The Kahuna, especially those of the race of Paao, were the natural depositaries of history, and took the revered title of Mo’olelo, or historians.  Some individuals of this stock still exist, and they are all esteemed by the natives, and regarded as the chiefs of the historical and priestly caste.  The sacerdotal order had its origin in Paao, whose descendants have always been regarded as the Kahuna maoli.[6] Paao came from a distant land called Kahiki.  According to several chiefs, his genealogy must be more correct than that of the kings.  Common tradition declares that Paao came from foreign countries, landing on the north-west shore of Hawaii (Kohala), at Puuepa, in the place where, to this day, are seen the ruins of the Heiau (temple) of Mokini, the most ancient of all the temples, and which he is said to have built.  The advent of Paao and his erection of this heiau are so ancient, according to the old men, that Night helped the priest raise the temple:  Na ka po i kukulu ae la Mokini, a na Paao nae.  These sayings, in the native tongue, indicate the high antiquity of Paao.[7]

To build the temple of Mokini, which also served as a city of refuge, Paao had stones brought from all sides, even from Pololu, a village situated four or five leagues from Mokini or Puuepa.  The Kanakas formed a chain the whole length of the route, and passed the stones from one to another—­an easy thing in those times—­from the immense population of the neighborhood.

Paao has always been considered as the first of the Kahuna.  For this reason his descendants, independently of the fact that they are regarded as Mookahuna, that is, of the priesthood, are more like nobles in the eye of the people, and are respected by the chiefs themselves.  There are, in the neighborhood of Mokini, stones which are considered petrifactions of the canoe, paddles, and fish-hooks of Paao.

At Pololu, toward the mountain, are found fields of a very beautiful verdure.  They are called the pastures, or grass-plots, of Paao (Na mauu a Paao).  The old priest cultivated these fields himself, where no one since his time has dared to use spade or mattock.  If an islander was impious enough to cultivate the meadow of Paao, the people believe that a terrible punishment would be the inevitable consequence of that profanation.  Disastrous rains, furious torrents, would surely ravage the neighboring country.

Some Hawaiians pretend that there exists another sacerdotal race besides that of Paao, more ancient even than that, and whose priests belonged at the same time to a race of chiefs.  It is the family of Maui, probably of Maui-hope, the last of the seven children of Hina,[8] the same who captured the sea-monster Piimoe.  The origin of this race, to which Naihe of Kohala pretends to belong, is fabulous.  Since the reign of Kamehameha, the priests of the order of Maui have lost favor.