SOME twenty odd years ago, when stationed in the Hawaiian Islands in command of a small vessel, I was engaged in correcting the existing charts and sailing directions of these waters and bringing them up to date. This led to more or less of an interest in the spelling and meaning of some of the native names, not the least of which was the channel between the islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe, and also the extreme southern point of the latter named island, both of which are called Ke-ala-i-Kahiki, and which being translated means, “The Road to Tahiti.”
This incited my curiosity, and upon asking one of my acquaintances, who was born in the islands and spoke Hawaiian perfectly, to verify the translation, he explained to me the reason for so naming this channel and point, which in turn developed other and still more interesting information, and which eventually led to solving scientifically the mystery of the “Sacred Calabash.” According to his story, which is undoubtedly true, there was communication by sea in open native boats between Hawaii and Tahiti, a distance of more than 2,300 nautical miles, over the broad ocean, mainly for the purpose of paying friendly visits— for Tahiti had the reputation of being a land of plenty, and the natives were noted for their lavish hospitality to strangers.
Similarity in Languages
At the same time it offered a means of felicitation and exchange of friendly messages between the high chiefs, and served to perpetuate an intercourse between these groups of islands which had the same basic language. The Hawaiians, Samoans, Tahitians, Tongans, Marquesians, Maories in New Zealand, and certain other islanders, come under this head, and a native of any one of these groups will have but little difficulty in making himself understood by a native of another.
There are a great many words which are common to all these languages, and many more which become the same by the change of a single letter. For example, the t in Samoan would become k in Hawaiian, and f becomes h. That is, tapa, the native cloth, becomes kapa; fate, the word for house, becomes hale, and the salutation in Samoa, talofa becomes aloha in Hawaiian.
In further explanation of the name Ke-ala-i-Kahiki, this gentleman, a very scholarly man who had written a history of Hawaii, said that the sailing of these canoes was always celebrated as a great event, and that it was preceded by feasting, dancing and other ceremonies.
Preparing for the Voyage The men who composed the crews were specially chosen for their strength, physique, prowess, endurance, skill as swimmers, in handling boats, and in catching fish and birds at sea and their knowledge of navigation and kindred subjects.
Months before sailing they were put through a course of tests including the performance of a maximum endurance on a minimum of food and water, in sailing and handling boats under adverse conditions; in righting them when capsized, and in their knowledge of astronomy and meteorology. The Hawaiians had a fair visual knowledge of the former; they knew that the sun changes its declination; that the North Stall's approximately fixed, and upon this fact, in connection with the Sacred Calabash, depends the principal point of interest in this story.
Their Knowledge of Astronomy They had names for the brighter stars and constellations, and knew that the planets were wanderers and so called them in their native tongue. As a matter of fact the North Star is not exactly at the celestial pole in the extension of the earth’s axis, but is about a degree or so from if, although the revolution of the earth on its axis brings the North Star on the meridian twice a day. However, for crude navigation and for the purposes of this story, we will consider the North Star as being at the pole or 90° from the equator. In order to better understand
Diagram showing approximate courses from Hawaii to Tahiti and return. Arrows indicate direction of prevailing winds
the following it should be remembered that one of the usual methods of finding latitude at sea, in the northern hemisphere, is by measuring the altitude of Polaris, or the North Star, and applying certain corrections to obtain the exact latitude.
Roughly speaking, if one were at the north pole, Polaris would be in the zenith or 90° overhead, and as one proceeds south from the pole every degree of latitude covered reduces the altitude just the same amount, and upon reaching the equator, the altitude would be zero. It follows that the latitude of any place in the northern hemisphere, is roughly equal to the altitude of Polaris.
Owing to the geographical position of Hawaii (in approximately 19° 30' N.), in addition to the stars of the northern hemisphere, most of those in the southern hemisphere, except the circumpolar ones, were also visible and familiar to the natives. They had a very fair conception of the movements of the stars, and were taught how to shape their courses at night by them, and by the sun during the day, making due allowance for changes in azimuth.
Their Knowledge of Meteorology
In the way of meteorology, living in the trade-wind region, and as their voyage would be wholly within the trade belt, they were familiar with all conditions pertaining to it. They knew that the direction of the wind varied between northeast and southeast, depending upon the season, and that certain seasons of the year were more propitious than others for making long sea voyages.
In order to more fully comprehend the wonderful accomplishment of these primitive natives, and to appreciate their endurance, resourcefulness, seamanship, and navigation, in making this extraordinary voyage without any of the modern aids to navigation, out of sight of land for nearly the whole distance, it is necessary to familiarize one’s self with the geographic location of these islands. Roughly, Hawaii is in latitude 19° 30' N., longitude 156° 00' W., and Tahiti, latitude 17° 30' S., longitude 149° 30' W., which makes the outbound course a little east of south, and the distance over 2,300 nautical miles.
