a. She was said to have been in a canoe with her
brother Maui when he fished up Cocoanut Island, his line breaking
before he could pull it up to the mainland and make it fast. Hina Kuluua
was the mistress over the forces of rain. The winds and the storms were
supposed to obey her will. Hina Mahuia is peculiarly a name connected
with the legends of the other island groups of the Pacific. Mahuia or
Mafuie was a god or goddess of fire all through Polynesia.

The legend of the Hilo hills pertains especially to Hina Ke Ahi and Hina
Kuluua. Hina the mother gave the hill Halai to Hina Ke Ahi and the hill
Puu Honu to Hina Kuluua for their families and dependents.

The hills were of rich soil and there was much rain. Therefore, for a
long time, the two daughters had plenty of food for themselves and their
people, but at last the days were like fire and the sky had no rain in
it. The taro planted on the hillsides died. The bananas and sugar cane
and sweet potatoes withered and the fruit on the trees was blasted. The
people were faint because of hunger, and the shadow of death was over
the land. Hina Ke Ahi pitied her suffering friends and determined to
provide food for them. Slowly her people labored at her command. Over
they went to the banks of the river course, which was only the bed of an
ancient lava stream, over which no water was flowing; the famished
laborers toiled, gathering and carrying back whatever wood they could
find, then up the mountain side to the great koa and ohia forests,
gathering their burdens of fuel according to the wishes of their
chiefess.

Their sorcerers planted charms along the way and uttered incantations to
ward off the danger of failure. The priests offered sacrifices and
prayers for the safe and successful return of the burden-bearers. After
many days the great quantity of wood desired by the goddess was piled up
by the side of the Halai Hill.

Then came the days of digging out the hill and making a great imu or
cooking oven and preparing it with stones and wood. Large quantities of
wood were thrown into the place. Stones best fitted for retaining heat
were gathered and the fires kindled. When the stones were hot, Hina Ke
Ahi directed the people to arrange the imu in its proper order for
cooking the materials for a great feast. A place was made for sweet
potatoes, another for taro, another for pigs and another for dogs. All
the form of preparing the food for cooking was passed through, but no