Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

George Dixon

Captain James Cook’s third and final voyage (1776-1779) of discovery was an attempt to locate a North-West Passage, an ice-free sea route which linked the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. “Cook had chosen his subordinates well or had been lucky. The officers of the third voyage were a remarkably intelligent group of men.” George Dixon, an armourer in the Royal Navy per a warrant dated April 16, 1776, joined the Discovery and also sailed for the Pacific on Captain James Cook’s third voyage of exploration. As an armourer Dixon was a skilled mechanic, with the rating of petty officer first-class, whose duty it was to assist the gunner in keeping the ship’s arms in order.

Cook’s voyage had initiated the maritime fur trade in sea otter pelts with China. “(D)uring the late Captain Cook’s last voyage to the Pacific Ocean, besides every scientific advantage which might be derived from it, a new and inexhaustible mine of wealth was laid open to future navigators, by trading furs of the most valuable kind, on the North West Coast of America.” Then, in the spring of 1785 Dixon and Nathaniel Portlock, a shipmate in the Discovery, became partners in Richard Cadman Etches and Company, commonly called the King George’s Sound Company, one of several commercial associations formed to conduct trade. Portlock was given command of the King George and of the expedition, Dixon commanded the Queen Charlotte.

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Hamaite

The first Hawaiian word written is ‘Hamaite’ – it was spoken to Captain Cook at the time he made contact with the Islands and he wrote it in his journal. It was made in reference to iron. Some suggest it refers to Hematite (ferric oxide – a mineral form of iron oxide – that is Hematita in Spanish.) However, others suggest ‘Hamaite’ is actually a Hawaiian expression of He maita‘i – good.

“(T)hey had never been … acquainted with any of our commodities except iron; which, however, it was plain, they had only heard of, or had known it in some small quantity brought to them at some distant period. … They asked for it by the name of hamaite”. So, it appears evident, before Cook’s contact with the islands, the Hawaiian already had, used and wanted more iron – to make tools and weapons (principally to shape into knives.) Did they first find it a flotsam? Or, maybe the Spanish made contact with the Islands centuries before Cook.

by Peter T Young 3 Comments

Cook’s Heart

“Thus fell our great and excellent Commander!” “After a life of so much distinguished and successful enterprise, his death, as far as regards himself, can be reckoned premature; since he lived to finish the great work for which he seems to have been designed; and was rather removed from the enjoyment, than cut off from the acquisition of glory.”

There are stories about Cook’s heart … “The body of Captain Cook was carried into the interior of the island, the bones secured according to their custom, and the flesh burnt in the fire.” “The heart, liver, &c., of Captain Cook, were stolen”. … “Eight days after the death of Captain Cook, friendly relations were resumed with those on board the ship.” “On March 15, the ship sailed into the blue and disappeared.”

by Peter T Young 2 Comments

First Sight of Land

In January 1778, Captain James Cook aboard the Resolution and Captain Charles Clerke aboard the Discovery were sailing from the Society Islands to the Northwest coast of North America on Cook’s Third Expedition of the Pacific Ocean. “On the 19th, at sunrise, the island first seen, bore east several leagues distant. This being directly to windward, which prevented our getting near it, I stood for the other, which we could reach; and not long after discovered a third island in the direction of west north-west, as far distant as land could be seen.”

“Seeing no signs of an anchoring place at this eastern extreme of the island, I bore away to leeward, and ranged along the south east side, at the distance of half a league from the shore. … We passed several villages; some settled near the sea, and others farther up the country. The inhabitants of all of them crowded to the shore, and collected themselves on the elevated places to view the ships. … Of what number this newly-discovered Archipelago consists, must be left for future investigation. We saw five of them, whose names, as given to us by the natives, are Woahoo (O‘ahu,) Atooi (Kauai,) Oneeheow (Ni‘ihau,) Oreehoua (Lehua) and Tahoora (Kaula.)” … Contact …

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Fifteen Days in the Islands

In January, 1778, Captain Cook was travelling from Christmas Island (“As we kept our Christmas here, I called this discovery Christmas Island” (Cook,)) heading across the north Pacific to the Oregon coast of North America. He wasn’t looking for Hawai‘I, but saw it and landed on Kauai.

Then, “after spending more time about these islands than was necessary to have answered all our purposes, we were obliged to leave them before we had completed our water and got from them such a quantity of refreshments as their inhabitants were both able and willing to have supplied us with.” The Discovery and Resolution left Hawai‘i on February 2, 1778.