When the crew were considered to be in proper physical condition and when the season was most propitious, the canoe was fully equipped and loaded with such provisions as would take the least space and yet give the greatest amount of sustenance. The Sacred Calabash was taken on hoard amidst a grand celebration in honor of the event, and after invoking the gods and making offerings and sacrifices.
A native historian of the Hawaiian Islands states that among the instructions given to the crew before making this voyage were: “If you sail for Kahiki (Tahiti) you will discover new constellations and strange stars over the deep ocean. When you arrive at Piko-o-wakea (Equator) you will lose sight of Hoku-paa (North Star) and Newe will be the southern guiding star, and the constellation Humu will stand as a guide above you.”
Knowledge of Navigation
There were those among the crew who were especially versed in navigation from every angle known to these people; under their advice and guidance the instructions were to steer by the sun by day and the stars by night, principally Polaris, on a course a little to the east of south. This at night would be accomplished by keeping Polaris several degrees to the left of a north and south course. Furthermore, when the celestial bodies might he obscured by clouds, knowing that the winds were generally easterly, they were to keep on the port tack; or keep the wind on the port side.
They also had an intimate, in fact almost uncanny, knowledge of the looks and action of the sea, that is the effect on the waves of the strength of the wind, its duration from any one direction, or changes in direction. Still more wonderful, and I have actually seen it demonstrated, they could tell the direction of the land by its action in changing the continuity or general symmetry of the waves. For example, in one of the south sea groups we hired a pilot for his local knowledge in entering the harbors of the different islands. Often without telling him our destination, in going from one island to another, and before sighting land, I have called him on deck and asked its direction, and he invariably pointed correctly, although, as in several other equally as remarkable exhibitions of his extraordinary developed facilities, he was unable to explain how his conclusions were reached.
Nor could any of the natives in any of the groups give a clear explanation of their combination geographical and astronomical charts, which in general consisted of a number of thin strips or battens of light wood lashed or seized by cord at their crossings, and to which, here and there, at these crossings and elsewhere, were a number of shells some of which were movable.
Science or Instinct?
Unquestionably these islanders had developed their powers of observation and analysis of phenomena pertaining to the sea, atmosphere, and heavens to a marvelous degree, and had put them to practical use. We find this development of faculties along useful lines among many aboriginal tribes and primitive people.
The bushmen of Australia, among the lowest known order of human beings, have the ability to follow the trail of man or beast that would baffle any other person, no matter what might be his intelligence or knowledge in other directions.
Among our early frontiersmen the faculty of finding one’s way through the trackless forests was keenly developed. Daniel Boone with a companion left North Carolina and spent a year or more in exploring Kentucky, then an unknown land. After returning to North Carolina and describing his wanderings and previous visit to his brother, he went again to Kentucky, this time alone. He once journeyed from Chillicothe to Boonesboro, a distance as the crow flies of 160 miles, in four days.
Stop to realize what this means! Not a single habitation nor sign of civilization; no roads, not a house; solely dependent upon the country for his food; the Ohio and other rivers to cross; the virgin forest untouched by human hands; yet he not only made forty miles a day, but steered a course that carried him to Boonesboro by practically the shortest route and best possible time.
These examples are given in order to show that it was not blind luck that enabled these people to accomplish their ends, but scientific knowledge, no matter how crude, deduced from actual study and experience.
The Hawaiian-Tahitian Voyage
Returning to the Hawaiian-Tahitian voyage, it was known to the crew that when about half way on their journey—namely, when near the equator—that they would lose the North Star, that it would sink below the horizon and that it would be necessary for them to use certain southern circumpolar constellations.
Here it is well to explain that, prior to the advent of the white men, the natives built enormous canoes called pahe. These canoes dwarf the small dug-out canoe, in general use today throughout the South Sea Islands, and which in turn are being rapidly superseded by modern boats. The pahe were of several classes and kinds, the largest being used for deep sea voyages and war purposes. They were both single and double and were from sixty to ninety feet in length.
The Tahitians, for example, made the hull of their canoes from the apapi tree, from which logs over forty feet in length were obtained and which were about three feet in diameter. These were hollowed out, joined together end on end and served as the hull to which keels of tamanu wood were attached, while the planking and paddles were made of purau wood. The double canoes were built up hulls with side planking, and so constructed that they could be housed over, or closed, in rough weather, thus making them far more sea-worthy. These hulls in turn, were joined together by braces, with an intervening space of several feet between them, and upon the whole was constructed a shelter erection both for the preservation of food, plants, and live stock carried, and for the protection of a part of the crew as well.
