A grassy depression on the left side of the road marks the centuries-old Sandalwood Pit (Lua Na Moku ʻIliahi). In the early 19th century, shortly after the lucrative sandalwood trade began, the pit was hand-dug to the exact measurements of a 100ft-long, 40ft-wide and 7ft-deep ship's hold, and filled with fragrant sandalwood logs cleared from the nearby forest.
The aliʻi (royalty) forced the makaʻainana (commoners) to abandon their crops and work the forest. When the pit was full, the wood was strapped onto the backs of the laborers, who hauled it down to the harbor for shipment to China.
