258 



The tender is despatched to 

 Hawaii. 



TT A -nr \ T i A -NT /iT>/~kTTT rT> Western coast of Hawaii. Place where 

 HAWAIIAN GROUP, OR Captain Cook was killed. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

 HAWAIIAN GROUP, OR SANDWICH ISLANDS (CONTINUED). 



THE TENDER IS DESPATCHED TO HAWAII CRUISE OP THE TENDER TO HAWAII BAY OP KEALAKEAKUA WESTERN 

 COAST OP HAWAII PLACE WHERE CAPTAIN COOK WAS KILLED SOUTH-WEST SIDE OF HAWAII GOVERNOR 

 ADAMS EXCURSION OP THE NATURALISTS ANCIENT TEMPLE OF KAILI RETURN OP THE NATURALISTS PLAN 

 POR THE FURTHER OPERATIONS OF THE SQUADRON THE VINCENNES SAILS FOR HAWAII HILO BAV ISLAND OF 

 HAWAII MOUNTAIN OP MAUNA LOA VILLAGE OP HILO ASCENT OF MAUNA LOA DESCRIPTION- OP THE PARTY 

 VOLCANO OP KILAT7EA APPEARANCE OF THE CRATER SUMMIT OP MAUNA LOA PENDULUM PEAK. 



SHORTLY after our arrival, orders were given to be 

 ready for sea by the llth of November, at which 

 time it was my desire that we should again be on 

 active duty. Finding, after the return of the tender 

 from Kauai, that the Vincennes and Peacock would 

 necessarily be detained beyond this time to com- 

 plete their repairs, and wishing to afford the natu- 

 ralists belonging to the Peacock an opportunity of 

 visiting Hawaii, I gave Messrs. Peale, Rich, and 

 Dana orders to rejoin the tender on the 10th of 

 November. I also gave Mr. Knox instructions to 

 proceed direct to Kealakeakua Bay, to land them 

 there, and to be again ready to receive them in a 

 week afterwards at Hilo Bay, on the opposite side 

 of the island. The party would thus be enabled to 

 cross the island, which I had no hopes of being able 

 to accomplish with the naturalists attached to the 

 Vincennes, as I believed we should all have enough 

 to occupy us fully in the contemplated trip to the 

 top of the mountain, and the examination of the 

 volcanic eruptions. On the same evening at 10 

 P.M., they went to sea, sweeping out of the harbour, 

 and proceeding on their trip. 



In the mean time our preparations for duty were 

 actively progressing. The Porpoise sailed on the 

 16th of November, under orders for the Paumotu 

 Group. 



Preparations were making on board the Vincen- 

 nes for our trip to the mountain. Dr. Judd, of the 

 mission, at my solicitation, consented to accompany 

 me, as did also Mr. Brinsmade, our consul. 



On the 24th, all were ordered to join the ships. 

 The tender, agreeably to her orders, returned on 

 the 28th, and the launch of the Peacock being 

 ready, was taken on board on the 29th of November. 



Before taking up the cruises of the ships, how- 

 ever, I shall give an account of the tender's trip to 

 Hawaii. 



Detained by calms and light winds, they did not 

 reach the bay of Kealakeakua until ten o'clock at 

 night, when, having obtained the guidance of some 

 fishermen, they anchored in the dark. 



This bay derives its name (path of the gods) from 

 a slide in the hill, which is still visible, which the 

 gods are said to have used in order to cross the bay 

 quickly. It is of no great extent, and opens be- 

 tween two low and barren hills, on each of which a 

 town is situated. x 



Between them a high perpendicular bluff rises 

 directly from the water, in which are seen nume- 

 rous caves : in these the natives formerly buried 

 their dead, and still use occasionally for the same 

 purpose. These caves appear inaccessible, and are 

 the resort of vast numbers of birds. 



On the 14th (Saturday), they landed at Napolo, 

 and were kindly received by Mr. Forbes, the resi- 

 dent missionary for the district of Kealakeakua. 

 They were greatly disappointed when they found it 

 would be impossible to proceed on their tour that 

 day, and that their departure would have to be de- 

 ferred until Monday, as it would be impossible to 

 prepare the food necessary for the journey in a day, 

 and the next being Sunday, no natives could be per- 

 suaded to travel until Monday. On the nights of 

 their stay with Mr. Forbes, they distinctly saw the 

 heavens lighted up by the fires of the volcano of 

 Kilauea Pele, although at the distance of forty 

 miles. This mission station is on the west side of 

 Hawaii, and on the south side of the bay of Keala- 

 keakua. 



Almost the whole coast of this district, extending 

 forty miles, is one line of lava. This frequently 

 lies in large masses for miles in extent, and is in 

 other places partially broken, exhibiting perpendi- 

 cular cliffs, against which the sea dashes with fury. 

 This formation extends half a mile into the interim 1 , 

 and as the distance from the sea increases, the soil 

 becomes richer and more productive. The face of 

 the country, even within this rocky barrier, is rough, 

 and covered with blocks and beds of lava, more or 

 less decomposed. The land in places reaches the 

 altitude of two thousand feet, and at a distance of 

 two miles from the coast begins to be well covered 

 with woods of various kinds of trees, which are 

 rendered almost impassable by an undergrowth of 

 vines and ferns. In these woods there are many 

 cleared spots, which have the appearance of having 

 been formerly cultivated, or having been burnt by 

 the descending streams of lava. In some places, 

 these strips of wood descend to within a mile of the 

 shore, having escaped destruction. These are in 

 no place parallel to the shore, but lie always in the 

 direction which the streams of lava would take in 

 descending from the mountains. 



Our gentlemen, during their detention, crossed 

 over to the north shore of the bay of Kealakeakua, 

 to visit the place where Captain Cook was killed. The 

 natives pointed out the spot where he fell, which 

 was on a rock, the most convenient for landing of 

 any in the vicinity, as it is somewhat protected from 

 the swell by a point of lava rocks. Within a few 

 yards there is a stump of a cocoa-nut tree, at the 

 foot of which he is said to have breathed his last. 

 The top of this tree had been cut off and carried to 

 England by H. B.M. ship Imogene. It is now 

 treasured up in the museum of Greenwich Hospital, 

 which I cannot but feel was an appropriate disposi- 

 tion of it, calculated to recall his memory to the 



