Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0306
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[Page 306]
Georges Land
Trade rather slack this morn but we have so much bread-fruit before hand from the trade & presents of yesterday that is immaterial whether we buy any or not today
7. After dinner Dootahah came in a double canoe after him came another bringing 4 hogs & one of these he orderd out of the boat with some bread fruit I undertook to coax him out of the rest but had not the success I could have wishd he would part with only one more & for that both the Captn & myself were obligd to go aboard with him & give him a broad ax
8. Msrs Molineux & Green went to the eastward today in the pinnace intending to purchase hoggs they went 20 miles saw many hogs & one turtle but the people would part with neither one nor the other they belongd they said to Dootahah & without his leave they could not sell them we now begin to think that Dootahah is indeed a great king much greater than we have been usd to imagine him indeed his influence upon the late occasion as well as today has prov'd to be so great that we can hardly doubt it. Mr Green measurd today a tree which he saw it provd to be 60 yards in circumference he brought home some boughs of it but they were thrown overboard before I could see them so the species of this monstrous tree remains a doubt with us
This morn I fix'd my little boat before the door of the Fort it serves very well for a place to trade in trade is not now as it has been formerly we usd to buy enough for all hands between sunrise & 8 O'Clock now attendance must be given all day or little can be done
9. Cocoa nuts have been for some days rather scarce we are therefore obligd for the first time to bring out our nails. Last night our smallest size about 4