Captain James Cook was one of the most famous sailors of his time. He was an experienced officer who, despite his ordinary roots had risen through the ranks to become an officer. In the latter half of the 18th Century his exploration of the South Pacific resulted in the discovery of a great many places, societies, plants and animals. Because his mission was primarily scientific he brought back a lot of specimens for study. The history of how some of those items came to be held by the Hunterian Museum is somewhat convoluted.