From olden times, Waikīkī was viewed as a place not only of peace and hospitality but also of healing, with great mana and powerful kahuna la‘au lapa‘au living there, and throughout the 19th century Hawai‘i’s royalty also came there to convalesce. One of Waikīkī’s places of healing was the stretch of beach fronting the Halekulani Hotel called Kawehewehe, or the removal, where the sick and injured came to bathe in the kai, or waters of the sea. They might wear a seaweed lei of limu kala and leave it in the water as a symbol of asking forgiveness for past sins, believed to be the cause of many illnesses. Kawehewehe is believed to have healing powers, and for centuries Hawaiians came there to heal spiritual and physical ailments, though few now come there for that purpose. In 1912, a home there was converted to a boardinghouse known as “Grays-by-the–Sea,” and its grounds were later incorporated into the Halekulani. The beach is still known today as Gray’s Beach, and the natural sand-filled channel running through the reef makes it one of the best swimming areas along that stretch of ocean.