Ben Wilson

So from the book Discoveries by Nicholas Thomas, he writes, if he had a problem, one of the solutions was to make his command visible. He made discipline tangible by flogging men. The report is pretty bald. On the fourth day, he punished Henry Stephen Seaman and Thos Dunster Marine with 12 lashes each for refusing to take their allowance of fresh beef.

So from the book Discoveries by Nicholas Thomas, he writes, if he had a problem, one of the solutions was to make his command visible. He made discipline tangible by flogging men. The report is pretty bald. On the fourth day, he punished Henry Stephen Seaman and Thos Dunster Marine with 12 lashes each for refusing to take their allowance of fresh beef.

Thomas goes on later to say, how the endeavors seamen and officers regarded their captain at this particular time is something that can only be guessed at. The very sparse indications and the lack of any suggestion in various logs that the commander was harsh or overbearing make it seem that if Cook was a literal man and one legally obliged to be an autocrat, he saw the need to be a benign one.

Thomas goes on later to say, how the endeavors seamen and officers regarded their captain at this particular time is something that can only be guessed at. The very sparse indications and the lack of any suggestion in various logs that the commander was harsh or overbearing make it seem that if Cook was a literal man and one legally obliged to be an autocrat, he saw the need to be a benign one.

Okay, so he punishes pretty harshly at the beginning, but not extravagantly so. He's not going out of his way. He's just saying, I'm going to enforce the rules as they are. There's not going to be any leniency, especially not early on. So this isn't abnormal on a British ship, and it's not a big deal. Cook is stern and exacting, but he's not like a glutton for punishment.

Okay, so he punishes pretty harshly at the beginning, but not extravagantly so. He's not going out of his way. He's just saying, I'm going to enforce the rules as they are. There's not going to be any leniency, especially not early on. So this isn't abnormal on a British ship, and it's not a big deal. Cook is stern and exacting, but he's not like a glutton for punishment.

So after this minor incident, they continue west. They round Cape Horn, go around the southern tip of South America. They stop briefly. at that very Southern tip in Tierra del Fuego. So that is the islands right off the Southern tip of Argentina. And this is their first moment of exploration. the natives of these islands in Tierra del Fuego had never encountered Europeans before.

So after this minor incident, they continue west. They round Cape Horn, go around the southern tip of South America. They stop briefly. at that very Southern tip in Tierra del Fuego. So that is the islands right off the Southern tip of Argentina. And this is their first moment of exploration. the natives of these islands in Tierra del Fuego had never encountered Europeans before.

And so they come ashore, they meet these people, they make some friendly contact. Joseph Banks, again, that's the head scientist, he sets off inland for a bit to explore and try to learn more about these people. And when he and the people he brings with him, which is not the whole ship, it's just a small group, when they go to do this,

And so they come ashore, they meet these people, they make some friendly contact. Joseph Banks, again, that's the head scientist, he sets off inland for a bit to explore and try to learn more about these people. And when he and the people he brings with him, which is not the whole ship, it's just a small group, when they go to do this,

they get caught by a sudden surprise snowstorm and a couple of people actually tragically die. So, you know, that's not a great way to start the journey. But I mean, if you're thinking about this like Star Trek, right, if we're in the James Cook movie, this is great. I mean, they're already exploring new lands, going places that no one from Europe has ever gone before.

they get caught by a sudden surprise snowstorm and a couple of people actually tragically die. So, you know, that's not a great way to start the journey. But I mean, if you're thinking about this like Star Trek, right, if we're in the James Cook movie, this is great. I mean, they're already exploring new lands, going places that no one from Europe has ever gone before.

And they're meeting these these new people. And yes, it's dangerous. People are already dead, but it must have been incredibly exciting at the same time. Here is how Cook describes these people who have never been encountered by Europeans before. Quote, They are something above the middle size of a dark copper color with long black hair. They paint their bodies in streaks, mostly red and black.

And they're meeting these these new people. And yes, it's dangerous. People are already dead, but it must have been incredibly exciting at the same time. Here is how Cook describes these people who have never been encountered by Europeans before. Quote, They are something above the middle size of a dark copper color with long black hair. They paint their bodies in streaks, mostly red and black.

Their clothing consists wholly of a Guanaco skin or that of a seal. Um, so anyway. Like, I don't know. It's just so fun and exciting to think about meeting new people for the first time and cataloging, okay, what do they eat? What do they wear? How many of them are there? What do they look like? What's their hair color? What's their skin color? Like, I don't know. I just...

Their clothing consists wholly of a Guanaco skin or that of a seal. Um, so anyway. Like, I don't know. It's just so fun and exciting to think about meeting new people for the first time and cataloging, okay, what do they eat? What do they wear? How many of them are there? What do they look like? What's their hair color? What's their skin color? Like, I don't know. I just...

It seems very exciting. There's one other incident that I think demonstrates kind of what this would have been like for him. And they have these three Hosh men. That's the name of the local tribe. These people they're encountering, the Hosh. And so they get these three Hosh men and they bring them on board the ship.

It seems very exciting. There's one other incident that I think demonstrates kind of what this would have been like for him. And they have these three Hosh men. That's the name of the local tribe. These people they're encountering, the Hosh. And so they get these three Hosh men and they bring them on board the ship.

They're not just trying to observe, but they're like, hey, you know, this is a cool moment of cultural contact. And they say, do you want to like check out our thing? You want to see our ship? And these guys come on board. And here's a report. This is again from the same biography. Quote, Banks notes that one of the three men who came on board the ship said,

They're not just trying to observe, but they're like, hey, you know, this is a cool moment of cultural contact. And they say, do you want to like check out our thing? You want to see our ship? And these guys come on board. And here's a report. This is again from the same biography. Quote, Banks notes that one of the three men who came on board the ship said,