18th. Winds mostly from the South-West; a gentle breeze and
Clear settled weather. P.M., righted the Ship and sent on shore all or
most of our empty Casks, and in the Morning the Coopers went about
Trimming them, and the Carpenters went to work to Caulk the sides and to
repair other defects in the Ship, while the seamen are Employ'd in the
hold Cutting Wood, etc., etc. I made a little Excursion in the pinnace in
order to take a View of the Bay, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr.
Solander. We met with nothing remarkable, and as we were on the West side
of the Bay where the land is so closely cover'd with wood that we could
not penetrate into the country.
19th. Winds and weather as yesterday, and the employment of the
people the same. In the P.M. some of our people found in the Skirts of
the Wood 3 hip Bones of Men; they lay near to a Hole or Oven, that is a
place where the Natives dress their Victuals; this Circumstance, trifling
as it is, is still a further proof that these people eat human flesh. In
the A.M. set up the Forge to repair the Braces of the Tiller and such
other Iron work as was wanting. The Natives came alongside and sold us a
quantity of large Mackrell for Nails, pieces of Cloth and paper, and in
this Traffick they never once attempted to defraud us of any one thing
but dealt as fair as people could do.
Joseph Banks Journal
18th Among other things that the Indians told us yesterday one was that they expected their enimies to come and revenge the death of the 7 men, and some of our people thought they said that they had intelligence that they were to come as today; which made us observe the Indians town where we thought the people more quiet than usual and seemingly not atending their usual occupations of fishing etc. and no one canoe atempted to come near the ship. After breakfast we went in the pinnace to explore some parts of the bay which we had not seen, as it was immensely large or rather consisted of numberless small Harbours, coves etc.; we found the countrey on our side of the Bay very well wooded every where but on the opposite side very bare. In turning a point today we saw a man in a small canoe fishing who to our surprize shewd not the least fear of us. We went to him and quite alongside his Canoe, he all the while following his occupation. On our desiring him he took up his netts and shewd us his machine, which was a circular net about 7 or 8 feet in diameter extended by 2 hoops; the top of this was open and to the bottom was tied sea Ears etc. as bait; this he let down upon the ground and when he thought that fish enough were asembled over it he lifted it up by very gentle and even motion, so that the fish were hardly sensible of being lifted till they were almost out of the water. By this simple method he had caught abundance of fish and I beleive it is the general way of Fishing all over this coast, as many such netts have been seen at almost every place we have been in. In this bay indeed fish were so plenty that it is hardly possible not to catch abundance whatever way is made use of.
In the course of this days excursion we shot many shaggs from their nests in the trees and on the rocks. These birds we roast or stew and think not bad provisions, so between shaggs and fish this is the place of the greatest plenty of any we have seen.
19th Indians came this morn from another part of the bay where they said was a town which we had not seen: they brought plenty of fish which they sold for nails of which they hade by this time learnt the value.
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