When Captain Cook reached Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island, they were welcomed in great numbers by the natives. When Cook came ashore, people gave him the highest respect by falling to the ground and covering their faces until he had passed. A good-natured cultural exchange took place. Cook and his men were escorted into the mountains and thick forests, where they watched craftsmen making canoes and artisans collecting brightly colored feathers to be fashioned into elaborate cloaks and helmets for chiefs.