Nihoa
Encyclopedia
Nihoa also known as Bird Island or Moku Manu, is the largest and tallest of ten islands and atolls in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
(NWHI). The island is located at the southern end of the NWHI chain, 296 km (160 nmi) southeast of Necker Island
. Nihoa is the closest NWHI in proximity to the eight main windward Hawaiian Islands
at approximately 240 km (130 nmi) northwest of the island of Kauai
. The island has two peaks, 272 m (892 ft) Miller's Peak in the west, and 259 m (850 ft) Tanager Peak in the east. Nihoa's area is about 171 acre (0.69201306 km²) and is surrounded by a 142000 acres (57,465.4 ha) coral reef
. Its jagged outline gives the island its name, Nihoa, which means "tooth" in the Hawaiian language
.
The island is home to 25 species of plants and several animals, making it the most diverse island in the entire NWHI. Endemic birds like the Nihoa Finch
and Nihoa Millerbird
, and endemic plants like the Nihoa Fan Palm, the Nihoa Carnation
, and Amaranthus brownii
are found only on Nihoa. The plant communities and rocky outcrops provide nesting and perching areas for 18 species of seabirds, such as Red-footed Boobies and Brown Noddies, terns, shearwaters, and petrels. Prehistoric evidence indicates Native Hawaiians lived on or visited the island around AD 1000, but over time the location of Nihoa was mostly forgotten, with only an oral legend preserving its name. Captain James Colnett
rediscovered the island in 1788, and Queen Kaʻahumanu visited it in 1822. It was made part of the Kingdom of Hawaii
by King Kamehameha IV
.
In 1909, Nihoa became part of the Hawaiian Islands Reservation, a federal wildlife refuge established by U.S president Theodore Roosevelt
. The Tanager Expedition
surveyed the island in 1923, taking a comprehensive biological inventory of its many species. In 1940, it became part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Wildlife Refuge and in 1988, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its culturally significant archaeological sites. In 2006, it became part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Efforts are underway to insure that endangered plant species are propagated beyond their limited range and represented in ex situ collections. Persons intending to visit Nihoa for cultural and scientific research purposes require a USFWS
-issued special-use permit to land on the island so as to reduce the risk of introducing alien species
to Nihoa's already fragile ecosystem.
Nihoa is part of the Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain of volcanic islands, atolls, and seamounts starting from the island of Hawaii
in the southeast to the Aleutian Islands in the northwest. It is the youngest of ten islands in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), having formed 7.2 million years ago; the oldest, Kure Atoll
, formed 30 million years ago. Over the millennia, Nihoa has experienced significant erosion
; along with Necker, French Frigate Shoals, and Gardner Pinnacles, Nihoa is one of only four islands in the NWHI that still has an exposed basalt rock substrate. Six valleys slant down from north to south, meeting at the south side of the island: West Valley, West Palm Valley, Miller Valley, Middle Valley, East Palm Valley, and East Valley.
Several interesting features occur on Nihoa. Dog's Head Peak (358 ft (109.1 m)) is named for its likeness. Pinnacle Peak (626 ft (190.8 m)) is a volcanic dike
created when less resilient rock was eroded away and harder rock was open to the elements. The only flat area on the island is called Albatross Plateau, just below Miller's Peak. The Devil's Slide is a particularly impressive geological feature, a narrow cleft descending 700 feet (213.4 m) irrespective of the surrounding elevation. Extending northward from Albatross Plateau, it ends at the vertical cliffs with a 190 feet (57.9 m) drop straight down to the ocean below. In this chasm, rare fern
s grow, along with several endemic species, including a giant cricket
.
, as one single disaster such as an island-wide fire or an introduction of invasive species
could wipe out the whole population. One such invasive species is the Gray Bird Grasshopper
, Schistocerca nitens; from the period between 1999 and 2003, grasshoppers devastated much of the vegetation on the island and posed a real threat to the continued health of plants on Nihoa. The following year, the numbers decreased and the vegetation became lush again. The grasshoppers probably came to Nihoa by way of wind from Kauai
.
Unique species include:
. Archaeological expeditions found extensive prehistoric agricultural terraces
and house sites. At least one site has been dated to around the 1st millennium AD, sometime between 867-1037. There is some doubt as to the number of people that lived on Nihoa, because while the large terraces suggest a considerable number, there is scant freshwater
to be found. Archaeologists Kenneth Emory
and Paul Cleghorn estimate that water could support as many as 100 people, although if the island were previously forested, this would have increased fresh water supplies relative to its current state. It is also thought that Nihoa may have been used only for religious purposes, which would have meant that Ancient Hawaiians only visited here occasionally and did not stay for long. Because of the island's importance, the island was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988, and subsequently became part of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in June 2006.
