"Encyclopedia of Death. Chronicles of Charon"

Part 2: Dictionary of Selected Deaths

The ability to live well and die well is one and the same science.

Epicurus

COOK James

(1728-1779) English navigator

In 1778, Cook discovered the southeastern Hawaiian Islands, where he eventually met his death. It all started when, on February 13, 1779, one of the islanders stole the pliers from a ship's carpenter from Cook's crew. In pursuit of the thief, the boatswain began to shoot. The islanders returned the pincers, but the conflict began to flare up, as the boatswain demanded that the thief be handed over. In response, the islanders threw stones at the British, and they had to flee to the ship by boat. On the night of February 14, a large (and the only one on the ship) boat was stolen from one of Cook’s ships. Cook went to the king of the island Terreoboi and invited him to his ship. Then, according to the modern writer’s reconstruction, the following happened:

“Everything would have ended quite happily if suddenly a rumor had not arisen in the crowd that on the other end of the island the British had just killed two Hawaiians. This rumor, as it later turned out, was false, but nevertheless it played a fatal role in the fate of the entire expedition .

The Hawaiians began to arm themselves with darts, spears and stones. The warriors put on shirts woven from thick grasses, which replaced their chain mail. Cook, feeling that things were taking a bad turn, ordered the soldiers to quicken their pace.

The Hawaiians lined up in rows on both sides of the road, but did not initiate hostile actions. A bald priest trudged along beside the detachment, chanting prayers. The maddened king obediently followed Cook, accompanied by his two sons. So far everything has been fine. But as soon as they reached the shore, one of his wives came up to Terreoboi, hugged her husband and sat him down on a stone. She begged her husband and ruler not to go on the white ship.

These are evil, cunning people! - she wailed, shedding tears. “They will slaughter you like a pig on their ship.” Don't leave us, king, if you want to stay alive!

Suddenly the lieutenant saw a Hawaiian creeping up behind Cook with a wide knife in his hand. The lieutenant aimed his gun at him.

Do not shoot! - Cook shouted.

The shot will ruin the whole thing. He won't dare touch me anyway.

The Hawaiian, seeing the gun pointed at him, rushed to the lieutenant. The lieutenant hit him on the head with the rifle butt. The Hawaiian dropped the knife and disappeared into the crowd.

But the peace was already broken. One of the warriors threw a stone at Cook. Cook shot at him, but the shot with which the gun was loaded got stuck in the warrior’s thick shirt. The warrior swung his spear at Cook. Cook knocked him down with the butt of his gun and loaded the gun with a bullet.

And at that same moment he saw another Hawaiian swinging a dart at him. Cook fired but missed. The soldiers, without waiting for orders, fired randomly and forced the Hawaiians to retreat a little.

King Terreoboi was taken away by his wife long ago. It was necessary to return to the ship as soon as possible. Both boats slowly floated towards the shore, Cook waved his hand to make them move faster. But the second lieutenant in command of one of the boats misunderstood the captain’s sign and turned back to the ship. This mistake cost Cook his life. Another boat, under the command of a lieutenant, courageously moved forward, despite the fact that a hail of stones was falling on it from the shore. However, it still could not accommodate all the British who were on the shore.

The soldiers rushed into the water, pressing and pushing each other, trying to get to the lifeboat as quickly as possible. The officers rushed after them. Cook was last. He was in no hurry: anyway, the boat would not accommodate everyone, and the captain must first of all take care of the salvation of the people entrusted to him. He held the gun under his left hand, and with his right he covered his head from the stones falling from all sides. The Hawaiians, seeing the confusion of the British, rushed after them. The spear pierced Cook in the back of the head. Cook staggered, fell into the water and dropped his gun. But now he jumped up.

Help! - he shouted.

The spear came down again and this time pierced Cook through."

According to another version, Cook, in order to return the boat stolen by the natives, demanded that the king become a hostage until the longboat was returned. During the negotiations, they decided that Cook would not take the king hostage, and he promised that the thieves would be found and the boat returned. And so, when Cook was about to get into the boat, some sailor of his team, wanting to scare the natives, fired without an order. Unfortunately, he hit the leader, who was struck to death. The natives began to throw stones at the white people. The stone also hit Cook in the back.

"He looked around in rage. The man who threw the stone, dressed in battle armor made of mats - a pitiful defense against firearms - had not yet lowered his hand. Cook instantly fought back, shooting at the enemy with shot, wanting only to scare him, not to kill him. Everyone froze. The man they were aiming at did not fall, as expected. The natives, having lost faith in the omnipotence of the native god, rushed at him.

This time the commander fired a bullet. One Hawaiian fell. But it was already too late, the excited natives did not even notice it. Another stone, heavier than the first, hit Cook in the head. He lost his balance and dropped his gun. Long knives pierced his body. Instead of coming to the commander’s aid, his distraught companions rushed to the longboat.”

It is worth adding to this that Captain Clark, who took command of the expedition after the death of Cook, demanded that the islanders hand over the body and belongings of the deceased captain. Under the protection of cannons, a company of marines landed on the shore. The British drove the Hawaiians into the mountains with gunfire and burned their village. And only after this, the islanders, having listened to the demand of the company commander, Lieutenant King, sent ten feet of human meat and Cook’s head without the lower jaw to the ship - all that remained of the great navigator.

James Cook is by no means an unknown hero. However, if we try to remember what exactly he became famous for, many will probably only remember Vysotsky’s song about the aborigines who ate the famous captain. But behind this simple story lies a remarkable biography of one of the brightest and indomitable people of his era, the biography of a man who independently raised himself from the dirt.

The future captain was born into the family of a poor peasant day laborer. As if that's not enough! James was the ninth child, so his childhood became difficult and sad. Nevertheless, the parents did not hesitate to send their son to school, so that by the age of 13, Cook had the rudiments of literacy. Unable to place his son in a warmer place, his father gave James as an assistant to a haberdasher. However, the young man did not intend to sell gloves and ties all his life. The port of Newcastle is located very close to the town where Cook worked, and soon James makes his first independent important decision: he goes to sea as a cabin boy.

The first ships he sailed on would have impressed few. Coal trucks, “a mixture of a wooden shoe and a coffin,” as one of the twentieth-century writers called them. However, this is not a bad practice at first.

Already in the first years he showed himself in unexpected ways. No rum, no girls, the simplest food - Cook saved his salary. With the money he saved, he bought books and, of course, not novels, but literature on navigation, astronomy, geography, and mathematics. Cabin boy, sailor, first mate. He is offered the position of skipper on a merchant ship sailing with a cargo of coal from Newcastle to London. For a poor village boy, this is almost the ultimate dream. However, James did not lead the life of an ascetic in order to now stop there and cruise along his native coast all his life. Cook leaves the coasters forever and enlists in the navy as a sailor, then as a boatswain. It would seem an inexplicable decision. In reality, the young man’s goals lie on the surface: the coal miner’s captain has no prospects, but the military sailor has them.

