Captain Cook in Hawaii

By James King

James King was a lieutenant on Captain Cook's HMS Discovery. This is taken from "A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean...1776-80", which he co-wrote with Cook.

KEALAKEKUA BAY is situated on the west side of the island of Hawaii, in a district called Kona. It is about a mile in depth, and bounded by two low points of land at the distance of half a league and bearing south-southeast and north-northwest from each other.

On the north point, which is flat and barren, stands the village of Kaawaloa, and in the bottom of the bay, near a grove of tall coconut trees, there is another village of a more considerable size called Kakooa: between them runs a high rocky cliff, inaccessible from the seashore. On the south side the coast, for about a mile inland, has a rugged appearance, beyond which the country rises with a gradual ascent, and is overspread with cultivated enclosures and groves of coconut trees, where the habitations of the natives are scattered in great numbers.

The shore, all around the bay, is covered with a black coral rock, which makes the landing very dangerous in rough weather, except at the village of Kakooa, where there is a fine sandy beach, with a morai, or burying place, at one extremity, and a small well of fresh water at the other.

This bay appearing to Captain Cook a proper place to refit the ships and lay in an additional supply of water and provisions, we moored on the north side, about a quarter of a mile from the shore, Kaawaloa bearing northwest. As soon as the inhabitants perceived our intention of anchoring in the bay, they came off from the shore in astonishing numbers, and expressed their joy by singing and shouting, and exhibiting a variety of wild and extravagant gestures.

The sides, the decks, and rigging of both ships were soon completely covered with them; and a multitude of women and boys who had not been able to get canoes came swimming round us in shoals; many of whom, not finding room on board, remained the whole day playing in the water.

Among the chiefs who came on board the Resolution was a young man called Palea, whom we soon perceived to be a person of great authority. On presenting himself to Captain Cook he told him that he was Jakanee to the king of the island, who was at that time engaged on a military expedition at Maui, and was expected to return within three or four days.

A few presents from Captain Cook attached him entirely to our interests, and he became exceedingly useful to us in the management of his countrymen, as we had soon occasion to experience. For we had not been long at anchor when it was observed that the Discovery had such a number of people hanging on one side as occasioned her to heel considerably, and that the men were unable to keep off the crowds which continued pressing into her. Captain Cook, being apprehensive that she might suffer some injury, pointed out the danger to Palea, who immediately went to their assistance, cleared the ship of its incumbrances, and drove away the canoes that surrounded her.

The authority of the chiefs over the inferior people appeared, from this incident, to be of the most despotic kind. A similar instance of it happened the same day on board the Resolution, where, the crowd being so great as to impede the necessary business of the ship, we were obliged to have recourse to the assistance of Kanaina, another of their chiefs, who had likewise attached himself to Captain Cook.

The inconvenience we labored under being made known, he immediately ordered his countrymen to quit the vessel, and we were not a little surprised to see them jump overboard, without a moment's hesitation-all except one man, who, loitering behind and showing some unwillingness to obey, Kanaina took him up in his arms and threw him into the sea.

Both these chiefs were men of strong and well-proportioned bodies, and of countenances remarkably pleasing. Kanaina especially, whose portrait was drawn by Mr. Webber, was one of the finest men I ever saw. He was about six feet high, had regular and expressive features, with lively, dark eyes; his carriage was easy, firm, and graceful.

It has been already mentioned that during our long cruise off this island, the inhabitants had always behaved with great fairness and honesty in their dealings, and had not shown the slightest propensity to theft; which appeared to us the more extraordinary because those with whom we had hitherto held any intercourse were of the lowest rank, either servants or fishermen.

We now found the case exceedingly altered. The immense crowd of islanders, which blocked up every part of the ships, not only afforded frequent opportunity of pilfering without risk of discovery, but our inferiority in number held forth a prospect of escaping with impunity in case of detection. Another circumstance to which we attributed this alteration in their behavior was the presence and encouragement of their chiefs; for generally tracing the booty into the possession of some men of consequence, we had the strongest reason to suspect that these depredations were committed at their instigation.

