POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
CHAPTER I. 
Notice of the discovery of the Sandwich Islands—Cor¬ 
rectness of Captain Cook’s narrative—Remarks on the 
impressions produced by its perusal—Actual state of 
the people—General account of Hawaii, Maui, Tahau- 
rawe, Morokini, Ranai, Morokaj, Oahu, Tauai, 
Niihau, and Taura— Climate, population, and natural 
history of the Sandwich Islands—Importance of their 
local situation—Arrival of Missionaries from America 
—Commencement of Missionary labours among them— 
Circumstances of the people. 
It is now half a century since Captain Cook, in 
search of a northern passage from the Pacific to 
the Atlantic, discovered a group of islands, which, 
in honour of his patron the Earl of Sandwich, first 
lord of the admiralty, he called the Sandwich 
Islands. The importance he attached to this dis¬ 
covery may be gathered from his own words; for, 
when speaking of the circumstances under which 
the vessels anchored for the first time in Keara- 
ke’kua bay, the appearance of the natives, &c. he 
remarks, u We could not but be struck with the 
singularity of this scene; and perhaps there were 
few on board, who now lamented our having failed 
in our endeavours to find a • northern passage 
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