🧚 Captain Cook

In response to an appeal from the British Admiralty, Captain Cook left England to enter upon his third voyage in July, 1776, with the purpose of restoring some natives of the Society Islands to their home; examining islands of the Pacific for good harbours for future English use; and then to pass along the northwest coast of America to find, if possible, a sea passage from the Pacific Ocean to Hudson’s or Baffin’s Bay.1 During the year 1777 he felt his way from island group to island group.2 He recognised the close relationship in language and features, between inhabitants of many of these island worlds.3

On January 18, 1778, he discovered Oahu and later Kauai, of the Hawaiian Islands.4 He named the group “The Sandwich Islands,” in honour of Lord Sandwich, the patron of the expedition.5

This name has never been accepted among the Hawaiians.6 The home name, the name used for centuries, could not be supplanted by an English discoverer.7 The Hawaiians have always called themselves “Ka poe Hawaii”—“the Hawaiian people.”8

There are four different sources of information concerning the coming to and death of Captain Cook in the Hawaiian Islands.9 Captain King wrote the account given in “Cook’s Voyages.”10

Ledyard, an American petty officer on one of Captain Cook’s ships, wrote a story published in America.11

The surgeon on Captain Cook’s boat kept a diary which has recently been published.12

The historian must remember that there were thousands of native eye-witnesses whose records cannot be overlooked in securing a true history.13 The following account is almost entirely from the Hawaiians only:14

Captain Cook came to Waimea, Kauai.15 He was called by the Hawaiians “O Lono,” because they thought he was the god Lono, one of the chief gods of the ancient Hawaiians.16

The ship was seen coming up from the west and going north.17 Kauai lay spread out in beauty before Lono, and the first anchor was dropped in the bay of Waimea, in the month of January, 1778.18 It was night when the ship anchored.19

A man by the name of Mapua, and others, were out fishing, with their boats anchored.20 They saw a great thing coming up, rising high above the surf, fire burning on top of it.21 They thought it was something evil and hurried to the shore, trembling and frightened by this wonderful apparition.22 They had fled, leaving all they had used while fishing.23 When they went up from the beach they told the high chief Kaeo and the other chiefs about this strange sight.24

In the morning they saw the ship standing outside Waimea.25 When they saw this marvellous monster, great wonder came to the people, and they were astonished and afraid.26 Soon a crowd of people came together, shouting with fear and confused thought until the harbour resounded with noise.27 Each one shouted as he saw the ship with masts and the many things, such as ropes and sails, on them.28 One said to another, “What is this thing which has branches?”29 Another said, “It is a forest of trees.”30 A certain priest, who was also a chief, said, “This is not an ordinary thing; it is a heiau [temple] of the god Lono, having steps going up into the clear sky, to the altars on the outside” (i.e., to the yards of the upper masts).31

The chiefs sent some men to go out in canoes and see this wonderful thing.32 They went close to the ship and saw iron on the outside of the ship.33 They were very glad when they saw the amount of iron.34 They had known iron before because of iron in sticks washed up on the land.35 Then there was little, but at this time they saw very much.36 They rejoiced and said, “There are many pieces of pahoa” (meaning iron).37 They called all iron pahoa—a tool for cutting, because there was once a sword among the old people of the Islands.38

They went up on the ship and saw “a number of men with white foreheads, shining eyes, skin wrinkled, square-cornered heads, indistinct words, and fire in their mouths.”39

A chief and a priest tied the ends of their long malo-like sashes and held them up in their left hands.40 “They went before Kapena Kuke (Captain Cook), bent over, squatted down, and offered prayers, repeating words over and over; then took the hand of Kapena Kuke and knelt down; then rose up free from any tabu.”41

Captain Cook gave the priest a knife.42 For this reason he named his daughter Kua-pahoa, after this knife.43 This was the first present of Captain Cook to a Hawaiian.44

