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: No. 091

                       GEORGES ISLAND
May 1769
SATURDAY 6.th & SUNDAY 7.th.
Nothing remarkable only that the Natives supply us with as much bread fruit & Cocoa Nuts as we can destroy.

MONDAY 8.th Early this morning the Master went to the Eastward in the Pinnace to try if he could procure some Hogs & Fowls from that Quarter, but he young in the Evening without success, he saw but very few & those the inhabitants pretended belong'd to Tootaha so great is this mans influence or authority over them that they dare part with nothing without his Consent, or otherwise they only make use of his Name to Excuse themselves from parting with the few they have, for it is very certain these things are in no great Plenty with them.

TUESDAY 9.th }Nothing remarkable hapened for these 3 days WEDNESDAY 10.th }Oberia the Dolphins Queen made us a THURSDAY 11.th} Visit for the first time since the Quadrant was Stolen She introduced herself with a Small Pig. for which she had a Hatchet & as soon as she got it she Lugg'd out a Broken Axe & several Pieces of Old Iron these I believe she must have had from the Dolphin the Axe she wanted to be mended & Axes made of the old Iron, I obliged her in the first, but excused myself in the latter since the Natives had seen the Forge at work they have frequently brought Pieces of Iron to be made into one sort of Tool or other which hath generally been done when ever it did not hinder our own work being willing to Oblige them in everything in my Power, these Peices[sic] of old Iron the Natives must have got from the Dolphin as we know of no other Ship being here & very Probable some from us, for there is no species of Theft they will not commit to get this Article & I may say the same of the common Seaman when in these Parts- 

FRIDAY 12.th Cloudy weather with Showers of rain This morning a Man & 2 Young Women with some others came to the Fort whom we had not been before & as their manner of introducing themselves was a little uncommon I shall insert it Mr Bank's was as usual at the Gate of the Fort trading with the People, where he was told that some Strangers wasere coming & therefore stood to receive them, the Company had with them about a Dozen young Plantain Trees & some other small Plants these they laid down about 20 feet from Mr Banks, the People then made a Lane between him & then when this was done the Man/ who appeared to be only a Servant to the two Women /brought the same Plantains singly, together with some of the other Plants & gave them to Mr Banks & at the delivery of each Pronounced a Short sentence which we did not understood not after he had this disposed of all his Plantain trees he took several peices[sic] of Cloth & spread them on the ground, one of the Young women then step'd upon the Cloth & with as much innosency[sic] as one could Possibly conceive exposed herself intirely[sic] naked from the Waist downwards, in this manner she turn'd herself once or twice round,I am not certain which, then step'd of the Clothe & drop'd down her Cloths down. more Cloth was then spread upon the former & she again Perform'd the same Ceremony, the Cloth was then rowld up & given to Mr Banks & the two Young women went & Embraced him which ended the Ceremony.

SATURDAY 13.th Nothing worthy of Note hapned during the day, in the Night one of the Natives attempted to get into the Fort by Climbing over the Wall but being discoverd by the Centinal[sic]  he made off. the Iron & Iron Tools daily in use at the Armourers Forge are Temptations that these People cannot Possibly withstand-