The Connection Between Tapaya and the Maori

In the 18th century, astronomers believed that if they could get it accurately measured, it would help them determine the distance between the Earth and the sun. When Cook sailed into the Pacific originally to observe the transit of Venus on the island of Tahiti, he got to know some Tahitians a little bit. It turned out that Tapaya could speak to the Maori, which meant that they shared a common language. That was really kind of mind-bending moment.