Even Britain’s enemies respected Cook

Cook's expeditions took occurred while Britain was at war with the US, Spain, and France, but because of his reputation as a trailblazing explorer, he was able to sail the oceans with a fair amount of impunity, which is one of the interesting facts about James Cook. A squadron of Spanish ships briefly captured his ships in July 1772, but after realizing Cook was in command, they freed them. Similar to Benjamin Franklin, who instructed colonial ship captains to treat British ships as "common friends to mankind" if they came across them at sea, Cook's third trip set sail during the American Revolution.

Besides, after he died, the Hawaiians ritualistically arranged his body like they would a king's. The respect the islanders had for Cook led them to keep his body. They prepared his body by their custom at the time, which typically only involved the most revered elders and chiefs. The bones were meticulously cleaned for preservation as religious symbols, and the body was disemboweled and roasted to make it easier to remove the flesh. This process is reminiscent of how European saints were handled in the Middle Ages. Cook's crew eventually received some of his preserved remains for a solemn burial at sea.