A BIZARRE memento of Captain Cook may have been discovered.

Relatives of the explorer might be DNA tested to find out if a 220-year-old arrow is made from the adventurer's bone.

Generations of schoolchildren have been taught that Cook, born at Marton, near Middlesbrough, was clubbed to death by Indians in Hawaii in 1779.

But Cliff Thornton, president of the Captain Cook Society, claims to have tracked down the arrow head which may be made from his bone. The arrow head, once presented by the King of Hawaii to King George IV, is in an Australian museum.

Alwyn Peel, secretary of the Captain Cook Society, said: "This bone has been traced by Cliff and has caused some excitement since an article about it first appeared in the New Scientist.

"We know of two direct descendants from Cook's sister, Margaret, who married a fisherman from Redcar named Fleck, and it would be very interesting if the DNA test went ahead.

"The Indians of Hawaii would keep some part of a great enemy's clothes or body because they believed it contained some of his strength.

"We know that when the Indians realised they had made a mistake in killing Cook, they took some of his body parts to the ship.

"The research does indicate this arrow in the Museum of Australia may be Cook's, but we'll have to wait and see."

According to Mr Thornton, the arrow head was given by King Kamehameha II to one of King George IV's doctors in 1823, and was donated to Australia in the late 19th Century.

An account of the killing of Cook, by ship's surgeon David Samwell, reads: "An Indian came running behind him and taking him unaware he sprung to him, knocked him on the head with a large club.

"Cook fell on his hand and one knee. As he was rising, another Indian came running to him, drew out an iron dagger and stuck it with all his force into the back of his neck."