The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

“‘If I have failed in discovering a continent,’ Cook wrote, ‘it is because it does not exist…and not for want of looking.’”

Sides highlights Cook’s commitment to empirical evidence and his integrity in reporting findings, even when they contradicted popular theories. His assertion reflects a scientific approach, emphasizing the importance of exploration and discovery based on observable facts rather than speculation. This stance not only characterizes Cook’s confidence but also underscores his role in The Transformation of Geographic Knowledge by disproving long-held myths.

“Action was life to him, and repose a sort of death.”

This quotation, attributed to a navy officer who sailed with him, captures Cook’s relentless drive and restlessness, highlighting his need for constant engagement in exploration and discovery. The metaphor of life and death underscores his dynamic nature and dedication to his voyages, suggesting that inactivity was antithetical to his purpose and spirit. This portrayal aligns with the ensuing narrative in which Cook’s relentless pursuit of knowledge and adventure propel significant advancements in navigation.

“My fate drives me from one extreme to another: A few months ago the whole Southern Hemisphere was hardly big enough for me, and now I am going to be confined within the limits of Greenwich Hospital, which are far too small for an active mind like mine.”

Sides selects this first-person passage to convey Cook’s inherent restlessness and the vast contrast between his life at sea and his retirement. The juxtaposition of the expansive Southern Hemisphere with the confines of Greenwich Hospital underscores the inner conflict between his need for adventure and the imposed tranquility of retirement, illustrating his perpetual drive for discovery and action.

“There is so little of the savage in Omai.”

This quotation from Samuel Johnson reflects the racist, Enlightenment-era belief among Europeans in the potential for “natural man” to exhibit refinement and decorum. While on the surface it challenges contemporary prejudices about Indigenous people, it is embedded in racist binaries of “savage” and “civilized” and the assumption that Mai could be “savage.”

“For the space of ten minutes, I thought it utterly impossible we should avoid striking on the rocks.”

William Anderson, the ship’s surgeon, wrote this in his journal after the Resolution narrowly avoided a collision with a reef near Boa Vista. This quote captures the tension and imminent danger faced by the crew, emphasizing the precarious nature of their voyage. Anderson’s detailed observation provides insight into the vulnerability of even the most seasoned explorers, foreshadowing the mounting pressures on Cook’s leadership.

“‘The island,’ Cook declared, ‘was without the least sign of fertility.’”

Cook made this observation upon surveying the barren landscape of the Kerguelen Islands, which lacked trees, usable vegetation, and adequate fodder for the animals on board. This quote highlights the stark contrast between Cook’s expectations and the reality of the islands. The phrase “without the least sign of fertility” emphasizes the desolate and inhospitable nature of the land, underscoring the challenges faced by explorers in uncharted territories. It also reflects Cook’s growing frustration and disappointment, adding to the narrative of his declining enthusiasm and increasing weariness during this voyage.

“They ‘live in a tranquility which is not disturbed by the inequality of condition: The earth and sea of their own accord furnishes them with all things necessary for life. They covet not magnificent houses [or] household stuff.’”

Cook made this observation about the Palawa people of Tasmania as he reflected on their contentment and self-sufficiency. The passage highlights Cook’s admiration for the Palawa’s way of life, emphasizing their harmony with nature and lack of material desires. It contrasts sharply with the European lifestyle, juxtaposing simplicity and contentment versus the complexities and inequalities of European society. However, his observations also contribute to the harmful fetishization of the apparent simplicity of Indigenous life instead of respecting its complexity.

“Mai’s arguments, though reasonable enough, [had] no weight [with] me.”

This quote reflects Cook’s response to Mai’s insistence that Chief Kahura should be executed for his role in the massacre of Furneaux’s men. Cook’s dismissal of Mai’s arguments illustrates his commitment to a principle of forbearance and cultural relativism, even in the face of significant pressure from both his own men and local norms of utu (reciprocal justice). This decision underscores Cook’s evolving perspective on cross-cultural interactions, emphasizing restraint and the avoidance of vengeance, which contrasts with the more immediate and punitive justice expected by his crew.

“Mai, assisted by some of his friends, dressed himself not in English dress, nor in Tahitian, nor in Tongan, nor in the dress of any country upon earth: but in a strange medley of all he was possessed of.”

This describes Mai’s attire as he prepared to visit a juvenile chief in Tahiti, highlighting the results of cultural exchange. Sides highlights Mai’s identity crisis, caught between the cultures he has encountered and unable to fully belong to any. It underscores the broader topic of cultural dislocation, illustrating how exposure to different worlds can leave individuals in a state of marginalization, struggling to reconcile disparate identities.

“Mai put the chief out of all manner of patience by telling him that in London an individual who put an innocent man to death in this way would be hanged.”

This quote captures Mai’s confrontation with To’ofa after the human sacrifice, highlighting the stark cultural clash between Tahitian and British practices. Mai’s blunt assertion underscores the cultural arrogance and Eurocentric perspective of the British, who believed their practices were superior and universal, leading to inevitable conflict and misunderstanding.

“Mai hung round his neck in all the seeming agony of a child trying to melt the heart of a reluctant parent [and] twined his arms round him with…the ardor of inviolable friendship.”

This quote captures the farewell between Mai and Captain Cook as the expedition prepares to leave Huahine, highlighting Mai’s deep emotional attachment to Cook and his crew. The imagery in this quote emphasizes the bond that had developed between Mai and Cook. The phrase “ardor of inviolable friendship” underscores the intensity and sincerity of Mai’s feelings, illustrating the deep personal connections formed during the journey and the emotional impact of their impending separation.

