389 



ing than that of the Hawaiian Islands. Since the English discov- 

 ery of this isolated archipelago by Captain Cook in 1778, the 

 islands have been repeatedly visited and explored by men of 

 science from many countries and of many interests. 



It is the purpose of the present paper to chronicle briefly the 

 salient incidents in the history of botanical exploration in the 

 Hawaiian Islands, from the earliest known time down to the 

 beginning of the twentieth century. Particular attention is given 

 to the visits of the earlier voyagers and investigators, as they 

 possess the fresh charm of pioneer work. This characteristic 

 compensates for their lack of comprehensiveness. The later 

 work was more technical and intensive, but not so replete with 

 human interest. The writer does not attempt an exhaustive his- 

 torical dissertation, but to enumerate only the significant and 

 outstanding facts concerning each explorer. The data have been 

 collected from a wide range of sources, many of which are rela- 

 tively inaccessible. 



The observation is pertinent at this place that the primitive 

 Hawaiians were the first botanical explorers of the islands. They 

 not only introduced a considerable number and variety of Poly- 

 nesian economic plants from their migration home in the South 

 Pacific, but also became intimately familiar with the indigenous 

 flora. They possessed or devised specific names for a large num- 

 ber of the indigenous species. Their nomenclature exhibits the 

 rudimentary stages of the binomial system.* The primitive Ha- 

 waiian was an accurate observer, and there are at the present 

 time many evidences of an extensive plant-lore that is almost 

 wholly forgotten by the modern native. 



PERIOD I. THE PERIOD OF DISCOVERY. 



1. Probable Arrival of Shipwrecked Spaniards. 



1527. Noveinhcr. 



The history of the Hawaiian Archipelago, from the standpoint 

 of European exploration and the scientific researches that later 

 accompanied it, begins with the year 1527. The following quota- 

 tion from a scholarly paper by Professor W. D. Alexander, of 

 ITonolulu, entitled ''The Relations Betzveen the Ha-a'aiiaii Islands 

 and SpaiiisJi America in Early Times/' (read before the Hawaii- 

 an Historical Society, Jan. 28, 1892, and published by the So- 

 ciety), supplies the detailed statement: 



" Hernando Cortez, immediately after his conquest of 



Mexico^ fitted out an expedition on the western coast to reinforce 

 his countrymen at the Moluccas. The little squadron, consisting 

 of three small vessels, carrying 110 men, and commanded by 



* See also J. F. Eock, List of Hawaiian Plant Names, Bur. Agric. & 

 Forest. Bot. Bull. 2, 1913. Honolulu. 



