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Ka'ahumanu Meets and Marries Kamehameha

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Ka'ahumanu Meets and Marries Kamehameha 9 FOUR YEARS PASS Ka‘ahumanu Meets and Marries Kamehameha May 25, 1922 Concerning this famous warrior of Kamehameha, there is not a great deal in his own story if not for the famous story of his royal foster son whom he Chad instructed in the use of the spear and the staff, in boxing, and in the ancient profession of lua. Kekühaupi‘o’s life was bound with that of his hänai ali‘i, and also he was involved with him in the policies of that period. It would be appropriate to call this famous warrior of Ke‘ei an accomplished and famous kuhikuhipu‘uone of the court of Kamehameha for he joined his father-in-law Holo‘ae in guiding Kamehameha in matters concerning his kingdom. Because Kamehameha heeded the advice of these accomplished leaders, he moved to achieve the foremost position in government. Kamehameha heeded advice, and he did not despise men of low status. Those words of advice helped his kaikaina [younger brother] Keali‘imaika‘i, whose sacred name was Kalanimälokulokuikepo‘okalani. They were: “Take care of the big man and the little man,” and the good treatment of men was what made those maka‘äinana of Kïpahulu trust in the kaikaina of Kamehameha and was what saved his life. It was described in the recent number of our beautiful story of the ali‘i of Hawai‘i Nei and of the very brave men of the ancient times of our ancestors. It has been said also in our story of our warrior and his beloved ali‘i that there were two female ali‘i in the court of Kamehameha, the ali‘i wahine ki‘eki‘e Kalola and the ali‘i wahine ki‘eki‘e Peleuli. In the year 1785, Kamehameha was forty-nine years of age and he took in marriage Ka‘ahumanu, the high-ranking daughter of Ke‘eaumoku Päpa‘iaheahe and Nämähanaikaleleonalani, who was one of the sisters of the mö‘ï Kahekili of Maui. Ka‘ahumanu was seventeen years old. They were married three years after that famous battle at Moku‘öhai at which time Kamehameha became aware of her commanding poise when she appeared before him to plead for the body of Kïwala‘ö with these words: 223 Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekühaupi‘o “E Kalaninuimehameha ho‘i ë! Let me have the body of the ali‘i.” These words caused Mö‘ï Kamehameha to admire her greatly. At the time that this young female ali‘i, who was born on Maui, spoke so freely to Kamehameha she was only fourteen years of age. Perhaps there are some things which our readers of this era can learn concerning the story of the birth of this very famous female ali‘i of Hawai‘i Nei. The readers of Ka Hoku o Hawaii can benefit from learning a little about the remarkable story of the famous ali‘i of their land. Ka‘ahumanu was born at a certain place adjoining the celebrated hill of Ka‘uiki, called Ponahakeone, Pueokahi, Häna, Maui. She was thought to have been born in 1768, and her aforesaid parents were ali‘i ki‘eki‘e of the land. Her parents were in hiding because Ka‘ahumanu’s father was attempting again to oppose his brother-in- law Kahekili and, because of this trouble, he and his wife had been in hiding. Perhaps because of the relationship between Ka‘ahumanu’s mother and Kahekili, he did not take vengeance on his brother-in-law, but, instead, Ke‘eaumoku was able to flee from the court of the mö‘ï of Maui. He was unable, however, to return to Hawai‘i at that time because he had aroused a rebellion against Kalani‘öpu‘u, the uncle of Kamehameha, and had to flee from that battle and sail to live on Maui. He had been received hospitably by his brother-in-law, but because of his nature as a great general, very brave in battle, trouble arose between him and his brother-in-law, Kahekili. After his wife gave birth to Ka‘ahumanu, they again fled to the upland of Häna, until the very time that they heard of the death of Kalani‘öpu‘u. He quickly returned to Hawai‘i and went immediately to Kohala to give his support to the ali‘i Kamehameha as he was a makua käne to him. Kamehameha quickly embraced his hulu makua [esteemed elder], and he became the commander-in-chief of Kamehameha’s faction. He was at the head of Kamehameha’s faction in that celebrated Battle of Moku‘öhai in which he almost lost his life as has been described in previous issues of Ka Hoku. Perhaps these brief words are sufficient concerning the birth of the steel-hearted queen of Kamehameha, the woman of whom Holo‘ae spoke frankly: “There is only one