--- title: Captain Cook — Hawaiian Historical Legends · full text with trees · page 2 description: Captain Cook, «Hawaiian Historical Legends» by W. D. Westervelt: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: 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 rest --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/12/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Hawaiian Historical Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/) / Captain Cook # Captain Cook · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/12/) **2** On the other hand, when Captain Cook saw the islands in 1778, he was impressed with the friendly spirit of the people, and with their hearty willingness to give aid in any direction.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") There was also an appearance of manliness and dignity about the high chiefs.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") There was such respect and ready service on the part of the people—there were such prostrations before the kings of the various islands that Captain Cook accepted the “worship” offered him as the proper respect due to the representative of Great Britain.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") He was glad to receive a welcome that freed him from much anxiety.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") He was thankful that the chiefs accepted his superiority.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") He could easily procure the supplies needed for his ships.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") He could prosecute his investigations concerning harbours and resources without danger to himself or to his men.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") After securing such supplies as he needed, in February, 1778, he sailed for North America.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") Here he spent the summer and fall, exploring the coast from San Francisco to Alaska.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") He consulted the Russians who were fur-hunting in this region.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") He became satisfied that there was no northwest channel across North America, to either Hudson’s or Baffin’s Bay.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") He made a chart of the coast.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") The winter came on suddenly and severely.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") He fled to the “Sandwich Islands,” and in November, 1778, sighted the island of Maui, or, as Captain Cook phonetically spelled it, “Mowee.”[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon he discovered the large island Hawaii, or “Owhyhee.”[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") He was surprised to see the summits of the mountains covered with snow.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") As he drew near the channel between Maui and Hawaii, Ka-meha-meha with several of his friends went on board one of the ships and passed the night.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") He was at that time forty-three years of age.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") Then for eleven days Captain Cook sailed in the channel between Maui and Hawaii.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") On the second day of December he anchored near Kohala, the northern point of the island Hawaii.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") Captain Cook purchased pigs for a piece of iron or barrel hoop, to make axes or knives or fish-hooks.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") A pig one fathom long would get a piece of iron.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") A longer pig would get a knife for a chief.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") If a common man received anything, the chief would take it.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") If it was concealed and discovered the man was killed.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") They brought offerings—pigs, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, chickens, and all such things as pleased Captain Cook.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") Lono went to the western bay Ke-ala-ke-kua and the priest took him into the temple, thinking he was their god.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") There they gave him a place upon the platform with the images of the gods—the place where sacrifices were laid.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") The priest stepped back after putting on Captain Cook the oloa (the small white tapa thrown over the god while prayer was being recited) and the red cloak haena, as was the custom with the gods.[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he offered prayer thus:[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") “O Lono! your different bodies in the heavens, long cloud, short cloud, bending cloud, spread-out cloud in the sky, from Uliuli, from Melemele, from Kahiki, from Ulunui, from Haehae, from Anaokuululu, from Hakalanai, from the land opened up by Lono in the lower sky, in the upper sky, in the shaking bottom of the ocean, the lower land, the land without hills.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") “O Ku\![126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") O Lono\![127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") O Kane\![128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") O Kanaloa! the gods from above and from beneath, gods from most distant places\![129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") Here are the sacrifices, the offerings, the living things from the chief, from the family, hanging on the shining cloud and the floating land\![130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Amama (amen); ma noa” (the tabu is lifted).[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") Several weeks passed by.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") Trivial troubles arose.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") The natives learned to steal some things from the supposed “heavenly” visitors.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") The harmony between the sailors and the Hawaiians was disturbed.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") In February, 1779, Lono went on his ship and sailed as far as Kawaihae.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") He saw that one of his masts was rotten, so he went back to make repairs, and anchored again at Ke-ala-ke-kua.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") When the natives saw the ships returning they went out again, but not as before.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") They had changed their view, saying: “These are not gods; they are only men.”[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") Some, however, persisted in believing that these were gods.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the men said, “They cry out if they are hurt, like any man.”[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of them thought they would test Lono, so went up on the ship and took iron.