haven inthe rocks,

And

two daysafter,

came

by night

and

hid Unseen within a little riftthat cleaves

The

cliffs of

Owhyhee. From

there, in stealth,

Kaupeepee came

by land alone,

Unto

theplace of Hina, she of song.

And, wonderingat the splendor of hergrace,

Unto

his hate

was

added love. Sweetlove

And

bitterhate: thesetwothat

wrought

the

doom That

Uliknew.

And now

thesilver orb

Was

growing to the full, and hallowed all

The

land.

A

glory

was

on wave, and palm,

And

shore.

The

incense of the fragrantair,

The

wearied

moaning

of the distant reef,

The

grace of palm, and hill, andcurling wave,

Was

all a landof mystery.

Through palm And

blossomedshrub comes

Hina

withher maids.

Awhileshe pauses on the yieldingsand,

25

Kaupeepee

Then backward

throws her shapely head, and

shows

The

perfect linesof throatand neck.

Then

lift

Her

gracefularms,

and

shake

upon

the

wind Her

pride of glossyhair.

Now

slowly glides

The

all reluctantpa'u from herwaist,

And

forthshe steps beneath the mysticlight,

— ^{The wondrous}

^{goddess of the}

^wondrous

^place.

The

foam receives

them

in itssoft embrace,

And

curls around their gleaming limbs.

With

laugh,

And

joyous cry. they cleave therolling

wave And

ride its toppling billowto the shore.

But

allunseen, for

many

a night that moon,

A

shadow, sinister

and

black, liesclose

Upon

thesea, beneath ajuttingridge

Of

boulderedrock, and patient waits the sign

That

jealoustreachery will give. Forshe

Who

^{first, ere}

Hina

came,

was

only bride, Will

show

a flamethricedipped.

Six nights the barge

Has

sought theshore,and six times stoodforsea

At

dawn.

But

now, behold! the looked forsign:

A

flaming torch thricedipped!

26

Then

lo! from out

The shadow

glides a slenderlong canoe

That

paddlessoftly close within thereef.

And now

^it nears the laughing maids unseen;

And, yet unseen, it hoversnear, just as

The

sea bird poises motionless or e'er

Itswoops. Then, witha sudden lustyheave,

Itthrows asidethe

wave

and shoreward springs

Toward

thethoughtless prey.

A

wild alarm

Of

frenzied flight shriekson the quiet night,

As

that dark

unknown

shape, half hiddenin Itswhirling spouts of foam, hurls

madly

in Theirmidst.

With

loud exultantyells fiercehands Clutch swiftly on the franticprey, andtear

The

shrieking

Hiua

from thewave.

Then

with

A

lunge the land is left behind, thelong

Canoe

sweepsout beyond the

moaning

reef,

Where, looming out to sea, that

huge

red bark

Of

Molokai!

But, on the fading shore

A

dreadful din of horrid

drums

clangs out

Upon

the frightened night; andcries and wails

Are

hurled invain acrossthe wildof sea,

That

listens carelessly untotheir woes

And

stillroars onin cruel mockery.

And

firesblaze forth, and burninglights that flit 27

Kaupeepec

Among

the palms, until the fleeing land Leavesall aroundthebarge a raging wild

Of

sea.

Two

days are gone, and

Hina

^lies, All misery anddull despair, within

The home

of that remorselessscourge between

Whom

and herrace there burns undying hate

Within a

room

thatglows withsoft clear light

Of

the

kukui

nut, she weeps alone.

All therich booty of that early

day

Was

there, torn with red

hand

andruthless strife

From

each reluctantisle.

The

walls are draped

With

precious mats of costly dye, and

hung With

pendent leisof shell and polished nut.

The

massive

beams

that

show

above

loom

out In the

dim

^light,brightstainedwith pleasing hue.

Placed next the wall a couch, thick-strewn with sweet

Seagrass, and rarestkapa, soft asfoam

And

fragrant with thebreath of

manj

^T blooms.

