The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-26
NEW VERSION Of
COOKS DEATH
Samuel Charles, a Master
Mariner, Tells What He
Saw on Hawaii.
The Sydney Morning Herald of June

The Sydney Morning Herald of June
20 says:
Captain Samuel Charles, MIC, OF
| Cliff Towers. Point Piper, is one OF
the few living persons who has con-
versed with one of the actual witnesses
of the death of Captain Cook, Captain
Charles, who is now nearly 80 years
of age, had also the unique experience
in his youth of having followed the
| route taken by the great navigator in
the eighteenth century. At the request
of his Excellency the Governor, Sir
Harry Rawson, Captain Charles en-
bodied his experiences in letter, which
has now been made available. The let
ter runs:
To His Excellency Admiral Sir Harry
Holdsworth Rawson, X. c. B., Gov
ernor of New South Wales.
Sir: With due respect I now for
ward as promised statement of what
prompted me to visit and find particu-
lars of Captain Cook g voyages and
death. On reading Captain Cooks voy-
ages when boy it created desire in
me to see the places described by him,
most of which I have seen since. First,
in January, 1914, while on a run from
Sydney to Kama in a cutter of II tons,
we were caught in southerly buster
and run into Botany Bay. Seeing a
cottage on shore we landed; meeting
the man in charge, he pointed out a.
spot near where the obelisk now stands
as the place where the blacks said
Captain Cook landed.
A few years after my visit / built
a small brigantine, and called her Sea-
gull. On hearing that gold was dis
covered in California, we made up a
party and sailed from Sydney for San
Francisco. December IS, 1S49, called at
New Zealand previously visited by
Captain Cook. We sailed thence for
Otaheta, arriving at Papeete on Febru-
airy l, 1850, one of Captain Cook s
favorite spots. After few pleasant
days we sailed for and arrived at Ke- |
alakekua Bay, Island of Hawaii, on |
March 8, 1850. The Seagull anchored
opposite a great temple or platform |
built of lava, surrounded by parapet |
wall In the center of the platform is |
an altar II feet in length, on which the |
priests burned human sacrifice to their |
gods, of which they had two sets. The |
home of one set was on the burning !.
mountain overlooking the temple. The
other set were gods of the sea; large |
sharks, said to be fed with babies. A
portion of the bay was sacred to them,
also the beach between the bay and
temple
On landing we met the Customs Off
Ger, and inquired of him where Cap
tain Cook was killed. He pointed
across the bay, but said he could get
an old man who was present when
Captain Cook was killed. An arrange
ment was made, and on the following
lay the old man was carried down to our
ooat and taken across the bay to a large
lat rock landing. He directed his car
'iers, we following, to a place where he
pointed out as the spot, crack or drain
lbout foot in depth, in the fiat lava
'ock, where Captain Cook tripped and
ell, and was killed. they carried his
,ody up a ravine, which was sheltered ]
rom view of the bay by a lava ridge,
o an altar on which his body was
urned, to which our guide took US. He
aid he minded seeing the fire. Our
uide was carried home a near way.
his altar was constructed the same
s the great one, but much smaller. {
IN the parapet walls are painted the
ames of several ships of war; also
ne royal yacht Wanderer, owned by
enjamin Boyd, of Sydney, who was 9
lied on his return at one of the is q
nds. :.
On our next visit to our guide we U
ked him the cause of the native hos
lily to Captain Cook. His reply was
e white men landed logs (spars), and
enty things on sacred beach, and
red in houses Gents on the temple,
i'd spread sails over the altar, which
evented the gods from seeing their B
yn altar. The Dissertation of the
cred grounds and altar exasperated
e priests; they with the people de- N
anded the sacrlnce OF the whlte chleI st
ley arranged their trap. Boats were pl
Glen and taken to the opposite side -
the bay out of range of the muskets fc