("Moku nalowale o Nihoa", Ka Hae Hawaii, June 15, 1859)
Below is a letter about the Hawaiian ship Nihoa thought to be lost in the year 1855. In my opinion, Keala’s account is mistaken. However, it is not completely clear. If there is someone who knows if it is true or not, please inform us so that we all may hear the facts.—Editor
Dear Hae Hawaii:
Greetings. Speak to the ears of the people who are listening and the friends who know how to read; perhaps they want to hear this news that I have heard.
The Nihoa was a Hawaiian ship lost in the year 1855, in the month of March, from Honolulu while carrying passengers bound for Kaupo, Kipahalu, and Hana; when it arrived at Alenuihaha, the channel between Maui and Hawaii, it vanished in a storm, and it was understood that the ship was destroyed! Word of this destruction was heard all around.
Now, I have heard news that the Nihoa survived along with the passengers aboard. You may ask, “Who did you hear it from?” I heard it from Keala, a youth from Kahikinui sailing on a whaling ship in the year 1854. The ship sailed extensively at sea at the whims of its captain. The ship stopped in Spain, and Keala lived there for a year. In 1856, Keala again set sail on the whaling ship, which stopped at Raiatea and Bora Bora in the Society Islands. When they went ashore, Keala encountered Kekaula, wife of Honuaula resident Ekikalaka, and Paalua, wife of Hana resident P. R. Holi. These two women had been passengers aboard the Nihoa. Kekaula saw the sailor Keala and greeted him, “Hello. Is that you Keala?” Keala greeted her back though he did not recognize her, since he did not know that the Nihoa had sailed there. And because of his confusion, Kekaula said, “It seems you do not remember me.” “Indeed,” Keala said. She said, “I am Kekaula, the wife of Ekikalaka, of Kaekaekini, Honuaula, Maui.”
Then Keala asked, “How did you get here?” She said, “It seems our ship, the Nihoa, was apparently blown off course by the wind. We spent many weeks lost at sea until we arrived at this land. Most of us are living in various areas of this land, and the ship of ours was acquired by the French.” Kekaula was holding a child. The meeting took place on Raiatea in the bar of a Bora Bora native. A number of sailors witnessed the above exchange—some from Kauai, some from Hawaii, one from Maui—but Keala did not know their full names. The only names that Keala knew them by were their “sailor names”. This is what I heard from Keala.
Fellow sailors of Keala, if you have returned to the islands here, is it true that the Nihoa and its passengers survived? If any sailor saw what Keala did, tell the Hae so that the truth be known.
Hae Hawaii, maybe you could confer with the English newspapers. Perhaps you will hear of the circumstances by which the Nihoa was acquired by the French. Maybe it was purchased? This would confirm that the Nihoa survived. There are people whose hearts are grieving for the children, parents, and women lost with the Nihoa. Surely they would be overjoyed to hear you verify what this person named above has said. I have interviewed him, and he has said he has no doubt about what he has seen and is sure.
He only met with two passengers. He did not encounter the rest.
By W. B. KAPU.
Kipahulu, East Maui, May 14, 1859.
Below is the text of the original article:
Moku nalowale o Nihoa.
Eia malalo nei, kekahi palapala no ka moku Hawaii, o Nihoa ka inoa, i manao ia, ua nalowale i ka makahiki 1855. I ko'u manao, he mea kuhihewa ka olelo a Keala, aole pololei. Aka, aole maopopo lea. O ka mea e ike i ka oiaio, a oiaio ole paha o keia mea, e hoike mai, i lohe pono kakou a pau.
L. H.
E ka Hae Hawaii e:
Aloha oe. E hai aku oe ma na pepeiao o ka poe hoolohe, a me na makamaka i ike i ka heluhelu; malia paha e makemake lakou e lohe i keia mea hou au i lohe ai.