Nihoa, along with Necker Island to the northwest, is among the most northern, isolated, smallest and driest of the Hawaiian islands, and receives the lowest dust and tephra
input. All of these features were found to strongly predict deforestation
among the Pacific Islands
. The collapse of the Nihoa population may stem from this, similar to how Easter Island
became inclement to its human civilization following deforestation and depletion of seabird
s and other natural resources.
of the Prince of Wales, on March 21, 1788. As he was later captured by the Spanish and went mad in prison, the discovery was once widely accredited to Captain William Douglas
of the Iphigenia, who sighted Nihoa almost a year later.
By the end of the 18th century, Nihoa had been forgotten by most Hawaiians. In 1822, Queen Kaahumanu
and her husband King Kaumualii
traveled with Captain William Sumner to find Nihoa, as her generation had only known the island through songs and myths
. Later, King Kamehameha IV
sailed there to officially annex the island as part of the Kingdom of Hawaii
. Finally, in 1885, Princess Liliuokalani made a pilgrimage to Nihoa with her escorts, but their luncheon was cut short when one of the party ignited a wildfire
by accident. The group tried to flee the island, but the rising tide
s made it difficult and several boats were flooded, destroying some of the photographs taken.
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or the Leeward Islands are the small islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. They are administered by the U.S. state of Hawaii except Midway Atoll, which has temporary residential facilities and is...
(NWHI). The island is located at the southern end of the NWHI chain, 296 km (160 nmi) southeast of Necker Island
Necker Island
Necker Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean, north of the Tropic of Cancer, located at . It is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, located northwest of Nihoa and northwest of Honolulu, and is part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge within the Northwestern Hawaiian...
. Nihoa is the closest NWHI in proximity to the eight main windward Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
at approximately 240 km (130 nmi) northwest of the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. The island has two peaks, 272 m (892 ft) Miller's Peak in the west, and 259 m (850 ft) Tanager Peak in the east. Nihoa's area is about 171 acre (0.69201306 km²) and is surrounded by a 142000 acres (57,465.4 ha) coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
. Its jagged outline gives the island its name, Nihoa, which means "tooth" in the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
.
The island is home to 25 species of plants and several animals, making it the most diverse island in the entire NWHI. Endemic birds like the Nihoa Finch
Nihoa Finch
The Nihoa Finch is one of the two endemic bird species of the tiny Hawaiian island Nihoa, the other being the Nihoa Millerbird. When it was classified in 1917, scientists thought that it would be the last endemic species named. This was later found untrue. The island's population is 1000-3000 birds...
and Nihoa Millerbird
Nihoa Millerbird
The Nihoa Millerbird is a subspecies of the Millerbird. It gets its name from its preferred food, the Miller moth. The five-inch long Millerbird has dark, sepia-colored feathers, white belly, and dark beak...
, and endemic plants like the Nihoa Fan Palm, the Nihoa Carnation
Nihoa Carnation
Schiedea verticillata, known as the Nihoa Carnation, is an endangered species of carnation, endemic to the island of Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where it was discovered in 1923 by the Tanager Expedition. It has been listed as endangered since 1996.It has stems long, erect or...
, and Amaranthus brownii
Amaranthus brownii
Amaranthus brownii is an annual herb in the Amaranthaceae family. The plant is found only on the small island of Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, growing on rocky outcrops at altitudes of . It is one of nine species of Amaranthus in the Hawaiian Islands, but the only endemic Hawaiian...
are found only on Nihoa. The plant communities and rocky outcrops provide nesting and perching areas for 18 species of seabirds, such as Red-footed Boobies and Brown Noddies, terns, shearwaters, and petrels. Prehistoric evidence indicates Native Hawaiians lived on or visited the island around AD 1000, but over time the location of Nihoa was mostly forgotten, with only an oral legend preserving its name. Captain James Colnett
James Colnett
James Colnett was an officer of the British Royal Navy, an explorer, and a maritime fur trader. He served under James Cook during Cook's second voyage of exploration...
rediscovered the island in 1788, and Queen Kaʻahumanu visited it in 1822. It was made part of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
by King Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV, born Alexander Iolani Liholiho Keawenui , reigned as the fourth king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 11, 1855 to November 30, 1863.-Early life:...
.
In 1909, Nihoa became part of the Hawaiian Islands Reservation, a federal wildlife refuge established by U.S president Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. The Tanager Expedition
Tanager Expedition
The Tanager Expedition was a series of five biological surveys of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands conducted in partnership between the Bureau of Biological Survey and the Bishop Museum, with the assistance of the U.S. Navy. Four expeditions occurred from April to August 1923, and a fifth in July...
surveyed the island in 1923, taking a comprehensive biological inventory of its many species. In 1940, it became part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Wildlife Refuge and in 1988, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its culturally significant archaeological sites. In 2006, it became part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Efforts are underway to insure that endangered plant species are propagated beyond their limited range and represented in ex situ collections. Persons intending to visit Nihoa for cultural and scientific research purposes require a USFWS
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
-issued special-use permit to land on the island so as to reduce the risk of introducing alien species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
to Nihoa's already fragile ecosystem.