Upon

thefloor, thickmats; and throughthe

room Are many

graceful ornaments of shell

And

ivory, and calabashes of

Rare woods; and drinking cups, and vessels carved

In stoneand wood, and priceless featherwork,

That

tell of

many

^a

wrong

throughout the isles.

28

And

as she weeps, uneomfbrted, alone

There comes thefall of feet, the hanging _shakes

Along

_{thewall, its heavy}

folds are drawn,

And

lo! Kaupeepee!

Iyow shelies,

Her

form _{pressed tothecouch,}

all misery

He

pauses, held before hergriefin

awe

And

then: _«

o

Hina,

weep

_{not thus.}

My

heart Is torn tosee theelie so sad. I love

Forget, and

some

day ^»

Up

she in wrath

And,pouringforthfierce thoughts, confronted him.

"Notthat!

Thou

hated

man

of blood!

Not

that'

Or

liberty or death. _I hate thee! Thou'

Whose

_{hands but}

now

arecrimsoned_{with thelife}

Of

all these _isles! Nay, _give

me

death; for well I

know

that never_will thy hated

hand

Unclasp its hungry_{grip. Yea, give}

me

death!

Oh how

I hate; thefury of

my

hate

Will rend me. Couldstthou

know

thedepthofall

My

loathing, thou wouldst,

woman

though I be In fury smite

me-thou

that_art no

man!

^"

^

She _spake, and once again she sank.

Then

he-

O

Hina, _{well I}

know

thatthy great grief

Not

thou_thyself, doth speak. Bear with

me

yet Awhile, and I will briefly

show

theeall

My

heart.

29

Kaopeepec

"

Thou

^knowest

how

theseisleswere once But peopled with

my

blood, that dweltsecure.

Then came

this alien line,

who

withslow craft

And

cruel

war

have ravished allthe land,

And

brokenall

my

^{people, save a} few

That

dwellin scattered landsof little worth.

All this, while yet achild, I saw, and held Within

my

heart red hate.

And when

the time

Was

nearthat I shouldrule, I yielded

up

My

dueof birth, thechiefly office and

The

people for revenge.

And

allthese years

Of

^blood have been butto repay in kind.

And when

I heardof theeand all thy pride

Of

matchless beauty, forth I

came

to fill

Revenge.

"_I

came

to thee in hate, but now, Behold, I

come

in love.

O

Hina, dost

Thou

think that^I,

who

took

my

^{lifeto gain}

A

prize, will give itlightly up?

And

shall I

when my

^{hate and} love both bid

me

keep?

Beloved, dost not thou, too,

know,

not chance

Hath met

us twain?

No common man am

I:

No common woman

thou.

The

gods ^allwill

We

^{love, and}

^Hina

^{be itso."}

He

paused,

And

through the

room was

silence, save thelow Dull

moaning

fromthe couch, and voicesof

30

The

restless

wind

without.

And

slow time stayed,

Yet

they two were unmoved, until at length

The moaning

sank andfeebly passed away.

And when

the wastingflame

was

casting black

And

wierdly dancingshapes along thefloor,

She

looked, and

saw

indeed no

common

man.

His mighty

manhood

toweredaloft, and in

The

failinglight shetraced the massive thews

And

godlikemouldings of his perfect form.

And, in his noblebrow, she read noughtelse

But

majesty and godly manliness.

Then, in her inmostheart, she

knew

thegods

Would

have itso.

But on the night thewinds Bore

Hina

far away, and wrought the

doom That

Uli

knew

to be, confusion raged.

As,

when

the hive is spoiled its sweetness, fierce

Excitement swells aloud, and blindly drives,

From

out theplundered

home

the raging hordes

That

whirl themselves inburning fury to

And

fro, enraged atalltheworld, in vain.

So

on thecoast of

Owhyhee,

the fierce

Loud

cry for vengeancewentaloft, and wild Dishevelled

women

ranged thedark, andsent

The

weird long

moan

of wailing through the night;

31

Kaupeepee

And men

put forth in haste along the coast,

And

by the paling moon, that leagued with wrong,

Groped

vainly through the gorges of thecliffs.

