HHMS Kaimiloa was a warship of the Hawaiian Royal Navy. The ship was formerly the
Explorer, a 170-ton
schooner, built in England in 1871.
Kaimiloa sailed from
Hawaii to
Samoa and other Pacific islands in 1887 in an effort by King Kalākaua to form a confederation of Polynesian states to counteract
Colonial empire. The instance nearly resulted in military conflict between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the German Empire, who viewed Samoa as their possession in the Pacific. It was also used as a training ship.
In the Hawaiian language, kaimiloa (from ka imi loa) means "one who seeks afar" which roughly translates 'explorer'.[Helen Geracimos Chapin, "Shaping history: the role of newspapers in Hawai'i"]
Commissioning
Walter M. Gibson had himself named secretary of the Navy, among his other titles.
The navy owned mostly older sailing ships, tugboats, and traditional canoes. On January 22, 1887, Gibson convinced the government to purchase the
Explorer, a British merchant steamer employed in the
copra trade. The
Explorer had been launched as
Firebrick in Blyth, Northumberland in 1871. King Kalākaua bought the ship for $20,000 and added the rigging.
[ Logs of Kaimiloa & Velocity . Accessed on August 16, 2011.] After being refitted at great expense (over budget and behind schedule), the ship was renamed
Kaimiloa and came into commission on 28 March 1887
[ Kaimiloa, March 28, 1887. Accessed on August 16, 2011.] and was ceremonially launched on April 20, 1887.
Henri Berger composed a march in her honor.
Kaimiloa finally set sail on May 18, to serve as John E. Bush's flagship.[ Crew of the Kaimiloa, March 28, 1887. Accessed on 16 August 2011.] Due to the music program which was in effect at the reform school, some of these crew members were also members of a military band. They were led by Charles Palikapu Kaleikoa, who was a member of the Royal Hawaiian Band.[ Kaimiloa Cadet Band. Accessed on August 16, 2011.]
Voyage
Seeking an alliance with Samoa,
Kaimiloa set sail on May 18, 1887, and reached
Apia on June 16.
However, due to Samoa already being in negotiations with the
German Empire, and the United Kingdom and United States of America also keeping track of the situation, talks did not progress well.
During these negotiations, the military band held a concert for the townspeople of Apia, which helped to build up good relations between them and the Hawaiians.
There were few problems caused by the crew, with only one incident that required reprimand being on record.
Due to the effects of the coup d'état that happened in July 1887, the ship was ordered to return home on August 23.[Several of the crew members remained in Samoa after this. Pasefika Designs, LLC.. Accessed on August 16, 2011.] They arrived in Honolulu on September 23.[ Bob Krauss Research Index (search for "Kaimiloa"). Accessed on August 16, 2011.] After this, Charles Palikapu Kaleikoa reformed the Royal Hawaiian Band and continued to play in it until his retirement 40 years later.
Later on, the Samoan crisis evolved into the Samoan Civil War (1887-1889) with rival colonial powers supporting different chiefs as kings of Samoa.
Aunuʻu Island
In 1887, the
Kaimiloa made a notable stop at Aunuʻu Island. While the ship was docked at the island, two Hawaiian sailors, Aniani and Mahelona, deserted the ship, taking with them weapons, including rifles and cannons. These weapons would later become instrumental in fortifying Aunuʻu against external threats during a period of political turmoil during the Samoan Civil War. Aunuʻu became a haven for refugees fleeing the conflict on
Tutuila, prompting its residents to prepare for potential attacks. With the help of the two Hawaiian deserters and a Hawaiian-descended storekeeper named Manoa, the villagers of Aunuʻu constructed defensive positions. They fortified the island with the
Kaimiloa's cannons and rifles and strategically placed ambush points along the coral reefs. When an invasion fleet from Tutuila attempted to attack, the defenders successfully repelled the assault, securing Aunuʻu’s safety. Oral histories on Aunuʻu continue to honor the alliance formed during this turbulent period, and one of its cannons is now housed at the Jean P. Haydon Museum in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
[Sunia, Fofo I.F. (2009). A History of American Samoa. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. Page 313. ISBN 9781573062992.][Chappell, David A. (2016). Double Ghosts: Oceanian Voyagers on Euroamerican Ships. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781315479118.][Cook, Kealani (2016). Return to Kahiki: Native Hawaiians in Oceania. Cambridge University Press. Page 95. ISBN 9781107195899.]
After decommissioning
After being decommissioned,
Kaimiloa was used as a
quarantine, but in 1888 it was sold for 2,800 dollars
and used as a transportation vessel between the
Hawaiian Islands.
In 1894, the Gatling guns were removed by the administration of the Republic of Hawaii.
