Peter T Young

September 28, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Day 026 – November 17, 1819

November 17, 1819 – Still watching for favorable winds, yet without prepining. Capt. B. tells us that in his last voyage he crossed the line in less time from Boston than we have now been out: But it is now the fourteenth night that we have been driven up and down like Paul in Adria, between the parallels of Lat. 38. 35 and 37. – We have been tossing rolling on an uncommonly rough sea, according to the account of the best seamen on board, 24 days, and yet have proceeded but 5 and a half degrees toward the equator. We cannot but conclude that He who controls the winds and the waves, and conducts all the affairs of nations is either kindly withholding us from dangers and disasters at Cape Horn or operating changes in the Sandwich Isles favorable to the introduction and success of our enterprse. He is kindly inuring us to a life of toil and hardship. He spreads our table on the face of the boisterous deep, gives us now the comfort of returning health, teaches us to sit with meekness at his feet and to trust in his all sufficient grace. (Thaddeus Journal)

Nov. 17th. Still watching for favorable winds. The sea more calm today, yet we are not wafted onward. Capt. B—just told me, that in his last voyage, he had reached the Line, by this time. Well, of this we may rest assured, that if our Heavenly Father, according to his eternal purposes, land us at length on the shores of Owhyhee, it will be at the very moment his sovereign pleasure deems it best. Our family appears to be recovering. May we not forget to be thankful. And also more life in spiritual things, within a few days, appears. 0, that our hearts were more alive—that we did more deeply feel the high commission which our GOD has given us ; Too much have our minds been occupied with the troubles of sea-sickness and the privations attendant on our voyages so the sound of our words, before the Ship’s company, has been too much, what shall we eat and what shall we drink. But I would fain hope the blessed influences of the Spirit are more felt in some hearts. Last evening, had a precious little session, in our room, with Thomas Hopii. His heart seemed to mourn under a sense of short comings, and his desires appeared to be strong, that he, with us all, might awake. He led in prayer, as did also Mr. B—, then withdrew, with some resolutions in each of our breasts, I trust, to live to GOD. (Sybil Bingham)

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September 27, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kuihelani

Helumoa (meaning “chicken scratch”) was the name bestowed on that niu (coconut) planting that would multiply into a grove of reportedly 10,000 coconut trees.

This is the same coconut grove that would later be called the King’s Grove, or the Royal Grove, and would be cited in numerous historical accounts for its pleasantness and lush surroundings.

Kamehameha the Great and his warriors camped near here, when they began their conquest of O‘ahu in 1795. Later, he would return and build a Western style stone house for himself, as well as residences for his wives and retainers in an area known as Pua‘ali‘ili‘i (little pig.)

Kamehameha’s kauhale (residence) was called Kuihelani and was situated at the area between the mouth of the ʻApuakehau (Moana Hotel) and Helumoa (Royal Hawaiian Hotel), a favorite dwelling site of Waikīkī’s chiefs.

It was probably adjacent to the old foot-trail that ran from Pūowaina (Punchbowl) to Waikīkī. John Papa ʻĪʻī described this main road into Waikīkī as follows:

“The trail from Kawaiahao which led to lower Waikiki went along Kaananiau, into the coconut grove at Pawaa, the coconut grove of Kuakuaka, then down to Piinaio; along the upper side of Kahanaumaikai’s coconut grove, along the border of Kaihikapu pond, into Kawehewehe …”

“… then through the center of Helumoa of Puaaliilii, down to the mouth of the Apuakehau stream; along the sandy beach of Ulukou to Kapuni, where the surfs roll in; thence to the stream of Kuekaunahi; to Waiaula and to Pali’iki, Kamanawa’s house site.”