And

Hakalanileo, he

whose

pride

Had

^{nothing feared} the

coming

doom, and scorned

Impending

fate, raged through the night, aflame

With

useless fury,

mad

with hate, and torn

With

longingfor the love hisprowess could

Not

hold.

So

raged heon till

dawn was

near,

To

^little purpose, purposeless

—

enraged

With

grief. Then,with the light, began aquest

Throughout

the isle that left no place un-

searched;

And

^after

many

days,

came

tohis

home

Allbroken with ^despair.

Then

cried he to

Dark

Uli: "

Woman,

ye whose sight sees through

The coming

years, reveal

me

wheretoseek

Her whom

^I

mourn!" Then

Uli, auguress, Replied: "

The

end ^is hidden from me; for

To

see were to reveal, and thwart thedoom.

Long

have I gazed

upon

thetimeto come, But only this is

mine

tosay: ^'She,

whom Ye

seek, dothlive, and

when

the gods shall will,

32

The

windsshall bear her back again.

Than

this,

All elseis darkness.' "

Then

in sorrow went Great Hakalanileo back, and with

A

band of proof, passed overallthe isles,

And came

to everychief andtold the wrong,

And

his great sorrowgot

him

aid.

And when He came

totemple, there, if sohe might Appease theangry gods

whom

he hadscorned,

He

sacrificed and offeredpriceless gifts In vain.

And

every ancient one that traced

The

destiny of

man among

thestars

Was

asked in vain. For all

was

darkened.

Thus

At

length, hegot

him

back, despairingof His search of two longyears.

Then

fora time

He

lived in weariness, _until his grief

That

would notdie, drave

him

in madness forth

Through

all theislesagain, till onceagain His fury spent itself inpart, to

grow Anew

into agoad todrive

him

out

Once

more.

And

thus wereslowly wasted, on

A

score of years, until, before itstime,

The snow was

on his brow, andall his strength, Save that of loveand hate, was well-nigh spent.

33

Kaupeepee

Now

all these years thesons of

Hina came To

manhood.

Kana

first of birth, a

man Of

artand strategy,

whose

towering bulk Stood great

among

themighty race of chiefs;

And

bold Niheu, a

man

of valiant deed,

Whose

massive thews had held the furious tide

On many

astubborn day.

And

yearby year,

As

Uli told the wrong, these

vowed

their lives

Unto

revenge, and lived forthis oneend.

And

Uli, ancientaugur, through theyears,

With

^{awful rite}and incantation fell,

Each god

invoked in vain. Fortime

was

not Fulfilled, and all

was

dark.

Till on a day,

The

brothers

came anew

to

vow

revenge

To

Uli, and tohear pronounced thespell

That venomed

their black hate.

And

as she called

On

every god, behold a rigor seized

Her

frame, and thus she stood without-stretched

arm

And

shaded eyes, that looked far

down

the long

Drawn

misty way, and cried:

"The

veil has passed

!

Behold, on ^fell

Haupu's

rock, her

whom Ye

^seek!"

^So

^spake and foaming fell.

34

Kau peepee

Then came Those

two fierce

men

unto their aged sire,

Great Hakalanileo, crying both:

"

The

darkened veil has lifted, and behold

Haupu's

_{walls, thy wife}our mother, hold,"

Then

he:

"Not

so. Forthree years sinceI

came To

thatredscourge, Kaupeepee, who,

My wrong

delivered, straightwayoffered aid,

And

threw hisstrongholdopen to me, if

So

be Iwishedto view. Yetdid not I,

Believing in thevery frankness of

The man."

Then

spake Niheu: "

Look

ye fortruth

From _{him whose}

_{everyact unto}

his race

Hath

been but bloodand cruelty? Despite This very frankness isshe there.

And we

Will tearthis haughty bird from_{his foul} nest,

And

_{fling his hatedbrood tofeed the}

sea,

And

sate thealtars ofourgods."

Then

spake Great Hakalanileo:

"Do

yourwill.

The

people

and

theland areyours in this;

Yetbide I here. Yours be the battleand

The

victory beyours.

