Cook in Antarctica

I had no idea that James Cook not only discovered Antarctica, but also circumnavigated it. That's pretty amazing. Cook ended up getting killed by the Hawaiians, but he got a lot done before he cashed in. The first article I linked to also has an interesting discussion about a newly discovered painting of Antarctica, which the artist painted over after he returned to New Zealand. Apparently, the painting was the only one of its kind, and the experts are puzzled as to why the artist painted over it. Personally, I like the explanation that he was so miserable by the end of the four months it took to sail around Antarctica that he wanted to obliterate anything that would remind him of the trip. We'll probably never know for sure.