Geology
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
in the southeast to the Aleutian Islands in the northwest. It is the youngest of ten islands in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), having formed 7.2 million years ago; the oldest, Kure Atoll
Kure Atoll
Kure Atoll or Ocean Island is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean beyond Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands at . The only land of significant size is called Green Island and is habitat for hundreds of thousands of seabirds...
, formed 30 million years ago. Over the millennia, Nihoa has experienced significant erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
; along with Necker, French Frigate Shoals, and Gardner Pinnacles, Nihoa is one of only four islands in the NWHI that still has an exposed basalt rock substrate. Six valleys slant down from north to south, meeting at the south side of the island: West Valley, West Palm Valley, Miller Valley, Middle Valley, East Palm Valley, and East Valley.
Several interesting features occur on Nihoa. Dog's Head Peak (358 ft (109.1 m)) is named for its likeness. Pinnacle Peak (626 ft (190.8 m)) is a volcanic dike
Dike (geology)
A dike or dyke in geology is a type of sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts discordantly across* planar wall rock structures, such as bedding or foliation...
created when less resilient rock was eroded away and harder rock was open to the elements. The only flat area on the island is called Albatross Plateau, just below Miller's Peak. The Devil's Slide is a particularly impressive geological feature, a narrow cleft descending 700 feet (213.4 m) irrespective of the surrounding elevation. Extending northward from Albatross Plateau, it ends at the vertical cliffs with a 190 feet (57.9 m) drop straight down to the ocean below. In this chasm, rare fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s grow, along with several endemic species, including a giant cricket
Thaumatogryllus conanti
Thaumatogryllus conanti is a nocturnal species of cricket endemic to the island of Nihoa, where it is found in Devil's Slide, a narrow ravine. It is named after Dr. Sheila Conant, the scientist who discovered it in the 1980s. There are only four known species in this wingless genus, all in Hawaii...
.
Ecology
Nihoa's inaccessibility and lack of major guano deposits made the island unattractive to humans, helping to preserve its endemic species from extinction. Because of Nihoa's small size, most of its endemic organisms are endangeredEndangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, as one single disaster such as an island-wide fire or an introduction of invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
could wipe out the whole population. One such invasive species is the Gray Bird Grasshopper
Schistocerca nitens
Schistocerca nitens is a species of grasshopper known by several common names, including vagrant grasshopper and gray bird grasshopper. It is a close relative of the desert locust, which is in the same genus. This grasshopper is native to southern North America including Mexico and the southwestern...
, Schistocerca nitens; from the period between 1999 and 2003, grasshoppers devastated much of the vegetation on the island and posed a real threat to the continued health of plants on Nihoa. The following year, the numbers decreased and the vegetation became lush again. The grasshoppers probably came to Nihoa by way of wind from Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
.
Unique species include:
- Pritchardia remotaPritchardia remotaPritchardia remota is a species of palm endemic on the island of Nihoa, Hawaii, and later transplanted to the island of Laysan. It is a smaller tree than most other species of Pritchardia, typically reaching only tall and with a trunk diameter of . It is the only type of tree on the island and...
fan palm, the only tree on the island - Nihoa MillerbirdNihoa MillerbirdThe Nihoa Millerbird is a subspecies of the Millerbird. It gets its name from its preferred food, the Miller moth. The five-inch long Millerbird has dark, sepia-colored feathers, white belly, and dark beak...
- Nihoa FinchNihoa FinchThe Nihoa Finch is one of the two endemic bird species of the tiny Hawaiian island Nihoa, the other being the Nihoa Millerbird. When it was classified in 1917, scientists thought that it would be the last endemic species named. This was later found untrue. The island's population is 1000-3000 birds...
- Nihoa Conehead KatydidNihoa Conehead KatydidThe Nihoa conehead katydid, Banza nihoa, is a species of katydid which is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Nihoa . It is one of the ten species in the genus Banza, all of them native to Hawaii, although it is the sister species to the remaining nine, and may belong in a separate genus...
- Nihoa CarnationNihoa CarnationSchiedea verticillata, known as the Nihoa Carnation, is an endangered species of carnation, endemic to the island of Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where it was discovered in 1923 by the Tanager Expedition. It has been listed as endangered since 1996.It has stems long, erect or...
