Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0295
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[Page 295]
Georges Land
April 1769
Our freinds as usual at the tents today but do nothing worthy record
27. The day passd as usual. Lycurgus & a freind of his (who eats most monstrously) dind with us we christend him Epicurus at night they took their leave & departed but Lycurgus soon returnd with fire in his eyes seizd my arm & signd to me to follow him I did & he soon brought me to a place where was our butcher who he told me by signs had either threatned or atempted to cut his wives throat with a reaphook he had in his hand I signd to him that the man should be punishd tomorrow if he would only clearly explain the offence for he was so angry that his signs were almost unintelligible he grew cooler & shewd me that the Butcher had taken a fancy to a stone hatchet which lay in his house this he offerd to purchase for a nail His wife who was their refus'd to part with it upon which he took it & throwing down the nail threatned to cut her throat if she atempted to hinder him in evidence of this the hatchet & nail were produc'd & the butcher had so little to say in his defence that no one doubted of his guilt after this we parted & he appeard satisfied but did not forget to put me in mind of my promise that the butcher should tomorrow be punishd
This day we found that our freinds had names & they were not a little pleasd to discover that we had them likewise for the future Lycurgus will be calld Tubourai tamaide & his wife Tomio & the three women who commonly come with him Terapo, Teraro & Omie as for our names they make so poor a hand of pronouncing them that I fear we shall be obligd to take each of us a new one for the occasion.