rebellion remaining in your kingdom, e Kalani, and that is your wife, Ka‘ahumanu. If the love of your wife turns to another ali‘i and she rebels against you, then your kingdom will become unstable because the only supports of your kingdom are makua käne of your wife.” 224 Chapter 9 • Four Years Pass This was the reason that Kamehameha set up a hard and fast law concerning Ka‘ahumanu, making her person very kapu, and only to be free to Kamehameha. The ali‘i who opposed this sacred law of Kamehameha concerning Ka‘ahumanu would be punished by death. It was also said that Kamehameha’s kingdom was secured by his taking Ka‘ahumanu as a wife. This was due to those makua käne of Ka‘ahumanu who were very brave ali‘i and who had men to aid Kamehameha in his conquest of this archipelago which brought the kingdom under one rule. Perhaps this is a sufficient explanation concerning Ka‘ahumanu, this steel-hearted queen of Hawai‘i Nei whose life is widely known. On the 24th of June, 1786, some foreign ships appeared in Hawaiian seas, perhaps the first of the ships to arrive again after the death of Captain Cook at Ka‘awaloa, South Kona. On the 26th day of this month those ships entered the bay of Kealakekua. They had sailed from London, and they were the ship King George under Captain Portlock and the ship Queen Charlotte under Captain Dixon.84 These captains had come previously with Captain Cook, and they knew of his death at the hands of the Hawaiian people, and they were familiar with some of the shores of Hawai‘i. On the arrival of these ships at Kealakekua, the Hawaiian people called these ships ‘alomakani and olo. These ships first brought those bead necklaces favored by the ali‘i wahine and the Hawaiian women of that ancient time, which they called lei olo. On the arrival of these ships at Kealakekua Bay, there was no powerful ali‘i living there. Keli‘imaika‘i, the kaikaina of Kamehameha had returned from Häna, Maui, and met with his elder brother (hänau mua) at Kohala, where he was staying at the time these foreign ships arrived. The Hawaiian men sailed out to the ships to bar- gain with hogs, sweet potatoes, chickens, pumpkins, and other vegetable foods. The Hawaiians bargained with the foreigners of those ships, giving a fathom-long hog only for pieces of iron hoop which they greatly desired to make into fishhooks. During this bargaining between the Hawaiians and the foreigners, the ships’ people noted the unruly nature of some of the Hawaiian men, attempting to start a commotion such as that at the time Captain Cook was killed. Seeing this behavior, the captains became doubtful as there was no ali‘i ‘ai moku ashore to quiet this 84 Compare with the written accounts given by Dixon (1789:50–51) and Portlock (1789:58–64). 225 Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekühaupi‘o commotion. Therefore those captains determined to depart from Kealakekua and sail somewhere else. Some cannons were fired which frightened the Hawaiian people, and those in the canoes fled ashore. The ships hoisted their anchors and departed from that place. Foreign Ships Arrive in the Islands June 1, 1922 Those two ships left Kealakekua Bay and sailed to the island of Maui, and as far as the island of O‘ahu. The ships arrived at a place called Wai‘alae at this Ttime, on the island of O‘ahu. They remained there for four days, replenishing their water supply. By the testimony of Captain Portlock in the book he wrote, that place of Wai‘alae was filled with people. The land was cultivated by the Hawaiian people, and he also noted the real industry of the people of the land in farming and in fishing. Also, he noted that they were an amiable race. For the benefit of the ships’ people, fresh food was purchased in exchange for house nails. Fathom-long hogs were exchanged for the nails and other produce. At this same time Captain Portlock saw King Kahekili. He also saw some for- eign swords and some knives gotten during the previous arrival in Hawai‘i Nei of Captain Cook and his people. This British captain said that King Kahekili had a good physique and a regal appearance and seemed to be greatly trusted by his maka‘äinana. He ruled with intelligence. He was staying on O‘ahu at that time, and it seemed that the island of O‘ahu was under his control. Before the arrival of these British ships, this king of Maui and King Kahahana of O‘ahu had fought, and Kahahana had fled and hid in the forest until the very time he was betrayed by some of his kahu.
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