Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0304
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[Page 304]
Georges Land
them at least walking round the yard with a slow & grave pace every now & then striking their left arms very hard by which they causd a deep & very loud noise which it seems was a challenge to each other or any one of the company who chose to engage in the exercise within the house stood the old men ready to give applause to the victor & some few women who seem'd to be here out of compliment to us as much the larger number absented themselves upon the occasion
The general challenge was given as I before said the particular one soon followd it by which any man singled out his antagonist it was done by joining the finger ends of both hands even with the breast & then moving the Elbows up & down if this was accepted the challenged immediately returnd the signal & instantly both put themselves in an attitude to engage which they very soon did striving to seize each other by the hands hair or the cloth they had round their middles for they had no other dress this done they attempted to seize each other by the thigh which commonly decided the contest in the fall of him who was thus taken at disadvantage if this was not soon done they always parted either by consent or their freinds interferd in less than a minute in which case both began to clap their arms & seek anew for an antagonist either in each other or some one else
When any one fell the whole amusement ceasd for a few moments in which time the old men in the house gave their aplause in a few words which they repeated together in a kind of tune
This lasted about 2 hours all which time the man who we observd at our first Landing continued to beat the people who did not keep at a proper distance most unmercifully we understood that he was some officer belonging to Dootahah