Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0310
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[Page 310]
Otahite
Eparre this step was no sooner taken than I was informd of it by the Indians about the fort - not willing to lose the assistance of a man who had upon all occasions been particularly usefull to us I resolv'd to go this evening & bring him back acordingly as soon as dinner was over I set out acompanied by Mr Molineux we found him setting in the middle of a large circle of people himself & many of the rest with most melancholy countenances some in tears one old woman on our coming into the circle struck a sharks tooth into her head many times till it foamd with blood but her head seemd to have been so often excersisd with this expression of greif that it was become quite callous for tho the crown of her head it was coverd with blood enough did not issue from the wounds to run upon her cheeks - after some few assurances of forgiveness Tubourai agreed to return with us in consequence of which resolution a double canoe was put off in which we all returnd to the tents before supper time & as a token of a renewal of freindship both him & his wife slept in my tent all night.
About 11 one of the natives atempted to scale our walls intending no doubt to steal whatever he could find but seeing himself observd he made off much faster than any of our people could follow him.
14. Our freinds Dootahah Oborea Otheothea &c. at the tents this morn as usual it being Sunday Captn Cooke proposd that divine service should be celebrated but before the proper time of doing it most of our Indian freinds were gone home to eat I was resolvd however that some should be present that they might see our behaviour & we might if possible explain to them (in some degree at least) the reasons of it I went therefore over the river & brought