Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0342
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[Page 342]
238.
Eagle Island
Boat returnd with an account that the sea broke vastly high upon the reef & the swell was so great in the opening that he could not go into it to sound this was sufficient to assure us of a safe passage out so we got into the boat to return to the ship in high spirits, thinking our danger now at an end as we had a passage open for us to the main Sea in our return we went ashore upon a low Island where we shot many birds on it was an Eagles nest the young ones of which we killd & another built on the ground by I know not what bird of a most enormous magnitude it was in circumference 26 feet & in hight 2 feet 8 built of sticks. the only Bird I have seen in this countrey capable of building such a nest seems to be the Pelecan. The Indians have been here likewise & livd upon turtle, as we could plainly see by the heaps of Callipashes which were pild up in several parts of the Island. Our Master who had been sent to Leward to examine that Passage went ashore upon a low Island where he slept here he saw vast plenty of turtle shells & so great plenty had the Indians had when there that they had hung up the finns with the meat left on them in trees where