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16 January 1769
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James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia
Joseph Banks's Journal
Sydney Parkinson's Journal
The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth
1769
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16 January 1769
Monday 16 A Fresh breeze of Wind at South and S.W. with frequent Showers of Snow and rain - at 2 PM Anchor'd in the Bay of Success, in 9 fathom the bottom owse and sand, the south point of the Bay bore SE and the North Point ENE. This Bay I shall describe when I come to speake of the rest of the coast - hoisted out the Boats, and Moor'd with the Stream Anchor, while this was doing I went a Shore accompany'd with by Mr Banks and Dr Solander to look for a Watering Place, and to speak with the Natives who were assembled on the beach at the head of the Bay to the number of 30 or 40; they were so far from being afraid or surprised at our coming amongest them that three of them came on board without the least hesitation. They are something above the Middle size of a dark copper Colour with long black hair, they paint their bodies ^in Streakes mostly Red and Black, their cloathing consists wholy and ^of a Guanacoes skin or that of a Seal, in the same form as it came from the Animals back, the Women wear of a peice of skin over their privey parts but the Men observe no such decency their Hutts are made like a behive and open on one side where they have their fire, they are made of small Sticks and cover'd with branches of trees, Long grass &Ca in such a manner that they are neither proff against Wind, Hail, rain or snow, a sufficient proff that these People must be a very hardy race; they live chiefly on shell fish such as Muscles, which they gather from off the rock, along the sea- shore and this seems to be the work of the Women; their arms are Bows and Arrows neatly made, their arows are bearded some with glass and others with fine flint, several pieces of the former we saw amongst them with other European things such as Rings, Buttons, Cloth, Canvas &Ca which I think proves that they must sometimes travel to the Northward as we know of no ship that hath been in those parts for many years, besides they were not at all surprised at our fire arms, on the contrary seem'd to know the use of them by making signs to us to fire at Sea^ls or Birds that might come in the way — they have no boats that we saw, or anything to go upon the water with — their number doth not exceed 50 or 60 young and old and there are fewer Women then Men. they are extreamly fond of any Red thing and seemed to set more Value on Beeds than any thing we could give them: in this consists their whole pride, few either men or Women are without a necklace or string of Beeds made of small Shells or bones about their necks —
They would not taste any strong Liquor, neither did they seem fond of our provisions- we could not discover that they had any head or chief, or form of Government, neither have they any usefull or necessary Utentials except it be a Bagg ^or Basket to gather their Muscels into: in a Word they are perhaps as miserable a set of People as are this day upon Earth — Having found a convenient place on the So side of the Bay to wood and Water at, we set about that work in the morning, and Mr Banks with a Party went into the Country to gather Plants &Ca
Parties: Selk'nam
Artefacts: stream anchor
Natural Phenomena in South Seas Companion: south American fur seal
© Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 28, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17690116.html
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