Page 46 - French Polynesia

ook also discovered and named Clerke ook returned to Hawaii in 1779. After hat following day, 14 February 1779,

C Rocks and the South Sandwich Islands C sailing around the archipelago for T Cook marched through the village to

(“Sandwich Land”). He then turned north some eight weeks, he made landfall at retrieve the King. Cook took the alii nui
to South Africa, and from there contin- Kealakekua Bay, on ‘Hawaii Island’, larg- by his own hand and led him willingly
ued back to England. His reports upon est island in the Hawaiian Archipelago. away. One of Kalaniōpuu’s favorite wives,
his return home put to rest the popular Cook’s arrival coincided with the Makahiki, Kanekapolei and two chiefs approached
myth of Terra Australis. On his last voyage, a Hawaiian harvest festival of worship for the group as they were heading to boats.
Cook again commanded HMS Resolution, the Polynesian god Lono. After a month’s They pleaded with the king not to go until
while Captain Charles Clerke commanded stay, Cook attempted to resume his ex- he stopped and sat where he stood. An
HMS Discovery. The voyage was ostensi- ploration of the Northern Pacific. Shortly old Kahuna (priest), chanting rapidly while
bly planned to return the Pacific Islander, after leaving Hawaii Island, however, the holding out a coconut attempted to distract
Omai to Tahiti, or so the public were led Resolution’s foremast broke, so the ships Cook and his men as a large crowd began
to believe. The trip’s principal goal was to returned to Kealakekua Bay for repairs. Ten- to form at the shore. The king began to un-
locate a Northwest Passage around the sions rose, and a number of quarrels broke derstand that Cook was his enemy. As Cook
American continent. After dropping Omai out between the Europeans and Hawaiians turned his back to help launch the boats, he
at Tahiti, Cook travelled north and in 1778 at Kealakekua Bay. An unknown group of was struck on the head by the villagers and
became the first European to begin formal Hawaiians took one of Cook’s small boats. then stabbed to death as he fell on his face
contact with the Hawaiian Islands. After his The evening when the cutter was taken, the in the surf. The Hawaiians carried his body
initial landfall in January 1778 at Waimea people had become “insolent” even with away towards the back of the town, still
harbor, Kauai, Cook named the archipelago threats to fire upon them. Cook was forced visible to the ship through their spyglass.
the “Sandwich Islands” after the fourth Earl into a wild goose chase that ended with his Several marines were also killed and two
of Sandwich—the acting First Lord of the return to the ship frustrated. He attempted others were wounded in the confrontation.
Admiralty. to take as hostage the King of Hawaii,
Kalaniōpuu.