Captain Cook

I couldn't sleep last night. So I started reading a history book that was lying around in my apartment. A random page that opened was on Captain Cook and his voyages.

Fasinating! Captain Cook made 3 voyages. In the first voyage, he discovered New Zealand and Australia. One of the stories on that trip was, he offered a drum of rum to the first man to sight land by the day, and 2 drums of rum to the man who sight land by night. There was a 12 year boy on board who claimed the prize - Nicholas Young! (Imagine a 12 year old drinking all that rum ... :-)

In his second trip, Cook went around the continent of Antartica. He didn't go deep south into the land. He was smart enough to realise that there is no economic value in Antartica. But he did made detailed map of the region.

The 3rd trip was where he lost his life. He was commitioned to find a route to China from North America. Many thought that there exist a land which connected the two in the very North. So Cook traveled all the way to Artic Circle, but couldn't find the joining strip. While returning he anchored at Hawaii. The Hawaiians recieved him warmly. Everything was fine until a boat (cutter) was stolen from Cook's ship. Cook suspected the Hawaiians, and kidnapped the King of Hawaii. A fierce battle followed in which Cooks was killed. His crew retrieved the pieces of his body with great difficulty, and burried him in the sea. A tragic end of a such a great genius!

One of the ships that Cook made all his voyages was called - Endeavor. I am so facinated by Cook's adventures that I am going to find a model kit of this great historic ship, and try to build it. Should be fun!