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March 31, 2019 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Wailau

“The glimpses of Molokai which one obtains from a steamer’s deck while passing to Honolulu from San Francisco or in passing to and from Maui (along its south shore,) give the impression that the island is bleak, mountainous and desolate.”

“Skirting its (north) shores on the Hālawa, Wailua and Pelekunu sides on Wilder’s fine steamer Likelike, gives a far different picture. For miles sheer precipices rise from the sea and tower 1,500 feet into the air.”

“Now and then, and sometimes in groups, beautiful waterfalls are seen on the face of the cliff, now falling in clear view for a couple of hundred feet, now hidden under denses masses of foliage, only to reappear further down, another silvery link in the watery thread which ends In a splash and scintillating mist in the breakers below.” (Hawaiian Gazette, March 31, 1905)

“Early the next morning, with a pleasant breeze from the NE, we stood over towards the east point of Mororoi (Molokai.) … we sailed to the westward … In this the land rises rather abruptly from the sea, towards the lofty mountains in the center of the east part of Morotoi …”

“… and though the acclivity was great, yet the face of the country, diversified by eminences and vallies, bore a verdant and fertile appearance. It seemed to be well inhabited, in a high state of cultivation, and presented not only a rich but a romantic prospect.” (Captain George Vancouver, March 19, 1793)

The windward valleys developed into areas of intensive irrigated taro cultivation and seasonal migrations took place to stock up on fish and precious salt for the rest of the year. Kalaupapa was well known for its bountiful ʻuala (sweet potato) crops and its fine-grained, white salt which was preferred over that from the salt ponds of Kawela and Kaunakakai. (Strazar)

The large windward valleys – Pelekunu, Wailau and Halawa – and Papalaua, along with all of Kalaupapa comprise the old Hawaiian Koʻolau Moku (district) of Molokai.

Wailau Valley (“many waters” – the largest along the coast) on Molokai’s North Shore has some interesting history.

The sea cliffs that surround Wailau on the island’s north shore were formed by the ‘Wailau Slide,’ in which a portion of the volcano collapsed into the ocean, leaving a swath of debris strewn across the ocean floor.

The sea cliffs represent the scar left by the collapse and Wailau and the other windward valleys were cut into the scar after the slide.

The Kalaupapa Peninsula, in north central Molokai, was formed later by volcanic rejuvenation.

Molokai’s North Shore Cliffs were designated a National Natural Landmark in December 1972. The Landmark includes 27,100 acres located along 17 miles of the northeast coast between Hālawa and Kalaupapa.

Four major valleys span the coastline, from Hālawa (at the east end of the island of Molokai) westward toward Kalaupapa: from east to west they are Pāpalaua, Wailau, Pelekunu and Waikolu.

This area is accessible by boat and trails into the valleys; there are no roads through North Shore Molokai.

Wailau is made up of a smaller broad valley on the east and a deeper valley on the west, with two major streams flowing down through them – Kahawai‘iki Stream and Wailau Stream.

The Wailau stream, which runs the entire length of the valley, is said to have received its name “because it began in many brooks that flowed from the palis on every side.”

Wailau was a major area of taro production from the pre-contact era until the 1930s, when the valley was abandoned due to a combination of factors, including flooding and unfavorable economic conditions.

A series of intact lo‘i, or taro terraces, forms an agricultural system distributed across almost the entire valley.

There are extensive terraces in the seaward lowlands and back in the lower valleys of streams. Approximately 80 acres were planted in taro. The banks of the numerous taro patches in the lowlands can still be seen from the air.

They say Wailau also has high terracing of valley sides comparable to that on the Napali coast of Kaua‘i.

The cliffs just beyond Pāpalaua Valley are home to Kahiwa Falls, the longest waterfall in the state (over 1,700-feet.) (Lots of the information and images come from reports by Windy K McElroy.)

