CHAPTER VII
When Aiwohikupua and his companion had left Paliuli they returned and came to Keaau, made the canoe ready, and at the approach of day boarded the canoe and returned to Kauai.
On the way back Aiwohikupua would not say why he was returning until they reached Kauai; then, for the first time, his counsellor knew the reason.
On the way from Keaau they rested at Kamaee, on the rocky side of Hilo, and the next day left there, went to Humuula on the boundary between Hilo and Hamakua; now the seer saw Aiwohikupua sailing over the ocean.
After passing Humuula they stopped right off Kealakaha, and while the chief slept they saw a woman sitting on the sea cliff by the shore.
When those on board saw the woman they shouted, "Oh! what a beautiful woman!"
At this Aiwohikupua started up and asked what they were shouting about. They said, "There is a beautiful woman sitting on the sea cliff." The chief turned his head to look, and saw that the stranger was, indeed, a charming woman.
So the chief ordered the boatmen to row straight to the place where the woman was sitting, and as they approached they first encountered a man fishing with a line, and asked, "Who is that woman sitting up there on the bank directly above you?"
He answered, "It is Poliahu, Cold-bosom.".
As the chief had a great desire to see the woman, she was beckoned to; and she approached with her cloak all covered with snow and gave her greeting to Aiwohikupua, and he greeted her in return by shaking hands.
After meeting the stranger, Aiwohikupua said, "O Poliahu, fair mistress of the coast, happily are we met here; and therefore, O princess of the cliff, I wish you to take me and try me for your husband, and I will be the servant under you; whatever commands you utter I will obey. If you consent to take me as I beseech you, then come on board the canoe and go to Kauai. Why not do so?"
The woman answered, "I am not mistress of this coast. I come from inland; from the summit of that mountain, which is clothed in a white garment like this I am wearing; and how did you find out my name so quickly?"
Said Aiwohikupua, "This is the first I knew about your coming from the White Mountain, but we found out your name readily from that fisherman yonder."
"As to what the chief desires of me," said Poliahu, "I will take you for my husband; and now let me ask you, are you not the chief who stood up and vowed in the name of your gods not to take any woman of these islands from Hawaii to Kauai to wife—only a woman who comes from Moaulanuiakea? Are you not betrothed to Hinaikamalama, the famous princess of Hana? After this trip around Hawaii, then are you not returning for your marriage? And as to your wishing our union, I assure you, until you have made an end of your first vow it is not my part to take you, but yours to take me with you as you desire."
At Poliahu's words Aiwohikupua marveled and was abashed; and after a while a little question escaped him: "How have you ever heard of these deeds of mine you tell of? It is true, Poliahu, all that you say; I have done as you have described; tell me who has told you."
"No one has told me these things, O chief; I knew them for myself," said the princess; "for I was born, like you, with godlike powers, and, like you, my knowledge comes to me from the gods of my fathers, who inspire me; and through these gods I showed you what I have told you. As you were setting out at Humuula I saw your canoe, and so knew who you were."
At these words Aiwohikupua knelt and did reverence to Poliahu and begged to become Poliahu's betrothed and asked her to go with him to Kauai.
"We shall not go together to Kauai," said the woman, "but I will go on board with you to Kohala, then I will return, while you go on."
Now, the chiefs met and conversed on the deck of the canoe.
Before setting out the woman said to Aiwohikupua and his companion, "We sail together; let me be alone, apart from you two, fix bounds between us. You must not touch me, I will not touch you until we reach Kohala; let us remain under a sacred taboo;" and this request pleased them.
As they sailed and came to Kohala they did not touch each other.
They reached Kohala, and on the day when Aiwohikupua's party left, Poliahu took her garment of snow and gave it to Aiwohikupua, saying, "Here is my snow mantle, the mantle my parents strictly forbade my giving to anyone else; it was to be for myself alone; but as we are betrothed, you to me and I to you, therefore I give away this mantle until the day when you remember our vows, then you must seek me, and you will find me above on the White Mountain; show it to me there, then we shall be united."
When Aiwohikupua heard these things the chief's heart was glad, and his counsellor and the paddlers with him.
Then Aiwohikupua took out his feather cloak, brought it and threw it over Poliahu with the words, "As you have said to me before giving me the snow mantle, so do you guard this until our promised union."
When their talk was ended, at the approach of day, they parted from the woman of the mountain and sailed and came to Hana and met Hinaikamalama.