18th October 1769

[Returning North from Cape Turnagain]

Variable light winds and fine weather. At 4 a.m. Cape Kidnapper bore North 32 degrees West, distant 2 Leagues. In this situation had 62 fathoms; and when the said Cape bore West by North, distant 3 or 4 Leagues, had 45 fathoms; Midway between the Isle of Portland and Cape Kidnapper had 65 fathoms. At Noon the Isle of Portland bore North-East 1/2 East, distant 4 Leagues; latitude observ'd 39 degrees 34 minutes South.

Joseph Banks Journal

Fair wind: a whale was seen this morn. In the evening a small boat with 5 people in her came off from Teracaco, the peninsula within Portland Isle; they with much difficulty overtook the ship; 2 of them who seemd to be the cheif people came on board with very little invitation and orderd the other three their servants to stay in the boat. They soon expressd satisfaction at their treatment and came down into the cabbin where they very soon informd us that they would sleep with us and not think of going ashore that night. We remonstrated much against this telling them that tomorrow morn the ship might be at a great distance from where she now was; they were however resolvd and we were obligd to let them sleep in the ship, into which they consented to have their canoe hoisted which was accordingly done. The countenance of one of these men was the most open I have ever seen, I was prejudicd much in their favour and surely such confidence could not be found in the breasts of designing people. They expressd great curiosity and surprize, attending to any thing that was shewn to them and thankfully accepted the presents which were made them but would not eat with us; their servants however were not at all scrupolous on that head for they eat most enormously almost every thing they could get.