Soon after the Resolution had got into her station, our two friends Palea and Kanaina brought on board a third chief named Koa, who, we were told, was a priest, and had been in his youth a distinguished warrior.

He was a little old man of emaciated figure, his eyes exceedingly sore and red and his body covered with a white leprous scurf, the effects of an immoderate use of awa. Being led into the cabin, he approached Captain Cook with great veneration, and threw over his shoulders a piece of red cloth, which he had brought along with him. Then, stepping a few paces back, he made an offering of a small pig, which he held in his hand while he pronounced a discourse that lasted for a considerable time.

This ceremony was frequently repeated during our stay at Hawaii, and appeared to us from many circumstances to be a sort of religious adoration. Their idols we found always arrayed with red cloth, in the same manner as was done to Captain Cook, and a small pig was their usual offering to the akuas. Their speeches, or prayers, were uttered too with a readiness and volubility that indicated them to be according to some formulary.

When this ceremony was over, Koa dined with Captain Cook, eating plentifully of what was set before him, but, like the rest of the inhabitants of the islands in these seas, could scarcely be prevailed on to taste a second time our wine or spirits.

In the evening, Captain Cook, attended by Mr. Bayly and myself, accompanied him on shore. We landed at the beach and were received by four men, who carried wands tipped with dogs' hair and marched before us, pronouncing with a loud voice a short sentence, in which we could only distinguish the word "Lono." The crowd which had been collected on the shore retired at our approach, and not a person was to be seen except a few lying prostrate on the ground, near the huts of the adjoining village.

Before I proceed to relate the adoration that was paid to Captain Cook and the peculiar ceremonies with which he was received on this fatal island, it will be necessary to describe the morai, situated, as I have already mentioned, at the south side of the beach at Kakooa.

It was a square, solid pile of stones, about forty yards long, twenty broad, and fourteen in height. The top was flat and well paved, and surrounded by a wooden rail, on which were fixed the skulls of the captives, sacrificed on the death of their chiefs. In the center of the area stood a ruinous old building of wood, connected with the rail on each side by a stone wall, which divided the whole space into two parts.

On the side next the country were five poles, upward of twenty feet high, supporting an irregular kind of scaffold; on the opposite side, toward the sea, stood two small houses, with a covered communication.

We were conducted by Koa to the top of this pile by an easy ascent, leading from the beach to the northwest corner of the area. At the entrance we saw two large wooden images, with features violently distorted, and a long piece of carved wood, of a conical form inverted, rising from the top of their heads; the rest was without form, and wrapped around with red cloth.

We were here met by a tall young man with a long beard, who presented Captain Cook to the images; and after chanting a kind of hymn, in which he was joined by Koa, they led us to that end of the morai where the five poles were fixed.

At the foot of them were twelve images ranged in a semicircular form, and before the middle figure stood a high stand or table exactly resembling the whatta of Tahiti, on which lay a putrid hog, and under it pieces of sugar cane, coconuts, breadfruits, plantains, and sweet potatoes.

Koa, having placed the captain under this stand, took down the hog and held it toward him, and after having a second time addressed him in a long speech, pronounced with much vehemence and rapidity, he let it fall on the ground, and led him to the scaffolding, which they began to climb together, not without great risk of falling.

At this time we saw, coming in solemn procession, at the entrance of the top of the morai, ten men carrying a live hog and a large piece of red cloth. Being advanced a few paces, they stopped and prostrated themselves, and Kaireekeea, the young man above mentioned, went to them, and receiving the cloth, carried it to Koa, who wrapped it round the captain, and afterward offered him the hog, which was brought by Kaireekeea with the same ceremony.

Whilst Captain Cook was aloft, in this awkward situation, swathed round with red cloth and with difficulty keeping his hold amongst the pieces of rotten scaffolding, Kaireekeea and Koa began their office, chanting sometimes in concert, and sometimes alternately.

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