Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0072
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[Page 72]
68
Opoorage or Mercury Bay
into a bay which appeard well shelterd by Islands & gave hopes for the morn several Canoes with people like the last came about the ship & talkd very civily to us a bird was shot from the ship in their sight as it swam on the water this they took up & tied to a fishing line that was towing astern for which they were rewarded with a peice of cloth notwisthstanding all this they became very saucy Just at night singing their song of Defiance & attempting to tow away the buoy of the anchor 2 or 3 musquets were fird over them which had not the least effect they threatned hard & promisd that tomorrow they would return with more force & kill us all & dispatchd a boat who told us that he was going to another part of the bay for assistance.
4. Our freinds meant to be still better than their words for they visited us twice last in the night intending I suppose to wake us if we should be asleep but as they found us not so they went away as they came without saying a single word in the morn they returnd with the earlyest day break about 150 men in 10 or 12 Canoes all armd with pikes lances & stones we all got up to see the event an hour & a half was spent in