Maria P. Chamberlain's Molokai Trip

The Saturday Star-Bulletin, January 17, 1959 - "Clarice B. Taylor's Tales about Hawaii"

     After the death of Missionary Levi Chamberlain July 29, 1849, his wife Maria P. Chamberlain, continued living in the mission premises in "Chamberlain House" still standing today on South King Street, near Kawaihao Church.

     There she reared her family of eight on $350 a year allowed by the American Board of Missions.

     Her daughters Maria Jane was married in 858 to the Reverend Anderson O. Forbes, and went to live on Molokai where he was stationed.

TELLS VISIT
     Mother Maria P. Chamberlain visited them in 1864 and wrote of her trip to the children at home. The first letter is dated October 19, 1864 and tells of the passage of 18 hours from Honolulu.

     The second letter written October 20 is from Kaluaha, Molokai.

     "My Dear Mattie,
    " I left Lahaina yesterday morn about 9 o'clock and took passage in a stanch boat with four natives. -
    "A strong native picked me up in his arms and set me in the boat. I asked where  Iwas to go - they pointed to a little hole in the stern, about 2 and 1/2 feet squarem and said you go down there.
     "Down I went - and there was a little place decked over - with a lauhala mat spread down and no other article of comfort. - I was quite seasick, and they gave me for a basin, an old paint keg.
     "- There were two owners to the boat, one a nice young man with clothes on, and the other an old opakiki (show-off), quite destitute of either shirt or pants.

OFF COURSE
     "The young man wanted to put in (at Molokai) and leave me quite near Mr. F(orbes) place, the strong one would have his way, and carry me three miles below.
     "To my honor I found we were anchored a mile from shore and the old man presented his bare back for me to ride in on! I positively refused and the young man hailed a canoe which I engaged for a real and rode in, in a civilized way.
     "One of the half owners brought out the buckets and said 50c was all I ought to pay, seeing I was not left out at the right place.
     "With love to all aff mother M.P.C."

► A Canoe for Pele

 The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Friday, November 27, 1959 - Clarice B. Taylor's "Tales about Hawaii"

    Father Ku kept his word and provided Pele with a large sea-going double canoe. It was large enough for the big family and contained enough food to last for months.

     The one who prepared the canoe was Ka-moho-alii, King of the Sharks, and Pele's eldest brother. Kamohoalii put his relatives in charge of the canoe.They were Kane - the Whirlwind, Ke-aumiki (The Strong Current) and Keauka (The Moving Seas).

     Pele first visited Bora Bora in the Society Islands and then spent a lot of time visiting mysterious ancestral Islands and finally came to Niihau.

     It is because she came to the Hawaiian Islands that you read that Pele brought the ocean to Hawaii.

     The real truth is that Namaka kept up her quarrel with Pele and followed where ever she went. It was in reality Namaka who brought the ocean to Hawaii. Since Namaka was Queen of the Seas, the ocean naturally followed where she traveled.

     Pele kept in the canoe her magic digging tool, Pa-oa. During her travels, Pele used Pa-oa to dig holes in the sandy beaches. She hoped to dig a home for herself and family. But, Pele was always disappointed. Every time she dug a hole, she would find Namaka filling the hole with water and putting out Pele's fires.

     Pele was well received and lavishly entertained on the Island of Niihau - but she found the Island small and quickly passed over to Kauai.

     It was on this Island in Haena she met the first of her famous lovers. He was a mortal named Lohiau. Pele transformed herself into a maiden and was married to Lohiau. However, she was not satisfied with her mortal life because she could not dig a fire-hole at Haena to make a home.

     Legends from Kauai about Pele differ from the popular legends coming from the Big Island.

     Kauai people say that Pele was the daughter of Kanehoalani and Hina. Others say Kane-hao-lani was her brother and Hina was the goddess who created the great tidal wave on which Pele arrived from her south Sea home.

     It really doesn't matter, because those names mean nothing today. The older legends which gave Ku as Pele's father follow the pattern which makes the great god Ku progenitor of mortals.

     The Kauai folks make matters more confusing by saying that Pele spent much time searching the Islands of the South sea for her stolen husband.

     Our story of Pele is a condensation of the Pele stories run in Hoku-o-ka-(P)pikapika (Star of the Pacific) in 1861 and Ke Kuokoa in 1864 and 1865.

For personal interest, I've highlighted a part of the text. As a previous long time resident of Kauai, I've learned the same version of this mo'olelo from Kauai kupuna.