Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2010 — Ke au i hala from the archives ʻLEĪ IT BE PRINTED!ʻ [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ke au i hala from the archives ʻLEĪ IT BE PRINTED!ʻ

Kingdom-era epidemic takes heavy toll

By Kau'i Sai-Dudoit n October of 1848 a double epidemic, measles and whooping cough, spread through the islands, eventually taking 10,000 lives. This was one of the many such waves of disease recorded in the history of the islands, but the expanding reach of the Hawaiianlanguage newspapers allowed for national communication during such a time of crisis. The archive of those papers provides firsthand historical documentation about the event for readers today. Earlier articles in Ka Elele Hawaii had warned people about these new diseases, described treatments and explained that while not always fatal, both illnesses were very contagious. By December of that year, the newspapers were reporting about outbreaks of ill-

ness on every island, explaining how schools and towns were dealing with the crisis, and publishing the number of fatalities when the information was available. This excerpt is part of a longer list of current fatalities in several districts on O'ahu, Moloka'i, Maui and Hawai'i. Sent in by Gov. Mataio Kekūanāo'a, father of Ke'elikōlani, Lot Kapuāiwa, Alexander Liholiho and Victoria Kamāmalu, his report does not distinguish between the two illnesses, but he details the number of deaths during the first two weeks of November in the Kona district of O'ahu. He reports in sequence from Waiklkl, whieh extended to the edge of Maunalua Bay, through the district to Moanalua, with no report from Kahauiki, the fifth of the six ahupua'a of Kona. The editorpoints out that the 380 deaths in the Kona (O'ahu) district

averaged out to about 25 persons a day throughout the period. In his report, Mataio asks the editor to publish the sad news in the paper and to announee it for the prayer services in church. Just days after his report was sent in, and before it was published in Ka Elele Hawaii, Mose Kekūāiwa, the 19-year-old son of Kekūanāo'a and Kīna'u died of measles. ■ Ho'oīaupa'i: Hawaiian Language Newspaper Project is a eoīīaborative partnership among the Bishop Museum, Awaiauīu Ina, AIu Li.ke ine. and Hale Kuamo 'o to utilize modem technology to preserve and provide access to the voluminous writings in the Hawaiian īanguage newspapers for free access at nupepa.org. Kau'i Sai-Dudoit has been the Project Manager of Ho'olaupa'i since 2002.

KA ELkkE IIAWAII, iīEKKHAEA 2, IS4S. : Ka m*i ma Ltt. Eīa nmlalo ka piila|wla a ke l i Kiaaina a M.^Kekiiauaoa no ka poe i iimke i na !;ebetloina elua iiim ka la 1 akiki i ka la 15 o \ovetnaba nei. : P\tpuo Hunolulu, 18 N'oiemuh/i 18,8. i Aloha oe: Ke liai akn nei au ia oe i kn nui u ka |ioe n'ako tn«i Waikiki n Moanaina iloko o koia niau puk' olua o Novemaba i liala ibo nei. Waikiki .*? 1 poo ina- 1 ke. Honnlnhi aina nw Honnlulu kulanakaiikah? 37i poe ! n>ake. Kajmlania \ī poe iuake. Kalilii -24 j>oe .inake. { Moanalua 7 |«>e nmke. _ ' " A, Nau e lioolaha ma ka Elole līnwnii n e ku knla hoi iloko o ka Limkini t kg hu pule. oia ka u e hai uku nei , ia oe. me ka malm|o. M. Kf.mjsnaoa, j laa i hnipuia ka poe make i ole'oia maluna 380 tio ia. A ina i puonaoeia e ra la he 15 puku mai 25, a; oia ka |>oe i make i ka la liooknhi. The article as it originally appeared in Ka Elele Hawaii.

Translation of article by Puakea Nogelmeier The Hawaiian Messenger, December 2, 1848 Illness in Honolulu. Here below is the letter from Gov. M. Kekūanāo'a about the people who have died in the two week span from the lst to the 15th of the past month, November. Fort ofHonolulu, 18 November 1848. Regards: I am reporting the number of deaths from Waikīkī to Moanalua in the.se last two weeks of November that have just passed. Waikīkī, 71 people died. Honolulu district anel City of Honolulu, 271 deaths.

Kapālama, 7 have died. Kalihi, 24 persons died. Moanalua, 7 deaths. You should announee it in Ka Elele Hawaii, anel it should be proclaimed in the Churches during services, anel that is my report to you, with appreciation. M. Kekūanāo 'a. If added up, the deaths stated above equal 380. And if divided by 15 days, the result is 25, whieh is the number of people who died eaeh day.

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Gov. Mataio Kekūanāo'a, left, lost a son to measles. Fort of Honolulu, above. - Photos: Courtesy of Ho'olaupa'i