The

flood of time

Has

gone well-nigh above me, and

my

days

Are

almost told. Yet shall I notgo hence Until

my Hina

come.

Go

ye and bring."

35

Kaopeepee

Then

wentthe

word

^ofbattlethrough theland,

And

every chiefwithin thegroup thathad

A

cause against thefoe,

was

straightway bid,

So

be revenge weregood,

come

^sate his lust.

Then

sudden expedition seized theisles,

And

through the scattered coasts

was

heard, by night

And

day, the

murmur

ofthe

coming

war.

And

spears of

wondrous

sizewereshaped,inlength Three men, andclubsofstone

wrung

fromthe rock,

And

endlesscountofsmooth-groundstonestosling

Upon

thefoe; and fleet canoes were

wrought

In haste from boles of mighty bulk, that, borne

From unknown

worlds,the

welcome

sea

made

gift;

And

massive barks oftwo-foldlengthwereshaped,

To

^right the

wrong

of thirty savage years.

And now

the mighty force, with allits store

Of

^{war, ismet and ready toembark,} But first the awfulgods mustbe invoked,

And many

^{struggling victimssacrificed}

With

^{cruelrite, until} they be appeased.

Then

in the

dawn

the fleet of war, that counts

Upon

twelvehundred barks, and darkens all

The

sea, puts out from

Owhyhee

to

make The

southern shoreof Molokai, for there

The

succors from the islesof far

Wahoo, And

Maui,

and

the scattered landsthatbear

The

scar of thatred brand of Molokai,

Are

met.

36

And

inthevan is Uli

—

she

Who

told ofcoming

doom

and leadsrevenge.

High

on thedeck of a long barkthat breaks

The wave

with sterntwinprow, shesitsandpeers

With

eager eye far

down

the

way

of time.

Her

wasted form is bent beneath theflow

Of

untold 5^ears, whose

many

lines cutdeep

The

haggard face.

Her

hair blows looseupon

The wind —

^{acloud of whitest foam that throws}

About

the

brow

of

some

black time seared rock

Of

Molokai.

A

withered

arm

israised

About

the

dimming

eye, to clear the

way Of

fate.

And

all around aremysticcharms

That

rule thedays of man, and images

Of

hideous shape,

whose

awful lust will be Appeasedwith curs'd

Haupu's

blood.

Upon

A

hearth of stoneand earth, there blazesat

Her

feet, thefire, that never

may

be quenched Untilthe end of savage

doom

become,

Which

throws weird odors tothe air in clouds

Of

heavy smoke.

Next

come, in ponderous bark

That

cleaves the rolling

wave

beneath the thrust

Of

two longlines of blades, thesons of Hina.

On

theirbrows rich helmets blaze beneath

The

sun, all golden with thesacred plumes.

And

on their stalwartshoulders pricelesscloaks

Of downy

featherwork, thatfall beneath

The

knee, all gorgeouswith thedazzling sheen

37

Kaupeepee

Of

black and crimson plumes.

And

far aloft Is flung a blood red pennon to the

wind That

the fell land

may know.

And

last the long Extended fleetof

war

canoes sweeps on,

As

drivesthe pallcast

by

the scudding cloud

Athwart

a sunlit plain.

The

dip of twice

Ten

thousandbladesthrows backthemorningsun,

And

far above, in

pompous

pride, swellsout

The

brightexpanse of nigh a thousand mats

To

^leash the northern wind.

Thus

^{all that}day

The coming war

thrusts sternly on towards

The

land of hate; and

now

the garish orb

Of

day glides

down

within theruggedclouds

That hang

abovethedistant rim of sea, Until calm nightenfolds the gratefulworld,

And

darkness slowly deepens, and the barks Butloom as

phantoms

gliding throughthe night.

When

lo! fromout thetremblingwest, thereglows

A wondrous

light, which creeping gently o'er

The

face of night, with faintestcrimson lines

The

fleecyclouds, until atlength ittints

The

distanteast.

And

brightergrowsthenight, Until the silveredclouds areall aglow

With

softest crimson in a burnished sky,

And

all the west ^is butone ruddy ^gold.

