Georges Island
May 1769
Sunday 14th This day we Perform'd divine Service in one of the Tents in the Fort, where several of the Natives attended & behaved with great decency the whole time, this day closed with an odd Sceen at the Gateof the Fort where is the First where a young Fellow above 6 feet high lay with a little Girl about 10 or 12 Years of Age publickly before several of our People & a number of the Natives. what makes me mention this, is because it appear'd to be done more from Custom then Lewdness. for there were sev'l women Present Particularly Obaria & several others of the better sort & these were so far from shewing the least disapprobation, that they instructed the Girl how she should Act her part, who young as she was did not seem to want it ~
Monday 15th Winds variable & cloudy weather last Night, one of our Water Casks was taken away from the outside of the Fort where they stood full of Water in the morning there was not one of the Natives but what knew it was gone yet Contrary to what we had always met with on these Occasions, not one of them would give us any information about it & I thought it of too little Consequence to take any methods to Oblige them. In the evening Tooboura Tomida & his Wife & a Man belonging to Tootaha would needs lay all Night by the Casks to prevent any more from being taken away but as we had placed a Centinal there, this case of theres became unnecessary & they were prevailed upon to go home, but before they went away they made signs to the Centinal to keep his Eyes open from this it should seem that they knew that an attempt would be made in the night to take away more which would have been done had not the Centinal prevented it
Tuesday 16th Winds Westerly. the morning cloudy with heavy showers of rain the Remainder of the day fair wear. From this day nothing remarkable hapned until ~
Monday 22d Which was usher'd in with thick Cloudy wear. & Excessive hard Showers of rain & very much Thunder & Lightning which Continued the Greatest part of the day.
Tuesday 23d Wind Southerly & fair wear. in the Forenoon but on the Afternoon Showery, we have had a Scarcity of all sorts of Fruits for these 2 days past, which we immagine to be owing to the Wet weather.
Wednesday 24th Fine clear wear. all this day having found the Longboat Leakey for these few days past we hauld her ashore today to stop the leakes when to our great surprise we found her bottom so much Eaten by the Worms that it was necessary to give her a new one & all the Carpenters were Immediately set to work upon her.
Thursday 25th Most part of these 24 Hours Cloudy with frequent Showers of Rain