Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0144
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[Page 144]
140
Totara Nue
For says he they are given to lying they told you that one of their people was Killd by a musquet & buried Which was absolutely false
Myself & the Dr. went ashore today to wind up our bottoms & fell in by accident & fell in by accident with the most agreable indian family We had seen upon the coast indeed the only one in which we have observd any order or subordination it consisted of 17 people the head of it was a pretty child of about 10 years old who they told us was the owner of the land about where we wooded the only instance of property we have met with among these people. he & his mother (who mournd for her husband tears of blood according to their custom) sat upon matts the rest sat round them houses they had none nor did they attempt to make for themselves any shelter against the inclemencies of the weather which I suppose they by custom very easily endure their whole behaviour was so affable obliging & unsuspicious that I should certainly have accepted their invitation of staying the night with them had not the ship been to sail in the morn most unlucky I shall always esteem it that we did not sooner get acquainted with these people from whoom we might have learnt more in a day than fr of their manners & dispositions