James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770 - Page 100
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GEORGES ISLAND
June 1769
the top it is 250 feet by 8 it is built in the same manner as we do steps leading up to a Sun Dial or fountain erected in the middle of a Square where there is a flite[sic] of steps on each side, in this building there are 11 of such steps each step is about 4 feet in height & the breadth 4.f 7i but they decreased both in height & breadth from the bottom to the Top in the middle of the Top stood the Image of a Bird carved in wood & near it lay the broken one of a Fish carved in stone.There is w^ere no hollow or Cavity in the inside the whole being fill'd up with stones, the outside was face partly with hewn stones & partly with others & then were placed in such a manner as to look very agreeable to the Eye some of the hewn stones were 4F 7I by 2F 4I & 15 In. thick & had been squared & polished with some sort of an Edge Tool. On the east side was inclosed with a stone wall a piece of ground in form f a square 360 feet by 354 in this was growing several Cypross Trees & plantains some about this Marine was several smaller and all going to decay, & on the Beach between them and the sea lay scattered up & down a great quantity of human bones, not fat from the great Morie was 2 or 3 pretty large Altars where lay the scull bones of some hogs & dogs. This Monument stand on the So side of Opooreono upon a low point of land about 100 yards from the Sea . It appeared to have been built many years & was in a state of decay as most of their Mories are from this it should seem that this Island hath been in a more florishing state than it is at present or that Religious Customs are like most other Nations, by these people life observed we took up our Quarters near this Morie for the night & early in the morning proceeded on our route without meeting with anything remarkable got onboard the ship on Saturday 1st of July having made the circuit of the whole Island which I estimated at something more than 30 leagues The plan of sketch which I have drawn altho. it cannot be very accurate yet it will be found sufficient to point out the situation of the different Bays & Harbours & the true figure of the Island & I believe is without any material error -
[margin] reasons for the scarcity of Provisions [/margin]
In the first 2 or 3 days we was out upon this excursion we labour'd under some difficulty for want of Provisions particularly bread an Article we took but little of with us not doubting but we should get bread fruit [?] sufficient for a [?] [?] at any place we went to but on the [Cordray?] we found the season for that fruit wholy over & not one to be seen on the Trees & all the fruits roots very scarce the Natives live now on sour fruit which is made from bread fruit from bread fruit [?] plantains that they get from the mountains where the season is later from a Nut not unlike a Chefs nut & which are now in perfection, but all these Articles are at present very scarce and therefore it is no wonder that the Natives have not supplied us with these things of late upon my return to the Ship I found that the provisions had been all examined & the water got onboard amounting to 65 Tons I was determined to get everything off from the Shore & leave the place as soon as possible the getting the several Articles onboard & scraping & paying the Ships sides took us up the whole of the following week without any thing remarkable happening until
[margin] July [/margin]
Sunday 9th When sometime in the Middle Watch Clement Webb & Sam Gibson both Mariners & young men found means to get away from