Britain is fighting against France, the Seven Years' War is going on. Cook participates in the campaign in Canada, which brought Quebec to the British, and there he seriously attracts attention. On behalf of the command, he draws up a map of the fairway of the St. Lawrence River. Easier said than done: the navigable section is uneven, it winds between rocks, rocks, and shoals. The passage is not marked in any way. In addition, the French are diligently knocking down buoys. Cook copes brilliantly, and the British lead an entire river squadron along the river - more than two hundred pennants - without a single loss. Some non-commissioned officer performs a task that is beyond the capabilities of many officers. In the sailing directions for sailors sailing in these waters, the maps compiled by Cook were entrenched for a century.

Meanwhile, in England, life goes on as usual. The Royal Scientific Society is looking for an officer capable of leading an expedition to the southern seas. Venus is expected to pass through the solar disk, and the process is more convenient to observe from the Southern Hemisphere. A good decisive commander is required. And in 1768, James Cook received a real major independent task.

Tahiti, New Zealand and other unexplored lands

However, some non-commissioned officer cannot lead the expedition. Cook gets his real moment of glory. The son of a poor peasant becomes an officer. No patronage, no luck. Cook earns his rank and position solely through unconditional professionalism and hard work. For several years the arrogant officials of the Admiralty ignored the parvenu, more qualified than almost any officer, but descended from some Scots farmhand. Now they are literally capitulating to unyielding will and professionalism.

The route of the expedition lay in Tahiti. Paradise climate, convenient parking, accommodating natives. In addition to astronomers, work was also found for botanists and even artists taken on the expedition. The situation was complicated only by the specific ideas of the natives about property. The Tahitians quickly got used to the ships and began to drag whatever they could get their hands on. Cook managed to put the naive natives in line without resorting to violence. Things were confiscated, but the locals were quickly explained that if they needed something, they needed to notify them of their desire to make an exchange. Almost no violence, robberies, murders - an extremely rare case by the standards of that time. By the way, this strategy was simply beneficial: the natives did not create problems for the scientists, on the contrary, they helped in every possible way. This is not to say that the idyll was complete: once a sentry shot a native who had pulled a gun. On another occasion, Cook detained local leaders after two sailors deserted along with local girlfriends, leaving a farewell note to the captain. The deserters were quickly returned.

A remarkable fact: during the entire expedition to Tahiti, Cook did not lose a single person from scurvy, and in general, illness was extremely rare on his ship. Properly organized nutrition, hygiene and strict adherence to discipline gave amazing results. The flip side of the clear organization of the campaign was strict discipline. Cook used the whip and shackles without the slightest hesitation: the charter not only allows, but also orders the use of power! However, the sailors knew for sure that, working tirelessly with the whip, their captain never used it in vain: strictness here was the key to the efficient work of all team members in an acute situation.

Cook's tasks went far beyond astronomical studies. The southern continent remained one of the last large white spots on the world map. It was assumed that in the southern part of the globe a large unexplored continent with a temperate climate could be found. Even during the training camp, Sir Alexander Dalrymple - one of the fanatical adherents of the version of the existence of the continent - tried to lead the expedition instead of Cook, but he was rather rudely pulled back by naval officials, saying that a professional sailor would command the expedition. Cook's ship Endeavor quickly reaches New Zealand, but it is now unclear whether the outlines of a new continent have appeared ahead or whether it is just an island.

Cook was the first European to set foot on the shores of New Zealand. However, these islands were not at all like hospitable Tahiti. The Maori aborigines did not show friendliness for a second, and one of them tried to snatch the officer’s sword. Shots, blood - no attempts by the sailors to establish contact could now be crowned with success. The ship moved along the coast, and everywhere the Maori tried to engage in battle if the British came too close to the shore. Nevertheless, even the very fact of sailing was enough to draw the conclusion: New Zealand is a group of islands. The hypothesis about the southern continent was crumbling before our eyes.

Shipwreck and illness

The sailors decided to return home in an intricate way - through the Dutch East Indies. This route was required in order to stock up on food. On the way there, Endeavor had to pass Australia. Walking along the coast, Cook indulged in his favorite activity: he continuously made maps and filled them with names. Everything was going great until one not-so-great day. The ship hit a coral reef.

Disaster: the Endeavor crashed in a place where Europeans had never been before and where there was no point in hoping for help. Moreover, Australia itself is 20 miles away. The decision had to be made quickly and accurately; the slightest mistake meant death.

Cook doesn't lose his head. Everything that you can do without goes overboard. In total, 50 tons of supplies were thrown away, including even guns. Anchors are stowed in the longboat to pull the Endeavor off the reef if possible. The pumps work without interruption. However, what happens when the tide comes in and the reef disappears from under the keel?

The hole is covered with a “plaster” - a piece of canvas covered with tow. The Endeavor limped to the coast of Australia, where it stopped for several months for repairs. From there the ship departed without delay, stopping only at Batavia (present-day Jakarta).

In Indonesia, the ship was struck by the same misfortune that had spared it all many months earlier - an epidemic. The exceptionally unhealthy climate of these places brought dysentery to Cook's ship, and upon departure the Endeavor resembled a floating hospital. Having suffered almost no casualties so far, Cook lost 30 of his 80 men, having already emerged from unknown waters. However, nothing could stop James Cook. Having sailed in the southern seas for three years, in the summer of 1771 he returned home.

And he faces a rather cool reception in high society. The heroes of the day are scientists. No one can dispute their merits, but the Endeavor crew is considered more like cab drivers. However, professionals from the admiralty, who saw the ships not only in the harbor, showered Cook with praise. And he himself immediately receives an offer to lead a new voyage to the southern seas and agrees.

The sea was the native element of this extraordinary man. As soon as he returns from a campaign, he immediately rushes to the next one. The preparation took a year. This time there are two corvettes under the command of Cook. Personal life is left behind. Cook even learns about the birth of his son already under sail, leaving the harbor.

A new journey was again undertaken to search for the southern continent. From the Cape of Good Hope the ships headed south. There was neither the Tahitian idyll nor the sweltering heat of Australia. Icebergs were floating around. Cook crosses the Arctic Circle, but is unable to advance further: pack ice and majestic squadrons of icebergs prevent him from finding the continent. Cook found that, if there is a continent to the south, it is much smaller in size than previously expected. He had to limit himself to this. The captain did not reach the shores 75 miles, and the real discovery was postponed for almost half a century, when the existence of the continent was confirmed by the Russian expedition of Bellingshausen and Lazarev.

