The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-11-16
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WAsHINGToS. July is, 1859,

f..,is.ae. so.g WAsHISeTos, July l6, 1859, !.
4 TO The Editqrs Of tle EreaiRg. Posi-: n.
1t is said that Spaniards had visited the Sand
wich Islands before the days Of Cook, even as
scandinasians bad gone to America before Co
lumbus This is very true 10 both cases; and
yet there isno proof and no probability that eth.
er of the great discoyerers knew any thing Of
these accidental visits of men who made mol
ord of whatithey saw f,ssfg.3 s ,o Al
10 the case Of Cook, those who wish, to detract
from his merit discoverer like to paradea Span.
\ ish chart found by Arson on board the Spanish
galle6n Ndestfa Signora de Ia Cabadonga in I745.
upon which are traced a agroup Of Islands many
degrees east of the position Of the Sandwich Is.
lands. aud named Isa de San Francisco, Los Mo-
jas, La Mesa. Viva, La Disgraeiada, lRoxa Pafti-
dia, lsla de Fassaros aud Others, A mult;dude
oflppginary or doubtful islands Gil the old, Paci-
| fc charts. There are no names here that in the
slightest degree resemble any Of the Sandwich
Islands, or have any reference TO them. except
Passaros, or Bird Island; there being Bird Is
land in the Hawaiian group. 73ed bsfei9 y
But this is common name for scores Of small
islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans There
are several Pulu ButuDg or Bird Islands in, the
Malay Archipelago; several I'M Central Pplyne
sia- Captain Cook gave the pane Of Bird Island
to Hekuera one oflhe Paumotugropp, This name
is most commonly suggested, inasmuch as all
small Islands in the Pacific and Indian waters are
the resorts of innuniet.bef hocks az sea.fowl
The Bird Island OF the Sandwich Islands was
called by kanakas 'Modoo Mannn, OF Moku Ma
nu; and onlyso named, and seen bYthem subse-
quent to the discovery Of The group by Cook
Yet an Amsziean-DaEalr Officer has produced a
map of the Sandwich, Islands. published by the
photographic Bureau at Washington, ir which
the Mokui Mann or Bird Island Of this group, is
named Passaros Island. to make it appear that it
ls Identical with the island on the Spanish chart
leaving IT toibe inferred that Captain Cook merely
rediscoEered the Islands, in consequences of inform
! alton derived from this chart Now, the inrpos-
tioD Of the Spanish name Passaros upon one Of
the Sandwich Islands could only have beer. infu-
enced by disposition prevalent among certain
parties 10 the Islands, with whom this officer
sympathlsed. to deny TO Captain Cook all the
honor Of his great discovery. oasm 8ai a
II iGaetano, as it Is contended, or any other
Spanish officer, had visited the Sandwich Islands,
we surely would have some evidence showing
knowledge OF such large and populous islands, ly-
lpgln. Inc Track as 9iaid down on theoSpanlsh
chart'.ol the galleons sailing from Acapulco to
tie fhlii'PPlnes,s The spanish knew not Of any
spch important recruiting station. 15bow re)oleed,
as Cook says would Aps9n haYe been, IN bis
weary cruise aeresssthe Pacific, had he known OF
such a Deau'iiui island az oTyhee, to enable hun
70 recruit lhe senlaflon' n lnai gad fei selo
-'ihere was no soen kno~ieage IN Tue process
SION % cNll'zeu men /. 20 eaptS'S james Oook'
'ne scenllnc ana Aa'In'ui 'uleer' Tue Grave co'n
mauder' me entefprisihg man- the genus tsas
spF"nsiHom co'tief poy' oeloogs All ihe glory Oh
the discovery ohthis Important group OF Islands,
Ills however true ihal l1e hanakas had some
iaint traditions to the visit oil strangers before
Cook; bot 80 faint and Imperfect that when the
discoVerers ships hrst appeared IN their seas they
called them mokusp srislands. As the vessels
appeared to them SO enormously disproportioned
TO any floating craft they bad ever seen or heard
of.iihey supposed that these great apparitions
must be Islands athat1had sprung up out of the
sea and the name for island and ship are the
same at this day among the Kanakas. es1eop !
The wonder and surprise ofifthe barbaFians of
0Tyhes aRd Attoo, the modern. Hawaii and
Kauai, were not confined only TO the;ships, but
the beings on them were objectsloi especial won
der. They saw skins not red like their owns like
the clinkers Of heir volcanoes. but white and
rosy tinted, like the pearl shells of their seas.
These beings came from the great depths. from
whence came their eatooas, akuas, or gods md
they hailed Cook as god. therswaBderiBg hero
Lono. the Ulysses Of Owhyhee. and they tell down
before him with reverential ave. as the Oaribs did
h.Gore Columbus. gaa 80 d5ee a9rsai d
The Kanakas wondered on seeing Cook and
his men. as we would wonder to see beings
shaped like ourselves, and Of superior brightness,
coming to US upon an asteriod or Laputan island.
poised IN space or rather their wonder must
have been greater than ours would be under snch
circumstances; because they had no recorded facts
or specuations to assist them to understand the
strange beings and powers that appeared before
them They eagerly felt of the new men when
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