Life and death of Captain James Cook as the Hawaiian god „Lono

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature grade: 10 University of Constance course: The Sunset State language: English abstract: On January 17th 1779 the HMS Resolution under the command of Captain JamesCook and the HMS Discovery under the command of Captain Charles Clerkeanchored for the first time in a shallow bay on the west of Hawaii which the nativescalled Kealakekua Bay. Immediately the ships were surrounded by a huge crowd ofIndians either swimming around them or circling them in canoes. Cook describes thesituation in his journal: I have no where in this Sea seen such a number of peopleassembled at one place besides those in the Canoes all the Shore of the bay wascovered with people and hundreds were swimming about the Ships like shoals offish. Due to a lack of understanding the native's language Cook and his crew hadno chance of realizing that all those people had gathered not only to greet strangersfrom across the ocean but to celebrate the arrival of their god Lono who wasbelieved to have sailed across the ocean in search of his wife in time immemorialand was due to return. In his last journal-entry Cook writes:... to enrich our voyage with a discovery which though the last seemed inevery respect to be the most important that had hitherto been made byEuropeans throughout the extent of the Pacific Ocean[...]