Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0306
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[Page 306]
202.
Endeavours River
mouse coulour & very swift they also saw many Indian houses & a brook of fresh water
23. the people who went over the River saw the animal again & describd him much in the same manner as yesterday
24. Gathering plants & hearing descriptions of the animal which is now seen by every body. a seaman who had been out in the woods brought home the description of an animal he had seen composd in so Seamanlike a stile that I cannot help mentioning it; it was (says he) about as large & much like a one gallon cagg as black as the Devil & had 2 horns on its head it went but Slowly but I dard not touch it
25. In gathering plants today I myself had the good fortune to see the beast so much talkd of tho but imperfectly he was not only like a grey hound in size & running but had a long tail, as long as any grey hounds what to liken him to I could not tell nothing certainly that I have seen at all resembles him
26. Since the ship has been hauld ashore the water that has come into her has of course all gone backwards & my plants which were for safety stowd in the bread room were this day found