Kealakekua Bay - More Visitors

More Visitors

Although his story is not as dramatic as Cook's, another important visitor, George Vancouver arrived to winter in the islands in March 1792 with a small fleet of British ships. He had been a young midshipman on Cook's fatal voyage 13 years earlier and commanded the party to attempt to recover Cook's remains. This time he avoided anchoring in Kealakekua Bay, but did meet some canoes who were interested in trading. The common request was for firearms, which Vancouver resisted. One included chief Kaʻiana, who would later turn against Kamehameha. He suspected Kaʻiana intended to seize his ships, so left him behind and headed up the coast. There he was surprised to encounter a Hawaiian who in broken English introduced himself as "Jack", and told of traveling to America on a fur-trading ship. Through him, Vancouver met Keʻeaumoku Pāpaʻiahiahi, who gave him a favorable impression of Kamehameha (his son-in-law). He spent the rest of the winter in Oʻahu.

Vancouver returned in February 1793, and this time picked up Keʻeaumoku and anchored in Kealakekua Bay. When Kamehameha came to greet the ship, he brought John Young, now fluent in the Hawaiian Language, as an interpreter. This greatly helped to develop a trusted trading relationship instead of the escalating theft and violence that surrounded their meeting 14 years before. The Hawaiians presented a war game which was often part of the Makahiki celebration. Impressed by the warrior's abilities, Vancouver fired off some fireworks at night to demonstrate his military technology.

Vancouver presented some cattle that had been picked up in California. They were weak and barely alive, so he convinced Kamehameha to avoid killing them for ten years. Scottish doctor James Lind had recommended the use of citrus juice to prevent scurvy on long voyages. The botanist Archibald Menzies had picked up some citrus fruit seeds in South Africa, and dropped them off here, so that future ships might be able to replenish their stocks at the Hawaiian islands.

Vancouver left in March 1793 after visiting the other islands to continue his expedition, and returned again January 13, 1794. He still hoped to broker a truce between Kamehameha and the other islands. His first step was to reconcile Kamehameha with Queen Kaʻahumanu. He dropped off more cattle and sheep from California, and discovered a cow left the year before had delivered a calf. The cattle were eventually to become pests, until the "Hawaiian Cowboys" known as the Paniolo were recruited.

The ship's carpenters instructed the Hawaiians and the British advisors how to build a 36-foot (11 m) European-style ship, which they named the Britania. On February 25, 1794, Vancouver gathered leaders from around the island onto his ship and negotiated a treaty. Although sometimes called "ceding" Hawaii to Great Britain, the treaty was never ratified by British Parliament.