Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0349
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[Page 349]
Otahite
June 1769
were obligd to fly for shelter to the mountains that the Conquerors burnt all the houses which were very large & took away all the hoggs &c. that the turkey & goose which we had seen with Mathiabo were part of the spoils as were the jaw bones which we saw hung up in his house they had been carried away as trophies & are usd by the Indians here in exactly the same manner as the North americans do scalps
30. After having slept last night without the least interuption we proceeded forwards but during the whole day saw little or nothing worth observation we bought a little bread fruit which article has been equaly scarce all round the Island more so even than it is at Matavie at night we came to Atahourou the very place at which we were on the 28th of May here we were among our intimate freinds who expressd the pleasure they had in entertaining us by giving us a good supper & good beds in which we slept the better for being sure of reaching Matavie tomorrow night at the farthest Here we learnd that the bread fruit (a little of which we saw just sprouting upon the trees) would not be fit to use in less than 3 months
July
1. Proceed homewards without meeting any thing new the countrey we pass'd by & over being the same as we had gone over on the 28th of Last month The day turnd out rainy & bad the only bad weather we have had since we left the ship in which instance we are certainly fortunate as we had neither of us a change of Cloaths with us so little did either of us expect to go round the Island when we set out from Matavie.