Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0039

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Transcription

[Page 39]

35.
Octr. 1769.   Off Young Nicks head

Janeiro for 36 shillings & was esteemd uncommonly cheap at that price. their boats were not large but well made  something in the form of our whale boats but longer  their bottom was the trunk of a tree hollowd to and very thin  this was raisd by a board on each side sewd on  with a strip of wood sewd over the seam to make it tight  on the head of every one was carvd the head of a man with an enormous tongue reaching out of his mouth   these grotesque figures were some at least very well executed   some had eyes inlaid of something that shone very much  the whole servd to give us an Idea of their taste as well as ingenuity in execution  much superior to any thing we have yet seen

Their behaviour while on board shewd every sign of freindship   they invited us very cordialy to come back to our old bay or to a small cove which they shewd us nearer to it  I could not help wishing that we had done so  but the captn chose rather to stand on in search of a better harbour than any we have yet seen   God send that we may not there have the same tragedy to act over again as we so lately perpetrated   the countrey is certainly divided into many small principalities so we cannot hope

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