Before the battle of Nuʻuanu, Kamehameha had promised the moʻo goddess Kihawahine a special kind of dwelling. According to Kamakau, Kamehameha had spoken to the goddess, saying, …

“If you take Oʻahu, I will build a house for your akua in the calm of Waikiki-a puaniu house …” The hale puaniu was a small structure in which offerings of bananas, coconuts, ‘awa (kava) and capes were kept to use in order to deify a deceased person and make him or her into a mo’o god or goddess. (Kanahele)

Triumphant upon his return, instead of the typical hale pili (grass hut,) Kamehameha built a stone house, enclosed by a fence. Nearby were the dwellings of Kaʻahumanu and Keōpuōlani and their retainers.

He may have built or commandeered additional houses to accommodate some of his other wives and children, along with their attendants, probably numbering several hundred. It was typical of Kamehameha to surround himself with a large entourage for whom he provided generously.

George W. Bates described Kuihelani and Waikīkī in 1854: “The old stone house in which the great warrior (Kamehameha I) once lived still stands, but it is falling into a rapid decay. I could not help lingering there for a time to notice the objects scattered around.”

“There were no busy artisans wielding their implements of labor; no civilized vehicles bearing their loads of commerce, or any living occupant. But beneath the cool shade of some evergreens, or in some thatched houses, reposed several canoes.”

“Every thing was quiet as though it were the only village on earth, and its tenants the only denizens. A few natives were enjoying a promiscuous bath in a crystal stream that came directly from the mountains (ʻApuakehau) and rolled, like another Pactolus, to meet the embrace of the ocean.”

“Some were steering their frail canoes seaward. Others, clad simply in Nature’s robes, were wading out on the reefs in search of fish. Here in this quiet hamlet, once unknown to all the world, Kamehameha I, surrounded by his chieftains, held his councils for the safety and consolidation of his kingdom.”

Waikīkī was well-suited for Kamehameha’s shallow-draft canoes that did not require deep water and could be easily beached. Its waters also provided the best anchorage for foreign ships, which were now calling on the islands in increasing numbers.

Captain Vancouver, a friend and counselor to Kamehameha, said of Waikīkī: “although open above half the compass in the southern quarters, it is unquestionably the most eligible anchoring place in the island.”

Its advantages were sandy bottom, soft coral, irregular reef and mild surf. Nonetheless, while foreign ships did anchor at Waikīkī, it was not the perfect harbor.

In contrast, Honolulu was a noisy, dusty port town of 14,000 inhabitants, including hundreds of foreign residents and visitors.

Waikīkī was quiet compared to the bustle of Honolulu’s yelping dogs, rattling carts, saluting cannon and carousing drunks. Over 600 ships a year called on its harbor discharging tons of cargo from all corners of the earth, along with sailors and whalers who rioted and brawled for sport.

Since the capital moved with Kamehameha, Waikīkī’s reign as capital of the kingdom was ended, at least until his next visit. For the next dozen years or so, Waikīkī, Kona and Lāhaina alternated as the capitals as Kamehameha spent long periods of time in each place.

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Kuihelani – Waikiki Home of Kamehameha I-400

September 27, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Day 027 – November 18, 1819

November 18, 1819 – We have new occasion to sing of mercies, favorable winds, safe progress, returning health to the body and thought and life to the soul demand our elevated praise. (Thaddeus Journal)

Nov. 18th. Feel, this evening, that we have abundant reason to sing of mercy. The winds are ordered now in our favor, wafting us much farther in this one day, than in many previous. Health seems returning to our family, and light, I trust, to their souls. Several appeared to have a season of unusual enjoyment at our devotions this evening. My dear friend appears to be gaining strength, and with it earnest desire to be a- bout his great work. Some of the day has passed pleasantly, I hope profitably, in reading with him the Memoirs of Dr. Buchanan. May we find a blessing in the perusal, as we proceed. Devoted some part of the day to the instruction of Mary C—, hope to be systematic in it. 0, to be useful in some little way i Have been conversing a little while, on deck, since prayer, with the sisters. They express a wish for some system in the improvement of time, and to be more spiritually alive. May we look to the proper source for assistance. (Sybil Bingham)

