Prompt 7

Captain James Cook's voyages were so important because he was searching for a new continent that was believed to be full of riches the world had never known. This continent was later dicovered to be Antarcitca, but Cook's ships were no match for the ice that forbade passage to the snow-covered land itself.
Cook and Hawaii are so closely linked because of the time and season he discovered Hawaii. He was believed to be some kind of god profecied to come at the time Cook came and from the direction he did. Cook is so famous for being connected to Hawaii because it is said that he is the first European to discover it.
It think the story about Gary and the others relates to the reader how the Native Hawaiians view outsiders, but also do not want their own people to seem like barbarians. Gary is a local who is discovered at Cook's memorial. Horowitz thinks that he is the one who wrote the slanderous words on the memorial. Gary is really cleaning it off. He is the keeper and trying to do his job of keeping the marker respectable. Gary feels that Cook wass an invader who began the slow process of taking away the native's traditions. Gary feels strong dislike for Cook, just as the rest of the natives probably do about the man's place in Hawaiian history. Gary's feeling mirror the Reverand's and the churchmen because they are total opposites. Gary has bad feelings while the other men look at him as some sort of hero. Horowitz's point to this story is to share the natives opinion of a man who is looked at two very different ways. It is important to understand both sides of the story.
Shalins's main point of arguement on the ritual performed by the Hawaiians and Cook was that Cook was obliging the Hawaiians, "by playing the part of Lono to it's fatal end." Obeyesekere's view was that the Hawaiians weren't that gullible. From the way the Hawaiian's were behaving I find that I lean toward Shalin's theory. The people seemed to treat Cook like a god, not a man who just landed on accident.
The ironies the author finds are strange indeed. First is that Cook was known for repremanding his men for violent acts, yet he lost his lofe during a very violent rampage of the Hawaiians. He was the one to march ashore with guns ready to violently get back a small boat. He died with a gun in his hand after killing a man. This was odd considering his Quaker upbringing. Secondly, the dagger that felled him was made of the iron Cook himself had asked for to trade in attaining friendships. Finally, Cook didn't die in a place he felt was unsafe, but a place where he'd been treated as a god. A place where he didn't even think his own men needed protection. The strange circumstances are that Cook, a diligent journalist, never wrote about the last month in Hawaii. The crew might hve destroyed it as well, not wanting to disparage their fallen leader. The crew's new captain said that it was an unfortunate tragedy. Seems strange considering all that happened. Why would someone tear out or destroy the journal? Is Horowtiz's story the real recolection or the crews made up one? I guess we'll never know.