It was during the indecisive campaign just referred to that Captain
Cook--having a few months before touched at Kauai and Niihau--returned
to the Hawaiian group from the Arctic Ocean, and anchored off the coast
of Maui, where he freely communicated with the wondering natives,
and exchanged courtesies with Kalaniopuu and his principal chiefs,
including Kamehameha.
It is now admitted that the Hawaiian group was first discovered by
Juan Gaetano, a Spanish navigator, in 1555, while on a voyage from
the western coast of Mexico to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands; but
the secret was kept from the world, and the first European to touch
at the islands, to communicate with the natives and make his discovery
known, was Captain Cook.
In the hydrographic bureau of the naval department of the Spanish
government exists an old manuscript chart pretty correctly locating
the group and crediting Gaetano with the discovery. He named the
islands Islas de Mesa, or Table Islands. It is probable that he
made a landing on one of the islands with a few of his crew, since
tradition refers to the sudden appearance of white men at about that
period; but if he did land he left no record of the circumstance,
and it is not shown that he ever returned to the group, or that any
of his countrymen profited by the discovery. It has been claimed that
Captain Cook was directed to the islands by an old Spanish chart of
which he had in some manner become possessed; but his own evidence,
as well as that of his officers, favors the assumption that the
rediscovery of the islands by him was accidental.
Early in December, 1777, Captain Cook, with the British national ships
Resolution and Discovery, left the Society group for the northwest
coast of America. On inquiry the natives of Bolabola Island informed
him that they knew of no lands north or northwest of them, and it is
not probable that he expected to meet with any; but after a voyage
of sixteen days he discovered Christmas Island, and on the 18th
of January, 1778, sighted Oahu, of the Hawaiian group, and to the
northward of it Kauai. He first landed at the latter island, where he
was well received by the natives. He was believed to be their god Lono,
whose return to the group had been promised, and divine honors were
accorded him. His ships were provided with everything they required,
and the fairest women of the island, including the daughter of the
queen, were sent to greet and welcome him.
He next visited Niihau, where he was received in the same hospitable
manner, and on the 2d of February, without visiting the other islands
of the group, proceeded on his voyage toward Behring's Strait in
search of a northwest passage to the Atlantic. The approach of winter
putting an end to further explorations in the north, he returned to
the islands, and on the 26th of November, 1778, sighted Maui, and
the next day his ships were visited by hundreds of natives. The news
of his previous visit to Kauai and Niihau had spread throughout the
group, and he was treated with the greatest friendship and hospitality.
Three days later, when off the northwest coast of Maui, he was
ceremoniously visited by Kalaniopuu, and six or eight chiefs,
Kamehameha among them, accompanied him almost to Hawaii, when they
left in their canoes, which had been taken in tow, and returned to
Maui, to the great relief of their friends.
Beating around the coasts of Hawaii, it was not until the 17th of
January, 1779, that the vessels came to anchor in Kealakeakua Bay,
on the western side of the island. They were at once crowded with
natives, and the high-priest came aboard, recognized Cook as the god
Lono, and threw over his shoulders the sacred mantle of red. In the
afternoon Cook went ashore, and in a neighboring temple permitted
himself to be publicly and ceremoniously worshipped. Meantime the
vessels were abundantly and gratuitously supplied with pigs, poultry,
fruits and vegetables, and the officers and crews were treated with
the greatest kindness.
On the 24th of January Kalaniopuu returned from Maui, and on the 26th
paid the ships a formal visit. The visit was returned, and Cook,
as before, was received on shore with divine honors, against which
he offered no protest. He was placed among the gods in the temple,
and sacrifices were offered to him as one of the Hawaiian Trinity.
How were the devotion and kindness of the simple natives requited? By
eating out the substance of the people, violating the tabus of
the priests and trampling upon the edicts of the king. Cook became
exacting, dictatorial and greedy, and from his conduct it almost
seemed that he began to consider himself in reality the god for whom
he was mistaken by the superstitious natives.
Under the circumstances, his departure for the leeward islands of the
group, on the 4th of February, was regarded with satisfaction by the
natives; but the vessels encountered a storm, and on the 11th returned
to Kealakeakua Bay for repairs. Their reception was much less jubilant
than before, and not a canoe went off to greet their return. However,
Kalaniopuu visited the ships the next day, and permitted the natives
to resume intercourse with them.
But it was plain that the feelings of the people had undergone a
change. They found that the white strangers had appetites like
themselves, and were just as subject to bodily ills. They also
discovered that they were selfish, unjust and overbearing, and were not
entitled to the consideration with which they had been treated. Petty
bickerings began to occur, and finally a young chief named Palea was
knocked down with a paddle by an English sailor while attempting to
save his canoe from wanton damage.
In retaliation Palea stole a boat from one of the ships. Cook
demanded its restoration, but, as it had been hastily broken up
for its iron nails and fastenings, Kalaniopuu could not, of course,
return it. Thereupon Cook ordered a blockade of the harbor, resulting
in the killing of a prominent chief who attempted to enter it, and
then landed with an armed boat's crew with the view of seizing and
holding the king as security for the return of the missing boat.
Kalaniopuu was in the act of peacefully accompanying Cook to one
of his vessels in the harbor, and had reached a point not far from
the landing, when the brother of the chief who had been killed
in attempting to enter the harbor angrily approached to demand an
explanation. By this time a large crowd of natives had surrounded the
king, and believing, no doubt, that the intentions of the chief were
hostile, Cook drew a pistol and fired upon him, and the next moment
shot and killed a native who had assaulted him with a stone. He also
struck with his sword a chief named Kanaina. The latter seized and
held him.
Believing Cook to be a god, it was not thought that he could be
killed. Struggling to free himself, he must have received a wound
from some quarter, for he sank to the earth with a groan. The groan
was fatal to him. "He is not a god! he groans!" exclaimed the people,
and without hesitation they slew him at once.
Fire was immediately opened upon the natives from the boat, and shortly
after with cannon from the vessels in the harbor. Consternation
seized the people huddled on the beach. Many were killed, and the
most of the remainder fled to the hills, taking with them the body of
Cook. A party of carpenters and sail-makers, at work some distance
away, became involved in the struggle, but the most of them escaped
to the ships through the kind offices of friendly chiefs.
The bones of the unfortunate captain were stripped of their
flesh, as was then the custom, and divided among a few prominent
chiefs. Kamehameha, it is said, received the hair. A few days after,
in response to the request of Captain King, such of the bones as
could be recovered were brought on board the Resolution, by order
of Kalaniopuu, and committed to the deep with military honors. The
ships then left Kealakeakua Bay, and after touching at Oahu, Kauai
and Niihau, finally sailed northward on the 15th of March, leaving
behind them a train of evils which a full century of time has failed
to eradicate.