Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0201
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[Page 201]
Streights of La Maire
Janry, 1769
his hand away from him & us a token no doubt of peace they then walkd briskly towards the other party & wavd to us to follow which we did & were receivd with many uncouth signs of freindship we distributed among them a number of Beads & ribbands which we had brought ashore for that purpose at which they seem'd mightily pleasd so much so that when we embarkd again aboard our boat three of them came with us & went aboard the ship of these one seemd to be a Preist or conjuror or at least we thought him to be one by the noises he made possibly exorcising every part of the ship he came into for when any thing new caught his attention he shouted as loud as he could for some minutes without directing his speech either to us or to any one of his countreymen.
They eat bread & beef which we gave them tho not heartily but carried the largest part away with them they would not drink either wine or spirits but returnd the glass tho not before they had put it to their mouths & tasted a drop we conducted them through the greatest part of the ship & they lookd at