O Nihoa moku, oia kekahi moku Hawaii i nalowale i ka makahiki 1855, ma ka malama o Maraki, holo mai oia mai Honolulu mai me na eemoku maluna iho, no Kaupo, no Kipahulu, no Hana, na eemoku; a hiki lakou ma Alenuihaha ke kai mawaena o maui, me Hawaii, ua nalowale, no ka mea, he wa ino kela, o ka mea maopopo no ia moku ua make! Ua lohea ka make mai o a o.
A no la, he mea hou ko'u lohe ana iho nei, ua ola o Nihoa moku, a me na eemoku maluna iho: e ninau paha uanei oukou “i lohe oe ia wai?” I lohe wau ia Keala, kekahi keiki no Kahikinui, holo oia maluna o kekahi moku Okohola M. H, 1854, holo mau ma ka moana e like me ka makemake o kona haku, a ku ka moku ma Paniolo, ua noho ia ma ka aina hookahi makahiki, a i ka M. H. 1856, holo hou ua Keala nei maluna o ka moku Okohola a ku ka moku ma Raiakea, pae aina o Kahiki, me Polapola, i ko lakou lele ana i uka, halawai, o Keala me Kekaula wahine a Ekikalaka o Honuaula, a me Paalua wahine a P. R. Holi o Hana, o keia mau wahine he mau eemoku laua maluna o Nihoa: ike mai o Kekaula ia Keala ka mea holokahiki, aloha mai la kela, “aoloha hoi paha oe e Keala,” aloha aku la ua Keala nei me ka hoohewahewa, no kona ike ole ana ua holo o Nihoa ilaila, a no kona hoohewahewa, hai maoli mai o Kekaula, “ ua hoohewahewa paha oe ia'u,” ae aku ua Keala nei “ae.” I mai kela o Kekaula no hoi wau, ka wahine a Ekikalaka, a kakou e noho ai i Kaekaekini, i Honuaula i Maui; o ka pau ana ia o kona hoohewahewa.
Alaila, ninau ua Keala nei, “eia ka oe i anei.” I mai kela, “i puhiia mai paha ko makou moku o Nihoa e ka makani, a he mau pule ko makou hele hewa ana i ka moana a ku makou ma keia aina, o ka nui o makou, ua noho ma ia wahi aku ia wahi aku o keia aina, a o keia moku o makou ua lilo iho nei i ka Farani,” a o ua Kekaula nei he keiki kana e hii ana, o ka hale o lakou i halawai ai, ma ka hale inu rama o kekahi kanaka Borabora, ma Raiakea; he nui lakou ka poe holokahiki i ike maka i keia mau mea i haiia maluna, no Kauai kekahi, no Hawaii kekahi, hookahi ia o Maui nei, o ko lakou mau inoa a ka makua aole loaa ia Keala, o na inoa holokahiki wale no na inoa loaa ia ia, pela ko’u lohe ia Keala.
E na hoa holokahiki o Keala, ina ua hoi mai oukou ma ka aina nei, he oiaio anei ua ola o Nihoa, a me na ohua maluna ona? Ina ua ike kekahi holokahiki elike me ka ike a Keala e hai mai ma ka Hae i ikea ka oiaio.
E ka Hae Hawaii e, o oe paha ka mea hiki ka kamailio pu me na Nupepa haole, malia paha o hai mai ia oe i ke ano o ka lilo ana o Nihoa moku i ka Farani, ua lilo paha ma ke kuaiia, ma ka aha la? A oia hoi kekahi hoailona a maopopo ai ua ola o Nihoa; no ka mea ua pilikia ka naau a kekahi poe e noho nei no ke aloha i na keiki, ma na makua, a me na wahine, i nalowale pu me Nihoa. A e olioli paha lakou ke lohe i kou hai ana mai i ka mea oiaio, o keia kanaka nona ka inoa i haiia maluna, ua ninau wau ia ia, ua hai mai kela me ke kanalua ole i kana ike, wahi ana he ike pono kona.
Elua wale no eemoku i halawai me ia, a o ka nui aole i halawai pu.
Na W. B. KAPU.
Kipahulu, Maui Hikina, 14 Mei, 1859.