And the ships, not finding land, turned to the tropical seas.

He's not god

Cook's second voyage promised to be less dramatic than his first. There were no shipwrecks, the ships went to Tahiti again to stock up on fresh food, everything was going well, but one of the ships, the Adventure, under the command of Captain Furneaux, was lost in a storm, and the captains were unable to find each other. The Adventure suffered the main tragedy of this trip: while trying to stock up on vegetables on the shore, a group of sailors was killed and eaten by Maori. At this time, Cook tried for the second time to break through to the southern continent through the Arctic Circle. Another failure. However, no one would say that the voyage became fruitless: they managed to discover the Tonga archipelago, New Caledonia, and finally, significantly narrow the search for a new continent.

It seemed like there would be no end to the travels, but the invisible clock was already counting down the last months. The southern continent was already considered unattainable and useless, but there remained hope of finding the Northwest Passage - a theoretically existing sea route north of Canada between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic. In 1776, Cook set off on his third circumnavigation of the world, which was his last.

Without any special incidents, Cook's two ships passed Hawaii, but now they had to try to break through the ice again. In reality, the Northwest Passage exists, but at the then level of technology it was impossible to break through it. He will submit only to Amundsen at the beginning of the twentieth century. Cook, of course, did not know and could not know.

Through the Bering Strait, travelers entered the Chukchi Sea, but then they were again met by old acquaintances - ice fields. There is nothing to do, Cook turns back. Once again, the ships land on the shores of Hawaii, where they are hospitably greeted by the natives, who come out on hundreds of boats to greet the discoverers. However, an evil fate seemed to hang over the expedition. As the ships set out to sea, a typhoon begins, breaking the foremast of one of the ships. Once again we have to land on the Hawaiian shores.

For several days relations with the natives remained warm. However, the whites already stayed too long in Hawaii and, in the opinion of the natives, ate too much. In addition, Cook was annoyed by the dubious successes of the new expedition, so he behaved unusually harshly. The atmosphere was heating up. A local thief caught near the ships was whipped.

The natives began to steal tools from the workshop, which was built right on the beach. In the end, they stole the longboat, and then Cook decides to end the problem with drastic measures. He invites the native leader onto the ship.

Perhaps the captain intended to hold the leader as a hostage, perhaps simply to negotiate. However, crowds of people quickly began to gather on the shore, confident that they were trying to kidnap their leader. Cook is on shore, accompanied by a dozen Marines. One of the leaders makes unclear movements, which the soldier interprets as hostile. Spontaneous gunfire erupts, with Cook's soldiers shooting from boats and from the shore. Blood is flowing. At this moment, one of the natives goes to the captain himself. He shoots with small shot, which gets stuck in the shield.

This turned out to be a turning point: the natives became convinced that this was not an omnipotent god. Crowds of natives rush at the captain at once, one of the stones thrown by the natives hits Cook in the head, and the crowd closes in on him.

The body was pulled ashore. However, the orphaned sailors needed to at least stock up on fresh water. Meanwhile, the natives behaved not only hostilely, but also impudently: one of them even approached the ships wearing a pie in Cook's hat. Enraged Europeans burned down several villages and obtained Cook's belongings, as well as his body, or rather what was left of it. Only the head without the lower jaw and several pounds of meat were returned. In fact, it is not at all certain that the body was actually eaten. This version is popular, but far from controversial. From the natives' point of view, on the contrary, they paid honor to the deceased by separating the bones from the meat and giving them to the chiefs: such a ritual was applied only to great chiefs and warriors.

A curious story is connected with Cook's bones: in 1824, the king of Hawaii gave a London doctor an arrow, the tip of which was allegedly carved from the femur of the famous captain. The legend is vivid, but, as it turned out, has no relation to reality: examination showed that the bone was of animal origin.

James Cook earned his place in the pantheon of heroes of the Age of Discovery not only because of the results of his travels. First of all, he proved with his whole life how successfully a person is able to overcome circumstances, even the most unfavorable ones. The boy, who dreamed of the sea, stopped at nothing to make his dream come true, although for a man of his origin, it would seem that a career as a boatswain or skipper on some coasting vessel was the ultimate dream. Formally, Cook's voyages were a chain of brilliant failures: he failed to find either the southern continent, to the shores of which he was initially sent, or the Northwest Passage, where he was subsequently sent.

Now we already know that the first goal was achievable only with enormous difficulties, and the second is completely unattainable. Cook did not complete impossible tasks, but he discovered and mapped many previously unseen coasts, bays, and islands. There are, without exaggeration, hundreds of geographical objects in the world, ranging from Hawaii to New Zealand. He could easily have died during his first expedition, and only speed, determination and excellent organization of work saved the entire ship and its crew. Finally, being a scientist and traveler, Cook did not stain himself with the slave trade or unbridled behavior towards the natives. The captain is an example of not only a strong personality and a great discoverer, but also a worthy person.

Thanks to Vladimir Vysotsky’s song about the legendary Captain Cook, the name of this navigator became known to almost all compatriots. But the literary component of the song “Why did the Aborigines Ate Cook” (you will find the chords in the article) was very different from reality. Although the biography of the famous pioneer actually has many colorful episodes. And his surviving diary entries are still of great interest to scientists and historians... Did the aborigines eat Cook? Let's try to find out.

Son of a farm laborer

The future traveler was born at the end of October 1728 in one of the villages of Yorkshire. He was born into a large family with eight children. James was the second child. His father worked as an ordinary farm laborer.

A few years later, the Cook family moved to another village, which is nearby. It was there that little James began studying at the local school. Note that at the moment this educational institution has become a museum.

Cook's father hoped that his son would engage in trade. For this reason, James was given into the service of one of the haberdashers. By this time, the future captain was already thirteen years old.

However, young Cook did not like this prospect at all. Although the proximity of the Newcastle seaport undoubtedly attracted him. The future discoverer spent hours looking at the ships and imagining how one day he would go on his first voyage.

Flight of the Haberdasher's Apprentice

Over time, the craving for the sea turned into a dream that young James decided to realize. He left the haberdashery shop and his home and became a cabin boy on the Freelove ship, which transported coal to the English capital. At the same time, he began to seriously engage in his self-education. He bought the appropriate books, giving his small earnings for them. He was then a real ascetic. The sailors laughed at him. And because of this, James had to fight repeatedly to maintain his independence. He persistently continued to study navigation, geography, astronomy and mathematics. In addition, he read a huge number of descriptions of sea expeditions. At that time, the future naval commander was eighteen.

