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Captain Cook’s second voyage, off the coast of Poipu January 19, 1778. He was 55ish and at that age when things disorderly start to wrankle beyond all sense of proportion.  He was a crisp navy man and did not tolerate the non-squared away.  This quality allowed him to bring back his crew twice, unscathed, after voyages twice around the world lasting over 5 years in climates as diverse as in the Antarctic, Hawaii, New Zealand and Alaska. Discipline, a light human touch and a commitment to the principles of the Enlightenment characterized his temperment the first two circumnavigations.

 Cook  died on his 3d voyage.  he had become a bitter, impatient man, rigid without the need for it.  As a young captain he had been a rarity in a racist Anglocentric universe—respectful of natives, patient with their differences without trying to convert them to Jesus, generous with gifts.  But a few more years of sailing under harsh conditions, deprived of the balance afforded by solid ground and a loving woman,  he became intolerant and short tempered like most old men who refuse to stay green and adaptable. He was a brown dried twig and snapped one morning in Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island.  The printed page above is from the journal of a witness who recounted how he used violence against the locals and paid for it with his life—bludgeoned to death, mutilated and dismembered. Here is part of the original  account:

“On the 14th our large Cutter moored at our Sml Br. Buoy was missing. Boats were manned and armed from both ships with orders from Capt. Cook to lay at the mouth of the Bay and keep the Passage, that nothing should enter or go out while he himself with three of his own Boats manned and armed went to the town on the NW side of the Harbour to secure the Chief of all the Islands at his residence there. Capt. Cook landed with the Marine officer and party of marines and visited the Chiefs house, but was opposed in his Demands upon Tireoboo the Chief and was returning to the shore where the Boats lay surrounded both him and his Guard with a vast crowd who were alarmed at his boldness and perhaps at a loss to account for his return to the Boats – or from whatever motives it was soon perceived that many of them were Armed – tho at the same time others were crowding presents upon him, which with much Anger he threw from him – some insolence was afterwards shown him and he fired some small shot at the Offender without doing any damage, this is perhaps partly nearly the situation of matters when a Skirmish ensued and the fire became general from the Boats and then from the Marines, but without any Orders from any quarter as I can understand, for Capt. Cook turned to the boats enquired the Reason of it and was ordering them to cease firing when a Chief came behind and stabd him between the shoulders with an Iron instrument like a Dirk (a type of knife) of which they had many made by Capt. Cook by their own directions. He fell immediately at the receipt of the Blow with his face in the water but did not expire till he had recd. several other wounds in different parts of his Body – every thing was in confusion now, the Indians were elevated at their success and a Corporal and three Marines shared the Fate of their Commander before the others got on board the Boats, the Lieut. of Marines was stabd in the shoulder and others badly wounded with stones which came like hail from such a multitude…”