Editing Waimea, Kauaʻi County, Hawaii (section)

=== First Western contact ===
[[File:Captain James Cook statue, Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii.JPG|thumb|right|200px|A statue of Captain [[James Cook]] stands in Waimea, Kaua{{okina}}i commemorating his first contact with the Hawaiian islands at the town's harbor in January 1778.]]
On January 20, 1778, the British explorer, Captain [[James Cook]], and his ships, HMS ''Discovery'' and ''Resolution'', arrived at the mouth of the [[Waimea River (Kauai)|Waimea River]] on the western side of [[Kauai|Kaua‘i]]. Originally, Cook sent three small craft to Waimea so that his men could determine if it was a good place for the ships to dock. They reported back that there was a freshwater lagoon alongside a native village, so Cook and his men anchored their ships and went ashore on smaller craft.

Cook's mission is thought to be one of scientific and social exploration. His men documented the flora and fauna of the Waimea area, and tried to translate the language of the natives.<ref>Schutz, Albert J., ''The Voice of Eden: A History of Hawaiian Language Studies'', 1994</ref> While Cook's first contact with the islands was originally friendly and is responsible for a vast resource of information about the flora, fauna and culture of Hawai‘i, it also marks the beginning of the period of colonization of Hawai‘i and its people. The arrival of Europeans also introduced [[venereal disease]] and [[tuberculosis]], which were responsible for decimating the native Hawaiian population.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deephawaii.com/hawaiianhistory.htm |title=A brief history of Hawaii  300AD ~ 1900 |website=deephawaii.com |access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Captain James Cook Lands at Waimea Bay, Kauai on January 20, 1778, an exhibit at the Kauai Museum.jpg|thumb|Captain James Cook Lands at Waimea Bay, Kauai on January 20, 1778, an exhibit at the Kauai Museum]]