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Playing on
Lono's Island
Resolution
and Discovery Arriving at Kealakekua Bay,
January 17, 1779
This view shows the HMS Discovery in the
foreground and the Resolution in the distance having just
come to anchor at Kealakekua Bay on the Island of Hawaii.
So many Hawaiians climbed onboard the Discovery that she came
close to capsizing. Midshipman George Gilbert describes the
chaos aboard the Discovery:
"When we wanted to work, we could not
come at the ropes without first driving the greater part of
the them [the Hawaiians] overboard; which they bore with the
utmost cheerfulness and good nature jumping from every part
of the ship into the water, as fast as they could, appearing
to be much diverted at it, and would come on board again when
the business was over."
It was one year earlier that the Cook expedition
had stumbled on the island of Kauai where islanders told him
of larger islands to the East. Captain Cook was unable to
confirm the information, at the time, as his orders were to
explore the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Remembering the
abundant food and gentle climate of the islands, upon his
return, Cook took the expedition south to explore those islands
he had not yet discovered.
The title of this work refers to the Hawaiian's
initial belief that Captain Cook was the ancient God Lono.
According to Hawaiian legend, it was foretold that Lono would
return on large floating islands. The pandemonium created
by the hundreds of Hawaiians as they gleefully explored this
gift from the gods continued throughout the day. As soon as
forty or fifty were driven off one side of the ship, just
as many would appear over the other side
24 x 30 in. giclée on canvas - 100
edition (10 AP hand enhanced)
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