Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0081
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[Page 81]
77.
Novr. 1769. Opoorage
leaves and Earth here we saw a woman who mournd after their fashion for a dead relation she sat on the ground near the rest who (except one) seemd not at all to regard her the tears constantly trickled down her cheeks she repeated in a low but very mournfull voice words which we did not at all understand still at every sentence cutting her arms or face or breast with a shell she held in her hand so that she was almost coverd with blood a most affecting spectacle the cutts she made however were so managd as seldom to draw blood & when they did to peirce a very small way into the flesh but this is not always the case with them for many we have seen & some were among these very people who had shocking large scarrs on their arms thighs breasts cheaks &c. which they told us had been done in this manner & upon this occasion may be they proportion the depth of their cutts to the regard they have for the deceasd
10. This day was employd in an excursion to view the large river at the bottom of the bay which lay at some distance from it the mouth of it provd to be a good harbour with water sufficient for our ship but scarce for a larger the stream