Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0240
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[Page 240]
236.
Towards New South Wales
16. No dew this morn weather moderate & cloudy in the Morn Tupia saw a large float of sea weed & shewd it to one other man it was however so far from the ship that no one else saw it at noon Our Second Lieutenant observd a small Butterfly as he thought at night some Thunder & a fresh gale at SW. with a heavy swell which seemd to keep rather to the Westward of the Wind Many Albatrosses & black shearwaters were about the ship at night a small land bird came on board about the size of a sparrow some of the boys tried to catch it but it got from them in the rigging and was never seen after
17. During last night & this morn the weather was most Variable with continual squalls & wind shifting all round the compass such weather is often met with in the neighbourhood of Land so that with this & the former signs our seamen began to prophesy that we were not now at any great distance from it - a Gannet was seen which flew towards the NW with a steady uninterrupted flight as if he knew the road that he was going led to the shore - in the evening a Port Egmont hen was seen - at night it blew strong at WSW.