A History of the Historian David Malo
Cover Image: Masthead of Ka Elele Hawaii published on May 15, 1854.
In commemoration of Act 167 which makes September officially Hawaiian History Month in Hawaiʻi, here is a short history of the historian David Malo. It is found in Ka Elele Hawaii on May 15 and June 2, 1854, soon after the death of Malo. It is written by Joseph Keohokaua. The second installment ends indicating that it is not complete. There is a missing issue which should have appeared in early July. Perhaps therein lies a third installment.
Image: “Ka Mooolelo no David Malo,” Ka Elele Hawaii, May 5, 1854, p. 22.
THE MOʻOʻŌLELO OF DAVID MALO
Davida Malo was born in the year 1795, the month he was born is called Kaulua by the reckoning of Hawaiians; the day he was born was the 18th day of that Kaulua. Kaulua is nearly the same as February, however perhaps not terribly the same.
Where he was born was at Keauhou, in Kona, Hawaiʻi. His grandfather, the father of his mother, is who adopted him. However his grandfather was an idolator, and taught D. Malo according to his profession. Until the time when Kaʻahumanu paraded at Kailua in Kona, his knowledge had increased slightly. The occupation of his father was farming and fishing. His father ordered that Malo continue his good work and that he learn, and do no wrong; do not steal; do not partake in food that was stolen. So too was the instruction of his grandfather to him; However, the two of them did not forbid the stealing of another’s woman.
When he was 13 years old, he understood the workings of the world; and at 16, that was the year he grew the most in stature and he did work like that of an adult. When he was 18, that was when Kamehameha I returned to Hawaiʻi from Oʻahu; that voyage was called Kanīʻaukani.
That would be the first time he lived with Kuakini. And while he lived with him, he noticed that things were different in the country and things were different living among the aliʻi. There was much poverty, hunger, and idleness; they did not live comfortably. But he put great effort into work—farming and fishing, this endeavor and that endeavor with Kuakini.
When he was 19 years old, Kamehameha went to live at Kalāhuipuaʻa in Kona, and they accompanied Kuakini and settled there. They were met with a great famine. Kamehameha went to Kawaihae, and they all went along. Following this, he lived with Keōpūolani; after three years of living with her, Kamehameha died in the month of May. The nation went to Liholiho, his heir. During the reign of Liholiho there was much uprest and drunkenness. And he went to war with Kekuaokalani, and Kekuaokalani was killed by Kālaimoku folks. That was when the eating kapu was over.
(Not complete.)
Written by Iosepa Keohokana [Joseph Keohokaua]
Image: Portrait of David Malo by A. D. Agate. Bishop Museum Archives. SP 126565.
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Image: “Moolelo no Davida Malo,” Ka Elele Hawaii, June 2, 1854, p. 28.
MOʻOLELO OF DAVID MALO
He went on and reached Waialua [Wailua?]; he met with Kiaimakani and Kapiiwi; the two said to him, “Let’s drink some rum.” And that is what they did, until they were drunk; He forgot about God. They walked for six days and reached Kalalau, The rough seas were pounding. The kamaʻāina told him to go upland because the rough seas would not calm down quickly.
They slept that night, the following day being the Sabbath. He remembered God once again and prayed to God, asking to calm the rough seas. And with the coming of day, he looked and the sea was very calm. He was reminded once more of the power of God. They traveled by canoe and landed at Polihale, and from there they went to Waimea.
After that he returned to Oʻahu and became a teacher for Keōpūolani and Hoapili. At that time, Mī Kaeleiki [Rev. William Ellis], Kaaumoku, and Kaua [Tauʻā] came from Huahine. Keōpūolani fetched Kaua, and they lived together. Kaua taught D. Malo as did Auna. Thereafter he returned to Maui, and associated with Mī Kuaka [Rev. Charles Samuel Stewart] and Rikadi [Rev. William Richards].
He kept company with Rikadi folks at Halehuki in Lahaina after the death of Keōpūolani. It was then that he learned the haole writing with Mrs. Rikadi [Clarissa Lyman Richards], and that is why he lived with them. That is when Liholiho traveled to Tahiti.1 Following that, he went to battle on Kauaʻi. He came back to Oʻahu and drank rum until very intoxicated as usual. They went to Kauaʻi to battle and won. After this he began to drink once more until drunk. However, as for fornication, he did not take part, because he was fearful of the word of God. After the battle was over, they came back to Oʻahu and drank once more until extremely intoxicated; it was the Sabbath.
After his drunkeness was over, a terrible fear came upon him, being that Auna strongly forbade [not observing] the Sabbath while traveling about Kauaʻi. He recalled his prayer at Hulēʻia that the wind calm down, and that it indeed calmed down. Also his prayer at Kalalau that the rough waters calm down, and that they indeed calmed down.
As a result of him not observing the Sabbath, there grew within him an incomparable great fear. And one more thing, when he was preparing to go to fight, he asked Rikadi about the war, whether there would be life or perhaps death. This is what he said, “God will save you folks, you will not die.” They arrived on Oʻahu and he again asked of Mī Bīnamu [Rev. Bingham] about the war; he responded very much like did Mī Rikadi. And when they fought on Kauaʻi and won, he recalled the truth in the words of Bīnamu folks. Therefore the fear in his heart grew due to his defying and his lying to God. And he remembered his debt to God for the pleas he made on Kauaʻi. He thought deeply about himself, from night to day. And he saw that drinking rum was the root of his evil. So he abandoned drinking, never to drink again. He swore before some of his people, Lonomakaihonua and Kapeleaumoku, saying, “I will not drink rum from now on.” The two told D. Malo, “That is what all the drinkers say, and then they drink again.” To which he said, “I am resolute in my not drinking rum, because I am very fearful tonight of God because of my transgressions I committed on the Sabbath of Jehovah, when I drank rum. From now on the two of you will see, I will drink no more.”
Being that I clearly understand, there is not a single moral quality upheld by those who drink rum. Soon after, they returned to Maui. When they reached Maui, Rikadi’s Friday evening prayer meeting continued strongly. They then joined in with Hoapili folks; at that meeting he was not asked to give prayer. When going back to the house he privately questioned Rikadi, “Why did you not give me the prayer?” He told him, “I hear that you slipped on Oʻahu.” He then told Rikadi of the sins he committed on Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. He told Rikadi of his fear for God, because of the wrongs he did; Rikadi set things right through prayer, in response to Malo’s sins.
At their next prayer meeting, on Friday evening, he was asked to give the prayer. He prayed before the congregation without shame. Following this, he poured out his rum which he hid in his kapa container, for he made a promise in his heart that he would follow after God until the end. After that, Poki returned with the corpse of Liholiho and they landed at Lahaina, after which the aliʻi retuned to Oʻahu. This was when Kauikeaouli gave the nation to God. That was also when they translated the Bible into Hawaiian.
(Not complete.)
1Tahiti or Kahiki often refers to a foreign county.
This post is part of He Aupuni Palapala: Preserving and Digitizing the Hawaiian Language Newspapers, a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu with assistance from Kamehameha Schools. Mahalo nui loa to Hawaii Tourism Authority for their support. Learn more about this project here.
