Surveying the Mahele

"In this second volume of the series, Palapala'āina, we have focused on a particularly fascinating aspect of the history of the mapping of Hawai'i.... In this volume, our interests in surveying are several. In one respect, surveying is the most detailed form of map-making possible and is therefore the underlying framework of many forms of maps. Surveying is also a foundation of the western concept of private ownership of land, and we have examined how the transition from the traditional Hawaiian land tenure system to the foreign concept of privately owned land. Lastly, the surveying work done during and in support of the mahele set the stage for--or create the need for, to be more accurate--the establishment of the Hawaiian Government Survey in 1870."--Preface.