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Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau
Wailau
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)
Wailau (Windy K McElroy)

Filed Under: Place Names Tagged With: Molokai, Halawa, Kalaupapa, North Shore Molokai, Wailau, Pelekunu, Waikolu, Papalaua, Kahiwa Falls, Kalo, Taro, Hawaii

March 5, 2018 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Pelekunu Tunnel

In the early days, Kamalo was known as Kamalo‘o, or “The Dry Place,” because the waves breaking on the reef did not hit the shore. The people of Kamalo‘o liked their shallow pools because octopus were found there.

Jack Ka‘ilianu, remarked that the abundance of food from the sea should be harnessed through the creation of fresh water ponds, or loko wai, and sand-dune ponds, or pu‘uone. In the pu‘uone, fishermen kept pua ‘ama‘ama, or young mullet, pua awa, or young milkfish, kūmū, or goatfish, and mao.

Jack raised his fish in his lo‘i kalo, or wetland taro patch. In it he put pua āholehole, pua awa, and pua ‘ama‘ama. Puni, Jack’s 14 year-old hānai son was happy to take care of the lo‘i kalo because he liked watching the fish.

One day, he caught many small ‘iao fish, or silversides, and released them in the pond. ‘Iao fish are used to bait aku, and resemble mo‘o. It was kapu to kill ‘iao fish since the ‘aumakua of Kamalo‘o was the mo‘o. Breaking the kapu, Jack instructed Puni to catch all of the ‘iao and put them in the ocean.

Puni did not obey his father’s command because he had made pets of the fish. When Jack discovered he did not obey, he collected the fish and released them in the ocean.

That night Puni failed to come home for dinner. Jack searched the village and found Puni dead in the loko lo‘i kalo (he was attempting to catch the small ‘iao that Jack did not).

From that time on, every time Jack saw the fishponds, he “recalled the reason for them and muttered under his breath ‘Kamalo‘o kākā ‘āina’ (The land has gone dry. It is no longer verdant).

The people mourned Puni’s death and Jack exchanged his parcel for one up mauka. For many years after, the people could hear the giggling of a child coming up from that same pond (Ne 1992:33–36). (Keala Pono)

Pelekunu is an unusual ahupua‘a for several reasons. Within the Pelekunu ahupua‘a are three lele (disconnected portions of associated land) that belong to ahupua‘a on the other side of the island in the Kona District. Another unusual feature is that the ahupua‘a of Kawela actually extends up and over the mountains at the back of Pelekunu and runs into the valley.

Additionally, the ahupua‘a of Pelekunu includes not only most of the valley itself (less the extension of Kawela at the back and the lele within), but also the land of Honokaʻupu to the west as well as the small valley of Waiahoʻokalo just beyond. (Eminger/McElroy)

The windward valleys developed into areas of intensive irrigated taro cultivation and seasonal migrations took place to stock up on fish and precious salt for the rest of the year. Kalaupapa was well known for its bountiful ʻuala (sweet potato) crops and its fine-grained, white salt which was preferred over that from the salt ponds of Kawela and Kaunakakai. (Strazar)

Emory (1916) describes Pelekunu Valley as the “most densely populated area of the ahupuaʻa … where we found miles and miles of huge stone terraces, witnesses of a once thriving population that must have run into the thousands.” Taro was grown on the flat land and in the steep ravines of the valley. (NPS)

The earliest recorded population figures we have for Molokai are those of visiting missionaries in 1823. A loose estimate of three to four thousand inhabitants in 1823 was published by Claudius S. Stewart in 1830.

The Reverend Harvey Rexford Hitchcock who established the first permanent Mission Station at Kaluaʻaha in 1832, gave a census figure of 6,000 for the island. (Strazar)

These early counts were generally taken in the field by both native school teachers and missionaries. During this period, the Reverends Hitchcock and Smith preached once a week at seven different stations from Kamaloʻo to Hālawa, and in 1833 they estimated the population of the entire island to be about 3,300. (Strazar)

During the years around 1854, taro was raised extensively in the windward valleys and shipped as far away as Maui. Everywhere the inhabitants (of Pelekunu) were busy making baskets of ki (ti) leaves …., which they used to pack and transport … the product of their oasis, taro reduced to paʻiʻai (dry poi.) (Strazar)

In the land of Kamalo, it is said that there is a lava tube going through the island from Kamalo gulch to Pelekunu, The story is that it was used in the very early days by the Chief of the island, who communicated by runners between the leeward and windward sides of the island. (Cooke)

A love story from those early times tells of courage and determination, as well as physical stamina. A Pelekunu maiden fell in love with Akoni, who lived on the other side of the mountain in Kamalō.

