Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0298
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[Page 298]
Georges Land
At night I visited Tubourai as I often did by candle light & found him & all his family in a most melancholy mood most of them shed tears so that I soon left them without being at all able to find out the cause of their greif. Ouwha the Dolphins old man & another who we did not know had prophesied to some of our people that in 4 days we should fire our guns this was the 4th night & the circumstance of Tubourai crying over me as it was interpreted alarmd our officers a good deal the guards sentrys are therefore doubled & we sleep tonight under arms
30. A very strict watch was kept last night as intended at 2 in the morn myself went round the point found every thing so quiet that I had no kind of doubts
Our little fortification is now compleat it consists of high breastworks at each end the front palisades & the rear guarded by the river on the bank of which are placd full Water cask at every angle is mounted a swivel & two carraige guns pointed the two ways by which the Indians might attack us out of the woods our sentrys are also as regularly well releivd as they could be in the most regular fortification
About 10 Tomio came running to the tents she seizd my hand & told me that Tubourai was dying & I must go instantly with her to his house. I went & Found him leaning his head against a post he had vomited they said & he told me he should certainly dye in consequence of something which our people had given him to eat the remains of which were shewn me carefully wrapd up in a leaf this upon examination I found to be a Chew of tobacco which he had begg'd of some of our people & trying to imitate them in keeping it in his mouth as he saw them do had chewd it almost to powder swallowing his spittle I was now master of his disease for which I prescribd cocoa nut milk which soon restor'd him to health.