While Umi reigned over the eastern shores of the island, one of his cousins, Keliiokaloa, ruled the western coast, and held his court at Kailua.  It was under the reign of this prince, about two centuries before the voyage of Captain Cook, that a ship was wrecked near Keei, in the district of Kona, not far from the place where the celebrated English navigator met his death in 1779.  It was about 1570[C] that men of the white race first landed in the archipelago.  One man and one woman escaped from the wreck, and reached land near Kealakeakua.  Coming to the shore, these unfortunates prostrated themselves on the lava, with their faces to the earth, whence comes the name Kulou, a bowing down, which the place which witnessed this scene still bears.  The shipwrecked persons soon conformed to the customs of the natives, who pretend that there exists to our day a family of chiefs descended from these two whites.  The Princess Lohea, daughter of Liliha,[16] still living, is considered of this origin.  Keliiokaloa, who reigned over the coast where this memorable event took place, was a wicked prince, who delighted in wantonly felling cocoa-nut trees and laying waste cultivated lands.  His ravages induced Umi to declare war against him.

He took the field at the head of his army, accompanied by his famous warrior, Piimaiwaa; his friends, Koi and Omakamau; his favorite, Pakaa; and Lono, his Kahuna.  He turned the flanks of Mauna Kea, and advancing between this mountain and Hualalai, in the direction of Mauna Loa, arrived at the great central plateau of the island, intending to make a descent upon Kailua.  Keliiokaloa did not wait for him.  Placing himself at the head of his warriors, he marched to meet Umi.  The two armies met on the high plain bounded by the colossi of Hawaii, at the place which is called Ahua a Umi.

Two men of the slave race, called Laepuni, famous warriors of Keliiokaloa, fought with a superhuman courage, and Umi was about to fall under their blows, when Piimaiwaa, coming to his rescue, caused the victory to incline to his side.  Although history is silent, it is probable that the king of Kailua perished in the battle.

This victory completely rid Umi of his last rival; he reigned henceforth as sole ruler of Hawaii; and to transmit to posterity the remembrance of this remarkable battle, he caused to be erected on the battle-field, by the people of the six provinces, Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, Kona, Ka’u, and Puna, a singular monument, composed of six polyhedral piles of ancient lava collected in the vicinity.  A seventh pyramid was raised by his nobles and officers.  In the centre of these enormous piles of stone he built a temple, whose remains are still sufficiently perfect to enable one to restore the entire plan.  The whole of this vast monument is called, after the name of its builder, the Heaps of Umi—­Ahua Umi.

Umi built another temple at the foot of Pohaku Hanalei, on the coast of Kona, called Ahua Hanalei.  A third temple was also erected by him on the flank of Mauna Kea, in the direction of Hilo, at the place called Puukeekee.  Traces of a temple built by the same king may also be recognized at Mauna Halepohaha, where are found the ruins of Umi’s houses covered with a large block of lava.[17]