First successes

A few years later, the young man received a flattering offer - to become the captain of the Friendship ship. But he decided to refuse, becoming an ordinary sailor in the Royal Navy. He was assigned to the 60-gun ship Eagle. A month later he became a boatswain.

Meanwhile, the Seven Years' War began. Great Britain was also drawn into the conflict and fought against France. Of course, the boatswain of the Eagle ship, Cook, took a direct part in the clashes. His ship took part in the blockade of the French coast. And at the end of the spring of 1757, the Eagle fought with the ship Duke of Aquitaine. As a result, the French ship was captured. And the Eagle went to be repaired in England. So, James received a baptism of fire.

Some time later, Cook was assigned to the ship Pembroke. On this ship he became a participant in the blockade of the Bay of Biscay. A little later he was sent to the eastern shores of Canada. It was then that his knowledge, which was gleaned from books and textbooks, came in handy when he was still engaged in self-education.

Cartographer

So, Cook handed over to his superiors his map of the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, compiled by him. As a result, the talented cartographer was transferred to a special corresponding ship. The purpose of the expedition is to map the coast of Labrador. The result impressed the British Admiralty. After that, Cook never took part in naval battles. He was transferred to the flagship Northumberland as a foreman. In essence, it was professional encouragement.

Meanwhile, James continued to map the river. St. Lawrence and did this until 1762. These maps were published, and Cook himself received the rank of lieutenant.

He returned to England and soon became engaged to Elizabeth Butts. Let us note right away that the couple had 6 children. Unfortunately, all of Cook's heirs died very early...

First circumnavigation expedition

From the second half of the eighteenth century, the redistribution of new territories among the great European powers began again. By this time, Spain and Portugal had left the game, but France and Great Britain were once again fighting each other to annex new lands to the Pacific.

By order of the Admiralty, Cook, having an enviable experience in cartography and navigation, set off on the first expedition around the world. His team officially began to engage in astronomical research. But these observations, in fact, were just a screen. Captain Cook was looking for new colonies, namely the Southern Continent. In those days it was called Terra Incognita.

In 1769, James Cook reached the coast of Tahiti. The captain established strict discipline in the relations of the sailors with the islanders. He categorically forbade the use of violence. Thus, provisions for the team had to be exchanged exclusively. After all, by those standards it was real nonsense. Europeans are accustomed to robbing and killing aborigines...

When the astronomical research ended, the expedition set off for New Zealand. On the west coast, the team found an unnamed bay. The bay was named after Queen Charlotte. After this, the travelers climbed to a hill. They saw that New Zealand was divided into two islands by a strait. Later this strait was named after the captain.

In 1770, the expedition approached the east coast of Australia. The navigators found several previously unknown plants there. That is why this bay was called Botanical. The following year, Cook and his colleagues returned to the UK.

Is it true that the Aborigines ate Cook? You still have to find out.

Captain's second voyage

Just a year later, James Cook led a new expedition. It is often called Antarctic. This trip, like the previous one, was directly related to the continuation of the search for the Southern Continent. Moreover, the French were very active in the southern seas.

In 1772, Cook left Plymouth, and early next year the expedition crossed the Antarctic Circle. Note that this was the first time in world history.

The team also visited Tahiti once again. It was here that the captain ordered fruits to be included in the sailors' diet. The fact is that at one time scurvy was a real scourge on any voyage. The mortality rate from it was simply catastrophic. But Cook managed to learn how to fight this disease by adding just a large amount of appropriate fruits to his diet. In fact, the navigator made a real revolution in navigation, because mortality rates from scurvy were practically reduced to zero.

After this, the expedition visited the islands of Tongatabu and Eua. The captain was amazed at the friendliness of the natives. Therefore, Cook named these territories the Friendship Islands.

Then the travelers again went to New Zealand, and then they once again had to cross the Antarctic Circle.

In 1774, Cook discovered South Georgia and New Caledonia. The following summer the team returned to their home harbor.

The Fatal Voyage of Captain Cook

In his homeland, Cook was accepted into the Royal Geographical Society. In addition, he received the prestigious gold medal and the rank of post-captain. Meanwhile, the 3rd round-the-world expedition was also being prepared. The navigator, as always, led it. In fact, this decision of the captain became fatal.

The order from the British Admiralty was as follows. Cook was ordered to search for a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through northern North America.

In mid-1776, the ships of the titled captain left the English harbor. At the end of the same year, the sailors had already passed the Cape of Good Hope and headed towards the Australian mainland. The following year, Cook had already begun his immediate task. When the captain crossed the equator, he discovered the largest atoll on the planet. It was called Christmas Island. After three weeks on their way, the travelers came across new islands. This was Hawaii. After which the scientific squadron set off towards North America.

The expedition members passed the strait that separates America and Asia and ended up in the Chukchi Sea. Cook's ships encountered not only cold winds, but also drifting ice. It was simply impossible to go further. The captain decided to return to the warm seas.

Along the way, in the Aleutian Islands, he met Russian industrialists who showed him another, their map. The captain managed to redraw it. In addition, he named the strait separating Asia and America after the famous traveler Bering.

At the very end of the autumn of 1778, Cook's ships finally landed on the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. They were met by crowds of thousands of Aboriginal people. Apparently, the islanders mistook the captain for one of their deities...

Where did the Aborigines eat Cook? Now we will find out.

Death of the captain

Why did the Aborigines eat Cook? Is this true? Initially, the captain established very good relations with the natives. They supplied the expedition with everything necessary. True, the islanders were very surprised by the outlandish things that the team members brought with them. Actually, this morbid curiosity led to the emergence of cases of petty theft on British ships. The sailors tried to return the stolen goods, and because of this, serious clashes occurred, which became hotter every day.

In order not to aggravate the situation, Captain Cook decided to leave the islands, but the expedition encountered a severe storm. The team was forced to return. How did it happen that James Cook was eaten by the Aborigines?

Meanwhile, the attitude of the natives became too hostile. In addition, the number of thefts has increased significantly. So, pincers were stolen from the ship. Team members tried to get them back. And this attempt ended in a real military clash. And on the next fateful day, the fourteenth of February, the longboat from the flagship was stolen. Cook was determined to return the stolen goods. To do this, he and four sailors from his crew invited one of the local leaders onto the ship. The captain was going to take him with him as a hostage. But at the last moment the leader suddenly refused to go with him. By this time, thousands of aggressive Hawaiians were flocking to the shore. They surrounded the navigator and his people. A moment later, stones flew at this small detachment, one of which hit the captain himself. In self-defense, Cook shot the native. The natives were furious. Another stone hit the captain in the head. As a result, the islanders finished off the strangers with knives. The remaining companions were able to retreat to the ship and sail away.