- Sesbania tomentosaSesbania tomentosaSesbania tomentosa, commonly known as Ōhai, is an endangered species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the main Hawaiian Islands as well as Nihoa and Necker Island. It inhabits low shrublands and, rarely, dry forests, at elevations from sea level to...
- the amaranth Amaranthus browniiAmaranthus browniiAmaranthus brownii is an annual herb in the Amaranthaceae family. The plant is found only on the small island of Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, growing on rocky outcrops at altitudes of . It is one of nine species of Amaranthus in the Hawaiian Islands, but the only endemic Hawaiian...
- the trapdoor spiderTrapdoor spiderTrapdoor spiders are medium-sized mygalomorph spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk. Some similar species are also called trapdoor spiders, such as the Liphistiidae, Barychelidae, Cyrtaucheniidae and some Idiopidae and Nemesiidae...
Nihoa mahina - Thaumatogryllus conantiThaumatogryllus conantiThaumatogryllus conanti is a nocturnal species of cricket endemic to the island of Nihoa, where it is found in Devil's Slide, a narrow ravine. It is named after Dr. Sheila Conant, the scientist who discovered it in the 1980s. There are only four known species in this wingless genus, all in Hawaii...
, a giant cricket found in the Devil's Slide area - Plagithmysus nihoae, a longhorned beetle
- Eupelmus nihoaensis, a waspWaspThe term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
- Hylaeus perkinsiana, Perkin's Yellow-faced Bee
Prehistoric human habitation
Nihoa was well known to the early HawaiiansAncient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
. Archaeological expeditions found extensive prehistoric agricultural terraces
Terrace (agriculture)
Terraces are used in farming to cultivate sloped land. Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice...
and house sites. At least one site has been dated to around the 1st millennium AD, sometime between 867-1037. There is some doubt as to the number of people that lived on Nihoa, because while the large terraces suggest a considerable number, there is scant freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
to be found. Archaeologists Kenneth Emory
Kenneth Emory
Kenneth Pike Emory was an American anthropologist who played a key role in shaping modern anthropology in Oceania. In the tradition of A. L...
and Paul Cleghorn estimate that water could support as many as 100 people, although if the island were previously forested, this would have increased fresh water supplies relative to its current state. It is also thought that Nihoa may have been used only for religious purposes, which would have meant that Ancient Hawaiians only visited here occasionally and did not stay for long. Because of the island's importance, the island was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1988, and subsequently became part of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in June 2006.
Nihoa, along with Necker Island to the northwest, is among the most northern, isolated, smallest and driest of the Hawaiian islands, and receives the lowest dust and tephra
Tephra
200px|thumb|right|Tephra horizons in south-central [[Iceland]]. The thick and light coloured layer at center of the photo is [[rhyolitic]] tephra from [[Hekla]]....
input. All of these features were found to strongly predict deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
among the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
. The collapse of the Nihoa population may stem from this, similar to how Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
became inclement to its human civilization following deforestation and depletion of seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s and other natural resources.
Early exploration
The first Westerner to discover Nihoa was Captain James ColnettJames Colnett
James Colnett was an officer of the British Royal Navy, an explorer, and a maritime fur trader. He served under James Cook during Cook's second voyage of exploration...
of the Prince of Wales, on March 21, 1788. As he was later captured by the Spanish and went mad in prison, the discovery was once widely accredited to Captain William Douglas
William Douglas
-of Douglas:*William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas *William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas *William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas -of Angus:*William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus -of Douglas:*William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (c. 1327–1384)*William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas (1425–1440)*William...
of the Iphigenia, who sighted Nihoa almost a year later.
By the end of the 18th century, Nihoa had been forgotten by most Hawaiians. In 1822, Queen Kaahumanu
Ka'ahumanu
Elizabeth Kaahumanu was queen regent of the Kingdom of Hawaii and a wife of Kamehameha I. She was the king's favorite wife and also the most politically powerful, and continued to wield considerable power in the kingdom as the kuhina nui during the reigns of his first two successors.-Early...
and her husband King Kaumualii
Kaumualii
Kaumualii was the last independent Alii Aimoku of Kauai and Niihau before becoming a vassal of Kamehameha I of the unified Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810...
traveled with Captain William Sumner to find Nihoa, as her generation had only known the island through songs and myths
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...
. Later, King Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV, born Alexander Iolani Liholiho Keawenui , reigned as the fourth king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 11, 1855 to November 30, 1863.-Early life:...
sailed there to officially annex the island as part of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
. Finally, in 1885, Princess Liliuokalani made a pilgrimage to Nihoa with her escorts, but their luncheon was cut short when one of the party ignited a wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
by accident. The group tried to flee the island, but the rising tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
s made it difficult and several boats were flooded, destroying some of the photographs taken.