Joseph Banks

“ Some hopes of a fair wind in the morn but they soon left us and it began to blow hard with violent claps of thunder, on which we again stood out to sea.
1769 December 21. Wind not quite so bad as yesterday but a great swell from the West hinderd the ship much.
1769 December 22. Swell as yesterday but the wind has come more to the Southward so that we cannot come in with the land at all. ”

“ At Taoneroa the first place we landed in on the Continent the boys who we had on board mentiond it of their own accords, asking whether the meat they eat was not human flesh, as they had no Idea of any animal but a man so large till they saw our sheep: they however seemd ashamd of the custom, saying that the tribe to which they belongd did not use it but that another very near did. ”

“ This morn we were near the land which was as barren as it is possible to conceive: hills within hills and ridges even far inland were coverd with white sand on which no kind of vegetable was to be seen, it was conjecturd by some that the wind blow [s] the sand quite across it. Some Indian forts or Heppah's were seen and from them some canoes put off but did not overtake us.
1769 December 11. Wind as heard hearted as ever: we turnd all day without loosing any thing, much to the credit of our old Collier, who we never fail to praise if she turns as well as this. ”

“ In the morn we were clear of all our dangers and at sea to our no small satisfaction notwithstanding the wind was as foul as possible.
1769 December 7. Wind not much better than yesterday.
1769 December 8. Very light breeze: we have ran off so far from the land that we can distinguish nothing upon it. In the evening fair wind.
1769 December 9. Fair wind tho but little of it. Many Canoes came off who shewd much fear of us and after some time said that they had heard of our Guns. ”

“ This morn all heads achd with yesterdays debauch. Wind has been Easterly these 3 or 4 days so we have not got at all nearer the Island than we were.
1769 December 27. Blows very hard a [t] SE so that we were again drove off the Land, not much displeasd as we all rejoicd much that it was not an on shore wind.
1769 December 28. Wind now SW right on shore but thank god we have so good an offing that we are in not the least danger. All our sea people said that they never before were in so hard a summers Gale. ”

“ Fishing seems to be the cheif business of this part of the countrey; about all their towns are abundance of netts laid upon small heaps like hay cocks and thatchd over and almost every house you go into has netts in it making. ”