Ben Wilson

after she refused to give him a stone axe for a nail her husband complained to banks banks promised that the man would be flogged as he indeed was on cook's instructions on april 29th before the offended people okay so this butcher offends this woman and captain cook has him flogged so that's you know whipped essentially in front of these tahitians who he has offended

after she refused to give him a stone axe for a nail her husband complained to banks banks promised that the man would be flogged as he indeed was on cook's instructions on april 29th before the offended people okay so this butcher offends this woman and captain cook has him flogged so that's you know whipped essentially in front of these tahitians who he has offended

The Tahitians, I'm quoting again, the Tahitians were horrified by the procedure. Jess was stripped, bound to the rigging, and then lashed and interceded for the man as soon as it had begun. But Cook insisted on completing the punishment. It was not his style to do things by halves. Okay. I really liked that last line. It was not his style to do things by halves.

The Tahitians, I'm quoting again, the Tahitians were horrified by the procedure. Jess was stripped, bound to the rigging, and then lashed and interceded for the man as soon as it had begun. But Cook insisted on completing the punishment. It was not his style to do things by halves. Okay. I really liked that last line. It was not his style to do things by halves.

It reminds me of the line from Machiavelli who wrote, the Romans always avoided a middle course of action and turned to extreme measures. Weak states are always ambiguous in their decisions. Okay. So Cook was more like the Romans. He always avoided that middle course of action and turned to extreme measures. And he was never ambiguous in his decisions. He never did things by halves.

It reminds me of the line from Machiavelli who wrote, the Romans always avoided a middle course of action and turned to extreme measures. Weak states are always ambiguous in their decisions. Okay. So Cook was more like the Romans. He always avoided that middle course of action and turned to extreme measures. And he was never ambiguous in his decisions. He never did things by halves.

And once he started something, he always saw it through to the very end. Okay. Anyways, so this is the general picture of things on Tahiti. One moment, it's incredibly warm. The next, it can be hostile and marked by mutual suspicion, misunderstandings. That's just to be expected, right? With two completely new peoples who are trying to figure each other out.

And once he started something, he always saw it through to the very end. Okay. Anyways, so this is the general picture of things on Tahiti. One moment, it's incredibly warm. The next, it can be hostile and marked by mutual suspicion, misunderstandings. That's just to be expected, right? With two completely new peoples who are trying to figure each other out.

I think, you know, they have things to do and they're doing them, but also there's a lot of downtime. And and these European sailors, these British sailors on the endeavor are really enjoying themselves. They even get to for the first time Europeans witness people surfing, which they can't believe. They're totally in awe.

I think, you know, they have things to do and they're doing them, but also there's a lot of downtime. And and these European sailors, these British sailors on the endeavor are really enjoying themselves. They even get to for the first time Europeans witness people surfing, which they can't believe. They're totally in awe.

Joseph Banks writes about this incident where they first see Tahitian surfing, quote, We stood admiring this very wonderful scene for full half an hour. So for just half an hour, They're distracted from their work and they are just watching these people surf on June 3rd. So they've been there for a couple of months. The fateful day comes of the transit of Venus.

Joseph Banks writes about this incident where they first see Tahitian surfing, quote, We stood admiring this very wonderful scene for full half an hour. So for just half an hour, They're distracted from their work and they are just watching these people surf on June 3rd. So they've been there for a couple of months. The fateful day comes of the transit of Venus.

Remember this is the reason that they're there. And, um, so they choose a location to observe the transit of Venus and it's a good day for it. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, just a perfect clear day for observation. Nevertheless, like it seems like based on the weather, it should be good observation, but it's not.

Remember this is the reason that they're there. And, um, so they choose a location to observe the transit of Venus and it's a good day for it. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, just a perfect clear day for observation. Nevertheless, like it seems like based on the weather, it should be good observation, but it's not.

Cook writes, quote, there was an atmosphere or dusky shade around the body of the planet. They very much disturbed the times of the contrast, particularly the two internal ones. Dr. Solender observed as well as Mr. Green and myself, and we differed from one another in observing the times of the contacts much more than could be expected.

Cook writes, quote, there was an atmosphere or dusky shade around the body of the planet. They very much disturbed the times of the contrast, particularly the two internal ones. Dr. Solender observed as well as Mr. Green and myself, and we differed from one another in observing the times of the contacts much more than could be expected.

all right so it's not a clear observation for whatever reason and this would turn out to be the case all over the world in fact these observations of the transit venus rendered no usable data whatsoever on the distance of venus from the earth and therefore on the distance of the sun so we don't know what cook was feeling he doesn't write it down i imagine he must have at least been somewhat disappointed but you know uh his journal barely mentions it so i think on some level

all right so it's not a clear observation for whatever reason and this would turn out to be the case all over the world in fact these observations of the transit venus rendered no usable data whatsoever on the distance of venus from the earth and therefore on the distance of the sun so we don't know what cook was feeling he doesn't write it down i imagine he must have at least been somewhat disappointed but you know uh his journal barely mentions it so i think on some level

Maybe he was excited that it was just over because now this means that he can continue on his voyage and explore, which I think was his primary passion. The reason he did all this is to explore new territories, go where no man has gone before.

Maybe he was excited that it was just over because now this means that he can continue on his voyage and explore, which I think was his primary passion. The reason he did all this is to explore new territories, go where no man has gone before.