("No ka Ona", Ke Kumu Hawaii, March 30, 1836)1
A description of deaths of the people of Hawaii.
On a Friday, Kahilikoolani took a digging stick and went to farm. After farming, he gathered his sweet potatoes into two baskets and carried them back to his house. He got the imu burning, and when it was hot, he placed the the food inside until it was cooked. He removed the parcel of food and ate. In the middle of the night, he told his wife, "Let’s go outside. I feel sick.” They went outside, and he threw up. Then his wife told him, “Let’s go back into the house. You shouldn’t rest outside.” They went back into the house and laid down. He felt a pain in his upper arm. Suddenly, his hand became paralyzed, and he said to his wife, “Light up some tobacco.” The wife lit up and offered it to her husband to smoke. Then they laid down, and the wife saw that her husband had a strange look. Startled, the wife said, “What is it!” He gave no answer. The wife ran her hand across his stomach, but there was no breathing. She ran her hand on his chest and neck, but there was no breath. It had left completely. She rubbed him for a while, hoping that he would revive. Then the wife went outside, calling, “Kaopae, he has fled! Naluwahine, he has departed.”
Here are my thoughts on tobacco: Tobacco is a grievous sin. When I picture the animals that God has made, a serpent is the one that resembles the curling tobacco smoke that soon dies out. Therefore, I think that this is the cause of death of people who persist in smoking tobacco.
This death happened in Kaupo during the time Nahienaena was married.2
Signed, KONELIA PIKANELE
Below is the text of the original article:
NO KA ONA
He olelo hoakaka no ka make ana o na kanaka o Hawaii nei.
Feraide ka la, lawe ae la Kahilikoolani i ka oo, hele aku la, mahiai iho la, a pau ae la ka mahiai ana, kohi iho la i ka ai, elua kiki uwala, auamo aku la i ka hale, hoa iho la i ka imu, a enaena, a kanu iho la, a moa ae la, ihi iho la a ka ipu, a mai iho la. A hiki i ke aumoe, olelo mai la ia i kana wahine, “E hele kaua iwaho, ua mai au.” Hele aku la laua iwaho, a luai iho la ia. Alaila, i mai la ka wahine ia ia, “E hoi kaua i ka hale, aole ka oe e maha mawaho nei.” Hoi mai la laua, a ka hale, moe iho la, hookau mai la ka hui ma ka uwala o ka poohiwilima ona; aole i emo, lolo loa iho la kekahi lima ona, i mai la i ka wahine, “E puhi mai oe i ka baka.” Puhi iho la ka wahine, haawi aku la, a puhi iho la ke kane. Alaila moe iho la laua, a ike koke iho la ka wahine he ano e ke kane. Hikilele ae la ka wahine, i ae la, “Ua aha la oe, e!” Aole ia i ekemu iki mai. Hooholo aku la ka lima o ka wahine i kona opu, aole hanu. Hooholo hou aku la ka lima i ka houpo, a me kona ai, aole he hanu, ua lele loa. Hoomanawanui iki iho la, ke lomi nei, ua kuhi, e ola hou ana. Alaila, puka aku la ka wahine iwaho, hea aku la, “Kaopae, ua auhee oia nei! E Naluwahine e, ua lele loa oia nei.”
Eia ko’u manao i ka baka, ua hewa loa ka baka. I ko’u ike ana i kekahi holoholona a ke Akua i hana, he moo i ka wa i koweloweloia’i ka pau baka, make koke iho la no. Nolaila, manao wau i ka poe paakiki i ka baka, ua like me ia ka make ana i ka pau baka.
No Kaupo i ka wa i mare ai o Nahienaena keia make.
Na’u, na KONELIA PIKANELE.
Footnotes