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4 December 1769
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James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia
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The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth
1769
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4 December 1769
Monday 4th Gentle breezes at NW. WNW, and West, and fair weather. PM Mr Banks, Dr Solander and my self landed upon one of the Islands on the north side of the one the Ship lays under, known by the name of this Island is about 3 Miles in circuit and hath upon it 40 or 50 Acres of land cultivated and planted with roots; here are likewise several small Streams of excellent water, at one of which I intend to fill our empty Casks, in case we should be detaind here to morrow. This Island as well as most others in this Bay seem to be well Inhabited. At 4 AM sent the Long boat ^to the above Id for water and some hands to cut grass, and at 9 I went with the Pinnace and yawl over upon the Main - accompaned by Mr Banks and Dr Solander in our way we pass'd round a point of land on which stood a Heppa or fortified Village the inhabitents of which waved to us to come ashore and accordingly we land, which we had no sooner done then the peol people came about us, with quantities of various sorts of fish which we purchass'd of them for meer trifles. After this they shew'd us the Village which was a neat compact place and its situation well cloose [chose]; there were 2 or 3 more near unto this but these we did not go to: we afterwards went a little way into the Country and had some of the Natives along with us - We met with a good deal of Cult[i]vated land planted mostly with ^sweet Potatoies - the face of the Country appear'd Green and pleasent, and the soil seem'd to be pretty rich and proper for Cultivation the land is every where about this Bay of a moderate height but full of small hills and Vallies and not very much Cover'd ^incumber'd with wood. We met with about half a Dozn Cloth Plants, being the same as the inhabitants of the Islands ^lying within the Tropicks make their finest Cloth on; this plant must be very scarce among them as the Cloth made from it is only worn in small peices by way of ornaments at their ears and even this we have seen but very seldom their knowing the use of this sort of Cloth doth in some measure accou^nt for the extraordinary fondness they have shew'd for it above every other thing we had to give them - even a sheet of white paper is of more Value than so much English ^cloth of any sort what ever; but as we have been at few places where I have not given away more or less of the latter its more than probable that they will soon learn to set a Value upon it and likewise upon Iron a thing not one of them knows the use of or sets the least Value upon. But was European commodities in ever such esteem among them they have no one thing of equal Value to give in return at least that we have seen —
© Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 159, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17691204.html
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