20th and 21st January 1770

[In Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand]

20th Winds Southerly and fair, pleasant weather. Employ'd wooding, Watering, etc., and in the A.M. sent part of the Powder ashore to be Air'd. Some of the Natives brought alongside in one of their Canoes 4 of the heads of the Men they had lately kill'd; both the Hairy Scalps and Skin of the faces were on. Mr. Banks bought one of the 4, but they would not part with any of the other on any account whatever. The one Mr. Banks got had received a blow on the Temple that had broke the Skull. This morning I set out in the Pinnace accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, in order to Survey the West Coast of the Bay; we took our rout towards the head of the Bay, but it was near noon before we had got beyond the place we had been before.

21st. P.M., a Gentle breeze of Wind Southerly, the remainder light Airs and Calm with clear, settled weather. P.M., the people employ'd as usual, and at 8 o'Clock we return'd on board the Pinnace from surveying the bay, in the doing of which I met with an Excellent Harbour, but saw no inhabitants or any Cultivated land. In the A.M. after hauling the Sean for fish, I gave every body leave to go ashore at the Watering place to amuse themselves as they thought proper.

Joseph Banks Journal

20th Our old man came this morn according to his promise, with the heads of 4 people which were preservd with the flesh and hair on and kept I suppose as trophies, as posibly scalps were by the North Americans before the Europaeans came among them; the brains were however taken out as we had been told, maybe they are a delicacy here. The flesh and skin upon these heads were soft but they were somehow preservd so as not to stink at all.

We made another excursion today. The bay every where where we have yet been is very hilly, we have hardly seen a flat large enough for a potatoe garden. Our freinds here do not seem to feel the want of such places as we have not yet seen the least apearance of cultivation, I suppose they live intirely upon fish dogs and Enemies.

21st Dr Solander and myself were fishing today with hook and line and caught an immence number of fish every where upon the rocks in 4 or 5 fathom water. We have indeed immence plenty, the Seine is hawld every night and seldom fails to furnish us with as much fish as we can possibly destroy.