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. 098

                                                   Georges Island
June 1769
cession of the Master & a promise of behaving better for the future -----

Friday 23. This morning Emanuel Parreyran Portuguez was missing & I had some reason to think that he was gone with an intent to stay [indecipherable]  It was not long before I was informed that he was at [Apparza?] with Tootaha  the Man who gave us this information was one of Tootaha's Servants, he was offer'd [indecipherable] if he would go to Apparza & bring him to us   this was perhaps the very thing he came for for he immediately set out & returned with the Man in the Evening.   the man said in his defence that as he was going to the Boat to go on board last night, he was taken away by force by 3 Men, & upon enquiring farther into this matter I found it to be so, & that Tootaha wanted to have kept him, only that he was forewarn'd to the Contrary or perhaps he thought that the Hatchet he would get by returning would do him more service than the Man -----

Saturday 24
Sunday 25   Nothing remarkable --------------------------

Monday 26.   began the Circuit of the Island    Very early this morning I set out in the Pinnacle accompanied by Mr Banks with an intent to make the Circuit of the Island in order to Examine & draw a Sketch of the Coast & Harbours thereof    we took our rout to the Eastward & this night reached the Isthmus, which is a low neck of Land running across the Island which divides it into two districts or Governments wholy independent of each other as we was informed.   the first thing we saw which struck our attention in this days rout was a small pig that had been roasted above a Day or two laid upon one of their Alters near to a place where lay the Body or Bones of a Dead person this Pig must have been put their as an offering to their God but on what account we know not   the Coach from Royal Bay [indecipherable] Miles then [indecipherable] Miles to the Isthmus   in the first direction the Shore is mostly open to the Sea but in the last it is covered by reefs of rocks. these forms several good Harbours wherein are safe Anchorage for Shipping in [indecipherable].  with other Conveniences it was in one of these Harbours the Spanish Ships beforementioned lay   the Natives show'd us the place where they Pitched their Tents & the Brook they water'd at  otherways there was not the least signs of Shipping having been there ---

Tuesday 27.   Winds Easterly & fine wear.  It was late last night before we reached the Isthmus & all the observation I could make this morning was that it appeared to be a Marshey flatt of about 2 Miles in Extent across which the Natives Haul their Canoes partly by land & partly by water from the Isthmus  the [land?] trends Et Southerly near 3 Leagues to the SEt point of the Great Bay which lies before the Isthmus   on the west side of this point is a Bay called [indecipherable] which is in many respects similar to Royal Bay & is situated in every bit as fertile & populus a part of the Island  there are other places formed by the Reefs that lay along the Shore between this and the Isthmus where Shipping can lay in perfect security  the land then trends [indecipherable] to the SEn part of the Island which is near 3 Leagues & covered all the way by a Reef of Rocks but no Harbour.   we took up our Quarters at the last pt of the Island being conducted thither by a Young Chief we had often seen onboard the Ship & the next morning proceeded round the SE point of the Island part of which is not cover'd by any reef but lies wholy open to the Sea & here