--- title: The Red Mouth Gun — Hawaiian Historical Legends · full text with trees description: The Red Mouth Gun, «Hawaiian Historical Legends» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: (KA-PU-WAHA-ULAULA) --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/17/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Hawaiian Historical Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/) / The Red Mouth Gun # The Red Mouth Gun The Red Mouth Gun of «Hawaiian Historical Legends» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole text, 86 sentences and 1504 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. (KA-PU-WAHA-ULAULA)[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The Red Mouth Gun is the name given by the Hawaiians to the great canoe battle fought off Waipio, Hawaii, in the year 1791, according to Fornander.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") This was the first naval battle in which guns were the prominent weapons used by the Hawaiian chiefs.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Ka-meha-meha I, in 1789, had gained the adherence of the noted chief Kaiana, who had already visited China and purchased guns and ammunition.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") This was probably the best stroke of diplomacy exercised by him during all his great work of welding the scattered islands into a united kingdom.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") Kaiana’s real relations were with Kauai rather than Hawaii.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") In transferring Kaiana’s arsenal from Kauai to Hawaii Ka-meha-meha secured an advantage over all the other chiefs of the islands.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") The man who has material at hand is equipped for any emergency.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") The possession of this armament led Ka-meha-meha to seize the two white men, Isaac Davis and John Young in the year 1790.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") These two men were the second great factor in the consolidation of the islands.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") With arms and ammunition and men skilful in gunnery and wise in counsel Ka-meha-meha was practically invincible.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") From this time he dated victories instead of defeats.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") During the year 1790 he overran Maui and Molokai and subdued a serious rebellion on his own island, Hawaii.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") During this conflict at home the high chiefs of the other islands held consultation concerning their common enemy and the best way to overthrow him.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") They had guns and here and there a white man who had been kidnapped or persuaded to desert from the few ships already visiting the islands.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") By combining forces it seemed easy to overthrow the high chief of Hawaii.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The king of Kauai and the king of Oahu were brothers.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Kahekili, the ruler of Oahu, was also the high chief of Maui, which he had placed under the control of his son, Ka-lani-kupule.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Therefore the entire northern, group of islands was able to combine against Hawaii.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") It was Ka-meha-meha and one island against the rest of the group.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") The natives had used large shells for trumpets.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") They had a famous war shell known as the “kihapu.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Anything, therefore, which gave out an explosive noise when blown into was called “pu.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") When they saw a white man holding a gun to the shoulders, with the resulting smoke and explosion, they gave to the death-dealing magic trumpet the name “pu-waha-ulaula”—the trumpet with the red mouth.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") Pu became the name for a gun.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The chiefs had massed their forces on Maui.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Here Ka-eo-ku-lani, the chief of Kauai, took the leadership of the expedition and, looking upon Maui as redeemed from the victorious inroad of Ka-meha-meha, assumed the island as one of his perquisites of the campaign.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Fornander suggests that his older brother, Kahekili, king of Oahu, might have agreed to give him land or even the island as a reward.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") But here the chiefs of Maui interfered.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") They were not willing to have the island disposed of in that way.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") A quarrel arose and the Kauai men attempted to take by force the lands which their high chief claimed and had promised them.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Spears were seized, war clubs swung and oval, double-pointed stones dropped into the slings.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") For a little while there was an exchange of blows.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") One of the sons of Kahekili, king of Oahu, withstood a large number of Kauai men, holding them at bay unaided.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Evidently the quarrel was smoothed over.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") The Kauai chiefs were never able to again lay any claim to Maui.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The two brothers separated their forces.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") One fleet of canoes under the Kauai king rendezvoused his boats at Hana, an old and well-known harbour on Maui just across the channel from Hawaii.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Hana was the home of some of the most ancient Polynesian legends when applied to the Hawaiian Islands.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") The demi-god Maui is said to have noticed how close the sky or clouds came to the earth, and then pushed the sky up until his mother could have room to dry the cloth she was making and the plants have space in which to grow.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") When Ka-eo-ku-lani, chief of Kauai, climbed the hills above the seaport he carried his war spear.