Opukaha'ia on the Death of Captain Cook
The death of Captain Cook as described by Opukaha'ia is described in a letter published in the March, 1875 edition of The Friend published in Honolulu. The letter was written about 1811 by Joshua Coffin who while a student at Bradford Academy met Opukaha'ia.
Dear Sir:
In the summer of 1811 I attended the Academy at Bradford, and was a border in the family of Deacon Jno. Haseline, whose family consisted of himself, his wife, son, and three daughters, Abigale, Mary, Ann (afterwards Mrs. Judson) and several boarders among whom was that very interesting mative of Hawaii, Obookiah. He gave me at different times a particular account of his life, adventures &c. He gave me a particular account of the death of Captain Cook and the causes which led it. Said he,
"Captain Cook he came to Hawaii on a ship and he had a great many sailors. One day a sailor tie a boat to the shore with a rope. Then the sailor came and say Hawaii steal the baot and they didn't; the wind and the wave they carry him away. The sailor get mad, Hawaii men get mad, wouldn't give sailor no hog, no coconut, no banana, no wood. Then sailor go ashore and find no wood and so he get old wooden god and take on board the ship and burn in caboose. The King of Hawaii he mad and Captain Cook he mad too.
"Why was the king mad?"
"You see," said Obookiah, "Hawaii men take a log and make a grat wood god, look just like a man, and when they have a new king, they kill men and hang them up right before the wood god"
"'But,' said I, 'Did they think the wood god knew anything?'
"'O, no,' said he, 'when they get the wood god all made and put up, then the spirit come and live in the wood and when the wood get old they make a new one. The Hawaii men get mad because the sailor burned up old wood god.' (deeming it, I suppose, a sort of sacrilege). Then Captain Cook heard the noise and came running down to see what was the matter. Then one man say, 'You kill Capt. Cook but he 'fraid.' Then a man say "I will," and he came behind him and kill him with a spear.'
"'Well,' said I, 'what did they do with Captain Cook?'
"'They cut him pieces and carried him up into the mountains and burnt him.'
"'Why,' I said, 'did they burn him?' 'O,' said he, 'they fraid his soul live and go back to King George and tell him how Hawaii men kill Capt. Cook, and then King George send men and kill Hawaii men and so they burnt up body and soul together.'
"'How,' said I, ' do you know all these things?' 'O, my grandfather tell my father and my father tell me.'
"I have thus hastily given you a very brief outline of a part of many very interesting conversations which I had at various times with this very interesting young man. He was a great favorite with all the family. He had so much frankness, honesty, and symathy that no one could be offended with him. I am constrained to say that I was one of these persons whom he mentions in his life as 'unserious.' With one or two exceptions the students were not professors of religoin. He aftewards, as you well know, became a devout Christian, as did Thomas Hopoo, who came to America in the same ship with him. Please excuse the chirographyh of htis hurried letter and oblige,
Yours truly,
Joshua Coffin."