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. 095

                           Georges Island

June 1769

wise say these Ships brought the Venerial distemper to this Island where it is now as Common as in any part of the world & which the People bear with as little concern as if they had been accustom'd to it for Ages past, we had not been here many days before some of our People got this disease, & as no such thing hapened to any of the Dolphins people while she was here that I ever heard of. I had reason (notwithstanding the improbability of the thing)To think that we had brought it along with us which gave me no small uneasiness & did all in my power to prevent its progress, but all I could do was to little purpose, as I was obliged to have the most part of the Ships Company ashore every day to work upon the Fort & a Strong Guard every Night & the Women were so very liberal with their favours or else Nails, Shirts &tc. where temptations that they could not withstand, that this distemper very soon spread itself over the greatest part of the Ships company, but now I have the satisfaction to find that the Natives all agree that we did not bring it first here ~

We ave several times seen Iron tools & other Articles with these people that we suspected came not from the Dolphin & these they now say they had from these two Ships ~ 

Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th, Friday 9th 
These three days we have been employ'd in Carreenibg both sides of the Ship & paying them with Pitch & Brimstone we found her Bottom in good order & that the worms had not got into it ~ 

Saturday 10th Wind Variable with very much rain all day & last night ~ 

Sunday 11th Cloudy with rain last night & this morning the remainder of the day fair wear.
This day Mr Banks & I took Tooboura tomita onboard the Ship & shew'd him the print containing the Colours worn by the Ships of Different Nations & very soon made him understand that we wanted to know which of them was worne by the Ships that were at Ohidea he at once pitched upon the Spanish Flag & would by no means admit of any other this together with several Articles we have lately seen amongst these People such as Jackets, Shirts &c. usually worne by Spanish Seamen proves beyond doubt that they must have been Ships of that Nation & come from some Port on the coast of South America ~ 

Monday 12th Yesterday Complaint was made to me by some of the Natives that [indecipherable] & James Nicholson Seamen had taken by force from them several Bows & Arrows & plated Hair & the fact bing proved upon them they were this day punished with 2 Dozn lashes each.

Tuesday 13th Some Showers of rain last night but fair wear. the most part of the day ~ 
Tootaha whom we have not seen for sometime past paid us a Visit today he brought with him a Hog & some Bread Fruit for which he was well paid ~ 

Wednesday 14th Between 2 & 4 o'Clock this morning one of the Natives stole out of the Fort an Iron rake made use on for the Oven it hapned to be set up against the Wall & by that means was Vissible from the outside & had been seen by them in the evening as a man had been seen lurking about the Fort some Hours before the thing as Missed. I was informed by some others of the Natives that he watch'd an opportunity & when the Centinels back was turned he hooked it with a Crooked stick & halled it over the Wall when I came to be informed of this theft in the Morning I resolved to recover it by some Means or other and