1778. How godly were Hawaiian chiefs treated at the time? Captain Clerke, an officer of Captain James Cook, felt native attendants were way too protective of their Kaua`i “chief of note,” Tamahano. Bodyguards carefully lifted him into the English ship. But, they stopped the native king from going an “inch” beyond the gangway. And attendants protected him by surrounding him with hands locked.

At least Clerke could approach the ali`i – but no one else. And the Brit was even let to kiss him nose-to-nose as was native custom. The chief’s hands-off kapu was absurd Clerke thought.  And Clerke was ‘…very desirous of laughing them out of these ridiculous fears; I said all I cou’d, then took him by the hand, and clap’d him upon the Shoulder; upon which they [bodyguargs] gently took away my hand and beg’d I wou’d not touch him.’

Even before Tamahano approached and boarded the ship, he exerted his sacred prerogatives. “He came off in a double canoe, and like the King of the Friendly islands, paid no regard to those who happened to lay in his way but ran against or over [their canoes] without endeavouring in the least to avoide them; nor could they get out of his way as the people in them were obliged to lay down till he passed.” (pgg 281-2)

Now, that’s godly – not unlike some of today’s head of state, wouldn’t you say?

THE VOYAGE OF THE RESOLUTION AND DISCOVERY, 1776-1780, Part I; J.C. Beaglehole

Tags: Hawaiian Stories

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