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. 102

                                GEORGES ISLAND    
July 1769
The petty officer whom I sent in quest of the deserters told me that the Natives would give him no intelligence where they were nor those that went along with him, but on the contrary grew very troublesome & as they were returning in the evening, they were suddenly seized upon by a number of arm'd men that had hid themselves in the woods for that purpose, this was after Tootaha had been seiz'd upon by us, so that they did this by way of retaliation in order to recover their Chief, but this method did not meet with the approbation of them all, a great many Condemm'd these proceedings & were for having them set at liberty, while others were for keeping them until Tootaha was releas'd  the dispute went so far that they came from words to blows & our people were sev.l times very near being set at liberty but at last the party for keeping them prevail'd, but as they had still some friends no insult was offer'd them, a little while after they brought Webb & Gibson the 2 deserters to them as Prisoners, likewise, but at last they agreed that Webb should be sent to inform us where the others were.  When I came to Examine these 2 Men touching the reasons that induced them to go away, it appeared that an acquaintance they had contracted with 2 Girls & to whom they had strongly attached themselves was the Sole reason of their attempting to stay behind.
[note left margin]The Anchor stocks destroyed by the Worms]
       Yesterday we weigh'd the small Bower Anchor the Stock of which was so much eaten by the worms as to break in heaving up & today we hove up the best Bower & found the stock in the very same condition.  This day we got every thing off from the Shore & tonight every body lays on board -----
Wednesday 12.th  The Carp.er employ'd Stocking the Anchors & the Seamen getting the Ship ready for Sea.  This morning we found the Staves of the Cask the Natives stole from us some time ago laying at the Watering place but they had been Sensible enough to keep the Iron Hoops, & only return what to them was of no use.
Thursday 13.th  Winds Easterly & light breeze this morning we was visited by Obaren & several others of our acquaintance, a thing we did not expect after what had hapened[sic] but 2 days ago, but this was in some measures owing to Mr Banks, Dr. Solander & myself going to Apparra last night where we so far convinced them of our Friendship disposition that several of them were in tears at our coming away - between 11 & 12 o'clock we got under Sail & took our final leave of these people after a stay of just 3 Months the most part of which times we have been upon good terms with them, some few differences have now & then hapened[sic] owing partly to the want of rightly understanding each other & partly to their natural thievish disposition, which we could not at all times bear with or guard against, but these have been attended with no ill consequences to either side except the first in which one of them was kill'd & this I was very sorry for, because from what had hapened to them by the Dolphin & thought it would have been no hard matter to have got & keep a footing with them without bloodshed.   for some time before we left this Isl.d several of the Natives were daily offering themselves to go away with us & as it was thought they must be of use to us in our future