This is so embarasing.... I sunk my boat :(

[Poida]

I know it is just wishfull thinking but we wouldn't have Americans if Christopher Columbus had used plastic crates from Target instead of those bloody ships.

[fiberglass jack]

same goes for capt cook

[safewalrus]

careful fiber' read your history. Reference Quebec - now who was the Master who charted the river outside Quebec so that the operation could go ahead with some degree of success - if it had't have been for this guy (?) there's a good chance the Army may never have got ashore! You could all be French instead of just half of you!

[fiberglass jack]

you read to much history walrus,

[safewalrus]

Naw, it's just that I'm old and remember some of it!

[Poida]

Fibreglass Jack, I didn't know that Captain Cook dicovered America as well. Did he do it before Chris or after?

[westlawn5554X]

after... I think... I was sleeping in history class

[Poida]

Stay awake during boatschool.

[safewalrus]

Old Cook didn't discover America (the Vikings did that, so it's your fault Raggi! ) he just helped the English take a little bit ( well he would wouldn't he - he was English after all!) - the best bit some say - still coloured slightly pink!

[luke23]

hey, r u serious?

[Poida]

Now that is one of the problems with the British. They don't think anythings discovered until they find it.
Good old Cook travelled around the world a century after other explorers and the British claims he'd discovered everything.

There was already American Indians living in America long before Columbus or Cook got there so neither of them discovered squat.

[timgoz]

Cook may not have discovered "squat" (on the N. American E. Coast), but he sure did clarify alot.

His suberb work in charting the Newfoundland & Labrador Coasts, to this day, is influencing modern charts of the area.

Most people concentrate on his Pacific voyages, but he cut his exploratory teeth on the rugged NFLD. coast and in the ice cold & ice choked Labrador Current (Iceberg Alley).

Take care.

TGoz

[safewalrus]

timgoz,nice to see I'm not the only person who can appreciate a good navigator!

As for Poida's comment that it ain't right intil a Brit has sorted it out, I salute his brilliance in seeing and stating the truth!

[safewalrus]

Oh yes and Poida - fat lot of good it did the local people in America or our other penal colony (you know the one I mean) once we'd let the inmates run the asylum they proceded to kill off the locals as quickly as possible (nothing wrong with that but surely better to use 'em as stock first) [that'll get someone biteing!!!]

[Poida]

Obviously Captain Cook couldn't have been computer literate or else he'd log on to Google Earth and save himself a shitload of work.

Of course anyone floating around the world in those days would have to be a good navigator.

Who charted what at what time can never be clear because not all countries jump up and down like the Brits and proclaim they have discovered something when how would they know who's preceded them?

Apparently ancient Chinese charts have been found that indicate the Chinese circumnavigated the world yonks ago (a yonk is a scientific term you use when you haven't got a clue, or know bugger all about what you are talking about.)

Captain Cook was credited to discovering Australia although it was already inhabited and then evidence was found that other nations had already been visiting over a centrury before but never made a song and dance about it.

Who ever did discover Australia I have them to thank for being stuck down here in the arsehole end of the Earth. When I could be living in a nice place like Cornwall??