RETURN TO ALEKOKO TIDBITS

Miscellany

"At Niumalu, 2 miles from Léhu'e, on the road leading south and west from the harbor of Nawiliwili, is a fish pond known as Alakoko. It is a short distance above the mouth of the river, where the little valley widens in a half-moon shape, the stream flowing close to the bluff on the right. The bottom land on the other side is so low as to be swampy. Along the river bank on this die is a heavy wall of stone and earth, reaching the higher land at each end, thus forming a pond of 15 or 20 acres in which the ancient Hawaiians kept their surplus catch of fish. The wall has been raised and strengthened by its present owner, a Chinese who raises ducks instead of fish."
[Fowke 1922]

"Daylight comes before they [menehune] had finished the work, and the two gaps were left in the wall. These were filled in by Chinamen in late years, and the pond is still in use."
Ola -song of the king of Waimea. Kualu-nui-pauku-mokumoku. Menehune built wall of 'Alakoko fishpond at Niumalu at the time of Ola's living. Stones were from Makaweli and brought to Niumalu.
[Rice 1923:36]

Menehune-passed stones from makaweli to pond, left 2 stone gaps unfinished.
[Damon 1931:395]

The Niamalu [sic] pond is in use today and has been altered by adding cemented intakes and outlets so that the old mechanics are unknown. [Bennett 1931:24]

Ka'iwi states that the famous watercourse was completed during the night of Akua, on which there was a full moon....perhaps memenhune built ponds on moonlight night as well.
"Thrum, like Akina , states that the wall of the fishpond at the end of the Huleia River was not finished by dawn, hence was left."
[Luomala 1951:23, BPBM 203]

Pi was living at Hulaia on Kaua'i when the chief of that place began a large bank for a taro patch which was called "Alakoko, to separate it from the river.
[Hawai'i Holomua; Luomala 1951:21]

The sister's pond is 'Alekoko. The brother's pond was behind 'Alekoko but not finished. Full of fish in the old days. Fish in pond; mullett, 'awa, swordfish, kalamoho, 'aholehole, papiopio, 'o'opu, shrimps.
[BPBM Tape H-62B]

all : ancient, faced and fitted stones, cuts off bend of river with wall 900 ft long; stone faced dirt to a height of 5 ft above water level and 4 ft wide at top.
'Alekoko means Rippling blood: menehune passed so many rocks during the night that their hands were dripping with blood. When they washed them in the river before leaving, the water ran red with their blood.
[Hadley 1967:50-51
]

State I.D. No. 501.
property Owner:Kanoa Estate
Names: 'Alekoko fishpond
Niamalu [sic] Niumalu fishpond
[Field Survey; Hawaii register of Historic Places]

Previous to Chow 's lease the wall of pond had sections where the water flowed in at high water and out at low tide. The floor of the pond would be visible, like low islands, at low tide; but there would be water in enough places for the fish to take refuge until high water came in again. There was no control of the flow of water.

The 1st person to put wall into shape was a Chinese man named " Chow ."
The Chinese practically rebuilt the wall. He said fish as well as ducks were raised in the 1920's.
[Misc info]

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