VANCOUVER'S GHASTLY MISTAKE OFF WAIKIKI

By Edwin North M cClellan Historian, Editor, Lawyer, Traveller, Columnist, Radio Commentator and former member of OCC

E d w in N . M c C l e l l a n The British storeship Daedalus (Lieutenant Richard Hergest) arrived at Wai- niea (Oahu) on May 7, 1792. Some time before the Daedalus arrived at Waimea an Hawaiian Chief (upon going aboard the English West Indiaman Grace) had been wantonly fired upon, at the suggestion of Englishman Isaac Ridley. This man Ridley had been in the service of the Oahu Chiefs, deserted them, fled to the Grace and persuaded the Captain of that vessel to fire upon the Oahuans. This brutal act caused the Hawaiians of Windward Oahi^ to distrust all Britishers — including that the alleged "murderers resided near those of the Daedalus. Whyteete (Waikiki) Bay.”

) HERGEST AND GOOCH KILLED AT WAIMEA VANCOUVER ARRIVES AT WAIKIKI BAY Captain George Vancouver reported "We proceeded to Whyteete where we that when Lieutenant Richard Hergest anchored about three o’clock in ten and Astronomer W illiam Gooch went fathoms of water,” recorded Captain ashore from the Daedalus at Waimea Vancouver. A few small single canoes (with eight “unarmed" members of the and only one double canoe, went out to crew), Hergest, Gooch and a Portuguese welcome the Discoi>ery. In the double seaman were killed by the Hawaiians. canoe was "James Coleman, one of the Lord Byron, of HMS Blonde (which ar­ three men” Vancouver had found on rived at Waikiki in May of 1825 bringing Kauai in 1792 who had been left there home the remains of the Hawaiian King by Captain James Kendrick of the Amer­ and Queen), explained: ican vessel Lady Washington. Coleman had quit Kendrick’s employ and entered “These unfortunate gentlemen were the service of King Titeeree (Kahekili). victims to the naturally irritated feelings of some of the natives whose Chief" was Coleman was accompanied by a Chief wantonly fired upon on board the Grace named Tennavee and a lad of Oahu and this “was the cause of the death of called To-hoo-boo-ar-to. This trio in­ the officers of the Daedalus." formed Vancouver that they had been sent by Try-too-boo-ry (Kalanikupule), ^VANCOUVER DEMANDS MURDERERS Titeeree’s (Kahekili’s) "eldest son and Captain Vancouver was not in the Ha­ Governor of Woahoo (Oahu) in his ab­ waiian Islands at the times of these three sence, to inquire who we were" and to killings but, on March 13, 1793, he was aid Captain Vancouver in bringing the at Maui receiving Kahekili, King of criminals to justice. Also, that Kalaniku­ Maui and Oahu, aboard his ship Discov­ pule believed that the men were guilty. ery. Vancouver described Kahekili as be­ Vancouver sent presents to Kalanikupule ing over sixty years of age, as talking in by Coleman and the two Hawaiians a quavering voice, and as greatly debili­ when they left the Discovery to return to tated and emaciated because of an exces­ Waikiki Beach in their double canoe. sive use of "Ave." Captain Vancouver ACCUSED MEN BROUGHT ABOARD and King Kahekili discussed the killing "DISCOVERT" of Hergest, Gooch and the seaman. Ka­ Next day, March 21, 1793, Coleman hekili appointed Tamohomoho (who (with Tamohomoho and Tennavee) said he was the younger brother of Ka­ brought the three accused Hawaiians hekili) to accompany Vancouver to aboard the Discovery. The principal ac- Oahu. Tamohomoho told Vancouver (Continued on Page IS)

[9] 9 ember Rae Meisner has changed hair and presenting the gruesome prize fiance. For years with the German to the King. 1 Von Hamm-Young he has turned his The convicted (but innocent) Ha­ ;i;iance to the Irishers—Murphy Olds- waiians were “taken one by one into a tiile. He is now their parts and acces­ double canoe, where they were lashed s's manager. Good luck and aloha, hand-and-feet, and put to death by Ten­ I navee, their own Chief, who blew out i i i their brains with a pistol." [lilt Holst, Mrs. Holst and their son When the executions took place the ):ce left by United Air for Vancouver, Death-Double-Canoe was halfway be­ to attend the meeting of the Asso- tween Waikiki Beach and the Discovery. con of Advertising Agencies. Milt is Never before, nor since, have spectators syaii’s outstanding ad man and was on the Beach at Waikiki witnessed such p partner with our beloved past pres­ a dramatic tragedy. it Walter MacFarlane. WAILING AND LAMENTATION FOR i i i “INNOCENT" MEN ack Mackenzie says, “Confucius says, The “dead bodies were taken to the confidential secretary is one your wife shore [Waikiki Beach], attended by most un’t find out about/ ” of the natives who were present at the executions . . . [the canoe was] paddled /NCOUVER S MISTAKE slowly toward the Beach . . . [halfway to (Continued from Page 9) the Beach] lamentations were heard . . . Hd man was distinguished by tattoo- Tennavee later confessed that the three “One-half of his body, from his men he executed were innocent.” fhead to his feet, was made jet-black Captain Vancouver proposed that the j uncrating.” three corpses be hung upon a tree on uncouver hel a quasi court-martial the Beach at Waikiki as a warning; but ihe three accused Hawraiians aboard the Hawaiian Chiefs did not agree to iDiscoveiy. This judicial-body found this proposal on the grounds that such 'i three accused Hawaiians guilty and spectacles would be considered very im­ :>idged sentences of death. Coleman, proper; not in accordance with their re­ inohomoho and Tennavee returned to ligious rites; and offend the priesthood. dkiki Beach leaving the three inno- THE EXECUTED MEN WERE INNOCENT Hawaiians (convicted of murder In 1796, Kamehameha-the-Great told sentenced to death) aboard the Captain William Robert Broughton, of iovery. the British warship Providence, that “the pieman, Tamohomoho and Tenna- men who were executed alongside the Ireturned to the Discovery on March Discovery [in 1793] had not committed 1 793. Tamohomoho and Tennavee these murders but were unfortunate be­ Banded that the convicted Hawaiians ings whom the Chief selected to satisfy executed immediately. Captain Vancouver.” kNS OF INNOCENT HAWAIIANS Forty years after this tragic execution WN OUT BY THEIR CHIEF of innocent men, by Captain Vancou­ |he three Hawaiians (later declared ver’s orders, Hiram Bingham—the Amer­ ocent) were executed that day. A ican missionary—met an old Hawaiian i:d of British Marines and seamen Chief who admitted to Bingham that he * drawn up on the side of the Dis- was the man who had executed the three Iry nearest Waikiki Beach. One of Hawaiians in the double canoe off Wai­ ) convicted men had long hair. This kiki Beach. This old Chief explained to was cut off the man before he died Mr. Bingham that he could not find the ihat the hair might be presented— guilty persons so he “seized three other customary tribute—to the King of men and gave them up to Captain nu. Vancouver.” samohomoho and Tennavee (in the Th e D iscovery, with Captain George i.ence of the doomed Hawaiians) Vancouver aboard, sailed from Waikiki ^ggled for the honor of securing the Bay on March 24, 1793.

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