ALESSANDRO MARI-CATANI

On January 17th, 1779, the Resolution and the Discovery, Captain James Cook in command, cast anchor in Kealakeakua Bay, Hawai'i Island, and are welcomed by thousands of enthusiastic islanders and when he comes ashore Cook is hailed as a divine being. No serious incident occurs during the 18 days the British spend on land.

On February 4th the two ships leave but a storm forces them to sail back to Kealakeakua, which they reach on February 11th. This time the British face a totally different scenario: no hearthy welcome, no adoring crowds and soon they perceive a cool, hostile behaviour on the part of the Hawaiians. Tensions rapidly escalate: thefts, quarrels, brawls between natives and English sailors multiply and during the night of February 14th the Discovery's cutter is stolen. To recover it Cook takes stern measures: he seizes the Hawaiian king as a hostage but on reaching the beach he and his men are surrounded by hundreds of enraged islanders and in the ensuing fray Cook is stabbed to death.

Why such an abrupt, unexpected about-turn in the attitude of the Hawaiians? What had caused it? Did it depend on the savage, treacherous nature of the natives? Or upon the arrogant encroachment brought about by the white foreigners?

For over two centuries the causes of this inexplicable tragedy have intrigued the Western World. The present work is a fictional, yet historically soundly based reconstruction of the facts, as well an attempt to give an insight not only into this particular event but also into the continuing bloody drama of contacts between different cultures.