Drinking sweet potato liquor

("Inu Uala", Ka Hae Hawaii, May 5, 1858)

Dear Hae Hawaii:

This is a very serious problem in recent times in these districts of Kaupo and Kipahulu. On January 2, a person named Waiwaiole made a great deal of sweet potato liquor and invited a large group of people to a drinking party. They got drunk, danced, caroused and roughhoused like in the days of old. This commotion led to his being arrested and taken before I. H. Aikake¹, the district judge. On the 7th, his case was heard, and he was fined $60. He appealed to the circuit court, hoping to find success there. On February 25, the Maui circuit judge heard the case, and an additional fine of $36 was levied, which paired with the district court fine amounted to $96². How wretched are the ways of the drunkard!

There are many other people who drink sweet potato liquor who have been punished for drunkenness like the events mentioned above. Here are the names on the containers of their sweet potato liquor: Pooula³, Hookomohaneri⁴ and Huikaaha⁵. These names on the containers of their sweet potato liquor are meant to suggest that they are beneficial, a respectable pleasure, and do not portray the result of drunkenness. The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment⁶.

W. B. KAPU
Kipahulu, East Maui, March 7, 1858

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Below is the text of the original article:

Inu Uala

E ka Hae Hawaii e:

He mea nui loa ia mea ino ma keia mau apana i na la i hala'e nei, mai Kaupo a Kipahulu nei. I ka la 2 o Ianuari, hana iho la kekahi kanaka, o Waiwaiole, i ka uala a nui, kii aku la i na kanaka he lehulehu e hele mai i kona aha inu uala; inu a ona, alaila hula, olioli, me ka hana haunaele, e like me ka hana o ka wa kahiko. Ma keia haunaele i hana ia hopu na makai, a lawe imua o I. H. Aikake ka Lunakanawai Apana. A i ka la 7, ua hookolokolo ia, a hoopaiia i na dala he $60; hoopii i ka Aha Kaapuni, me ka manao e lanakila ma ia aha, a i ka la 25 o Feberuary ua hookolokolo ia e ka Lunakanawai Kaapuni o Maui nei, a ua hoopaiia he $36, huiia me na dala o ka Aha Apana he $96. Auwe! kaumaha maoli ka aoao o ka poe ona

He nui no no hoi ka poe inu uala e ae i hoopai ia no ka ona e like me ka hana i hai ia maluna. Eia ka inoa o ka lakou mau umeke uala, e Pooula, o Hookomohaneri, o Huikaaha, oia ka inoa o ka lakou mau umeke uala, me ka manao ua pomaikai, ua hanohano i ka lealea, aole i ike i ka hope o ka ona. O ka olioli o ka poe hewa he pokole ia. O ka lealea o ka aia, e pau koke no ia.

W. B. KAPU.
Kipahulu, Maui H., Mar. 7, 1858.

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Footnotes

1. Isaac Hakuole Harbottle
2. About $3,300 in today’s dollars
3. “Red Head”
4. “100 Proof”
5. “Join Together”
6. Job 20:5