Warriors Traveled the Mountain Paths and Met in Battle on the ʻĀina Mauna

When Keawe-nui-a-ʻUmi learned of the unjust rule of Ke-liʻi-o-kaloa and the burdening of the common people, he was filled with compassion for the chiefs and commoners of Kona. Therefore he made himself ready with his chiefs, war lords, war leaders, and 

warriors from Hilo, Puna, and Ka-ʻu to make war on Kona. The war parties [met?] at the volcano (pit of Pele) before going on to battle along the southern side of Mauna Kea and the northern side of Mauna Loa. The mountain road lay stretched on the level. At the north flank of Hualalai, before the highway, was a very wide, rough bed of lava—barren, waterless, and a desert of rocks. It was a mountain place familiar to ʻUmi-a-Liloa when he battled against the chiefs of Hilo, Ka-ʻu, and Kona. There on that extensive stretch of lava stood the mound (ahu), the road, the house, and heiau of ʻUmi.* It was through there that Keawe-nui-a-ʻUmiʻs army went to do battle against his older brother, Ke-liʻi-o-kaloa.

When the chiefs of Kona heard that those of Hilo were coming by way of the mountain to do battle, Ke-liʻi-o-kaloa sent his armies, but they [page 35] were defeated by the armies from Hilo. The armies of Kona were put to flight. When the armies of Hilo reached the shore of Kona the war canoes arrived from Ka-ʻu and from Hilo. The battle was [both] from the upland and from the sea. Ke-liʻi-o-kaloa fled and was killed on a lava bed. The spot where he was killed was called Puʻu-o-Kaloa (Kaloaʻs hill), situated between Kailua and Honokohau… [Kamakau, 1961:36]

In the next generation, Lono-i-ka-makahiki, grandson of ʻUmi-a-Līloa, was also called upon to battle, this time, against the invading forces of the Maui chief, Kama-lālā-walu. Once again, we find that warriors of Hawaiʻi made use of the mountain land trails to meet the final challenge on the plains of Waimea. The warriors from the Kaʻū, Puna and Hilo districts passed by Mauna Kea, to join in the battle below Puʻu ʻOāʻoaka, in Waimea:

Kama-lala-walu, the heedless chief, paid no attention, but followed the advice of two oldmen of Kawaihae who counseled falsely. One of them was named Puhau-kole. They said, “Puʻuoaʻoaka is a good battlefield and will be a great help to the chief. All the canoes should be taken apart because the warriors may desire to run back to the canoes and depart in secret for Maui. The best thing to do is to cut up the canoes and outriggers, for there are canoes enough in Hawaii. When it is conquered, there will be many canoes from Kona and Ka-ʻu. There will be much property and wealth for the Maui chiefs.” The chief, Kama-lala-walu, listened to the advice of Puhau-kole and his companion. Their suggestions were carried out, and the canoes were broken up. Then Kama-lala-waluʻs fighting men went up to the grass-covered plain of Waimea.

After Kama-lala-waluʻs warriors reached the grassy plain, they looked seaward on the left and beheld the men of Kona advancing toward them. The lava bed of Kaniku and all the land up to Huʻehuʻe was covered with the men of Kona. Those of Ka-ʻu and Puna were coming down from Mauna Kea, and those of Waimea and Kohala were on the level plain of Waimea. The men covered the whole of the grassy plain of Waimea like locusts. Kama-lala-walu with his warriors dared to fight. The battlefield of Puʻoaʻoaka was outside of the grassy plain of Waimea, but the men of Hawaii were afraid of being taken captive by Kama, so they led to the waterless plain lest Mauiʻs warriors find water and hard, waterworn pebbles. The men of Hawaii feared that the Maui warriors would find water to drink and become stronger… [Kamakau, 1961:58]