The Doctor's Pit

Kaluakauka means "The Doctor's Pit"


Nineteenth century botanist Dr. David Douglas, whose name is synonymous with the Douglas Fir tree, traveled to many distant locations while on his search for new plant species. His last exploration in 1834 took him to the Hawaiian islands where, on Mt. Mauna Kea, his life came to a mysterious and tragic end.


It is known that Dr. Douglas stopped at the hut of a man named Edward "Ned" Gurney to ask for directions. It is not known exactly what was said between them, but Ned followed Douglas for a while and supposedly warned him to be careful of animal traps he had set on the mountain.


Later that day, villagers arrived at Gurney's hut to inform him that the Dr. had been killed. He had fallen into a wild bull pit and was trampled to death by a trapped bull. Ned went to the pit, shot the bull, and sewed Douglas's body up in a leather hide. Gurney paid locals to carry Douglas's body seven miles down the mountain to the village of Hilo where it was handed over to missionaries.


So far the whole thing sounds like an accident. The problem is Gurney's past history. His previous life had not been far above street urchin. He stole to survive. He was then convicted for stealing, and was sentenced to seven years in Botany Bay penal colony. On the way, however, he jumped ship and was able to survive on the slopes of Mauna Kea hunting and trapping wild animals.


The fact that there was a huge difference in social status didn't go unnoticed either. It was suggested that Gurney saw Douglas flash some money during their meeting at the hut. It was then that Gurney developed a plan to take it from him.


Even though the evidence supports Douglas's death as an accident rumors still spread that Gurney lead him into a trap and purposely killed him. Though Gurney denied the accusations and was never convicted of the crime, he was ridiculed and tormented about it for the rest of his life.


In 1934, one hundred years after his death, a monument was erected on the spot where Douglas died. The site is known as Kaluakauka, or "the Doctor's Pit."