When they saw the burning of tobacco in the mouth of a man they thought he belonged to the volcano family.45 When they saw peculiar and large “cocoanuts” (probably melons) lying on the deck, they said, “This is the fruit of a sorceress, or mischief-maker of the ocean, who has been killed.”46 They saw the skin of a bullock hanging in the front part of the ship and said, “Another mischief-making sorceress has been killed.47 Perhaps these gods have come that all the evil kupuas [monsters] might be destroyed.”48

These messengers returned and told the king and chiefs about the kind of men they had seen, what they were doing, their manner of speech, and the death of some of the monsters of the ocean.49 “We saw the fruit and the skin hanging on the altar.50 There is plenty of iron on that temple and a large amount is lying on the deck.”51

When the chiefs heard this report they said, “Truly this is the god Lono with his temple.”52

The people thought that by the prayer of the priest all troubles of tabu had been lifted, so they asked the priest if there would be any trouble if they went on this place of the god.53 The priest assured them that his prayer had been without fault and there would be no death in all that belonged to the gods.54 There was no interruption of any kind during the prayer.55

Hao was another name for “iron” and also hao meant “theft.”56

A certain war-chief said, “I will go and hao that hao treasure, for my profession is to hao” (steal).57 The chiefs assented.58 Then he paddled out to the ship and went on board and took iron and went down.59 Some one shot him and killed him.60 His name was Kapu-puu (The Tabu Hill).61 The canoes returned and reported that the chief had been killed by a wai-ki (a rush of smoke like water in a blow-hole).62

Some of the chiefs cried out, “Kill this people because they killed Kapu-puu!”63 The priest heard the cry and replied, “That thought is not right.64 They have not sinned.65 We have done wrong because we were greedy after the iron and let Kapu-puu go to steal.66 I forbade you at first, and established my law that if any one should steal, he shall suffer the loss of his bones.67 It is only right that we should be pleasant to them.68 Where are you, O Chiefs and People!69 This is my word to you!”70

That night guns were fired and sky-rockets sent up into the sky, for the sailors were glad to have found such a fine country.71 The natives called the flash from the guns “Ka huila” (lightning) and “Kane-hikili” (thunder of the god Kane).72 The natives thought this was war.73

Then a high chiefess, Ka-maka-helei, the mother of Kaumu-alii, the last king of Kauai, said: “Not for war is our god, but we will seek the pleasure of the god.”74 So she gave her own daughter as a wife for Lono—Captain Cook.75 After this there was promiscuous living among the men of the ship and the people of the land, with the result that the vile diseases of the white people were quickly scattered over all the islands.76

A boat came to Oahu from Kauai with a chief.77 The Oahu people asked him, “What kind of a thing was the ship?”78 The chief said “it was like a heiau (temple) with steps going up to the altars, masts standing with branches spread out each side, and a long stick in front like the sharp nose of a swordfish, openings (portholes) in the side and openings behind.79 The men had white heads with corners, clothes like wrinkled skin, holes in the sides (pockets), sharp-pointed things on their feet, fire in their mouths, and smoke with the fire like a volcano coming from their mouths.”80

Kalaniopuu, king of Hawaii, was at Koolau, Maui, fighting with the people of Kahekili, king of Maui.81 Moho, a messenger, told Kalaniopuu and the chiefs the news about this strange ship.82 They said, “This is Lono from Kahiki.”83

They asked about the language.84 Moho, putting his hand in his malo, drew out a piece of a broken calabash and held it out like the foreigners, saying: “A hikapalale, hikapalale, hioluio, oalaki, walawalaki, waiki, poha, aloha kahiki, aloha haehae, aloha ka wahine, aloha ke keiki, aloha ka hale.”85 Of course, this was a jumbled mass of words or sounds with but very little meaning.86

The natives relate how, with veneration, they received the white man.87 They robed Captain Cook with red native cloth and rich feather cloaks.88 They prostrated themselves before him.89 They placed him in the most sacred places in their temples.90 When he despoiled a temple of its woodwork and carried off idols for firewood to use upon his ships, the natives made no protest.91 They supposed that Lono had a right to his own.92 But afterward, when death proved that Captain Cook was “a man and no god,” the feeling of resentment was exceedingly deep and bitter.93 This was the standpoint from which the Hawaiians welcomed their discoverers.94