Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0320
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[Page 320]
216
Endeavours River
& had some fish given them they receivd it with indifference signd to our people to cook it for them which was done & they eat part & gave the rest to my Bitch they staid the most part of the morning but never venturd to go above 20 yards from their canoe the ribbands by which we had tied medals round their necks the first day we saw them were coverd with smoak I suppose they lay much in the smoak to keep off the Musquetos. they are a very small people or at least this tribe consisted of very small people in general about 5 feet 6 in hight & very slender one we measurd 5 feet 2. & another 5 feet 9. but he was far taller than any of his fellows. I do not know by what deception we were to a man of opinion when we saw them run on the sand about 1/4 of a mile from us, that they were taller and larger than we were: their colour was nearest to that of chocolate not that their skins were so dark but the smoak & dirt with which they were all casd over which I suppose servd them instead of Cloths made them of that colour their hair was strait in some & curld in others they always wore it croppd