Talk: James Cook

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I'd really like to see maps detailing the routes of his three voyages. --zandperl 22:26, 19 Feb 2004 (UTC)

That sounds like a good idea. I could draw such a map (I have more than one book in which they appear, and redrawing should be under the "information is not copyrightable" idea), if someone can give me a "naked map" to draw it upon. Andre Engels 10:20, 20 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I now uploaded a map, however this one is only good for showing the first voyage. Andre Engels 19:58, 22 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I wonder if the article should say he discovered hawaii and australia. He just let the Europeans know about it. The australian people already knew of it. Shouldn't the article come from a NPOV. just a question. BrokenSegue

I agree. I like the approach the Hawaii article took saying, "Vague reports by various European explorers suggest that Hawai‘i was visited by foreigners well before the 1778 arrival of British explorer Captain James Cook. Cook was credited for the discovery after having been the first to plot and publish the geographical coordinates of the Hawaiian Islands. Cook named his discovery the Sandwich Islands in honor of one of his sponsors, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich." I guess information along those lines should be appropriate for this article. --Gerald Farinas 02:29, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

VD and Cook's death

I have read that Cook had allowed, um, fraternization, between his crew members and the beautiful, friendly, willing Hawaian women. But that between his penultimate and ultimate visits Cook's vessels had visited Alaska, where he had allowed fraternization between his crew members and the friendly, willing Aleutians. I read that theRussian explorers had inoculated the Aleutian community with VD, and that had left an epidemic of VD behind. Consequently many of Cook's crew had VD. So, on his final visit, Cook forbid his crew from contacting the Hawaiians.

The Hawaiians were very upset by this decision. The sailors had a habit of giving gifts to their girlfriends. Even a purloine nail held great value for them. And the unexpected cutting off of this source of wealth was disruptive to the economy and political stability of the Hawaiian society.

I think Cook's attempt to prevent an epidemic of VD in Hawaii was commendable.

Anyhow, I think this belongs in the article. I'd add it myself, if I could find an authoritative source to back up my recollection...

Geo Swan 23:38, 15 Nov 2004 (UTC)