Joseph Banks - Endeavour Journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 - No. 0360
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 360]
Otahite
in my opinion sensibly enough the goverment will never in all human probability take any notice of him I therefore have resolvd to take him Thank heaven I have a sufficiency & I do not know why I may not keep him as a curiosity as well as some of my neighbours do lions & tygers at a larger expence than he will probably ever put me to the amusement I shall have in his future conversation & the benefit he will be of to this ship as well as what he may be if another should be sent into these seas will I think fully repay me - as soon as he had made his mind known he said that he would go ashore & return in the evening when he would make a signal for a boat to be sent off for him he took with him a miniature picture of mine to shew his freinds & several little things to give them as parting presents - after dinner we went ashore to the Marai no Dootahah of which I was desirous to have a drawing made & had not yet done it we no sooner landed than several of our freinds those who were not totaly afronted at the imprisonment of the day before yesterday came to meet us we proceeded with them to Dootahahs house where was Oborea &c. They were glad to see us & a perfect reconciliation ensued in consequence of which they promisd to visit us tomorrow morning to take their leave of us as we told them that we should sail before noon with them was Tupia who most willingly returnd in the boat with us aboard the ship where he took up his lodgins for the first time.