Natural Hawaii - A contempary guide to natural activities, products, and services in Hawaii.

Captain James Cook is credited with discovering the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. He named them the Sandwich Islands, in honor of John Montague, the Earl of Sandwich. However, the islands may have already been visited by Europeans prior to Cook. There is speculation that Captain Gaetano of Spain had landed in Hawaii in the 16th century.

He sailed from England along the coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and crossed the Indian Ocean. He sailed on to New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Friendly Islands. After leaving Bora Bora he headed for the Americas. On January 18,1778, Cook sighted the island of Oahu but didn’t land until two days later at Waimea on the island of Kauai.

He named the islands the Sandwich Islands, in honor of John Montague, the Earl of Sandwich. However, the islands may have already been visited by Europeans prior to Cook. There is speculation that Captain Gaetano of Spain had landed in Hawaii in the 16th century. It was noted in Cook’s diary that the Hawaiians were fascinated by his ships and the metal iron. It was also noted that the native women gave themselves freely to the sailors. This was perhaps was a ploy to test for godliness as gods didn’t need women. Cook tried to keep the men who had venereal diseases away from the women, a nearly impossible task as the women typically swarmed the ships. When Cook returned a year later he noted that the Hawaiians already showed signs of infection. Thus began the downfall of the Hawaiian people as with many other indigenous people who encountered the Europeans.

Cook remarked in his diary about the resemblance of the Hawaiian people to others he had encountered and marveled at their spread across the Pacific. Cook was impressed with the Hawaiians’ swimming ability and with their well-bred manners and happy dispositions, though they had sticky fingers, stealing any object made of metal, especially nails. Hawaiians didn’t trade for beads or mirrors but were fascinated with iron. Cook provisioned his ships by trading iron, while the sailors joyously traded nails for sex.

Cook was known as a humane and just captain. He was greatly admired by his men. Unlike many other Europeans of that time, he was known to have a respectful attitude toward any people he discovered, treating them as equals and recognizing the significance of their cultures. Not known as a violent man, he would use his superior weapons against natives only in an absolute case of self defense.

The landing was marred by a Mr. Williamson, who unnecessarily shot and killed a Hawaiian during an excursion inland. The ships stopped briefly at Ni'ihau and headed for Alaskan waters and didn’t return to Hawaii for almost a year.

Cook Returns To Hawaii

Winter weather eventually forced Cook to return South from Alaskan waters. He spotted Maui on November 26, 1778 and mapped the coastline while looking for a suitable harbor before moving on. The mapper was Lt. William Bligh, who would 10 years later command the infamous H.M.S. Bounty. On board the Resolution and the Discovery were Mr. Anderson, the ship’s chronicler, who left a handwritten record of the events and John Webber, the ship’s artist, some of whose drawings and etchings are included here. Other noteworthy men aboard were George Vancouver, who would later return to Hawaii and introduce many fruits, vegetables, cattle, sheep, and goats. Also aboard was James Gurney, who would become a leading European authority on the Pacific.