7th December 1768

Rio de Janeiro

First and latter part a Genteel breeze at South-East and East; the Middle, Calm. At 5 a.m. weighed and tow'd out of the Bay; at 8 Discharged the Pilot and his Boat. A breeze of Wind Springing up Easterly made Sail out to Sea, and sent a boat to one of the Islands laying before the Bay to cut Brooms, a thing we was not permitted to do while we lay in the Harbour; the Guard Boat which had constantly attended all the time we lay in the Bay and Harbour did not leave us until the Pilot was discharged. At noon the Sugar Loaf at the west Entrance of the Bay bore North by West 1/2 West, distance, 8 or 9 miles.

Joseph Banks Journal

This morn weighd and stood out to sea. As soon as we came to Santa Cruz the pilot desired to be dischargd and with him our enemy the guard boat went off, so we were left our own masters and immediately resolved to go ashore on one of the Islands in the mouth of the harbour: their ran a great swell but we made shift to land on one calld Raza, on which we gatherd many species of Plants and some insects. Alstromeria salsilla was here in tolerable plenty and Amarillis mexicana, they were the most specious plants; we stayd till about 4 oClock and then came aboard the ship heartily tired, for the desire of doing as much as we could in a short time had made us all exert ourselves in a particular manner tho exposd to the hottest rays of the sun just at noonday.

Sydney Parkinson’s Journal

On the 7th of December, 1768, our necessary provisions, and other supplies, having been taken on board, we left the harbour of Rio de Janeiro, coasting along the Brazils, and met with nothing worthy of note till the 22d of the same month, except, that in coming out of the harbour, Mr. Flowers, an experienced seaman, fell from the main shrouds into the sea, and was drowned before we could reach him.