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") The sailors saw them and shot at them.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the natives began to fight.[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") The sailors grabbed the canoe of the chief Polea, an aikane (close friend) of the king.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") He opposed their taking his boat and pushed them off.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") One of them ran up with a club and struck Polea and knocked him down.[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") The natives saw this and leaped upon the sailors.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") Polea rose up and stopped the fighting.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") Because he was afraid Lono would kill him he stopped the quarrel.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") After this he no longer believed that Lono was a god.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") He was angry, and thought he would secretly take one of the ship’s boats, break it all to pieces for the iron in it, and also because he wanted revenge for the blow which knocked him down.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") This theft of a boat was the cause of the quarrel with, and death of, Captain Cook.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") Captain Cook and his people woke up in the morning and saw that his boat was gone.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") They were troubled, and Captain Cook went to ask the king about the boat.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") The king said, “I do not know anything about it.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") Perhaps some native has stolen it and taken it to some other place.”[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") Captain Cook returned to the ship and consulted with his officers.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") They decided they had better get the king, take him on the ship, and hold him until the boat should be returned, and then set him free.[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") Officers and men took guns and swords and prepared to go ashore and capture the king.[160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") Captain Cook tried to persuade the king to go to the ship with him.[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") The king was held back by his chiefs.[162](../../162/ "tree and pragmatics") They were suspicious, but the king could not readily give up his confidence.[163](../../163/ "tree and pragmatics") Meanwhile, a chief living across the bay saw Captain Cook going ashore.[164](../../164/ "tree and pragmatics") He and another chief launched a double canoe and sailed quickly across.[165](../../165/ "tree and pragmatics") Sailors saw these men in red cloaks, fired upon them from the ships and killed one of them.[166](../../166/ "tree and pragmatics") The other hurried his boatmen and escaped to the king’s house.[167](../../167/ "tree and pragmatics") Captain Cook had issued an order forbidding canoes to come near the ships.[168](../../168/ "tree and pragmatics") When the chief saw the king by the side of Captain Cook he cried out: “O Kalani\![169](../../169/ "tree and pragmatics") O the sea is not right—Kalimu has been killed\![170](../../170/ "tree and pragmatics") Return to the house!”[171](../../171/ "tree and pragmatics") He told how the sailors had fired upon his friend and himself.[172](../../172/ "tree and pragmatics") Kalola, wife of Kalaniopuu, heard the death-word, and that the chief had been killed by the gun of the foreigners, so she ran out of the woman’s house, put her hand on the king’s shoulder and said, “O Kalani, let us go back.”[173](../../173/ "tree and pragmatics") The king turned, thinking he would go back, but Captain Cook seized his hands.[174](../../174/ "tree and pragmatics") A chief thrust his spear between them, and the king and some of his chiefs went back to the house.[175](../../175/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the battle commenced.[176](../../176/ "tree and pragmatics") When Lono (Captain Cook) saw the spear pushed between the king and himself he caught his sword and struck that chief on the head, but the sword slipped and cut the cheek.[177](../../177/ "tree and pragmatics") Then that chief struck Lono with his spear and knocked him down on the lava beach.[178](../../178/ "tree and pragmatics") Lono cried out because of the hurt.[179](../../179/ "tree and pragmatics") The chief thought, “This is a man, and not a god, and there is no wrong.”[180](../../180/ "tree and pragmatics") So he killed Lono (Captain Cook).[181](../../181/ "tree and pragmatics") Four other foreigners also were killed.[182](../../182/ "tree and pragmatics") Many daggers and spears were used in killing Captain Cook.[183](../../183/ "tree and pragmatics") When the officers and men saw that Captain Cook and some others had been killed, they ran down, got on the boat, fired guns and killed many of the natives.[184](../../184/ "tree and pragmatics") Some natives skilled in the use of sling-stones threw stones against the boat.[185](../../185/ "tree and pragmatics") When the sailors saw that Captain Cook was dead, they fired guns from the ship.[186](../../186/ "tree and pragmatics") The natives held up mats as shields, but found they were no protection against the bullets.[187](../../187/ "tree and pragmatics") The king offered the body of Captain Cook as a sacrifice.[188](../../188/ "tree and pragmatics") This sacrifice meant that the body was placed on an altar with prayers as a gift to the gods because the chief and his kingdom had been saved by the gods.[189](../../189/ "tree and pragmatics") When the ceremonies of the sacrifice were over, they cleaned off the flesh from the bones of Lono and preserved them.[190](../../190/ "tree and pragmatics") A priest kindly returned a part of the body to the foreigners to be taken on their ship.[191](../../191/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the bones were kept by the priests and worshipped.[192](../../192/ "tree and pragmatics") Eight days after the death of Lono at Ka-awa-loa the natives again met those who remained on the ship.[193](../../193/ "tree and pragmatics") Monday, February 23, 1779, the ship went to Kauai.[194](../../194/ "tree and pragmatics") On the 29th of that month they secured water and purchased food.[195](../../195/ "tree and pragmatics") Because they wanted the yams of Niihau, they sailed over to that island and purchased yams, sweet potatoes, and pigs, and on March 15th sailed out into the mist of the ocean and were completely lost to sight.[196](../../196/ "tree and pragmatics") This is the end of Captain Cook’s voyage along the coasts of these islands.[197](../../197/ "tree and pragmatics") XII[198](../../198/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/12/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/12/) - next →: [King Kahahana, About 1773](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/13/) - ↑ back to [Hawaiian Historical Legends](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66357/)