What Is the Captain James Cook Monument?
Nestled in the heart of the Kealakekua Bay Historical District, this monument marks the rough spot where Captain James Cook was killed on February 14, 1779!
What Makes It Historical?
Captain James Cook could have gone down in history as one of the great cartographers and surveyors! After all, his first voyage (1768-1771) aboard the HMS Endeavour took him to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia in a five-year circumnavigation! His second voyage (1772-1775) aboard the HMS Resolution took him under the Antarctic Circle, to South Georgia Island, and to places like Easter Island, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu, debunking the old myths of “Terra Australis!”
It was on his third voyage (1776-1779) aboard the HMS Resolution that things went south while looking for a Northwest Passage! The Cook expedition came upon this archipelago, which the captain named the “Sandwich Islands” after the Earl of Sandwich, traded with the locals, then continued as far north as the Chukchi Sea, where he realized a Northwest Passage wasn’t going to happen! This made him very frustrated, and he carried his annoyance with him all the way back to those “Sandwich Islands!”
This time, the Resolution pulled up by the Big Island for supplies, just in time for the harvest festival of Makahiki! The crew did not make very good guests, though! Captain Cook ordered his crew to chop up and plunder the wooden fence surrounding the sacred Morai burial ground, and his co-captain on the Discovery falsely accused one of the local aliʻi of theft! The ships left in a huff, but a storm pushed them back with a broken mast!
By this time, the locals weren’t so welcoming and started stealing from the crew. Captain Cook got the idea that he should kidnap the aliʻi, Kalaniʻōpuʻu and hold him hostage! Well, that didn’t make him any more popular, and the whole village chased him until the aliʻi sat down and did not budge, putting the captain in an awkward position of picking a fight with a whole village! Another aliʻi named Kanaʻina hit him over the head, then an assistant named Nuaa stabbed him with a dagger from one of the ships! Four other marines were killed, and Captain Cook’s body was taken apart, his bones turned into relics. 75 years later, British Admiral Archibald Cleghorn ordered this obelisk raised at the site, surrounded by four cannons from the HMS Fantome!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with Hawaii State Parks!
- Become a member of the Hawaiian Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
End of the Kaʻawaloa Trail
2 miles southwest of Napoopoo Road
Captain Cook, HI 96704
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
There are no set hours, but if you’re coming by trail instead of boat, stick to the daylight hours!
More Photos
