Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0131
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[Page 131]
127.
Janry. 1770. Totara nue
town where we thought the people more quiet than usual & seemingly not atending their usual occupations of fishing &c. & no one canoe atempted to come near the ship after breakfast we went in the pinnace to explore some parts of the bay which we had not seen as it was immensely large or rather consisted of numberless small Harbours, coves &c. we found the countrey on our side of the Bay very well wooded every where but on the opposite side very bare in turning a point today we saw a man in a small canoe fishing who to our surprize shewd not the least fear of us we went to him & quite alongside his Canoe he all the while following his occupation on our desiring him he took up his netts & shewd us his method machine, which was a circular net about 7 or 8 feet in diameter extended by 2 hoops the top of this was open & to the bottom was tied sea Ears &c. as bait this he let down upon the ground & when he thought that fish enough were asembled over it he lifted it up by very gentle & even motion so that the fish were hardly sensible of being lifted till they were almost out of the water by this simple method he had