46 AROUND THE WORLD VIA INDIA. 



The scenic beauty of the Hawaiian archipelago is 

 exquisite. The islands are of volcanic origin, moun- 

 tainous, and clad with verdure and intersected by fertile 

 valleys. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ISLANDS. 



It. is supposed that these gems of the Pacific Ocean 

 became populated by the Polynesians from the distant 

 Samoa Islands about the year 500 A. D. It is claimed 

 that they were first seen by Juan Gaetano, a Spanish 

 mariner, in 1555, but as he left no record, either at 

 home or on the islands, of his visit their discovery must 

 be credited to Captain Cook, who sighted them in Jan- 

 uary, 1778, and named them Sandwich Islands, in 

 honor of Lord Sandwich. On landing, the discoverer 

 found them densely populated, the people peaceable ; 

 hospitable and extremely modest and courteous, as they 

 prostrated themselves on his approach and remained in 

 this humble position until he and his escort had passed, 

 a courtesy they always extended to their chiefs. He 

 found no indications of cannibalism, but human sacri- 

 fices, as in all the South Sea islands, were frequently 

 offered. On his return from a voyage to the west coast 

 of America the next year he was killed by the natives 

 soon after landing at the island of Hawaii, at a place 

 now indicated by a monument to the memory of the 

 intrepid explorer. The killing of Captain Cook was 

 provoked by a drunken brawl of his sailors, which in- 

 censed the natives, and their wrath centered on the 

 leader of the expedition. His body was interred, and 

 not eaten, as is so often claimed. The political con- 

 dition of the islands under the rule of different chiefs, 

 was a stormv one, wars between the different islands 

 and tribes being frequent, until the Napoleon of the 

 islands, Kamehameha I — born 1737, died on the island 

 of Hawaii, 1819 — after many bitter wars gained su- 

 premacy over all of the islands and ruled them in the 

 capacity of a king. His reign was humane and wise. 