They were fitted with one or two masts, and carried triangular sails of native matting, in addition to full sets of paddles. Doubtless logs of a much larger size were to be found in some of the other islands, as is the case today, but the above description of the Tahitian canoe is cited because it is well authenticated.
Inter-Island Polynesian Voyages
Based upon tradition, ethnological evidence, and, in more modern times, actual facts, there were frequent and numerous inter-island voyages between the Fiji, Friendly, Samoan, Cook, and Tahitian groups of islands, which lie roughly between 10° S., to 25° S., and 175° E., to 150° W., a zone about 900 miles wide by 2,100 long. There are well authenticated records of long voyages which were made from these groups, not only to New Zealand and Hawaii, but to other out-lying islands, some of which were fully 2,000 miles distant.
Even in modern times natives in small canoes have been picked up at sea hundreds of miles from land, having been blown off shore or having lost their way in making passage. Various reasons have been assigned for these migrations and voyages, but those most generally accepted are that they were due to over population, tribal wars, scarcity of food, love of adventure, and abiding confidence in their ability as seamen and navigators, to find their way back to land in case no new islands were discovered.
There is abundant evidence that they set forth prepared to colonize any new land discovered, for they not only carried their women, but seed, food, plants, and live stock.
The South Voyage
Coming back again to the Hawaii-Tahiti voyage to the southward, they were aware that their course should carry them through several groups of low lying islands or atolls, and that on communication with any of them they could get the necessary direction and information for continuing their voyage to Tahiti.
At the end of their visit they once more provisioned their canoes and made ready for the return voyage.
The Return North
Here, let it be explained, dependent upon the season and latitude, the prevailing winds were from the southeast, in the vicinity of Tahiti, hauling by degrees to approximately northeast when in the latitude of Hawaii. And while it is true that these winds are neither steady in direction nor constant in force, they are, nevertheless, the prevailing winds. Having this information, the crew was directed to put their canoe on the starboard tack, and keep the wind abeam or a little forward of the beam. This, in plain English, means that in the long run their average course would carry them several hundred miles at least, to windward and to the eastward of Hawaii.
They were also aware that when approximately half way back on their return journey, which would he in the neighborhood of a little to the northward of the equator, they would raise the North Star, and from that time on they were to give heed to the Sacred Calabash.
The Use of the Calabash
Now, as to the Calabash itself.
It is a species of gourd over three feet in length, the bottom spherical, the barrel cylindrical, and slightly tapering toward the top. Near the top a row of four holes had been bored on a circle, 90° apart, whose plane was at right angles to the longitudinal axis. And here it should be noted that from an inscription on the Calabash, it can be traced back through its several owners and keepers to the old days when it was in general use. (See pages XLI and XLVIII).
As they gained latitude to the northward the Calabash was to be filled with water up to the holes, and through any one of these holes, and over the opposite upper rim of the Calabash, observations were to be made on the North Star, until, still observing through the hole, it became tangent to the upper rim. When this condition obtained, the course was to be immediately changed to west. This westerly course could be altered from time to time if necessary, so that Polaris would remain approximately tangent, thus insuring their keeping in the approximate latitude of Hawaii and arriving at that island in due course of time.
As a matter of fact, although crude, this method of making the return voyage, and particularly the use of the Calabash for finding Hawaii, is not only based on scientific principle, no matter what may have led to its discovery and adoption, but is practically, in a modified way, one of the most general methods of finding latitude today by the North Star. In fact, a sextant may be used on the same general principle involved if it be set at a constant angle and used in the same way. (See Secretary’s notes).
The Explanation
Naturally, my curiosity was aroused to see this so-called “Sacred Calabash,” and to ascertain if it could be reliably used for its reputed purpose. Obtaining permission, I filled it with water to the circle of holes and measured the angle from any one of them across the opposite rim, and found it to be about 19°. The water inside acted as a level, keeping the calabash in the vertical. Thus when Polaris was on the rim its altitude was about 19°, which roughly equalled the latitude of Hawaii, and enabled the crew to steer west with a confidence that they would reach their destination.
It seems all but needless to call attention to the fact that the altitude of Polaris varies about two degrees each day, but it is equally evident that if several days were consumed in the western part of the voyage, or if when on shore more careful observations had been taken of Polaris, this change would have become known, and allowances made accordingly. Furthermore, Hawaii is mountainous; two of its peaks, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, are between 13,000 and 14,000 feet in height, and visible far out at sea. In addition to which, as is the case in general in the tropics, when the land is high there is a very distinctive cloud effect which helps to indicate its presence from its contrast to the usual trade clouds and sky effects. And a still further aid would be found in the sky in case either of the two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa or Kilauea, were in eruption and their reflections could be seen in the heavens.
