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A story of trust won, lost, and offered again—on a narrow strip of sand where cultures clashed, misunderstood, and still tried to understand.
After leaving the fertile coral island of Namocka, Cook and Forster sail into volcanic mists and human silences. What begins as bounty ends in acid rain, and a year of new discoveries begins.
In June 1774, off the shores of present-day Tonga, the HMS Resolution glides between reefs and low coral islands, welcomed with fruit, laughter, and chants of “Wòa”—friend. But beneath the surface of peaceful trade, misunderstandings fester. One stolen hatchet becomes the spark for a violent clash, testing the limits of trust between Europeans and Polynesians.
Only the wicked are offered,” says the priest—and Captain Cook believes him. But when painted warriors hurl spears at his crew on a nameless reef island, even that belief is shaken.
How can a people so gentle commit acts so cruel?
In May 1774, Captain Cook’s expedition returns to Raiatea—and finds paradise laced with paradox. At the center: the Errioys, a revered group of artists and priests whose vibrant performances hide a devastating truth.