Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0339
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[Page 339]
Otahite
were forcd to go to sleep which I did in the awning of a Canoe that followd us belonging to Tearee.
28. This morn at day break we rose & agreed to stay here an hour or two in hopes to get some provision salt beef we had with us but nothing of the bread kind for that we depended on the natives who had on all former occasions been both able & willing to supply us with any quantity of Breadfruit I went out meaning to go among the houses in my way I went through several burying grounds (Marai) on the pavements of which I saw several vertebrae & sculls of men laying about as if no care was taken to bury them in every thing else they were quite like what we had seen before in my excursion I could not procure the least supply of provision so we were forcd to set out in hopes of meeting some countrey where provision was less scarce. We walkd & the boat followd us in about 3 miles we arrivd at a place where were several large canoes & a number of people with them we were not a little surprizd to find that these people were our intimate acquaintance several at least who we had often seen at the tents & other places Towia who we were told was brother to Towdidde Roudero &c. here we thought ourselves sure of getting a supply of provisions & apply'd to our friends accordingly. They told us we should have some if we would wait we did till we were out of patience we then desird them to get us some cocoa nuts the kernels of which make a substitute for bread they said yes