Ben Wilson

So he finds a young junior officer named Holland who is preparing for further action in the spring by systematically charting the coasts and shoals and reefs of this area of Quebec. And he's doing this using new state-of-the-art equipment, surveying technology. And this sort of surveying technology had long been used on land, but no one had tried to use it from ships yet.

So he finds a young junior officer named Holland who is preparing for further action in the spring by systematically charting the coasts and shoals and reefs of this area of Quebec. And he's doing this using new state-of-the-art equipment, surveying technology. And this sort of surveying technology had long been used on land, but no one had tried to use it from ships yet.

And so you have very accurate maps on the land, but not so much on sea. So he's trying to remedy that. get very accurate measurements of what these coasts actually look like. And that's going to be very useful for knowing, you know, where ships can go, how deep is the ocean, these various places, you know, which ships can get where. This kind of stuff is going to be very helpful in an invasion.

And so you have very accurate maps on the land, but not so much on sea. So he's trying to remedy that. get very accurate measurements of what these coasts actually look like. And that's going to be very useful for knowing, you know, where ships can go, how deep is the ocean, these various places, you know, which ships can get where. This kind of stuff is going to be very helpful in an invasion.

And James Cook recognizes this immediately and is very attracted to this. And so he starts working with this guy Holland to survey and map out these coasts. So he's doing very valuable work, maybe not the most glamorous work. However, he does get one moment of glamour and in heroism, which is he's on this surveying boat.

And James Cook recognizes this immediately and is very attracted to this. And so he starts working with this guy Holland to survey and map out these coasts. So he's doing very valuable work, maybe not the most glamorous work. However, he does get one moment of glamour and in heroism, which is he's on this surveying boat.

So it's kind of out ahead of of the other ships going forward and and mapping stuff out before the other ships come down river. They're they're going down a river in Quebec. and the French send some fireboats. So these are just boats. That's exactly what it sounds like, right?

So it's kind of out ahead of of the other ships going forward and and mapping stuff out before the other ships come down river. They're they're going down a river in Quebec. and the French send some fireboats. So these are just boats. That's exactly what it sounds like, right?

They drench them in flammable material and liquids, and then they light them on fire and just kind of shove them towards the British fleet, hoping that they will crash into British ships and catch them on fire. And so, you know, as the surveying boat, he's in charge of these surveying boats. Again, he's not an officer, but they're just little surveying boats.

They drench them in flammable material and liquids, and then they light them on fire and just kind of shove them towards the British fleet, hoping that they will crash into British ships and catch them on fire. And so, you know, as the surveying boat, he's in charge of these surveying boats. Again, he's not an officer, but they're just little surveying boats.

So he's in charge and he's able to use these little surveying boats, not ships of war, to divert the fire ships. And so he receives some recognition for that. He's kind of a war hero for his job in diverting these fire ships. So he does this for a few seasons in Canada. He goes back to England a few times during one of those times he gets married.

So he's in charge and he's able to use these little surveying boats, not ships of war, to divert the fire ships. And so he receives some recognition for that. He's kind of a war hero for his job in diverting these fire ships. So he does this for a few seasons in Canada. He goes back to England a few times during one of those times he gets married.

And then on another trip back home, he's showing people at the Admiralty, you know, basically Naval Command for the British Navy. Hey, look at these maps I've made. And look how useful they are. Look what we're doing with them. And they're very impressed. And so I say, OK, well, you know, we really do enable this guy to do even more.

And then on another trip back home, he's showing people at the Admiralty, you know, basically Naval Command for the British Navy. Hey, look at these maps I've made. And look how useful they are. Look what we're doing with them. And they're very impressed. And so I say, OK, well, you know, we really do enable this guy to do even more.

And so they outfit him with a ship, an actual ship, a frigate instead of just these little boats that he had been using before. And so, yeah, they commission him. He is made the captain of a ship. Again, a very rare honor, right? He's not a gentleman. He's not supposed to be eligible to even be an officer, let alone a captain. I guess technically he's not a captain. He is a lieutenant.

And so they outfit him with a ship, an actual ship, a frigate instead of just these little boats that he had been using before. And so, yeah, they commission him. He is made the captain of a ship. Again, a very rare honor, right? He's not a gentleman. He's not supposed to be eligible to even be an officer, let alone a captain. I guess technically he's not a captain. He is a lieutenant.

but he's essentially acting like a captain. He is given full command of a ship. So this is a huge promotion. It would have been a scandal if it wasn't James Cook. You know, he's making a reputation for himself as someone very innovative and very smart. Again, this is a very, you know, extremely rare honor for a non-gentleman to be able to become an officer.

but he's essentially acting like a captain. He is given full command of a ship. So this is a huge promotion. It would have been a scandal if it wasn't James Cook. You know, he's making a reputation for himself as someone very innovative and very smart. Again, this is a very, you know, extremely rare honor for a non-gentleman to be able to become an officer.

He only gets this opportunity because he's doing this different thing of surveying these coasts. And so it goes to this point of you want to be different. You want to be unique. Yes.

He only gets this opportunity because he's doing this different thing of surveying these coasts. And so it goes to this point of you want to be different. You want to be unique. Yes.