Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0031
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[Page 31]
27.
Octr. 1769. Taoneroa
bay in returning to the ship today a sure sign that there either is or has been a volcano in this neighbourhood
10. In the middle of last night one of our boys seemd to shew more reflection than he had before done sighing often & loud Tupia who was always upon the watch to comfort them got up & soon made them easy they then sung a song of their own it was not without some taste like a Psalm tune & containd many notes & semitones they sung it in parts which gives us no indifferent Idea of their taste as well as skill in musick the oldest of them is about 18 the middlemos 15 the youngest 10 the midlemost especialy has a most open countenance & agreable manner their names are Ta'ahourange. Koikerange & Maragooete the two first brothers in the morning they were all very chearfull & eat an enormous quantity after that they were dressd & afterwards ornamented with bracelets, ancklets, & necklaces after their own fashion the boats were then hoisted out & we all got into them the boys express'd much joy at this till they saw that we were going to land at our old Landing place near the river they beggd very much that they might not be set