Ben Wilson

There's also a lot of prostitution, um, especially eventually. Why? Well. essentially these, well, both people, the Europeans have a lot that is very valuable. to the Tahitians because they have metal, which the Tahitians don't have. And even very small amounts of metal can be very valuable to a society that doesn't have it. And they've got guns.

There's also a lot of prostitution, um, especially eventually. Why? Well. essentially these, well, both people, the Europeans have a lot that is very valuable. to the Tahitians because they have metal, which the Tahitians don't have. And even very small amounts of metal can be very valuable to a society that doesn't have it. And they've got guns.

I mean, they don't trade guns so much, but they've got various provisions and materials and technology the Tahitians don't have. And so often they will trade that for sex. So it's very hard to stop this from happening. And Cook is not very successful in stopping it from happening. Sexual contact and venereal disease is not the only problem.

I mean, they don't trade guns so much, but they've got various provisions and materials and technology the Tahitians don't have. And so often they will trade that for sex. So it's very hard to stop this from happening. And Cook is not very successful in stopping it from happening. Sexual contact and venereal disease is not the only problem.

Again, I mentioned that the Europeans have all this valuable stuff. And basically from the first moments they arrive, the Tahitians begin stealing from the endeavor. And this creates conflict. Captain Cook, you can't just let this happen. He doesn't want to antagonize the Tahitians. It's very complex, right? How do we stop this from happening without antagonizing them?

Again, I mentioned that the Europeans have all this valuable stuff. And basically from the first moments they arrive, the Tahitians begin stealing from the endeavor. And this creates conflict. Captain Cook, you can't just let this happen. He doesn't want to antagonize the Tahitians. It's very complex, right? How do we stop this from happening without antagonizing them?

Especially because like there's nothing you can do to totally cut it out. When you have something that close, it's that valuable to that many people. Like, yeah, they're just going to keep trying to steal it. And they do. Every Polynesian island they go to, basically the entire time they're there, people are trying to steal from them. So at one point,

Especially because like there's nothing you can do to totally cut it out. When you have something that close, it's that valuable to that many people. Like, yeah, they're just going to keep trying to steal it. And they do. Every Polynesian island they go to, basically the entire time they're there, people are trying to steal from them. So at one point,

This constant looting leads to an incident where a native Tahitian knocks over a sentry who's standing guard and grabs his musket. Again, imagine for a society that frequently has conflicts and wars, how valuable a musket must be. So he grabs this musket and the officer in charge orders the other guards, the other sentries to fire and they shoot and kill this Tahitian man.

This constant looting leads to an incident where a native Tahitian knocks over a sentry who's standing guard and grabs his musket. Again, imagine for a society that frequently has conflicts and wars, how valuable a musket must be. So he grabs this musket and the officer in charge orders the other guards, the other sentries to fire and they shoot and kill this Tahitian man.

And they wound a couple of others. And so they killed this guy, but they want to explain that, like, shoot, we didn't we didn't want to do this. Like, we're not mad at you guys now. They want to smooth things over. And so they basically kidnap a few Tahitians. That's their answer for how to smooth things over. Bring them on board because these Tahitians are scared now.

And they wound a couple of others. And so they killed this guy, but they want to explain that, like, shoot, we didn't we didn't want to do this. Like, we're not mad at you guys now. They want to smooth things over. And so they basically kidnap a few Tahitians. That's their answer for how to smooth things over. Bring them on board because these Tahitians are scared now.

They're running away like, oh, you guys are killing us. They grab a few, bring them on board and sit them down and really try and explain.

They're running away like, oh, you guys are killing us. They grab a few, bring them on board and sit them down and really try and explain.

no you know uh we want to be friends quote that the man who suffered was guilty of a crime deserving of death for so we were forced to make it we were tired to the ship not well pleased with the day's expedition guilty no doubt in some measure of the death of a man who the most severe laws of equity would not have condemned to so severe a punishment so that's that's a quote from james cook and he's basically saying like we have to explain this to these people but we know that like

no you know uh we want to be friends quote that the man who suffered was guilty of a crime deserving of death for so we were forced to make it we were tired to the ship not well pleased with the day's expedition guilty no doubt in some measure of the death of a man who the most severe laws of equity would not have condemned to so severe a punishment so that's that's a quote from james cook and he's basically saying like we have to explain this to these people but we know that like

Really, no laws would have condemned this man to death. So we know this wasn't really a just killing. This is what I'm talking about. James Cook is thinking about this stuff and it's complex for him. So anyways, they have these incidents. A few people do die. This guy is not the only one. But overall, relations with the Tahitians are pretty good.

Really, no laws would have condemned this man to death. So we know this wasn't really a just killing. This is what I'm talking about. James Cook is thinking about this stuff and it's complex for him. So anyways, they have these incidents. A few people do die. This guy is not the only one. But overall, relations with the Tahitians are pretty good.

By the way, just one other incident that I think illustrates an important element of Captain Cook's character. I'll just read this one again. Quote, That's a chieftain.

By the way, just one other incident that I think illustrates an important element of Captain Cook's character. I'll just read this one again. Quote, That's a chieftain.