Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0300
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[Page 300]
Georges Land
journey very tiresome. Sometimes we walk'd sometimes we ran when we imagind (which we sometimes did) that the chase was just before us till we arrivd at the top of a hill about 4 miles from the tents from this place Tubourai shew'd us a point about 3 miles off & made us understand that we were not to expect the instrument till we got to that place there we now considerd our situation no arms among us but a pair of pocket pistols which I always carried going at least 7 miles from our fort where the Indians might not be quite so submissive as at home going also to take from them a prize for which they had venturd their lives. All this considerd we thought it proper that while Mr Green & myself proceeded the midshipman should return & desire captn Cooke to send a party of men after us telling him at the same time that it was impossible we could return till dark night this done we proceeded & in the very spot Tubourai had mentiond were met by one of his own people bringing part of the Quadrant in his hand we now stop'd & many Indians gatherd about us rather rudely the sight of one of my pistols however instantly checkd them & they behav'd with all the order imaginable tho we quickly had some hundreds surrounding a ring we had markd out on the grass. The box was now brought to us & some of the small matters such as reading glasses &c. which in their hurry they had put into a pistol case this I knew belongd to me it had been stole out of the tents with a horse pistol in it which I immediately demanded & had immediately restord Mr Green began to overlook the Instrument to see if any part or parts were wanting several small things were & people were sent out in search of them some of which returnd & others did not the stand was not there but that we were informd had been left behind by the theif & we should have it on our return