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Standing among the ruins of an ancient fort he threw his spear far up toward the clouds above.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Referring to the legends, he cried: “It is said of old that the sky comes close to Hana, but I find it very high.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") I have thrown my spear and it did not pierce the clouds.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") I doubt if it will strike Ka-meha-meha.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") But listen, O you chiefs, warriors and kindred\![46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") Be strong and valiant and we shall drink the water of Waipio and eat the taro of Kunaka.”[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") After a little rest the Kauai fleet swept across the channel and passed down the eastern side of Hawaii.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") The winds of the ocean climb the mountains of Hawaii from the northeast.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") As they touch the cold surface of the lofty mountain slopes they let fall in heavy showers their burden of waters borne from the sea.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") Great gulches, bordered by enormous growths of tropical luxuriance, are rapidly formed.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Waterfalls hundreds of feet in height shake the falling streams into clouds of spray.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Of all these gulches and noted falls on Hawaii, Waipio stands supreme.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") It was the pride of kings, the sacred home of priests, and the place for the bountiful food supply of royal retinues.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Here the Kauai chief became vandal.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") He evidently cared but little for the preservation of this, one of the most ancient places on Hawaii.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") His followers ravaged the taro patches and fish ponds.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") They seized whatever they wanted for present use and then destroyed the growing plants and broke down protecting banks and walls.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") To show their contempt for Hawaii they were permitted, and probably commanded by their chief, to tear up and destroy very old and sacred portions of the heiaus, or temples.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") The ancient palace of Hawaiian kings was supported by sacred posts of pepper tree.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") These were burned.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") The palace, of course, was only a large thatched house and could be easily replaced, but the posts, consecrated by the blood of human sacrifices and cared for through many generations, were irretrievably lost.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") The natives of Hawaii have a special class of deities known as au-makuas.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") These are the ghosts of the ancestors watching over the place known in this earthly life, and the family of which they were the progenitors.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") They were supposed to punish severely any injuries received by those under their care.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") The people of Hawaii claimed that the Kauai king suffered sorely for his impiety.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon Kahekili, chief of Oahu, with the Oahu and Maui war canoes, was driven by Ka-meha-meha from the northwestern coast which they had been devastating.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") They fled to Waipio and united with the Kauai fleet.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") Ka-meha-meha had been able to secure some small cannon, which he placed on some of his larger canoes.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") Isaac Davis and John Young took charge of this portion of battle array.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") The other canoes were well supplied with firearms.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") The fleet of the invading army formed in battle array out in the deep waters off the Waipio coast.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") Here the canoes of Ka-meha-meha found their foes.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") In former years a naval battle meant the clash of canoe against canoe, the heavy stroke of war clubs against war clubs and clouds of hurled javelins and spears.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") The conflict was largely a matter of taunts and shouts, broken canoes and drowning warriors.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") But in this fight the opposing parties combined the rattle of firearms and the roar of small cannon with the usual war of words.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") Boats were shattered and the sea filled with swimming men.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") The people on the bluffs saw the red flashes of the guns and noted the increasing noise of the artillery until they could no longer hear the voices of men.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") As the clouds of smoke crept over the sea the battle became, in the view of the watchers, a fight between red mouth guns, and they shouted one to another the news of the progress of the conflict according to the predominance of flashing muskets and cannon.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") It was soon seen that the invaders were being defeated.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") The man who had the best arms and the best gunners won the victory.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") The Kauai and Oahu kings fled with their scattered fleets to Maui.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") Ka-meha-meha soon followed them, and during the next three years, step by step, passed over the islands until the kingdom was his.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") The death rate during these years of devastating warfare was beyond all calculation and thus came a tremendous decrease in the Hawaiian population.[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") In the eyes of the old Hawaiians the ghost-gods had avenged themselves in the battle of “the red mouth guns.”[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") XVII[86](86/ 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