Capt. James Cook's Hawai`i Visit -- Islands of Plenty
1778. Cook’s first contact with Hawaiians lasts 40-days. Between January 20 to March 2. Enough time to describe the landscape and the “Indians”. There, he easily trades for food: pork, fowl, sweet potatoes (large as a man’s head), yams, kalo, plaintains. So, he loves Kaua’i and Ni’ihau (the two islands he steps on – O`ahu is a mere outline on the horizon).
Some examples. He’s ecstatic to get large quantities of rock salt to cure his pork – not so elsewhere in Polynesia, since only Hawaiians made it. As the highest priority, he daily collects the plentiful water ashore, quantified by the tons collected in casks instead of gallons (as much as 9 tons in one instance); barrels, not always easy to get aboard ship because of the dangerous surf. He likes that he procures yams in large quantities because the tubers will keep for months – unlike the other food stuff that spoiled quickly. (pgg. 269-287)
As important. The natives are “…honist…never once attempting to cheat us.” In a footnote: They, “Never deviating from their agreement, nor was scarcely a theft committed by them.” (pg. 272)
A great beginning for Cook, wouldn’t you agree? However, each Friday you’ll learn in my blogs how it sometimes went bad. Yes, I’ll also recount how Cook describes the landscape and Indians. Or better, read: THE JOURNALS OF CAPTAIN JAMES COOK – THE VOYAGE OF THE RESOLUTION AND DISCOVERY, 1776-1780, Part I, Edited by J.C. Beaglehole.
Tags: Hawaiian Stories
November 6th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Interesting that no thefts committed - but a year later, in Kealakekua, theft was rampant. Hmm...
November 18th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Indeed theft was "rampant" as you say, as it was throughout the other Pacific islandsthat Cook visited. Although, "theft" had a different connotation among the natives -- i.e., anything that's "laying about" can be removed or carried off, unless the ali`i pronounced that all important kapu it. Certainly the chiefs weren't ready to require a kapu on themselves. After all Cook arrives with some technologically advanced tools which were too enticing not to get the hands on.