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 59
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page 59
give them, in this Consists their whole pride few either Men or Women are without a Necklace or String of Beads made of Small Shells or bones about their Necks-
They would not taste any strong Liquor, neither did they seem fond of our Provisions we could not discover that they had any Head or Chief or form of Government neither have they any useful or necessary Utensil except it be a Bag or Basket to gather their Muscels into in a Word they are Perhaps as Miserable a set of People As are this day upon Earth. Having found a convenient place on the Sº. side of the Bay to Wood & Water at we set about that Work in the Morning & Mr Banks with a Party went into the Country to gather Plants & I.
TUESDAY 17 th Fresh Gs [gales] .at S.ºSW & WSW. with rain & Snow & of Course very cold weaer. not withstanding we kept geting [sic] onboard Wood & Water & finished the Survey of the Bay, Mr Banks & his Party not returning this Evening as I expected gave me great uneasiness as they were not prepared for Staying out the Night, however about Noon they returned in no very Comfortable Condition & what was still worse 2 Black Servants to Mr Banks had perished in the Night with Cold great part of the day they landed was spent before they got through the Woods, after which they advanced so far into the Country that they were so far from being able to return that Night & with much difficulty they got to a place of Tolerable Shelter where they could make a fire, these 2 Men being Intrusted[sic] with great part of the Liquor that was for the whole party had made too free with it.& Stupified themselves to that degree that they either could not, or would not Travel but laid themselves down in a Place where there was not the least thing to Shelter them from the inclemency of the night this was about ¼ of a Mile, from where the rest took up their Quarters & notwithstanding their repeated Endeavours they could not get them to move one Step farther, & the bad Travelling made it impossible for any one to Carry them, so that they were Obliged to leave them & the next morning they were both found Dead.
WEDNESDAY 18th, All the Middle & Latter parts of this day it blow'd very strong from the SSW & SW attended with Snow. Hail & Rain, & brought such a Sea into the Bay which rose the Surf to such a Height, that no Boat could land, the same Stormy wea.r & Surf continued all.
THURSDAY 19th. All this time the Ship road very easy with her Broad side to the swell the great surf that always will be upon the Shore when the wind blows hard from the Southward makes Wooding & Watering tedious, notwithstanding they are great [?] close to high water mark.
FRIDAY 20th. Modte. [moderate] gales & Cloudy with frequent Showers of rain all this day the Evening the Surf abated & at 2 AM sent the People onshore to Wood & Water & cut Brooms all of which we Compleated[sic] this day in this Service we lost our small Kedge Anchor it having been laid off the Watering Place to ride the Longboat by, & the Gale had broke away the Hawser & Buoy rope & Perhaps buried the Anchor in the Sand, for notwithstanding our utmost Endeavours we were not able to Hook it,took up the Stream Anchor & made ready for Sailing-
SATURDAY 21st. Wind from SSW to SW. moderate breezes the First part. latter Fresh Gales with
[margin]Parted from Success Bay [/margin]
Showers of Rain. PM hoisted in the Boats & made ready for Sailing, at 2AM weighed & have Sail'd out of the Bay at ½ Past 4 the Cape of good Success bore Wt. [west] & Cape Bartholomew East Variaton [variation] of Azmth.[Azimuth]- 24.º9' East at Noon the Cape of good Success bore Nº96ºW. dist.ce [distance] 11 Lg's [leagues] -
SUNDAY 22d
Wind between the Sº. [south] & the West, first & Latter pt. [part] fresh Gales & Squally with rain