8th November 1769

[At Mercury Bay, North Island, New Zealand]
P.M. fresh breeze at North-North-West and hazey, rainy weather; the remainder a Gentle breeze at West-South-West and Clear Weather. A.M. heeld and Scrubb'd both sides of the Ship and Sent a Party of Men ashore to Cutt wood and fill Water. The Natives brought off to the Ship, and Sold us for Small pieces of Cloth, as much fish as served all hands; they were of the Mackrell kind, and as good as ever was Eat. At Noon I observ'd the Sun's Meridian Zenith distance, by the Astronomical Quadrant, which gave the Latitude 36 degrees 47 minutes 43 seconds South; this was in the River before mentioned, that lies within the South Entrance of the Bay.

Joseph Banks Journal
Fine weather: many Canoes came off, in them our freind Torava. While he was along side he saw 2 Canoes coming from the opposite side of the bay on which he immediately went ashore with all the canoes, telling us that he was afraid; he however soon returnd finding I suppose that the canoes had not in them the people he expected. In the two boats came an amazing number of fish of the macarel kind which the people sold for little or nothing, so that all hands had today fish enough. We went ashore and botanizd with our usual good success which could not be doubted in a countrey so totaly new. In the evening we went to our friends the Indians that we might see the method in which they slept: it was as they had told us on the bare ground without more shelter than a few shrubbs over their heads, the women and children were placd innermost or farthest from the sea, the men lay in a kind of half-circle around them and on the trees close by them were rangd their arms in order, so no doubt they are afraid of an attack from some enemy not far off. They do not acknowledge any superior king which all we have before seen have done, so possibly these are a set of outlaws from Teratu's kingdom; their having no cultivation or houses makes it clear at least that it is either so or this is not their real habitation. They say however that they have houses and a fort somewhere at a distance but do not say that even there is any cultivation.

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