The Napoleon of the Pacific, [electronic resource] Kamehameha the Great

Foreword

JUST a century ago,— on May 8, 1819,— the greatest child of the Pacific, "from chaos until now," Kamehameha the First of Hawaii passed away, leaving to his children a legacy wThich they were unable to retain. The United States, which have providentially become the inheritors of his realm, are also made thereby the guardians of Kamehameha's fame. It is in the hope that Americans will find some interest in the story of one who surely deserves his title of " the Great " that this book has been written. The author has drawn freely upon all the materials available. Particular use has been made of Pomander's " Polynesian Race,"* Alexander's " History of the Hawaiian People," King Kalakaua's " Legends and Myths of Hawaii," and some of the older histories such as those of Jarves and Dibble. The writings of the old missionaries, such as Ellis and Bingham, have also been of great service, and, of course, also the Voyages of the great navigators, such as Cook and Vancouver. I wrish to acknowledge very gratefully the help which has been thus derived and without which the memoir could not have been written.

Herbert H. Gowen.

Contents

I. Introduction .

II. The Birth and Boyhood of Kamehameha

III. Kamehameha's First Taste of War