In fair weather, Akoni paddled his canoe from Hälawa to Pelekunu. When the weather was bad, he would hike the Kamalö trail to court her. But one day, the weather changed as Akoni paddled to Pelekunu.

The ocean became too rough to return home by canoe and recent rainstorms had washed out parts of the mountain trail. Yet it was urgent that Akoni return to Kamalō to help his aging father repair their fishpond, so he decided to take another route.

He had heard tales of a mysterious mountain tunnel that joined Pelekunu and Kamalō, though its location had been forgotten.

People spoke of the tunnel with fear, and his ku‘uipo begged him not to go, but Akoni was determined. So his ku‘uipo went to every Pelekunu family to ask about the tunnel’s location until finally Kaleiho‘olau, a kama‘äina, agreed to help the couple find it.

They quickly packed food and water and Kaleiho‘olau brought a torch. The three hiked to the northeastern part of the valley until Kaleiho‘olau pointed out the tunnel entrance in a cave on the side of the cliff. The lovers kissed aloha and the young man entered the cave.

Initially, light streamed into the tunnel from the entrance but grew steadily dimmer until there was only darkness. Akoni lit his torch and continued slowly, stumbling and groping his way along the tunnel.

After hours of walking, he began to feel dizzy and nauseated, and was having difficulty breathing. He sat and rested briefly, but knew he needed to get to fresh air. He knew the torch was using up oxygen, but finding his way in complete darkness would be perilous, so he kept it lit until, finally, light glimmered far ahead.

At last, he stumbled through the opening. He leaned, panting, against the rocks, grateful to be alive. In that moment, he realized that the tunnel was there and could be used. He turned toward the cave and said a mahalo prayer, thanking the guiding spirits who brought him through the tunnel safely.

When Akoni moved into the sunlight, he saw that he was on his own property, just south of Ioli Gulch. His parents were astonished to see him. Akoni excitedly told them about the tunnel that exited on their property. He could hike to Pelekunu whenever he wished.

Akoni showed his father the tunnel the next day and shared the discovery with Kamalö residents, including the dizziness and suffocation he felt midway through the mountain. He said no one should use the tunnel when ill or having breathing trouble, and they must always tell Akoni and his family if they were using that route. (Hughes; KWO-OHA)

Another tunnel from Pelekunu was later proposed (early-1900s). The plan was to tunnel for water and transport it from Pelekunu and Wailau to the dry leeward side of Molokai.

“By the utilization of Pelekunu and Wailau 14,000,000 gallons (21.66 cubic feet per second) should be secured, besides the large flow which will almost certainly be met in the tunnels.”

“Ditches and flumes must be correspondingly enlarged, and a tunnel 14,500 feet long driven from Pelekunu to convey the water after it is collected from the different branches. The expense would be at least $800,000.”

“The enterprise would consume several years … In conclusion, I consider it feasible to bring the water from Wailau and Pelekunu to the cane fields, but do not believe that the enterprise would be a paying investment.” (Water Resources on Molokai, USGS, 1903)

Later, in 1960, a 5.5-mile water tunnel was built into the western side of Waikolu Valley to tap the extensive water resources. The water is stored in a large reservoir at Kualapu‘u. (Clark)

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pelekunu-valley-Richard A. Cooke III
pelekunu-valley-Richard A. Cooke III

Filed Under: Hawaiian Traditions, Place Names Tagged With: Hawaii, Pelekunu, Molokai, Kamalo

April 8, 2014 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Pelekunu, Molokai

“The glimpses of Molokai which one obtains from a steamer’s deck while passing to Honolulu from San Francisco or in passing to and from Maul (along its south shore,) give the impression that the island is bleak, mountainous and desolate.”

