Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0080
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]Page 80]
76
Opoorage
on shore to our Indians who were at first a little alarmd & retreated from us in a body in a little time however they returnd on their own accords & acknowledgd that the dead man deservd his punishment unaskd by us who thought his fate severe knowing as we did that small shot would have had almost or quite as good an effect with little danger to his life which tho forfeited to the laws of England we could not but wish to spare if it could be done without subjecting ourselves to the derision & consequently to the attacks of these people who which we have now learnt to fear not least they should kill us but least we should be reducd to the nescessity of killing a number of them which must be the case should they ever in reality attack us
A little before sunset we went home to see with the Indians to see them eat their supper it consisted of fish shell fish lobsters & birds these were dressd either by broiling them upon a skewer which was stuck into the ground leaning over the fire or in ovens as we calld them at otahite which were holes in the ground filld with provision & hot stones & coverd over with