Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0249
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[Page 249]
245.
April 1770 Botany Bay
two in particular who were painted with white their faces seemingly only dusted over with it their bodies painted with broad strokes drawn over their breasts & backs resembling much a soldiers cross belts & their legs & thighs also with such like broad strokes drawn round them which imitated broad garters or bracelets each of these held in his hand a wooden weapon about 2 1/2 feet long in shape much resembling a scymeter, the blades of these lookd whitish & some though shining insomuch that they were almost of opinion that they were made of some kind of metal but myself thought they were no more than wood smeard over with the same white pigment with which they paint their bodies these two seemd to talk earnestly together at times brandishing their crooked weapons at us as in token of defiance by noon we were within the mouth of the inlet which appeard to be very good under the South head of it were four small canoes in each of these was one man who held in his hand a long pole with which he struck fish venturing with his little imbarkation almost into the surf these people seemd to be totaly engag'd in what they were about the ship