The brilliant captain James Cook was gone. He was only fifty.

Be that as it may, the banal theft of the longboat became the impetus after which the tragic events occurred. Their disastrous result was the death of a talented captain. Moreover, eyewitnesses claim that if Cook had not shot at the Hawaiians, the fatal incident would not have happened. According to them, the natives had no intention of attacking the captain’s detachment at all. They were simply very worried about the fate of their leader.

As you know from the song, the aborigines ate Cook. You can read the lyrics of the song below.

Don't grab other people's waists

Breaking free from the arms of her friends!

The now deceased Cook swam up,

How, sitting in a circle under the azaleas,

Let's go - from sunrise to dawn -

Evil savages to each other.

Why did the aborigines eat Cook?

For what reason is unclear, science is silent.

They wanted to eat - and ate Cook!

There is an option that their leader is a big beech -

He said that the cook on Cook's ship was very tasty...

There was an error - this is what science is silent about:

They wanted Coca, but they ate Cook!

And there was no catch or trick at all -

They entered without knocking, almost without a sound,

They used a bamboo baton:

Bale! straight to the crown - and Cook is gone!

But there is, however, another assumption,

That Cook was eaten out of great respect,

What the sorcerer, the cunning and evil one, incited everyone:

"Hey guys, grab Cook!

Whoever eats it without salt and without onions,

He will be strong, brave, kind - like Cook!"

Someone came across a stone,

He threw it, the viper, and Cook was gone!

And the savages are now wringing their hands,

They break the spear, they break the bows,

They burned and threw bamboo clubs -

They are worried that they ate Cook!

These are the lyrics to the song “Why the Aborigines Ate Cook.” You can read the guitar chords below.

Don't grab other people's waists

Breaking free from the arms of her friends,

Remember how to the shores of Australia

The now deceased Cook swam up.

There, sitting in a circle under the azaleas,

C# 7 F# 7 sus 4 F# 7

We'll go from sunrise to dawn

Ate in this sunny Australia

Evil savages to each other.

But why did the Aborigines eat Cook?

For what reason is unclear, science is silent.

I think it's quite simple:

They wanted to eat - and ate Cook.

Farewell to Captain James Cook

After the death of the captain, his assistant Charles Clarke was forced to lead the expedition. The first thing he did was conduct a special military operation. Under the cover of the ship's cannons, his detachment destroyed the settlements that were located on the shore. After this, the new captain entered into negotiations with the native leader. Clark demanded that the remains of the deceased Cook be returned. As a result, the islanders brought to the ship a basket containing several pounds of human flesh, as well as a head without a lower jaw. This is all that remained of the famous navigator.

At the end of February 1779, the captain's remains were lowered into the sea. The team lowered the flag and gave a rifle salute. The next day, the members of the infamous expedition set off on a further journey, leaving the Hawaiian Islands behind them.

They say that even before saying goodbye to the captain’s body, the Hawaiians buried part of his flesh. Moreover, separately from the bones. Such rituals are traditional for the aborigines. Moreover, they were performed exclusively with the bodies of great heroes who distinguished themselves in battles, or leaders. Perhaps this is why the islanders returned only fragments of James Cook's body to the British.

Now you will no longer have a question about why the aborigines ate Cook.

Continuation of the story about the famous Captain Cook

Having said goodbye to the islands, the orphaned expedition went north and began searching for a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The ships made a stop at Peter and Paul Harbor. After which the captain again wanted to break through the Chukchi Sea, but this was in vain. Clark died some time later. He was struck down by tuberculosis. He was buried in Kamchatka.

James Cook's wife lived for almost half a century after her husband's death. She died at 93. All her life she sincerely admired the captain and tried to measure everything only by his moral convictions and honor. Just before her death, she destroyed almost all correspondence with her husband and personal papers. She was buried in the family crypt in Cambridge.

But the story with Captain Cook was not over at all. In the spring of 1823, the king of Hawaii named Kamehameha II arrived with his wife on the shores of Foggy Albion. Three months later, the monarch died. But the day before, he gave the doctors an arrow with wooden feathers and an iron tip. According to the native, this bone arrow is none other than the bone of Captain Cook.

In 1886, this unique relic was transported to Australia and was kept there until recently. But the head of the Captain Cook Society, Mr. K. Thronton, verified the authenticity of this arrow. The bone was cleared with X-rays. As it became known, it could belong to a dolphin, a whale, or a human. The next step was a DNA test. However, all the captain's children died early and did not have offspring. But the relatives of the pioneer’s sister are still alive. Her name was Margaret. Some time later, Mr. Thronton stated that DNA analysis confirmed that the bone had nothing to do with the famous navigator...

Merits of Captain James Cook

Now that we have found out why the aborigines ate Cook, it is worth talking about his merits. The captain managed to make several geographical discoveries. In addition, about twenty geographical objects were named in his honor, including bays, straits and groups of islands. Also, a number of maps compiled by him served naval commanders until the second half of the nineteenth century.

It is also important that it was Cook who always tried to improve the well-being of the Aborigines. Thus, the pioneer gave sheep to the people of New Zealand. And he brought pigs and wild boars to New Caledonia. Apparently, in this way he hoped to stop cannibalism among the islanders.

The famous navigator was destined to educate a whole galaxy of famous British naval commanders. So, at one time her team included the future head of the Royal Society D. Banks, the future head of New South Wales W. Bligh, the scientist of the Pacific coast of North America D. Vancouver and many others.

In addition, a number of members of his expeditions subsequently distinguished themselves in Russian service. For example, a sailor from Cook's ship D. Billings led the Russian expedition to the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Moreover, as a captain. Another - D. Trevenen - was also in the service of the Russian Empire and took part in the war with Sweden. He died in the Vyborg naval battle. This happened in 1790.

