Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0042
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[Page 42]
38.
off Portland Isle.
round an Island calld by the inhabitants Teahoura by us Portland the ship on a sudden came into very broken ground which alarmd us all a good deal the officers all behavd with great steady ness & in a very short time we were clear of all danger we never had less than 7 fathom but the soundings hardly ever were twice the same jumping from 11 to 7, which made us very glad once more to get deep water under us The Island lay within a mile of us making in white cliffs a long spit of low land running from it towards the main on the sides of these cliffs sat a vast quantity of people looking at us these probably observd some confusion in the manoevre of the ship for 5 Canoes almost immediately put off from the shore full of armd people they came so near us shouting & threatning that at last we were in some pain least they our small boat which had been lowerd down to sound & now towd along side a musquet was therefore fird over them the Effect of this was rather to encourage them than otherwise so a great gun was orderd to be prepard & fird wide of them loaded with grape on this they all rose in their boats & shouted but