“Skirting its (north) shores on the Hālawa, Wailua and Pelekunu sides on Wilder’s fine steamer Likelike, gives a far different picture.  For miles sheer precipices rise from the sea and tower 1,500 feet into the air.”

“Now and then, and sometimes in groups, beautiful waterfalls are seen on the face of the cliff, now falling in clear view for a couple of hundred feet, now hidden under denses masses of foliage, only to reappear further down, another silvery link In the watery thread which ends In a splash and scintillating mist in the breakers below.”  (Hawaiian Gazette, March 31, 1905)

The large windward valleys – Pelekunu, Wailau and Halawa – and Papalaua, along with all of Kalaupapa comprise the old Hawaiian Koʻolau Moku (district) of Molokai.

Literally defined, the word Pelekunu means “smelly for lack of sunshine.” (Pukui)   Being that it is such a tall and narrow valley, the sun is out for only about seven hours a day. Short days, coupled with the windward tendency for rain, creates a generally damp condition in Pelekunu.

Marion Kelly gives an alternate possibility suggesting the name Pelekunu relates to Pele, the goddess of the volcano. The area is said to be sensitive to very light earthquakes that are felt by the folks in the area, thus the name, Pelekunu, “coughing” or “grumbling” Pele.

Archaeological evidence suggests this area of Molokai was traditionally the home of the majority of early Hawaiians. The water supply was ample; ʻauwai (irrigation ditches,) loʻi kalo (wetland taro ponds) and habitation sites were found here.

“Every possible square yard was utilized for growing taro as the patches go nearly to the beach and even up the small ravines which cut the sides of the valleys. … In the matter of food, the emphasis which has been placed upon taro should not obscure the importance of fish whether from deep water or from other places and of fruits and other plant products.”

“The depth of the sea off this region prohibited the development of fish-ponds … but fishing with hook and line or with nets found rich opportunities.”  (Phelps, NPS)

The “narrowness of the gulches and their steep slopes result in the patches being no more than 12-feet on a side and the down-slope retaining wall may have to be seven-feet high.  The stream flows on one side of the gulch and is tapped at the highest placed patch, the water running successively into the lower ones.” (Phelps (1937,) NPS)

Pelekunu is an unusual ahupua‘a for several reasons. Within the Pelekunu ahupua‘a are three lele (disconnected portions of associated land) that belong to ahupua‘a on the other side of the island in the Kona District. Another unusual feature is that the ahupua‘a of Kawela actually extends up and over the mountains at the back of Pelekunu and runs into the valley.

Additionally, the ahupua‘a of Pelekunu includes not only most of the valley itself (less the extension of Kawela at the back and the lele within), but also the land of Honokaʻupu to the west as well as the small valley of Waiahoʻokalo just beyond.  (Eminger/McElroy)

The windward valleys developed into areas of intensive irrigated taro cultivation and seasonal migrations took place to stock up on fish and precious salt for the rest of the year. Kalaupapa was well known for its bountiful ʻuala (sewwt potato) crops and its fine-grained, white salt which was preferred over that from the salt ponds of Kawela and Kaunakakai.  (Strazar)

Emory (1916) describes Pelekunu Valley as the “most densely populated area of the ahupuaʻa … where we found miles and miles of huge stone terraces, witnesses of a once thriving population that must have run into the thousands.”  Taro was grown on the flat land and in the steep ravines of the valley.  (NPS)

The earliest recorded population figures we have for Molokai are those of visiting missionaries in 1823. A loose estimate of three to four thousand inhabitants in 1823 was published by Claudius S. Stewart in 1830. The Reverend Harvey Rexford Hitchcock who established the first permanent Mission Station at Kaluaʻaha in 1832, gave a census figure of 6,000 for the island.  (Strazar)

These early counts were generally taken in the field by both native school teachers and missionaries. During this period, the Reverends Hitchcock and Smith preached once a week at seven different stations from Kamaloʻo to Hālawa, and in 1833 they estimated the population of the entire island to be about 3,300.  (Strazar)

During the years around 1854, taro was raised extensively in the windward valleys and shipped as far away as Maui. Everywhere the inhabitants (of Pelekunu) were busy making baskets of ki (ti) leaves …., which they used to pack and transport … the product of their oasis, taro reduced to paʻiʻai (dry poi.)  (Strazar)

In 1898, Johnny Wilson (later Mayor of Honolulu) looked into living in Pelekunu and farming there.  Wilson’s parents’ friends included John and Lydia Dominus (Queen Liliʻuokalani) and King Kalākaua.