Now you know why the aborigines ate Cook. Finally, I would like to tell you some more interesting facts:

1. The pioneer Cook was the first person on the planet who was able to visit all continents. Only he had never been to Antarctica.
2. The captain discovered the Fiji Islands. Although he himself called them “Fisi”. But the navigator mistakenly wrote down the name in the ship's log as "Fiji". However, his authority was unquestionable. Therefore, they decided to leave the erroneous name.
3. The captain had a best friend. We are talking about Lord Hugh Palliser. At one time he was considered an excellent sailor, then he became head of the main financial department. Hugh was the first to recognize the brilliant pioneer in Cook. He believed that the captain had an enviable instinct and common sense. However, he never lost his presence of mind. After the death of his friend, the lord created a memorial in his honor. It is located on the Palliser estate in Buckinghamshire.
4. Before the last voyage, an artist named Nathaniel Dance managed to paint a portrait of the captain. On the canvas, the largest explorer of Oceania is depicted with a certain map. Almost all of his geographical discoveries are depicted on it. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was from this portrait that the so-called Rockingham figurine was made.
5. In the early 30s of the 20th century, philanthropist and bookmaker M. Barnett from Christchurch decided to immortalize the legendary navigator. He managed to organize a corresponding competitive project. After that, he paid for all the work, including the sculptor’s fee, and donated the monument to the city. Since then, the sculpture has been located in Victoria Square.
6. The command module of the Apollo 15B spacecraft was named Endeavor. This was Captain Cook's first ship. By the way, one of the “space shuttles” was also called by this name at one time.
7. In 1935, one of the lunar craters was named after the famous navigator.

James Cook was born in 1728 in North Yorkshire in the small village of Marton. Thanks to his determination, he made a dizzying career in the navy. Being the son of a farm laborer, Cook went from cabin boy to captain 1st rank.

Bays, bays, the strait between the islands of New Zealand, as well as the archipelago-state - the Cook Islands - are named in honor of James Cook.

The navigator circumnavigated the Earth three times and led 3 expeditions. Thanks to James Cook, 11 archipelagos and 27 islands in the Pacific Ocean were discovered, including New Caledonia. The brave navigator crossed the Antarctic Circle three times and was the first to sail in the Amundsen Sea. Cook was an excellent cartographer, which allowed him to map all his geographical discoveries.

In 1776, for his outstanding services, Cook became a member of the Royal Society and was appointed to the Greenwich Observatory, but he preferred new achievements to a quiet life and decided to participate in the third expedition. During this voyage, James Cook made his main discovery - the Hawaiian Islands, where he met his death in 1779.

According to the first version, a reconstruction of long-standing events, the cause of the death of the British navigator was ordinary ticks, which were stolen from a ship's carpenter by the islanders. In pursuit of the thief, he opened fire, the pincers were returned, but the boatswain demanded the thief's extradition; in response, the islanders threw stones at the British. To smooth out the brewing conflict, James Cook went to the king of the island to invite him to the ship.

Everything went smoothly until a rumor spread among the natives that two Hawaiians had been killed by the British at the other end of the island. The rumor was false, but the islanders began to arm themselves with darts, spears and stones.

On the way back, a fight broke out. The islanders responded to the British shooting with a hail of stones. Panic began, as a result of which the sailors rushed to the lifeboats. As befits a captain, Cook went last. Seeing the panic among the British, the natives rushed after them. During the skirmish, James Cook died, pierced by a Haitian arrow.

Version two of the captain's death

The natives allegedly stole a longboat from the British, and in an attempt to return it, Cook decided to take the king of the island hostage. After negotiations, the British abandoned this idea and, having secured the king’s promise to find the thief and return the longboat to the British, the team went back to the ship.

When the sailors were boarding the boat, someone from Cook’s team decided to scare the natives and fired. The bullet hit the leader of the islanders, and in response, the Haitians began to throw stones at the British. One of them hit Cook, who opened fire in a rage. But the enraged natives responded with a new attack. Another stone hit the captain in the head. He lost his balance and fell, and then the long knives of the Haitians struck down Cook.

Some historians believe that the natives did not intend to eat Cook at all. They dismembered his body and distributed it to the shamans, showing special respect to the captain. According to local customs, only the most worthy opponents were treated in this way.

Captain Clark took over the leadership of the expedition and demanded that the natives hand over the body of James Cook. Under cannon fire, the marines landed on the shore, pushed the islanders into the mountains and completely burned their village. After this, the British demand was heard, and the remains of Captain Cook were brought to the ship - about ten pounds of human flesh and a head without a lower jaw. This allowed historians to assume that the body of the brave captain was eaten by the aborigines.

Painting by George Carter "The Death of Captain James Cook"

Envy, cowardice, pride and careerism ate the captain

On February 14, 1779, on the island of Hawaii, during an unexpected skirmish with the natives, Captain James Cook (1728-1779), one of the greatest discoverers of new lands who lived in the 18th century, was killed. No one knows what really happened that morning at Kealakekua Bay. It is known, however, that the Hawaiians did not eat Cook, contrary to Vysotsky’s famous song: it was customary for the natives to bury especially important people in a special way. The bones were buried in a secret place, and the meat was returned to the captain’s “relatives.” Historians argue whether the Hawaiians considered Cook a god (more precisely, the incarnation of the deity of abundance and agriculture, Lono) or simply an arrogant stranger.

But we will talk about something else: how did the team even allow the death of their captain? How did envy, anger, pride, criminal relationships, cowardice and passivity lead to a tragic set of circumstances? Fortunately (and unfortunately), more than 40 conflicting accounts of Cook's death have been preserved: this does not make it possible to unambiguously clarify the course of events, but it tells in detail about the motives and motivations of the team. About how the death of one captain blew up the ship's microcosm of the heroic navigators of the 18th century - in the historical investigation of Lenta.ru.

Encounter with the Hawaiians

The background is as follows: Cook's third circumnavigation of the world began in 1776. With the Resolution and Discovery ships, the British were to find the Northwest Passage: a waterway north of Canada connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Having rounded southern Africa, the sailors sailed to New Zealand and from there headed north, discovering the Hawaiian Islands along the way (in January 1778). Having regained strength, the expedition set off for Alaska and Chukotka, but continuous ice and the approach of winter forced Cook to return to Hawaii (December-January 1779).

The Hawaiians greeted the British sailors very cordially. However, over time, the free treatment of local women and the overly active replenishment of water and food supplies aroused discontent, and on February 4 Cook decided to prudently set sail. Alas, that same night a storm damaged the Resolution's foremast, and the ships returned to Kealakekua Bay. Openly hostile Hawaiians stole tongs from one of the ships: in retaliation, the British stole a canoe, which they refused to return as a result of negotiations.

Then, on February 14, a longboat disappeared from the Resolution: and then Cook armed himself with a gun and, together with a detachment of ten marines (led by Lieutenant Molesworth Phillips), demanded one of the local leaders to come to the ship (either as a hostage, or, more likely to conduct negotiations in a more relaxed atmosphere).
At first the leader agreed, then, yielding to his wife’s pleas, he refused to go. Meanwhile, thousands of armed Hawaiians gathered on the shore and pushed Cook back to the shore. For some unknown reason, the crowd began to take active action, and in the ensuing confusion, someone hit Cook on the back with a stick. The captain fired in retaliation, but did not kill the Hawaiian - and then the natives rushed at the British from all sides.

