[2] Kane-pu-niu, a form of god Kane, now an uncarved bowlder; here used in a tropical sense to mean the head. The Hawaiians, impelled by the same vein of humor as ourselves, often spoke of the human head as a coconut (pu-niu). [↑]
[3] Kona, here used as a local name for the sea-breeze. [↑]
[4] Koolau-wahine, a wind, stronger, but from the same direction as the Kona. [↑]
[5] The author begs to remark that sunstroke is unknown in all Hawaii. [↑]
[6] Lau-a’e, a fragrant plant that grows in the woods of Kauai. [↑]
[7] Akua. The word akua was used not alone to designate the gods, it was also applied to any superhuman or supernatural being. The reference here is to the little creatures that swarmed in the land. [↑]
[8] Oe. This last line is evidently addressed to her traveling companion, Wahine-oma’o, whom she descried in the canoe in the offing. [↑]
[9] Huli ke alo i ka paia. To sleep with one’s face turned to the wall was reckoned to indicate a high degree of confidence in one’s safety. [↑]
[10] Ula, a tingling in the ears. Tinnitus aurium, a tingling in the ears, or any similar symptom in that organ was regarded as a sure sign that some person was making a communication from a distance. This superstition, or sentiment, in regard to tinnitus aurium was not peculiar to the Polynesian. In Der Trompeter von Säckingen I find the following:
Laut das Ohr klingt, als ein Zeichen,