On this day ...
17 - 20 September 1770
Endeavour Voyage Maps
James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia
Transcript of Cook's Journal
Joseph Banks's Journal
The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth
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On the 17th in the morning, we saw a small island, which, by its appearance, promised nothing, being brown, and almost bare, excepting of palms, and a few other trees. On our approaching nearer to it, we saw several sorts of cattle, which induced us to steer to leeward and send the boat on shore; in the mean time, standing off and on, several of the natives came to them on horseback, who spoke a little Portugueze, and told them there was a bay on the other side of the next point where the ship might anchor, and we might meet with a supply of provisions. We pursued our course round the point, and anchored in a very large bay. In the evening we saw a village, situate on the side of a hill, that had Dutch colours hoisted in it. The next morning some of us went on shore, and waited on the Raja, or king, who received us very graciously, and promised to supply us with every thing, if the Dutchman pleased: The Dutchman vouchsafed to consent, and made us a visit on board, in company with the Raja and his attendants: they dined with us; were very ceremonious, and left us, after having made specious professions of friendship. The next day some of our people returned the visit, and dined with them. After much shuffling on their part, we made shift to obtain a large number of fowls, eight bullocks, several goats, hogs, a great quantity of syrup, and a few fruits.
They informed us that they had been without rain in the country for seven months, and that the herbage was almost burnt up.
This island, which is divided into five districts, is about thirty miles long; is called Savoo, and lies south of India. It contains near nine thousand inhabitants, and for these nine years past has been possessed by the Dutch, who have a resident here, and trade to India, Macassar, and Timor; and, from this island, furnish Concordia with provisions. It was formerly in the possession of the Portuguese, who left it about an hundred years since.
As we were not permitted to examine the country, or its products, the Dutch-man not suffering us to go any where without a strong guard, I amused myself in picking up, from the natives of the island, what particulars I could learn in respect to their language, from which I afterwards formed the following vocabulary.
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© Derived from the London 1773 edition printed for Stanfield Parkinson, page 162, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-parkinson-204.html