Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0429
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[Page 429]
325.
Septr. 1770. off Timor
sea & where they did not, instead of flats & mangrovy Land were immense plantations groves of Cocoa nut trees about a mile up from the Beach were immense began the plantations & houses almost innumerable standing under the shade of Large groves of Palms appearing like Fan Palm (Borassus) the enclosd Plantations which were in general enclosd with some kind of Fence reach'd almost to the tops of the Hills but near the Beach were no certain marks of habitations seen but what surprzd us most was that notwithstanding all these indisputable marks of a Populous countrey we saw neither people nor any kind of cattle stirring all the day tho our glasses were almost continualy employ'd
16. Trade rather fresher than yesterday soon after breakfast the small Island of Rotte was in sight & soon after the opening appeard plain which at last convincd our old unbeleivers that the Island we has so been off was realy Timor. Soon after dinner we passd between it the Streights The Island of Rotte was not mountanous or high like Timor yet it was but consisted of