Already in the water, Cook was hit in the back with a spear or throwing dagger, and the captain (along with several sailors) died. Cook's body was dragged ashore, and the British retreated disorderly to the ships.

Death of Cook. Engraving from 1790

After another fight, negotiations took place, which ended in peace: the Hawaiians ceremonially returned Cook's body (in the form of pieces of meat), which infuriated the crew. An error in intercultural communication (the British did not understand that the locals had buried the captain with maximum dignity) led to a punitive raid: the coastal settlement was burned, the Hawaiians were killed, and the islanders eventually returned the remaining parts of Cook's body, buried at sea on February 21. The position of head of the expedition passed to the captain of the Discovery, Charles Clerk, and when he died of tuberculosis off Kamchatka, to the second mate of the Resolution, James King.

Who is guilty?

But what really happened that morning at Kealakekua Bay? How was the battle in which Cook died?

Here is what First Officer James Burney writes: “Through binoculars we saw Captain Cook hit with a club and fall from the cliff into the water.” Bernie was most likely standing on the deck of the Discovery. And here is what the captain of the ship Clark said about the death of Cook: “It was exactly 8 o’clock when we were alarmed by a rifle salvo fired by Captain Cook’s men, and strong cries of Indians were heard. Through the telescope, I clearly saw that our people were running towards the boats, but who exactly was running, I could not see in the confused crowd.”

Eighteenth-century ships were not particularly spacious: the Clerk was unlikely to be far from Burney, but he did not see individual people. What's the matter? The participants of Cook's expedition left behind a huge number of texts: historians count 45 manuscripts of diaries, ship's logs and notes, as well as 7 books printed in the 18th century.

But that’s not all: the ship’s log of James King (the author of the official history of the third expedition) was accidentally found in government archives in the 1970s. And not all the texts were written by members of the wardroom: the fascinating memoirs of the German Hans Zimmermann speak about the life of the sailors, and historians learned a lot of new things from a completely plagiarized book by a dropout student, John Ledyard, corporal of the Marines.

So, 45 memoirs tell about the events of the morning of February 14, and the differences between them are not purely accidental, the result of gaps in the memory of sailors trying to recreate the terrible events. What the British “saw with their own eyes” is dictated by the complex relationships on the ship: envy, patronage and loyalty, personal ambitions, rumors and slander.

The memoirs themselves were written not only out of a desire to bask in the glory of Captain Cook or to make money: the texts of the crew members are replete with insinuations, irritated hints at hiding the truth, and, in general, do not resemble the memories of old friends about a wonderful journey.

Death of Cook. Canvas by the Anglo-German artist Johann Zoffany (1795)

Tension in the crew had been building for a long time: it was inevitable during a long voyage on cramped ships, an abundance of orders, the wisdom of which was obvious only to the captain and his inner circle, and the expectation of inevitable hardships during the upcoming search for the Northwest Passage in polar waters. However, the conflicts spilled over into open form only once - with the participation of two heroes of the future drama in Kealakekua Bay: a duel took place in Tahiti between Marine Lieutenant Phillips and Resolution third mate John Williamson. All that is known about the duel is that three bullets passed over the heads of its participants without causing them harm.

The character of both Irishmen was not sweet. Phillips, who suffered heroically from the Hawaiian guns (he was wounded while retreating to the lifeboats), ended his life as a London bum, playing cards in trifles and beating his wife. Williamson was disliked by many officers. “This is a scoundrel who was hated and feared by his subordinates, hated by his equals and despised by his superiors,” one of the midshipmen wrote in his diary.

But the crew’s hatred fell on Williamson only after Cook’s death: all eyewitnesses agree that at the very beginning of the collision the captain gave some kind of signal to Williamson’s people who were in the boats off the shore. What Cook intended to express with this unknown gesture will forever remain a mystery. The lieutenant stated that he understood it as “Save yourself, swim away!” and gave the appropriate command.

Unfortunately for him, the other officers were convinced that Cook was desperately calling for help. The sailors could provide fire support, drag the captain into the boat, or at least recapture the corpse from the Hawaiians... Williamson had a dozen officers and marines from both ships against him. Phillips, according to Ledyard's recollection, was even ready to shoot the lieutenant on the spot.

Clark (the new captain) was immediately required to investigate. However, the main witnesses (we do not know who they were - most likely the bosses on the pinnace and skiff, who were also offshore under Williamson's command) withdrew their testimony and accusations against the third mate. Did they do this sincerely, not wanting to ruin an officer who found himself in a difficult and ambiguous situation? Or were their superiors putting pressure on them? We are unlikely to know this - the sources are very scarce. In 1779, while on his deathbed, Captain Clark destroyed all papers related to the investigation.

The only fact is that the leaders of the expedition (King and Clark) decided not to blame Williamson for the death of Cook. However, rumors immediately spread on the ships that Williamson had stolen documents from Clark's locker after the captain's death, or even earlier had given brandy to all the marines and sailors so that they would remain silent about the lieutenant's cowardice upon returning to England.

The truth of these rumors cannot be confirmed: but it is important that they circulated for the reason that Williamson not only avoided the tribunal, but also succeeded in every possible way. Already in 1779 he was promoted to second, and then to first mate. His successful career in the navy was interrupted only by an incident in 1797: as captain of the Agincourt, at the Battle of Camperdown, he once again misinterpreted a signal (this time a naval one), avoided attacking enemy ships and was court-martialed for dereliction of duty. A year later he died.

In his diary, Clark describes what happened to Cook on the shore according to Phillips: the whole story boils down to the misadventures of a wounded marine, and not a word is said about the behavior of other members of the team. James King also showed favor towards Williamson: in the official history of the voyage, Cook's gesture was described as a matter of philanthropy: the captain tried to keep his people from brutally shooting the unfortunate Hawaiians. Moreover, King places the blame for the tragic collision on Marine Lieutenant Rickman, who shot a Hawaiian on the other side of the bay (which enraged the natives).

It would seem that everything is clear: the authorities are covering up the obvious culprit in Cook’s death - for some reason of their own. And then, using his connections, he makes a stunning career. However, the situation is not so clear-cut. Interestingly, the team is roughly evenly split between Williamson haters and defenders - and the composition of each group deserves close attention.

British Navy: hopes and disappointments

The officers of the Resolution and Discovery were not at all pleased with the great scientific significance of the expedition: for the most part they were ambitious young people who were not at all eager to spend their best years on the sidelines in cramped cabins. In the 18th century, promotions were mainly given by wars: at the beginning of each conflict, the “demand” for officers increased - assistants were promoted to captains, midshipmen to assistants. It is not surprising that the crew members sadly sailed from Plymouth in 1776: literally before their eyes, the conflict with the American colonists flared up, and they had to “rot” for four years in the dubious search for the Northwest Passage.

