HEADLINE: Captain Cook's Voyages and the Discovery of Pacific Sophistication AUTHOR NAME: Nicholas Thomas SUMMARY: Captain Cook's expeditions were funded by the Royal Society to observe the transit of Venus and by the Admiralty to search for a great sout

The John Batchelor Show

HEADLINE: Captain Cook's Voyages and the Discovery of Pacific Sophistication
AUTHOR NAME: Nicholas Thomas
SUMMARY: Captain Cook's expeditions were funded by the Royal Society to observe the transit of Venus and by the Admiralty to search for a great southern continent. Cook and scientist Joseph Banks documented the immense sophistication of indigenous boats, noting they were capable of distant navigation despite being made only with stone or shell tools. Cook immediately recognized the linguistic and cultural relatedness of the islanders.
1784 HAWAII