There has been a vast deal of theory and speculation as to how these and other islanders traversed the broad expanse of water which separates these islands from each other, whether they originally drifted before the wind or worked their way to windward in voyages of discovery. Some of the records, like this, and the migration and voyages of what are now the Maoris, to and from New Zealand, from the vicinity of Tahiti, or Rarotonga, are authentic and well known and, to my mind, form reasonable grounds for believing that these voyages were carefully planned and executed, and were far less a matter of mere chance than they were the result of logical reasoning.
Conclusion
In conclusion, let it be said, that if the navigational features of this voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti and return, and the general geographic knowledge of the South Sea Islanders of their part of the world, could be compared to some of the published charts, made by early European voyagers to America, contrasting the instruments and methods of the two, that of the Polynesians would stand a very favorable comparison.
From Archieves of Hawaii—This and the thirteen succeeding pictures are by Courtesy of Albert Pierce Taylor, Librarian.
Hawaiian War Canoe—Warriors Masked
Progenitors of Modern Warships in Hawaiian Waters.
From Archives of Hawaii
Honolulu Harbor about the time of the “Constitution,” “Constellation,” “Congress” and “United States” in Hawaiian Waters
From a sketch, the artist omitting the middle ground. Time in the ’40’s.
From Archives of Hawaii
“On Guard” During the ‘70’s in Honolulu Harbor
From Archives of Hawaii
Midshipman (Lord) Charles Beresford Replacing the Shield
Taken from the Office of the American Minister (See
Page 919).
From sketch made at time, 1865.
From Archives of Hawaii
Day in Naval Row—Honolulu
From Archives of Hawaii
“Kaimiloa”—Hawaii’s only warship, 1887
Firing a salute to Samoa where her diplomatic mission ended in failure. See Proceedings, September, 1926, page 1709.
From Archives of Hawaii
Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli)
Friend of the American Navy which often befriended him. Born 1825—Died 1853.
From Archives of Hawaii
King (David) Kai.akaua, the “Merry Monarch''—Reigned 1874 to 1891.
Born November 16, 1836—Died January 20, 1891.
From Archives of Hawaii
The (old) U.S.S. “Charleston"
In 1890 this ship took King Kalakaua to San Francisco as the guest of our nation. He went in fittest of health, hut died in the City of the Golden Gate, January 20, 1891. This same ship brought his body back to his native land. There being no cables in those clays, the populace, eagerly awaiting his return and Honolulu in gala attire, did not know of his death until the ship rounded Diamond Head and witnessed the half-masted colors and cockbilled yards.
From Archives of Hawaii
American Flag and Hawaiian Calabash
Presented to the officers of the U.S.S. Charleston, June 3, 1898, by Queen Kapiolani.
Old Government Building (with clock tower)
The provisional government was proclaimed here on January 17, 1893, and on a flagpole in the grounds the crew of the U.S.S. Boston hoisted the American flag at the time of the annexation, over five years later, August 12, 1898.
United States Guard from the U.S.S. “Boston”
This detachment was on duty at the Arlington Hotel, Honolulu, at the time of the overthrow of the monarchy, January, 1893. Lieutenant Lucien Young, U. S. Navy, in command.
PRESIDENT S. B. DOLE, OF THE REPUBLIC OF HAWAII, AND OFFICERS OF THE UNITED STATES
From Archives of Hawaii—Courtesy of A. P. Taylor, Librarian
Landing of American Detachments from Men-of-War to Attend Ceremony of Transfer of Sovereignty of Hawaii to the United States at Iolani Palace.
Courtesy of Tai Sinn Loo, Honolulu
Interior of the Iolani Palace, Throne Room
From Archives of Hawaii—Courtesy of A. P. Taylor, Librarian
Transfer of Sovereignty
The official lowering of the Hawaiian flag from the flagstaff over old Iolani Palace August 12, 1898, following the reading of the Proclamation
of Annexation. The American flag has just been hoisted. The Hawaiian flag is now in the Naval Academy Museum.
Courtesy of Tai Sing Loo, Honolulu
Scenic Coast of Keanae, Maui
Courtesy of Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman, U.S.N.
The Sacred Calabash
The row of holes on the calabash are not distinguishable in this photo. The gold bands were placed on it by King Kalakaua’s orders, purely for ornament. (See page 871.)