The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-04-21
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.
7. Il. Davies Forwards Documents
to the Bishop Museum From
the British Admiralty.
Attempt to Rehabilitafe the
Character of Captain
Cook.

SIR: L nave recently nau the
good fortune to receive from the
Admiralty, in London, extracts
from two manuscripts which have
lain there apparently for hundred
years, and which are of great i'm
portance to those who are inter
ested in the Hawaiian Islands and
the tragic death of their great dis
coverer. I am sending full copies
of these manuscripts by this
steamer to Mr.. G. r. Bishop, for
the Bishop Museum. but there are
one or two points of such general
interest that | venture to address
you in regard to them.
The first manuscript is from the
journal of Captain Charles Clarke,
r. n, who succeeded Captain Cook
in command of the Resolution on
the death Of the latter, February
IA, 1878. The original pages have
apparently been torn out of the
journal kept by Captain Cook and
continued by Captain Clarke. They
were then conveyed to Kamschat-
ka by Russian man-of-war.
Hence they were transmitted to the
British ambassador at st. Peters
burg, who forwarded them to the
Admiralty, in London, and l un-
derstand that they now see the
light for the first time. The second
manuscript is pocket diary of one
of the Junior officers of the Reso-
luton, who gives a graphic descrip-
ton of the events surrounding
Captain Cooks death. There is no
name attached to the diary, and
one can only infer the rank of the
officer who kept it.
The chief points upon which
light is thrown by these documents
are:
1. There can have been no con-
seriousness on the part of the officers
of the expedition that Captain Cook
was regarded with idolatrous hom-
age.
2. 1t is made perfectly clear that
there was no room for suspicion OF
cannibalism.
8. There was neither treachery
nor animosity on the part of the
Hawaiians.
I am sure the documents will
be read with much interest, but
may recite here the paragraphs
which prove the points | have
stated.
Captain Clarke writes (page11)
''The extraordinary friendship anC
attention of these priests since oul
first arrival among them has beer
such as we never before met with
nor could expect from any Indians
or indeed I believe I may say any
nation or people in the world. They
abound in the riches of their coun
try, which they deal out with ;
most liberal hand. Our astronomer
and people on shore were fairly
kept by them, and they were con
tinually sending presents of hogs
fish, fruit, ETC., to both Captain
Cook and myself, at the sam'
time were so perfectly disinterestet
that it was frequently with diff
Guilty we got them to accept of any
return at all adequate to thei
donations"
The officers diary (p. 81 speak
Of the natives promising to brini
the body of "the Orono, meaning
Captain Cook"
Both the above extracts ant
their contexts are inconsistent witt
any consciousness of divine honor
to Captain Cook, and there is n
likelihood that the officer knew
what "the Orono" meant.
With regard to the second point
the diary is very explicit Up, ~
{" 1t had been the opinion of som
of the gentlemen that thes
people were cannibals; this melan
choly business I think has proves
the contrary, as when we interro
gated them about the bodies of tn
deceased, we did not let slip tn
opportunity of satisfying ourselye
that they have not that savage Gus
| TOM"
I am convinced that the perusa
of these documents will be re
garded as indicating the name G
Captain Cook from the charge c
blasphemous consent, and tn
name of the Hawaiian from tina
of either cannibalism or treachery
And the frank way in which tn
young officer speaks of the wantol
cruelty of some of the sailors, an
shows his sympathy for the natives
bespeaks for him, anonymou
though he be, the frank and homes
character that makes us "all low
Jack"
[ very much regret that [ am III
able to personally accompany thes
manuscripts, but it is with singula
satisfaction that [ forward them
Hawaiian custody.
I am, sir, faithfully yours,
THEo. II. DAVIES.
Palace Hotel, San Francisco.
April II, 1892.