You know how I tried to explain how its really hard mapping a 3d image to a 2d plane?

You can see how the lines are curved to try and show the projection they are using, and if you werent paying attention, there is no "perfect" solution. Every single one has some kind of drawback.

Anyway, hot airbaloons wouldnt get you to the height you need. I doubt there is even enough oxygen up there to breath.

I have a distant ancestor, which some people in the family get confused with someone else, named Captain Thomas Wing. Actually got blamed for the wreck of a british royal navy corvette, they didnt listen and wrecked into a sand bar as a result.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Orpheus_(1860)

Sounds about right, took many years for him to clear his name.

Anyway, he drew some of the first nautical charts of new zealand. Even married one of the local indians but they split when their first born died at birth.

Anyway, his charts are in the local museum still.

https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23128622

What they did is took all these charts drawn by hundreds, if not thousands of explorers and stitched them together.

Now I know, I dont give our ancestors enough credit, they were smart people, and they were capable of building things like the great pyramid, logistically. Mathematically though... they shouldnt have had the information they needed to align huge construction projects to solar events/celestial movements.

Anyway, they did a pretty damn good job if you ask me!

If it were up to our generation. It would be a fucking 4 year old's doodle.

Meanwhile, the harbour pilot and signalman of Manukau Harbour on duty was Edward Wing (son of Captain Thomas Wing, pilot and harbourmaster of the Port of Manukau who also created the original 1836 chart) who was, at that time guiding the steamship Wonga Wonga out of the harbour. When it became apparent that Orpheus was in trouble, Wonga Wonga approached the beached ship and attempted to pick up survivors, many of whom had climbed into the rigging as the deck became submerged.

Three inquiries were held after the shipwreck, but due to the unwillingness of the Royal Navy to admit an officer's culpability much of the blame was laid on Edward Wing for not guiding the ship into the harbour and for failing to maintain the signalling station on Paratutai Island. In all, 189 people died in the wreck of HMS Orpheus, including Commodore Burnett and Captain Burton, giving it the highest ever casualty rate for a shipwreck in New Zealand waters.[Notes 1]

The cause of this disaster is disputed, even after the Admiralty laid the blame on Edward Wing. The local Maori interpreted it differently. In Manukau Harbour some distance from the scene of the disaster lies Puketutu Island. On the extreme western point of the island there grew a puriri tree, the tree was considered sacred and "tapu" to the Maori people. The day before Orpheus was wrecked a pakeha settler felled the tree and used the wood for fence posts. Hence, Maori linked the disaster with a violation of tapu.

Wasnt my ancestors fucking these people over, it was the rich. Its bullshit that these people have somehow managed to swing it around and pin it on us.

Da fuq is this world anymore. I also like how the wiki makes it sound like its the wing's fault, someone really hates this family.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/orpheus-disaster-remembered-150-years-on-2013020722

The commander of the ship, Commodore Burnett, relied on an old chart with an incorrect route.

But at the time, the harbour master was blamed

“Captain Wing never really recovered. For the rest of his life he tried to exonerate himself,” says Lady Harvey.

Yeah, that sounds about right, fucking government.

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~nzbound/genealogy/orpheus.htm

Whilst I was away in the 'Wonga Wonga' my son, Edward, aged 21, was in charge of the signal station. He could not tell where the vessel struck, the distance would be too far. No wreck ever occurred before there. He first saw the 'Orpheus' at nine o'clock in the morning. He signal her at eleven o'clock to take the bar. Then he put up a signal No. 10 signal, implying that she was to keep north. The 'Orpheus' did not obey the signal. He made use of a glass before signaling her. As far as he could see the vessel did not acknowledge any of the signals. It is usual for ships coming into the channel to indicate that they have seen the signal. The signal "Keep the vessel more off shore" was hoisted.

Man, you can really control the narrative by spinning just a few things here and there.