Remarkable Occurrences &tc at GEORGES ISLAND
NOTE The way of reckoning the day in Sea Journals is from Noon to Noon but as the most material transaction at this Island must happen in the Day time this method will be attended with ill
[note left margin] - The day to begin & end at Midnight-
conveniencies[sic] in inserting the transactions of each day, for this reason I shall during our stay at this Island but no longer reckon the day according to the Civil account that is to begin & End at Midnight- We had no sooner come to an Anchor in Royal Bay as before-mentioned than a great number of the Natives in their Canoes came off to the Ship & brought wit them Cocoa Nuts &tc. these they seem'd to set a great value upon amongst those that came off to the Ship was an elderly man whose Name was Owhaa him the Gentleman that had been here before in the Dolphin knew & had often spoke of him as one that had been of Service to them, this man /together with some others/ I took onboard & made much of him thinking that he might on some occasions be of use to us, As our stay at this place was not likely to be very short. I thought it very necessary that some order should be observed in Traficking with the Natives. that such Merchandise as we had onboard for that purpose wmight continue to bear a proper value, & not leave it to every ones own Particular fancy, which could not fail to bring on Confusion & Quarrils[sic] between us & the Natives, & would infallible lessen the value of such Articles as we had to Trafick with in Order to prevent this. The following rules were order'd to be Observed / Va.....l/.
RULES to be observed by every Person in or belonging to His
[note left margin] -Regulations for trading with the Natives-
Maj.s Bark the Endeavour for the better Establishing a regular & uniform Trade for Provisions &tc. with the Inhabitants of Georges Island-
1.. To endeavour by every fair means to Cultivate a Friendship with the Natives & to treat them with all imaginable humanity-
2.. A Proper Person or Persons will be appointed to Trade with the Natives for all manner of Provisions. Fruit & other Productions of the Earth; & no Officer or Seaman, or other Person belonging to the Ship accepting such as are so appointed, shall Trade or offer to Trade for any sort of Provisions,Fruit, or other Productions of the Earth unless they have my leave so to do.
3.. Every Person employ'd on shore on any duty whatever is strictly to attend to the same & if by neglect he looseth any of his Arms or working Tools, or suffers them to be stole the full value there of will be charged against his pay according to the Custom of the Navy in such Cases & he shall receive such farther punishment as The Nature of the Offence may deserve-
4.. The same Penalty will be inflicted on every Person who is found to Embark, Trade or Offer to Trade with any part of the Ships Stores of what Nature so ever-
5.. No sort of Iron, or any thing that is made of Iron, or any sort of Cloth or other useful or necessary Articles are to be given in Exchange for any thing but Provisions. -
J.C
As soon as the Ship was properly secured I went of shore accompanied by Mr.Banks & the other Gentlemen, with a Party of Men under Arms, we took along with us Owhaa-who conducted us to the Place where the Dolphin watered & made signs to us as well as we could understand that we might Occupy the ground, but it hapn'd