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Log of S/V
High Drama
No.9-TheSociety
Islands Part I: Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, and Tahaa
French
Polynesia
July
2001
High Drama
tugs gently on her anchor as the wind pushes her and tidal
current shifts underneath. We sit in the cockpit sipping a
glass of Cote d’Rhone watching the sun drift beneath the horizon.
Although we sit in silence, we share a common thought: how
fortunate are we to be able to live this dream. In this Log
of S/V High Drama please join
us in the Society Islands in French Polynesia: Tahiti, Moorea,
Huahine, Raiatea, and Tahaa. We start with Captain James Cook
and the history of his voyages here. Next we show some pictures
of the Heiva celebration and the Autonome Day Parade. We comment
on the influence of the missionaries, and provide some thoughts
about Tahitian dance. We conclude with a collage of photos
and prediction about where we will go next.
We always welcome
hearing from you. Please write to us at:
or
The
Society Islands and Captain James Cook
No reasonable discussion can be held about French Polynesia
without first discussing Captain James Cook, the famous British
explorer. He named the Society Islands, among others, and
charted most of the major islands the South Pacific. Cook
began his Navy career as an enlisted man, which was quite
remarkable since in the 1750s most sailors were involuntarily
conscripted. Moreover, he joined at the age of 26, whereas
many young men who hoped to make a career of the Navy began
as cabin boys at the age of 12. Cook quickly rose in rank
to master, the senior enlisted man on a ship, responsible
for navigation. One of Cook’s early assignments included charting
the St. Lawrence River and later the coast of Newfoundland.
The accuracy of his charts, which he made using land-surveying
methods, caught the attention of the British Admiralty.
In
1767, the British Royal Society, a group of scientists and
academicians, hoped to measure the path of Venus as it passed
in front of the sun. If the measurement were taken from different
places on earth, they would be able to determine the size
of the solar system for the first time. This in turn would
allow more accurate navigation. Tahiti, which had been “discovered”
by Samuel Wallis one year before, was selected as an observation
point. Of course, the British Admiralty recognized that certain
military, political, and economic benefits would follow from
increased activity in the Pacific. At the time, Spain claimed
most of the Pacific (without realizing the breadth of the
area) by virtue of their trade routes from Mexico to the Philippines.
France had an interest and sent Bougainville on a scientific
voyage at about the same time. Britain controlled much of
the Atlantic, but their grip on the Colonies had slipped because
of their confounded Revolution. Most of the Pacific at that
time was a great unknown.
The
Royal Society the Admiralty for support. Of course, if the
Admiralty were to supply the ship, they would also surely
supply the captain. Cook’s map-making skills made him an excellent
choice to lead the expedition. He was promoted to Lieutenant
and the Royal Society also selected him as one of the astronomers
to make the observation of the Venus transit.
Cook’s
scientific zeal transcended astronomy. Along with Joseph Banks,
the naturalist on the Endeavor, Cook sought
to learn about the culture of the indigenous people. Cook
succeeded in befriending the natives on Tahiti, albeit with
an occasional show of force, and was able to trade for supplies
including water, hogs, and fruit. Cook realized that the visits
by Europeans would forever alter Tahitian culture.
Unlike most sea
captains of the day, Cook was extremely protective of his
crew. On Cook’s first voyage, he experimented with diets
to prevent scurvy. Sauerkraut was one of his favorite dishes
to ward off scurvy. Although Cook was very successful preserving
the health of his crew, apparently sauerkraut had little to
do with it. Rather, Cook’s insistence that his crew eat fresh
meat and local produce reduced scurvy more dramatically than
on any ship of the time.
But
most of all, Cook was a sailor and a navigator. We puny yachtsmen
sail in and out of well charted well marked reef passes using
satellite technology that pinpoints our position within 10
meters. Cook depended on a sextant for determining latitude
and the lunar method (a lengthy time consuming series of calculations)
for determining longitude. He sent long boats in to find passes
in the reefs. The finest chart maker of the day, he continually
grumbled that the explorers of earlier times did not take
time to carefully chart their discoveries. Cook was one of
the greatest navigators of all times whereas we only follow
the dots. But still, we thrive on following his footsteps.
The Tahiti we have discovered differs from the Tahiti Cook
found.
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