38

Then, with asuddencry, theresprings athwart

The

gorgeousnight a gaunt blackform withhair

Upon

the

wind

and withered arms upraised

Unto

the skies, that cries theend of doom.

"

Haupu!

thou accursed land of hate!

Thy

cruelties recoil

upon

thee, and

Behold, the brand is lighting!

Land

of woe,

That

liftest thy proud headinto theskies,

And

vauntest in thy lengthof savagedeeds,

Thy

dayofprideissettingin a west

Of

universal red; and after that,

Chill night, the fearandsilence ofthe place

Of

death, shall compass thee forevermore.

"

And

thou, Kaupeepee,

whose

viletongue Could fawn in falsest friendship onthe

man That

thou hadstwronged,

whose

savage bark

has left

A

^trail of blood through allthe seas, behold!

By

these darkrites, I

wreak

thy finaldoom!

And

all thy people doneto death

by

spear

And

flame, Igive thee tothe willofthese Fierce

men whom

thy red

hand

hast wronged.

Yet is

My

perfect hate unsatisfied, forstill

Will I pursue thee to that placewhere thou Shalt passfrom hence, andin the depths of Po, Shall

come upon

thee

my

^fierce powerto

hound Thee

evermore."

39

Kaupeepee

She

paused, and on thefire

That

smoulderedat herfeet, shethrew a dust.

And now

the

hungry

flamesleap tothe height

Around

her hands, to sink and hissingrise

As

those gaunttalons swiftly lift and fall.

And

ever asshe gave theawful rite,

A

fearful incantation fell inthat

Weird

tongue^ofthe firsttime,

which

nonebutshe Couldframe,

whose

tellingloosed the joints ofall

That

heard with fear.

And

from the fadingsky

The

glory slowly passed, anddarkness fell;

And

through theair there

went

thechilly touch

Of

night.

And

allthe wild of sluggish sea

Was

^silent, save the lapping ofthe

wave And

tapping of the cords above.

Now when Kaupeepee

heard the bruitof

war

To

^come, he

knew

the time of final fight.

And

passed untothat chief

who

late had

come Unto

the

sway

of Molokai, to

whom

Himself hadrendered rightof birth,

and

said:

"Oh

^brother, the full tideof blood of all

These savageyears flowsback

upon my

land.

A

mighty hostof war, from allthe lands

That know my

hand, issoon to putto sea.

40

Kaupeepee

"

And now

I

know my

day iscome, forthis

The

gods havetold. Yet would I leave unto

Our

kin, untouched, this isleof Molokai:

The

heritage of our long lineof sires.

Now

therefore, brother, sincethis foe

may

not

Be

stayed,

make

thoualeague with

them

andgive

Them

passageto

Haupu's

landthrough thine.

So

shall this land beleft untoourseed Unscathed, and so revengeshall light on

me

Alone.

'

'But

now

I

know we

^never

more

Shall meet, forI go hence. Yet fear I not, Foreverhave I seen this day. But e'er

That

time, shall be a fight, such as there ne'er

Has

been indays of

man. Then

shalt thou hear

How

I, Kaupeepee, fell. Farewell."

So

spake and slowlypassed.

Meanwhile

the strength

Of

allthe distant coasts is

come

to land.

Two

thousand barks well forth their

men —

swarm

Of

fliesattracted by the

coming

death.

And now

^{is sent}to

him who

swayedthat land

To

give

them

passageto the foe;

which

straight Is granted.

Then

the host, that night

encamps Upon

the shore; and Kana, he

who

^leads

The

sea,next

morn

putsfromthelandand rounds

41

Kaupeepee

The

islewith half a thousand

war

canoes.

And

fierce Niheu, acrossthe rugged isle,

Leadshis wild hordesof aliens, till the

dawn Shows him upon

the

summit

of the hills

That

close

Haupu

in; and, lookingdown,

He

sees thelong black lineof Kana's barks Stretched wide, a

mighty

arch, farout tosea

Around

the land of hate.