Nov. 18. This morning we have fresh experience of the goodness of God. A fine gale is rapidly wafting us from our native land and dear friends, but we welcome it as a token for good. Yes, we rejoice though the winds and the waves bear us from you. We look forward with fond hopes and pleasing expectations, to the time when we hope to anchor at our destined haven. Not that we are at present unhappy; no, we have much real enjoyment. Our Heavenly Father at times pours upon us the light of his countenance and fills our souls with joy unspeakable. I think I feel more than ever, willing to do or suffer whatever may be for God’s glory or conducive to the happiness of his creatures. This world appears really like a bubble and its enjoyments like a fleeting dream. How soon dear parents, shall we have done with all that is mortal. Perhaps before this reaches your much loved dwelling, you and I may lie mouldering in the dust. We have nothing to shield us from the shafts of death. When we behold our friends feeble, emaciated and languishing on a bed of sickness; it leads us to reflect upon our own mortality and ask ourselves, why is it that we enjoy the blessing of health?
Mr. Ruggles (with many others) was taken ill the day after we came on board. He has been very sick, and we have watch over him with anxious hearts. But God who is rich in mercy, has so far restored him to health, that today, he has been able to sit at the table and eat with us. Mr. Bingham has likewise been quite feeble, but is regaining his health. The rest of us at present our tolerable well. (Mercy Partridge Whitney Journal)
10 o’clock, evening. I cannot retire, without telling you we are happy. I have spent most of the evening in our little room, and Mr. has been reading to me “Buchanan’s researches in Asia.” I could scarcely realize that we, my dear parents were separated by a vast ocean so similar were my feelings to what they have frequently been, when in my native country and surrounded by friends and kindred near and dear. It reminded me of many happy evenings which I have spent beneath your roof, where joy was visible in every countenance, and cheerfulness sat smiling on the brow. These are scenes which will never be forgotten and which I shall ever review with pleasure. I experience much happiness in the society of so many dear christian brethren, especially of one with whom I expect to spend my days. It is a great consolation to have a companion and friend who is willing to share with me the trials and hardships of a Missionary life: to sooth my sorrows and animate my hopes. Such a friend is Mr. W. Kind, affectionate and faithful. O may I have a heart to praise God for such an unmerited blessing. (Mercy Partridge Whitney Journal)

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September 26, 2019 by Peter T Young 6 Comments

Mōʻiliʻili Karst

Prior and into the 1800s, Mōʻiliʻili was an agricultural community. It was transformed in the early 20th century into a self-contained town center with expanded businesses along King Street by Japanese immigrants who made Mōʻiliʻili their home.

This area is part of the Waikīkī ahupuaʻa. Waikīkī was once a vast marshland whose boundaries encompassed more than 2,000-acres. Here, the Mānoa and Pālolo streams (and springs in Mānoa (Punahou and Kānewai)) watered the marshland below.

With the arrival and settlement of the Hawaiians, this area gradually transformed from marsh into hundreds of taro fields, fish ponds and gardens. The broad expanse of the Waikīkī ahupuaʻa was once one of the most productive agricultural areas in old Hawai‘i.

In the 1860s and 1870s, former Asian sugar plantation workers (Japanese and Chinese) replaced the taro and farmed more than 500-acres of wetlands in rice fields, also raising fish and ducks in the ponds. By 1892, Waikīkī had 542 acres planted in rice, representing almost 12% of the total 4,659-acres planted in rice on O‘ahu.

During the 1920s, the Waikīkī landscape would be transformed when the construction of the Ala Wai Drainage Canal, begun in 1921 and completed in 1928, resulted in the draining and filling in of the remaining ponds and irrigated fields of Waikīkī.

Many residents of the Mōʻiliʻili area (and beyond) may not be aware that just a few feet below their feet, cars, houses and businesses are remnant caverns and caves (and water) in the Mōʻiliʻili underground.

During the island’s formative stage, the sea level was more than 25 feet higher than its present level. This period of sea level elevation is responsible for the deposit of fossil reef limestone in southern coastal Oʻahu, including up to the region we now know as Mōʻiliʻili.