By the standards of the 18th century, the British Navy was a relatively democratic institution: people far from power, wealth and noble blood could serve and rise to commanding heights there. To look far for examples, one can recall Cook himself, the son of a Scottish farm laborer, who began his naval career as a cabin boy on a coal-mining brig.

However, one should not think that the system automatically selected the most worthy: the price for relative democracy “at the entrance” was the dominant role of patronage. All officers built support networks, looked for loyal patrons in the command and in the Admiralty, earning a reputation for themselves. That is why the death of Cook and Clark meant that all contacts and agreements reached with the captains during the voyage went to waste.

Having reached Canton, the officers learned that the war with the rebel colonies was in full swing, and all the ships were already equipped. But no one cares much about the disastrous (the Northwest Passage was not found, Cook died) geographical expedition. “The crew felt how much they would lose in rank and wealth, and also deprived of the consolation that they were being led home by an old commander, whose known merits could help the affairs of the last voyage be heard and appreciated even in those troubled times,” King writes in in his journal (December 1779). In the 1780s, the Napoleonic War was still far away, and only a few received promotions. Many junior officers followed the example of midshipman James Trevenen and joined the Russian fleet (which, recall, fought against the Swedes and Turks in the 1780s).

In this regard, it is curious that the loudest voices against Williamson were midshipmen and mates who were at the very beginning of their careers in the navy. They missed their luck (the war with the American colonies), and even one single vacancy was a fairly valuable prize. Williamson's title (third mate) did not yet give him much opportunity to take revenge on his accusers, and his trial would create an excellent opportunity to remove a competitor. Combined with personal antipathy towards Williamson, this more than explains why he was vilified and called the main scoundrel for Cook's death. Meanwhile, many senior members of the team (Bernie, although he was a close friend of Phillips, draftsman William Ellis, Resolution first mate John Gore, Discovery master Thomas Edgar) did not find anything reprehensible in Williamson’s actions.

For approximately the same reasons (career future), in the end, part of the blame was shifted to Rickman: he was much older than most of the members of the wardroom, began his service already in 1760, “missed” the beginning of the Seven Years’ War and did not receive a promotion for 16 years. That is, he did not have strong patrons in the fleet, and his age did not allow him to form friendships with a company of young officers. As a result, Rickman turned out to be almost the only member of the team who did not receive any more titles at all.

In addition, by attacking Williamson, many officers, of course, tried to avoid awkward questions: on the morning of February 14, many of them were on the island or in boats and could have acted more proactively if they heard shots, and retreating to the ships without trying to recapture the bodies of the dead also looks suspicious. The future captain of the Bounty, William Bligh (master on the Resolution), directly accused Phillips' Marines of fleeing the battlefield. The fact that 11 of the 17 Marines on the Resolution were subjected to corporal punishment during the voyage (under Cook's personal orders) also makes one wonder how willing they were to sacrifice their lives for the captain.

"Landing at Tanna". Painting by William Hodges. One of the characteristic episodes of contact between the British and the inhabitants of Oceania

But, one way or another, the authorities put an end to the proceedings: King and Clark made it clear that no one should be put on trial. Most likely, even if the trial of Williamson did not take place thanks to the influential patrons of the ambitious Irishman (even his long-time enemy Phillips refused to testify against him at the Admiralty - under the flimsy pretext that he allegedly had bad personal relations with the accused), the captains preferred to make a Solomon decision .

None of the surviving members of the crew should have become a scapegoat, guilty of the tragic death of the great captain: circumstances, vile natives and (as read between the lines of the memoirs) the arrogance and recklessness of Cook himself, who hoped almost single-handedly to take a local hostage, were to blame leader. “There is good reason to suppose that the natives would not have gone so far if, unfortunately, Captain Cook had not fired upon them: a few minutes before, they began to clear the way for the soldiers to get to that place on the shore , against which the boats stood (I have already mentioned this), thus giving Captain Cook the opportunity to get away from them,” says Clerk’s diaries.

Now it becomes clearer why the Clerk and Bernie saw such different scenes through their telescopes. This was determined by the place in the complex system of “checks and balances”, status hierarchy and the struggle for a place in the sun, which took place on board the ships of the scientific expedition. What prevented the Clerk from seeing the captain’s death (or talking about it) was not so much the “confused crowd” as the officer’s desire to remain above the fray and ignore evidence of the guilt of individual members of the crew (many of whom were his protégés, others protégés of his London superiors).

What is the meaning of what happened?

History is not just objective events that happened or did not happen. We know about the past only from the stories of the participants in these events, stories that are often fragmentary, confusing and contradictory. However, one should not draw a conclusion from this about the fundamental incompatibility of individual points of view, which supposedly represent autonomous and incompatible pictures of the world. Scientists, even if they are unable to authoritatively state how “it really happened,” can find probable causes, common interests, and other solid layers of reality behind the apparent chaos of “witness testimony.”

This is what we tried to do - to unravel the network of motives a little, to discern the elements of the system that forced the team members to act, see and remember exactly this way and not otherwise.

Personal relationships, career interests. But there is another layer: the national-ethnic level. Cook's ships represented a cross-section of imperial society: representatives of peoples and, most importantly, regions, to varying degrees remote from the metropolis (London), sailed there, in which all the main issues were resolved and the process of “civilizing” the British took place. Cornish and Scots, natives of the American colonies and the West Indies, Northern England and Ireland, Germans and Welsh... Their relationships during and after the voyage, the influence of prejudices and stereotypes on what is happening, scientists have yet to understand.

But history is not a criminal investigation: the last thing I wanted was to finally identify who was responsible for the death of Captain Cook: be it the “coward” Williamson, the “inactive” sailors and marines on shore, the “evil” natives or the “arrogant” navigator himself.

It is naive to consider Cook’s team a squad of heroes of science, “white men” in identical uniforms. This is a complex system of personal and professional relationships, with its own crises and conflict situations, passions and calculated actions. And by chance this structure explodes in dynamics with an event. Cook's death confused all the cards for the expedition members, but forced them to burst out with passionate, emotional notes and memoirs and, thus, shed light on relationships and patterns that, with a more favorable outcome of the voyage, would have remained in the darkness of obscurity.

But the death of Captain Cook can be a useful lesson in the 21st century: often only similar extraordinary events (accident, death, explosion, escape, leak) can reveal the internal structure and modus operandi of secret (or at least not publicizing their principles) organizations , be it the crew of a submarine or the diplomatic corps.