Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0322
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[Page 322]
218
Endeavours River
all that we observd one had indeed one of his Ears bord the hole being big enough to put a thumb through but this was peculiar to that one man & him I never saw wear in it any ornament their language was totaly different from that of the Islanders it sounded more like English in its degree of harshness tho it could not be calld harsh neither they almost continualy made use of the Chircau which we conceivd to be a term of Admiration as they still usd it when ever they saw any thing new also Cherr, tut tut tut tut tut, which probably have the same signification their Canoe was not above 10 feet long & very narrow built with an outrigger fitted much like those at the Islands only far inferior they in shallow waters set her on with poles in deep paddled her with paddles about 4 feet long she just carried 4 people so that the 6 who visited us today were obligd to make 2 embarkations their Lances were much like those we had seen in Stringways Botany bay only they were all of them single pointed & some pointed with the stings of sting-rays & bearded with two or three beards of the same which