14th November 1769

[At Mercury Bay, North Island, New Zealand]
Fresh Gales, Easterly, and rainy, Dirty weather.

Joseph Banks Journal
But midling weather. As we were resolvd to stay no longer here we all went ashore, the boats to get as much Celery and Oysters as possible, Dr Solander and myself to get as many green plants as possible of sea stock for finishing scetches etc., so an enormous number of all these articles came on board. Dr Solander who was today in a cove different from that I was in saw the natives catch many lobsters in a most simple manner: they walkd among the rocks at low water about middle deep in water and still felt about with their feet till they felt one, on which they divd down and constantly brought him up. I do not know whether I have before mentiond these lobsters but we have had them in tolerable plenty in almost every place we have been in and they are certainly the largest and best I have ever eat.

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