Hawaiian Time
Travel
Time Travel, like history, appears to
present us with a vision or an experience of the past and, perhaps, and
indication of the future. But, remember, all that has happened in the past is
colored by the cultural and emotional glasses worn by the viewer. Today, many
are re-evaluating the mainstream view of Hawaiian history, and we see unfolding
a diverging perception of the past 200 years' events. The Hi-TradeTime
Travel Machine. will evolve over the coming months, expanding and
undergoing many changes. We hope that our device, by incorporating a variety of
viewpoints and shades of reality, will reflect a clear, accurate and
contemporary vision of Hawaiian history.
Bear in mind however, that
any view of history will change as time goes by.
The Beginning of
Modern Hawaiian History
Modern history begins for the Hawaiian islands when an English
expedition led by Captain James Cook makes first contact with the islands. One
year later, on January 16, 1779, captain Cook's expedition sails into
Karakakooa (Kealakekua) bay on the island of Owhyhee (Hawaii) and his
final adventure begins to unfold. The captain is at first treated with great
respect, but he eventually out-stays his welcome and is killed in a battle with
Hawaiian warriors when he tries to take a Hawaiian chief hostage to force the
return of a stolen boat. He dies on the morning of February 14, 1779 on the
shore of Kealakekua Bay at Ka'awaloa. The expedition returns to England and
Hawaii's long isolation comes to an end. Many of the pictures shown in these
pages reflect the times; as news of the exotic and purportedly fierce Hawaiian
culture is first displayed in the printed media of a conservative Christian
Europe. These drawings, prints and paintings were made some years after the
voyage, taken from sketches done in Hawaii. The tendency of European artists of
this time is to show Hawaiians with idealized European features and clothing.
The spelling of the island, Owhyhee , is the phonetic
transcription of the unwritten Hawaiian language recorded by members of Cook's
expedition. Other place names are spelled in a fashion to indicate the
phonetics of the language of this time.
Sensitive Picture
Match the numbers
below the same numbers in the picture above.
