Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0260
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 260]
South Sea
of the land before the line was well hauld in we then steerd by the sound of the breakers which were very distinctly heard in the ship till we were clear of all.
That this land was inhabited appeard clearly by three smoaks in different parts of the Island which we saw repeated several different times probably as signals from one to the other of our aproach our 2nd Lieutenant affirmd that he saw from the deck many inhabitants in the first clump of Trees that they were walking to & fro as if on their ordinary business without taking the least notice of the ship he saw also many houses & Canoes hauld up under the trees. To this I only say that I did not see them or knew that any one else had till the ship had passd the place ½ an hour.
6. Pleasant breeze, at ½ past 11 Land in sight again at 3 came up with it proved to be two distinct Islands with many small ones near them Joining by reefs under water
[In margin]
The groups
The Islands themselves were long thin strips of land ranging in all directions sometime ten or more miles in