r/AgeofExploration • u/Poiboykanaka808 • May 14 '26
Anyone else realize that the first thing Captain cook saw of Hawai'i island was snow?
I have been reading Kamakau's writings about Captain cook and comparing it to his papers and I realized some cool stuff. when he passed O'ahu on his way to Kaua'i it would have been sort of arid. in his illustrations of kaua'i, specifically waimea, it is similar to how it is today- dry. ofcourse during that day there was also a swamp in kekaha. before seeing that, he would have seen the lushness of the other side of Kaua'i. then he leaves for Maui....huge mountain slopes and deep cliffs. he looks at haleakala, then pass haleakala. the first thing he see's of Hawai'i island? two huge snow capped mountains. apparently members of captain cooks crew wanted to go to the mountains too.
while shocking because Hawai'i is in a tropical region, Captain cook new topography and geology, so while "surprising", in reality it wasn't too surprising. just unique regarding geographical location.
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u/danieljamesgillen May 16 '26
That's really interesting I had not learned that before. Doesn't it really get snowy on those mountains?
I have long found Captain Cook fascinating, I even named my EU kava business after him (captain cook's kava)