Honolulu, Hawaiʻi—An ʻahu ʻula (feather cloak) and mahiole (feather helmet) gifted to Captain Cook in 1779 are being permanently returned to Hawaiʻi by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
These cherished items were gifts from Hawaiian Chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu to Captain James Cook and have been in Te Papa’s collection since being gifted to the museum in 1912.
KILLED BY SAVAGES.
It was on the coast of the latter [Hawaii] that one of his boats was stolen on the night of February 13, 1779, and on the following morning, going ashore with a lieutenant and nine men, with the intention of seizing the native chief as a hostage for its return, he became involved in a quarrel and was killed with four of his men. Continue reading
If we consider the history of Captain Cook from the start to the end, I do not come out with a flawless name or a good name for him. If there is built a Memorial to Kalanimanookahoowaha for his killing of the destructive scamp Captain Cook, that would be something most appropriate.
[This is from a lengthy detailed response to a critique by Ioane Kaimiola (“S. M. Kamakau.” in Au Okoa, 3/18/1867, p. 1) of Kamakau’s portrayal of Cook.]
(Kuokoa, 4/6/1867, p. 4)
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke VI, Helu 14, Aoao 4. Aperila 6, 1867.
Kalaniopuu treated Captain Cook generously, and gave him pigs, taro, sweet potato, bananas, and other things; he also gave him ahuula capes, mahiole, kahili, feather lei, fine wooden bowls, various fine kapa, ahu ao mats from Puna, and garments of hinalo—Captain Cook gave Kalaniopuu some rubbish—(It is said that the hat that Captain Cook gave to Kalaniopuu is in the head of the kaai of Keaweikekahialiiokamoku.)
(Kuokoa, 2/2/1867, p. 1)
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke VI, Helu 5, Aoao 1. Feberuari 2, 1867.
On the 24th of January, Kalaniopuu and his warriors returned from Maui and landed at Awili in Kaawaloa, and stayed at Hanamua at Keaweaheulu’s place, but they were also on Maui at war with Kahekili.
Kalaniopuu saw the many women were at the ocean on the ship to prostitute themselves [hookamakama], so Kalaniopuu forbade women from going down to the ship. And the haole saw that the women were not coming to the ship, so the haole went into the uplands of Napoopoo and at Kahauloa, and on this side of Kaawaloa to solicit prostitution, and the women received a great amount of foreign rubbish [opala]. Continue reading
Speaking of the Captain Cook relics which have been secured for the New South Wales Government, our London correspondent says, writing on September 9:—”Sir Saul Samuel has secured for the New South Wales Government the whole of the interesting collection of Captain Cook’s relics which were on view at the late Colonial and Indian Exhibition. Some of them he has had to purchase, others have been presented as gift. Your…
(Sydney Mail, 10/22/1887, p. 868)
The Sydney Mail, Volume XLIV, Number 1424, Page 868. October 22, 1887.
LORD ST. OSWALD’S GENEROUS GIFT TO NEW ZEALAND.
VALUABLE HAWAIIAN CLOAKS AND MAORI CARVINGS.
A visitor strolling into the dingy recesses of the Colonial Museum at Wellington (says the “Press”) might have noticed some peculiar looking feather cloaks and other curios of a dinginess in keeping with their worm-eaten domicile, and apparently of no great worth. In reality, however, they are articles of almost priceless value, genuine members of the great English circumnavigator, Captain Cook. Not only so, but they are connected intimately with his voyages and discoveries in the South Pacific and with the Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand in particular. They are the generous gift to New Zealand of Lord St. Oswald, whose forbears bought them at the sale of Bullock’s Museum on April 29, 1819. When Bullock died his famous collection was offered to the British Museum for £50,000, but refused, and it was subsequently disposed of at auction.
The main feature of Lord St. Oswald’s gift is the magnificent feather cloak and helmet presented to Captain Cook a short time before his death by the King of Owhyee. This robe is particularly described by Captain Cook in the account of his voyages. The cloak, which is in a remarkably fine state of preservation, is made mainly from countless small feathers of the Yellow Roo (Destia ral coxinia), a bird long since extinct. The feathers have, with inifinite patience, been woven one by one into a fibre base. The feather helmet is remarkable in that in shape it is almost a counterpart of the helmet in which our allegorical figure of Britannia is portrayed, with the crest of comb that was a characteristic of the Burgonet of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries particularly prominent, which can be traced back to the early Roman times. How the Hawaiians had got this idea of the mediæval helmet before the discovery of the islands by Captain Cook is somewhat of a mystery, unless it be that the Spanish had previously visited the islands. This seems highly probable. There is also an Hawaiian hat of the time of Captain Cook, a very rare exhibit. It is round, crowned, and broad-rimmed. One has seen many modern hats made on exactly the same lines; indeed, if one were to put a few larger feathers on it, and some modern trimming, it might almost pass muster on a racecourse or at a garden party of the present day. Continue reading
I just put up the short excerpt the other day describing Kalaniopuu giving James Cook his ahuula and kahili. And now there is this exciting announcement from the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum!
[It should be perhaps made clear however that the ahuula at least has made its way back to Hawaii nei two times since 1779, courtesy of the Dominion Museum, the predecessor of Te Papa Tongarewa]. The first time was in 1960:
DOMINION MUSEUM FEATHER CLOAK
Each year the Museum attempts to bring back for the Aloha Week exhibit a fine example of Hawaiian featherwork from abroad. This year the Dominion Museum of Wellington, New Zealand, has generously loaned a large Hawaiian feather cloak, which to the best of our knowledge, was presented to Captain Cook’s expedition in 1779. Aloha Week marks the first return of this cloak to Hawaii.
(Conch Shell: News of the Bishop Museum, October 1960)
The second time was for the “Artificial Curiosities” exhibit at the Bishop Museum which ran from January 18 to August 31, 1978.
PERTAINING TO THE DEATH OF LONO.
On the 24th of January 1779, Kalaniopuu returned from Maui; Lono was at Kealakekua in Kona, and Kalaniopuu met with Lono, and Kalaniopuu the chief treated Lono kindly and donned a ahu ula upon Lono, with kahili, and Kalaniopuu did a great many good things for Lono.
And on the 4th of February 1779, Lono leaves Kealakekua and his ship sails directly outside of Kawaihae and Kohala; it is noticed that one of the masts of his ship is rotten, so he returns to Kealakekua to build a new mast for his ship. Continue reading
Kailua, Hawaii, Feb. 9, 1836.
Died here in Kailua was the chiefess named Miriama Kekupuohi, on the 8th of February. She belonged to the church for eight years, and she was one of the first converts of Kailua nei. She was not known to have any entanglements.
She was very old, perhaps 80 years old. She was a wife of Kalaiopuu,* the chief when Lono [Captain Cook] came, in the first ship to arrive in Kaawaloa.
O Brethren, very true are the words of James 4:14. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” By DANIELA.
*Kalaiopuu was also known as Kaleiopuu and today is more commonly known as Kalaniopuu.
(Kumu Hawaii, 3/16/1836, p. 24)
Ke Kumu Hawaii, Buke 2, Pepa 6, Aoao 24. Maraki 16, 1836.
nupepa 