And

one broughtword, In fear, aboutthe morning watch, to brave

Kaupeepee

thatthe hills and seas

Are

blackwith war, to

whom

he smiling said:

'

'

So

shallour spearsnot miss! " But

when He ^saw

^{the mighty force on land}

^and

^water,

Kaupeepee knew

theday of

doom

Was

near.

And,

looking

down

from out

The

hills, darkUli

knew

theday of

doom Was

come, and standing on a riven pile

Of

rock against the sky, shefiercely raised

Her

haggard arms

and

wildlycursed

The

foe.

Meanwhile, that chief Niheu, has sent

To

brave Kaupeepee, thedemand,

His mother, Hina, straight be yielded up.

42

To whom

thatnobleone replied: "

Come

thou.

With

^all thy

hungry

horde, andtake!"

Then, with

A

countlessband of warriors, fierce

Niheu

Descended from the hillsand threatened all

Haupu's

rear, andwildly ranged around

The

walls, and harassedallthe line of

war

Inpetty fight, ifso he might distract

The

foefrom sea.

Butall that morn, the

war

That

Kana

leads has bided silenton

The

watch; and

now

it flings,

upon

a

wave Of

monstrousbulk, far

up

the surging gorge.

Then, dashing through the foam, the shore is

gained.

With

wildtriumphant yell, the feeble few

Who

guard the long canoes andbar the way,

Go

under inthe frenzied rush.

And now The

valued barks are reached, and with

huge

rocks

And

ruthlessclubs theirfragile sidesare crushed.

And

on thedreaded barge,

whose

hated keel

Has

reddened every sea, the raging foe

Dash

wildly in their frantic hate, and hack

Itsruddy thwarts with axe and club. But now,

While

yet the flood of blindrevenge holds

them

Forgetful of the foe, therocks above

43

Kaupeepee

Descend

upon them

^as they rage beneath,

And

all along that frowning blackenedcliff,

The

earth istorn and trembles withthe weight

Of

fallingdeath; and all the gorge is choked

With

blinding dust

which

slowly clears.

Then

down

The

rocky way, withspear, and club, an axe,

Kaupeepee

hurls

upon

the foe.

And now

thetroubled watersof the gulch

Are

crimsoned with the life of shattered men,

And

closelypacked with hideous forms, that toss In awful helplessness

upon

its waves,

And

turn, with every heavingof the sea,

Their limbs and staring faces to the day.

And,

struggling wildly in thecrimson foam,

The

remnant seekto right the barks that have Escaped the general wreck, while ravingon Theirflanks

Kaupeepee

hangs with his

Fierce

maddened

horde,

who

club, and hack, and thrust,

Theircruel

weapons

in the struggling flesh.

But Kana, he

who

led the fatal day, Strovevaliantly, like to agod,

and

held His panicked men, and raged

among

the foe

With

dreadfulcarnage.

Whom

hecrossed,heslew.

And

fain

would

he

Kaupeepee

meet, But gods will not, forever as the

sway

44

Of

battlebrought

them

nigh, the heavytide

Of

execution stayedtheir feet and held.

At

length the sated slayers slowlytire,

And

Kana, towering far above, withdraws His broken few within theshattered barks,

And

so regains thesea, withdeed of might Thatholdsthe foe appalled.

From

thencehetears Vast boulders from the bed of sea, and hurls

Them

fiercely on thethwarted foe.

And

he, Kaupeepee,

saw

and cried

amazed

With

admiration:

"This

is Kana! I

Have

heard of him. I^o, hetoois a man!^"

Then

wentthesavagebandwithreddenedsigns

Of

war,

among

the heapsof vanquished foe,

And

such as yethad life received the axe

And

spear. Yet werethefewlessscathed reserved

To

fillthe waiting altars ofthegods.

And,thusadornedwith goreandstrugglingprey,

Haupu's

walls received

them

back.

And

all

That

night

was

crimsonedwith triumphant fires;

And

frenziedjoy and fierce defiancepassed

Upon

the winds, to tellthe host without,

What welcome

waited such as

came

unlooked

To

grim

Haupu's

rock.

Meanwhile

the

camp Of

theenleagued chiefs

was

wildly

moved

45