“We had known Mr. Wilson quite well as a young man when he was courting his wife. My husband and myself had warmly favored his suit; and, with his wife, he naturally became a retainer of the household, and from time to time they took up their residence with us.”  (Liliʻuokalani)

During her imprisonment, Queen Liliʻuokalani was denied any visitors other than one lady in waiting (Mrs. Eveline Wilson – Johnny’s mother.)  Johnny would bring newspapers hidden in flowers from the Queen’s garden; reportedly, Liliʻuokalani’s famous song Kuʻu Pua I Paoakalani (written while imprisoned,) was dedicated to him (it speaks of the flowers at her Waikiki home, Paoakalani.)

Johnny Wilson brought his wife Jennie Kini Kapahu to Pelekunu to live in 1902. The entry in Johnny’s diary for Tuesday, April 8, 1902, reads, “Arrived Pelekunu & occupied Koehana’s house”   According to Bob Krauss, Kini was “one of Hawai‘i’s premier hula dancers” and not used to country life; the Hawaiians in the valley wondered how long Kini would stick it out.

In the beginning Johnny and Kini lived at the shore, but sometime after the 1903 tsunami Johnny built Kini a house farther back in the valley.  Later, Johnny bought Kini a piano, the only one in Pelekunu.  (Krauss)

Kini did stick it out for quite a while. She helped teach the children in Pelekunu and ran their taro operation while Johnny was away. Eventually, however, Kini did leave the valley; in the summer of 1914, Kini finally got tired of the rain. She staged a one-woman mutiny and moved to a drier place on Molokai at Kamalō, where Johnny had a cattle ranch.

Wilson tried to aid the small native Hawaiian farmers by arranging for a steamer schedule to remote taro- and rice-producing areas.   When his plans for a commercial line fell through Wilson convinced the federal administration to place a post office in Pelekunu, guaranteeing regular steamer visits to deliver the mail. (Cook)

However, when his wife left (she was postmistress,) no one filled the post and the post office closed.  The steamships tried to keep regular schedules to Pelekunu to support the valley’s residents.  However, they were not regular enough and eventually others abandoned Pelekunu valley, deeming it as too isolated to remain viable in a cash economy. (Cook)

(Johnny Wilson served three times as mayor of Honolulu: from 1920 to 1927, 1929 to 1931 and from 1946 to 1954.)

In 1986, The Nature Conservancy purchased nearly 5,800-acres of Pelekunu Valley from Molokai Ranch to create a preserve to protect its natural and cultural resources.  (It contains nearly all the native Hawaiian aquatic fish, crustacean and mollusk species; in addition, 27-rare plant, 5-endemic forest bird and 2-endemic land snail species have been reported in the area.)  (TNC)

The Pelekunu Preserve is managed in partnership with the State Department of Land & Natural Resources through the Natural Area Partnership Program; due to its remote, rugged location, Pelekunu Preserve is not open to the public.

Pelekunu Preserve is bordered by four other managed natural resource areas: state-owned Pu‘u Ali‘i and Oloku‘i Natural Reserve Areas (NARs), Kalaupapa National Historic Park and the Conservancy’s Kamakou Preserve.

It is a part of the East Molokai Watershed Partnership (EMoWP); (a public-private partnership that protects more than 30,000 acres of contiguous ecosystems that range from sea level to 4,970 feet in elevation.)

The image shows an image of Pelekunu Village (Stokes, Bishop Museum – 1909.)  In addition, I have added other images in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook and Google+ pages.

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Filed Under: Place Names, Prominent People Tagged With: Hawaii, Molokai, Halawa, Johnny Wilson, Wailau, Pelekunu

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