Nearly a month had passed since the Southern Expedition Fleet, under the command of Captain James Cook, first made peaceful contact with the native people of the river region. Due to the abundance of surface-level gold found throughout the area, the sailors had taken to calling the place the "Golden Coast." The indigenous people, though rich in resources, were technologically undeveloped. A simple glass bead or a strip of colored cloth was enough to secure golden ornaments in trade.
As Captain Cook oversaw the replenishment of the fleet's fresh water supplies, he also established barter exchanges with the locals—offering cloth, colored glass jewelry, and small tools in return for fruit, foodstuffs, and gold. Though the crew now had ample provisions and filled water barrels, another threat was brewing.