“‘On every side of us swam sharks innumerable,’ wrote Midshipman James Trevenen, ‘and so voracious that they bit our oars and rudder, and I actually stuck my [sword] into the back of one while he had the rudder between his teeth.’”

This quote appears during the description of the crew’s efforts to capture sea turtles on Kiritimati. The men faced constant challenges from aggressive sharks while fishing. The quote illustrates the perilous and relentless nature of the crew’s environment, highlighting their struggles against the natural elements. Trevenen’s account uses intense imagery and action to convey the constant danger and the fierce determination required to secure food. By selecting this passage, Sides underscores the harsh realities of maritime exploration in the 18th century.

“‘How,’ he wondered in his journal, ‘shall we account for this nation spreading itself so far over this vast ocean?’”

Captain Cook reflects on the discovery that the Hawaiian language and culture were strikingly similar to those of other Polynesian islands, despite the vast distances separating them. This quote underscores Cook’s growing admiration for the Polynesian navigators’ extraordinary maritime skills and their ability to settle across the vast expanse of the Pacific. It highlights the awe-inspiring achievements of ancient civilizations, yet by selecting this question, Sides also conveys some of Cook’s European condescension due to his surprise.

“North America, it seemed, did not want to reveal her secrets.”

Captain Cook and his crew faced severe weather as they approached the Oregon coast, making it difficult to explore and chart the land. This quote personifies the continent as deliberately withholding its mysteries, emphasizing the crew’s struggle against natural elements that obscure their path. It highlights the tension between human determination and the unpredictable, often hostile, forces of nature. It also reflects the colonial mindset of extractivisim, since it wants to take “secrets” from a land.

“The Mowachaht decided that the visitors were a species of salmon that had transmogrified into human form.”

The Mowachaht people, witnessing Europeans up close for the first time, speculated that these unfamiliar visitors were supernatural beings, specifically salmon transformed into humans. This passage highlights The Clash Between European and Indigenous Cultures.

“The land seemed to close and left us with little hopes of finding any passage to the northward, or indeed in any other direction.”

This passage captures Cook’s growing realization that Prince William Sound was a dead end, dashing hopes of finding the Northwest Passage in this location. Sides highlights Cook’s pragmatic approach to exploration, emphasizing his critical assessment of geographical features. However, the imagery of the land “closing” around them underscores the daunting and claustrophobic nature of their search, illustrating the challenges and disappointments faced by explorers in uncharted territories.

“Our situation was now more and more critical; we were in shoaled water upon a lee shore and the main body of the ice in sight to windward driving down upon us.”

This quotation is from Cook’s journal, describing the moment when the ships were trapped between the ice pack and the Alaskan shore, facing imminent danger. Cook’s description conveys the acute peril faced by the expedition, using precise nautical terminology (“shoaled water” and “lee shore”) to highlight the immediate threats of shallow waters and encroaching ice. The phrase “driving down upon us” evokes a relentless force of nature.

“It seemed the people here were already prepared to receive Cook and his men—that, in fact, they had been waiting in anticipation of his arrival.”

This passage highlights the extraordinary welcome Cook and his crew received from the Hawaiians as they entered Kealakekua Bay, suggesting a preordained or prophetic aspect to their arrival. This perception reflects the Hawaiians’ spiritual worldview and their interpretation of the Englishmen as significant figures within their cosmology.

“The people’s treatment of Cook, King thought, ‘seemed to approach to adoration.’”

This passage reflects Lieutenant James King’s observation of the Hawaiians’ reverent and almost worshipful behavior toward Cook during their procession to the Hiki’au Heiau. The use of the term “adoration” suggests a depth of reverence that blurs the lines between human respect and divine worship, illustrating the complex dynamics of first contact and the impact of Cook’s arrival on the local population.

“The Hawaiians were amazed by Cook’s men. At times they seemed to view the visitors as something like aliens—creatures, quite literally, from outer space.”

This quote highlights the Hawaiians’ reaction to the arrival of Cook and his crew, depicting the cultural gap and the awe with which the islanders viewed the Europeans. This observation underscores the cultural differences and the sense of wonder and curiosity that can accompany first contact between disparate civilizations. The comparison to “aliens” emphasizes the novelty and otherworldliness that the Hawaiians associated with Cook’s men.

“It showed, loudly and unequivocally, that Cook’s men were not supernatural beings, and that Cook himself probably wasn’t one either.”

This quote reflects the impact of William Watman’s death on the Hawaiians’ perception of Cook and his crew. The death of a crew member served as a stark reminder of the mortality of Cook’s men, dismantling the myth of their divinity. Sides uses prosaic language when he remarks that “Cook himself probably wasn’t one” to reflect the reality that these men were mortals and not deities.

“It was the scar left by the accident he had suffered in Newfoundland in 1764, when a powder horn exploded in his hand.”

This passage refers to the recognition of Captain Cook’s remains by his distinctive scar. This detail underscores the personal and tangible connection the crew had with Cook, highlighting the loss they felt. The mention of the scar evokes Cook’s vulnerability and humanity, a legendary figure reduced to mortal remains.

“Cook had surmised that by arriving earlier in the Arctic season, one might find ice-free seas; now that hypothesis had been proven false.”

This passage reflects Captain Cook’s earlier optimism and strategic planning to find a navigable route through the Arctic by arriving early in the season. Sides highlights the unpredictability of exploration and the harsh realities faced by explorers. Cook’s hypothesis, based on careful observation and reasoning, ultimately proved incorrect, underscoring the relentless and unforgiving nature of the Arctic environment, which defied even the most meticulous plans.