The weathering and erosion of Oahu’s dormant volcanoes, the Waianae and Koʻolau, paired with the rise and retrieval of the sea level resulted in the formation of “interbedded marine and terrestrial deposits”.

The underground cave system is thought to be part of the original channel of Mānoa stream – people call it the Mōʻiliʻili Karst (Karst being a geological formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, such as limestone.)

The wide upslope section of the cave is centered near the intersection of University Avenue and South King Street (down slope from the University Avenue – H-1 interchange.) The lower edge is located at the intersection of University Avenue and Kapiʻolani Boulevard.

The environment above the karst is highly urbanized, containing busy streets, buildings and businesses. The consequences of such urbanization are evident. Before damages due to urbanization and cave-ins, the Mōʻiliʻili Karst contained a half-mile cave that seemed to be a single connected structure.

There were several ponds that were fed by the karsic springs. One was located west of University Avenue, upslope of Beretania Street (near the UH makai campus.) The Kānewai underground pond was important to Hawaiian culture, because its water was said to have healing properties.

According to Hawaiian folklore, fish swam underground from the sea to this pool to eavesdrop on the fishermen who frequented this area and listen to the fishers’ plans.

Another important spring-fed pond was the Hausten (formerly Kumulae) pond. Originally, the pond was a favorite of Queen Kamāmalu (sister of Kamehameha IV and V). The Queen and her brothers loved swimming in the ponds, which were also said to have healing powers. The pond became the site of the Willows restaurant, and served as an attraction to customers there.

In 1934, a construction project downslope struck a master conduit of the karst. This caused massive water drainage of the upslope area; “for more than four months, an average of 3.8 x 107 L was pumped daily before the hole could be sealed and construction resumed.” The total amount pumped before the leak could be sealed was greater than one billion gallons of water.

The spring-feed ponds vanished within 24 hours. There have been several instances of collapses since the dewatering. One instance in 1952 involves the Standard Trading store falling through the ground into the karst below it. Another instance involves the emergence of a large cavern downslope from the King-University intersection.

The leak was repaired, but had changed the karst forever. Several spots in the formation were deliberately filled. Cave-ins greatly reduced the size of the cave network, and changed access to the underground.

The Mōʻiliʻili Karst (Mōʻiliʻili Water Cave) is the only place where bare limestone can be seen; the cave is approximated to be as high as ten feet, and have depth of up to five feet in places.

It is entered by only by a drainage grate, and despite the impacts of human intrusion, “construction fill, metal pilings, and trash swept into the system by floodwaters,” the cave has been able to retain its cool and clear water.

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Moiliili-Water-Cave

Moiliili-Water-Cave-steel_support-(punynari)

September 26, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Day 028 – November 19, 1819

November 19, 1819 – Blest with precious seasons of soul devotion. The divine spirit seems in some measure to dwell with me. Able to attend morning prayers. (Thaddeus Journal)

Nov. 19th. Lifeless as I am, I feel that I cannot rest without recording in my heart, and with my pen, the goodness of GOD through the past day. For myself, the valley of humiliation would best become me, for, O, where is the ardour of feeling which my mercies demand J Enjoyed, this morning, upon awaking, a tender and solemn season in united supplication with my dearest friend, in which his soul seemed melted and his spirit bowed down in view of the awful responsibility of his station. Went from our little room to the family altar, around, which, in the morning, we had not before been permitted to assemble. There seemed some meltings of heart with several, which, I trust, has been the case through the day. This evening, met the sisters in sister T—’s room, hoping to renew our covenant obligation, one with the other,—to act the part of members of one body to watch over, exhort, admonish, and reprove, as occasion may require.
We could not exactly feel alike on the subject of social prayer at these seasons, in our present inconvenient situation? yet, I trust, all came to the conclusion that it was both our duty and privilege, and resolved, the grace of GOD assisting us, to do accordingly. May He who has styled himself a prayer-hearing GOD, accept and bless us in it. (Sybil Bingham)

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