Page 52 - Hawaii: Diving, Surfing, Pearl Harbor, Volcanoes and More

he Polynesians who made the arduous cific. He named them the “Sandwich Islands”, destined for greatness from birth. Hawai-
T journey from Tahiti and the Marquesas to after the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Members ian legend prophesized that a light in the
Hawai’i were necessarily exceptional water- of this expedition described the population sky with feathers like a bird would signal
men and women who brought a deep love of the islands as abundant, handsome and the birth of a great chief. Historians believe
and knowledge of the ocean with them. healthy. After a frustrating year fruitlessly Kamehameha was born in 1758, the year
The Polynesians who made it to Hawai’i also looking for a passage from the North Pacific Halley’s comet passed over Hawaii. Given
brought their customs with them, including into the Atlantic, Cook brought his ships back the birth name Paiea, the future king was
playing in the surf on paipo (belly) boards. to the Hawaiian chain, this time stopping at hidden from warring clans. After the death
Although Tahitians are said to have oc- the Big Island of Hawai’i. There, at Kealakekua threat passed, Paiea came out of hiding and
casionally stood on their boards, the art of Bay, Cook was killed by Hawaiians when he was renamed Kamehameha (The Lonely One).
surfing upright on long boards was certainly made a misguided attempt to kidnap their Kamehameha was trained as a warrior and
perfected if not invented in Hawai’i. Hawaiian high chief to force the return of a stolen his legendary strength was proven when he
culture flourished over the centuries, giving boat. Unfortunately the British brought many overturned the Naha Stone, which reportedly
rise to the art of the hula and the sport of new infectious diseases to the islands, in weighed between 2.5 and 3.5 tons. You can
surfing, but land division conflicts between particular tuberculosis and venereal diseases still see the Naha Stone today in Hilo. During
ruling chieftains were common. that quickly propagated through the locals. this time, warfare between chiefs throughout
In 1786, seven years after Cook, a French frig- the islands was widespread. With the help of
n Captain James Cook’s third expedition ate arrived in Hawai’i and reported that most western weapons and advisors, Kamehameha
O to the Pacific, his ships, HMS Discov- of the islanders were very sick. By 1832 only won fierce battles on Maui and Oahu. In
ery and Resolution, made the first recorded 130,000 remained. 1810, when King Kaumualii of Kauai agreed
European visit to Hawai’i in 1778, when they to become a tributary kingdom under Kame-
stopped at the western end of the island great warrior, diplomat and leader, hameha, the Hawaiian Islands were united
chain on their way from Tahiti to the north- A King Kamehameha I united the Hawai- under one king.
west coast of North America. He was sur- ian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810
prised to find anything so far north in the Pa- after years of conflict. Kamehameha I was