Hawaiian chronology counts by generations, neither by reigns nor by years. In computing long genealogies, thirty years to a generation is approximately correct. (Fornander)
When ʻUmi died he was succeeded as Mōʻī of Hawaiʻi by his oldest son, Kealiʻiokaloa; he is remembered as an unpopular king, and the only event of note connected with his reign is the arrival on the coast of Kona of some shipwrecked white people.
Arrival of the shipwrecked foreigners – white people – took place between the years 1521-1530 AD. (Fornander)
“In the time of Kealiʻiokaloa, king of Hawaii and son of ʻUmi, arrived a vessel at Hawaii. Konalihoa was the name of the vessel, and Kukanaloa was the name of the foreigner (white man) who commanded, or to whom belonged the vessel. His sister was also with him on the vessel.”
“As they were sailing along, approaching the land, the vessel struck at the pali of Keʻei and was broken to pieces by the surf, and the foreigner and his sister swam ashore and were saved, but the greater part of the crew perished perhaps; that is not well ascertained.”
“And when they arrived ashore they prostrated themselves on the beach, uncertain perhaps on account of their being strangers, and of the different kind of people whom they saw there, and being very fearful perhaps.”
“A long time they remained prostrated on the shore, and hence the place was called Kūlou, and is so called to this day. The white rock there is called Pohakukea, and the cliff above ‘Mauna-kapu,’ or Sacred Mountain, for there the Spaniards are said to have worshipped.”
“And when evening came the people of the place took them to a house and entertained them, asking them if they were acquainted with the food set before them, to which they replied that they were; and afterwards, when breadfruit, ohis and bananas were shown them, they expressed a great desire to have them.”
“The strangers cohabitated with the Hawaiians and has children with they became ancestors of some of the Hawaiian people, and also of some of the chiefs”
They were known as Lala kea, meaning white branch of the tree. To the Hawaiians the white man was termed kekea, while haole meant any foreigner, irrespective of color. (Fornander; Taylor)
In Burney’s ‘Discoveries in the South Seas,’ on October 31, 1527, three vessels left a port called Zivat Lanejo, said by Galvaom to be situated lat. 20° N. on the coast of New Spain, for the Moluccas or Spice Islands.
The vessels were called the ‘Florida,’ with fifty men, the ‘St. Iago,’ with forty-five men, and the ‘Espiritu Santo,’ with fifteen men. They carried thirty pieces of cannon and a quantity of merchandise, and they were under the command of Don Alvaro de Saavedra.
These vessels sailed in company, and when they had accomplished 1000 leagues from port, they were overtaken by a severe storm, during which they were separated. The two smaller vessels were never afterwards heard of, and Saavedra pursued the voyage alone in the ‘Florida,’ touching at the Ladrone Islands. (Fornander)
“It seems certain that a foreign vessel which was wrecked about this time on the Kona coast of Hawaii must have been one of Saavedra’s missing ships.” (Alexander; Westervelt)
From this ship a white man and woman escaped. After reaching the beach they knelt for a long time in prayer. The Hawaiians, watching them, waited until they rose, and received welcome.
The place was at once named ‘Kūlou’ (kneeling.) Through all the succeeding years the name kept the story of the wrecked white chiefs before the Hawaiian people.
The Hawaiians received their white visitors as honored guests, and permitted them to marry into noted chief-families. In the Hawaiian legends the man and woman are called brother and sister. The man was named Kukanaloa. (Westervelt)
Follow Peter T Young on Facebook
Follow Peter T Young on Google+
Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn
Follow Peter T Young on Blogger
