20 
SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 
spoil in the books ; I, therefore, devoted this day to that business, and carried 
ashore all the drying paper, nearly 'iOU quires, of which the larger part was full, 
and spreading them u])on a sail in the sun, kept them in this manner exposed the 
whole day, often turning them, and sometimes turning the quires in which were 
plants inside out. By this means they came on board at night in very good con- 
dition. During this time eleven canoes, in each of which was on? Indian, came 
towards us . we soon saw that the people in them were employed in striking fish. 
They came within about half a mile of us, intent upon their own employments, 
and not at all regarding us. Opposite the ]>lace where they were several of our 
people were shooting: one Indian, prompted may be by curiosity, landed, hauled 
up his canoe, and went towards them. He stayed about a quarter of an hour, 
and then launched his boat and went off. Probably that time had been spent 
behind the trees in watching to see what our people did. I could not find, however, 
that he was seen by anybody. 
When the damp of the evening made it necessary to send my plants and books 
on board, I made a short excursion to shoot anything I could meet with, and found 
a large quantity of quails, much resembling our English ones, of which I might 
have killed as many almost as I pleased, had I given my time up to it; but my 
business was to kill variety, and not too many individuals of any one species. 
The captain and Dr. Solander employed the day in going in the pinnace into 
various parts of the harbour. They saw fires at several places, and people who 
all ran away at their approach with the greatest precipitation, leaving behind the 
shell-fish which they were cooking. Of this our gentlemen took advantage, eating 
what they found, and leaving behind beads, ribands, &c., in return. They found 
also several trees which bore a fruit of the Jambosa kind, in colour and shape 
much resembling cherries. Of these they ate plentifully, and brought home also 
abundance, which we ate with pleasure, though they had little to recommend 
them but a slight acid. 
4th. Myself in the woods, botanising as usual ; now quite devoid of fear, as 
our neighbours have turned out such rank cowards. One of our midshipmen, 
straying by himself a long way from anyone else, met by accident with a very 
old man and woman and some children. They were sitting under a tree, and neither 
party saw the other till they were close together. They showed signs of fear, 
but did not attempt to run away. The midshipman had nothing with liim to give 
them but some parrots which he had shot. These they refused, drawing away 
when he offered them, in token either of extreme fear or disgust. The people 
were very old and grayheaded, the children young. The hair of the man was 
bushy about his head, and his beard long and rough ; the woman’s hair was cropi^ed 
short round her head. They were very dark coloured, but not black, nor was 
their hair woolly. 
On our return to the ship we found also that our second lieutenant, who had 
gone out striking, had met with great success. He had observed that the large 
sting-rays, of which there are abundance in the bay, followed the flowing tide 
into very shallow water; he, therefore, took the opportunity, and struck several 
in not more than two or three feet of water. One that was larger than the rest 
weighed, when his guts were taken out, ‘239 lb. 
Our surgeon, who strayed a long way from the others, with one man in his com- 
pany, in coming out of a thicket observed six Indians standing about si.xty yards 
from him. One of these gave a signal by a word, whereupon a lance was tlirowu 
out of the wood at him, which, however, did not come very near him. The six 
Intlians, on seeing that it had not taken effect, ran away in an instant, but on 
turning about tovards the place from whence the lance came, he saw a young lad, 
who undoubtedly had thrown it, come down from a tree where he had been stationed, 
prol ably for that purpo.se. He descended, however, and ran away so quickly 
that It was impossible even to attempt to [lursue him. 
