The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-20
AN OL.DT|ME
TRAGIC TALE
Death of David Douglas
the Scientist or
Hawaii.

Editor Advertiser: Enclosed in a
letter recently received from a friend
on Hawaii was the accompanying clip
ping relative to Mr.. David Douglas, the
scientific traveller and explorer who met
his death on the side of Mauna Kea
about eight miles above Laupahoehoe,
many years ago:
"a tree whose name is at once the
memorial both of a man and tragedy
is the Douglas pine, famous for its
ma gnificent cones. Now, David Doug
las was originally a Scotch lad who
came under the notice of Sir William
Hooker, the Well-known botanist, and
through his influence was appointed
collector of rare plants to the Hortf-
cultural Society. He travelled for the
society in all parts of the world and
was extraordinarily successful in his
finds. 1t was he who discovered lu-
pins, escholtzias and godetias as well
as many magnificent varieties of pine
trees, including the one bearing his
name. But when quite a young man
he met a tragic fate while plant hunt
| ing. He was in the Sandwich isles, and
there the natives dig deep pits to catch
wild animals, covering them over with
branches and grass to conceal their
openings. On to one of these treacher-
| Gus pits Douglas walked one day when
alone and was at once precipitated to
the bottom. No help was at hand"
| The writer of the letter suggested
that if I could add what is remember
| ed of his tragic death it might make
an interesting newspaper article. The
story as nearly as I can recall it was
as follows:
| MIR. Douglas, alone and on foot, on
| his way from Waimea to Hilo stopped
overnight at the house of an escaped
Botany Bay convict who lived in a
lonely place on the side of the noun
tain. The next morning this man warn
ed him to be careful to avoid falling
into one of the numerous cattle pits In
the locality, which were dug by the
natives (and covered with branches
grass and earth for the purpose of cap
turing wild cattle.
Ostensibly to insure Mr.. Douglas
safety as far as possible. the man ac-
ccmpanied him for some distance on his
Journey. The next day this man went
to one of the pits of which he knew to
see if any cattle had fallen into it and
discovered therein a wild bull and the
dead body of Mr.. Douglas, which the
bull had gored. 1t will never be known
which was in the pit first, Mr.. Douglas
or the bull, nor will it ever be known
positively whether his death was caus-
ed by the wounds inflicted by the bull
or whether he was murdered for the
sake of robbery and then thrown into
the pit.
There were at the time strong sus
picions Of foul play. In the first place,
Mr.. Douglas bundle was found at
considerable distance further along on
the road to Hilo, indicating that he had
passed the pit safely and proceeded
thus far on his way when for some
unexplained reason he had either re-
turned or been taken back to the place
where his body was found. And it did
not seem at all likely that he would, |
OF his own accord, have dropped his |
bundle on the road and deliberately |
gone back to this spot.
In the second place, Mr.. Douglas was |
known to have carried quite a sum in |
gold on his person and when shortly |
after his death it became apparent that |
the previously mentioned escaped con-
vict was well supplied with gold coins |
(sone versions say Spanish doubloonsl, |
which he took no pains to conceal II |
was surmised that this man had muir
dered the traveller, robbed him and
thrown his body into the cattle pit
where he afterwards pretended to have
found it, The deed may have been
committed when the convict escorted
Mr. Douglas on the first part of the
trip after leaving his house. or he may
have waylaid him later and killed him.
It is possible also that the victim may
have been thrown into the pit alive for
the bull to kill. and in either case the
convict may not have taken the money
until after Mr.. Douglas death. An old
resident of Wairnea, now deceased, who
formerly believed in the guilt of this
man. used to say that he died crazy
from the effects of this wicked deed |
preying on his mind.
Some of the people in Hamakua had
the body of Mr.. Douglas taken to Hilo,
from whence it was sent to Honolulu
and buried in the west corner of Ka-
wafahao churchyard Corner of Queen
and Punchbowl streets). There the re-
mains still lie in an unmarked grave, |
but on the corner of the church there
is Cor was) a tablet to his memory.
The Hawaiian Spectator" Vol. II,
No. 2, for April, 1898 contains a very
description by Mr. Douglas
of his ascent of Mauna Loa and the
summit crater of Mokua weoweo, to-
gether with an extract from a letter
to a lady friend. briefly mentioning
his ascent of Mauna Kea.
KAMAAINA.