10th July 1770

[Aboriginal contact, Endeavour River]

Winds and weather as yesterday. Employ'd hoisting on board and stowing away the ground tier of water. in the PM saw Seven or eight of the Natives on the South side of the Harbour River and two of them came down upon the sandy point opposite the ship but as soon as I put off in a boat in order to speak with them they run away as hard fast as they could. At 11 oClock Mr Banks, who had gone out to sea with Mr Molineux the Master, returnd in his own small boat and gave but a very bad account of our turtle catchers, at the time he left them which was about 6 oClock, they had not got one nor were they likely to get any and yet the Master was so obstinate that he would not return which obliged me to send Mr Gore out in the yawl this moring to order the boat and people in in case they could not be imploy'd there to some advantage —

In the AM 4 of the Natives came down to the sandy point on the north side of the harbour, having along with them a small wooden Canoe with outriggers in which they seemd to be employ'd striking fish some were for going over in a boat to them but this I would not suffer but let them alone without seeming to take any notice of them, at length 2 of them came in the Canoe so near the Ship as to take some things we throw'd them, after this they went away and brought over the other two and came again along side nearer then they had done before and took such trifles as we gave them. after this they landed close to the Ship and all 4 came went a shore carrying their arms with them, but Tupia soon prevaild upon them to lay down their arms and come and set down by him after which most of us went to them and made them again some presents and stay'd by them untill dinner time when we made them understand that we wasere going to eat and ask'd them by signs to go with us but this they declined and as soon as we left them they went away in their canoe. one of these men was something above the Middle age, the other three were young, none of them were above 5 1/2 feet high and all their features limbs proportionately small, they were wholy naked their skins the Colour of wood soot or a dark chocolate colour and this seem'd to be their natural colour, their hair was black, lank and crope'd short and neither wooly nor frizled nor did they want any of their fore teeth as Dampier has mentioned those did he saw on the western side of this Country, Some part of their bodies had been painted with red and one of them had his uper lip and breast paint with streakes of white which he called Carbanda: their features were far from being disagreeable, the Voices were soft and tunable and they could easily repeat many words after us, but neither us nor Tupia could understand one word they said —