Sunday 29th April 1770
Almost a week had passed since Lieutenant Hicks PAST TENSE VERB ‘land ahoy’ and heralded our discovery of the east coast of New Holland.
Since then, we have PAST TENSE VERB the Endeavour steadily northwards, keeping land in sight all the while. We have been kept busy mapping the coastline of this ADJECTIVE and ADJECTIVE land.
On the morning of Sunday 19th April, we PAST TENSE VERB a place of ADJECTIVE interest. It was a wide but shallow inlet. We ADVERB dropped anchor off a low headland covered with sand dunes. The ADJECTIVE number of stingrays caught that morning prompted me to rather ADVERB name this place ‘Stingrays Harbour’.
Around lunchtime, we lifted anchor and PAST TENSE VERB the Endeavour into the inlet. On either headland, we VERB natives.
Soon after we PAST TENSE VERB anchor again, a number of fellow sailors and myself set out in a NOUN to investigate . As we drifted toward the NOUN, I said to sailor Isaac Smith, ‘Jump out, Isaac,’ thus making him the first NOUN to set foot on the fabled east coast of New Holland. We all soon followed and VERB through the shallow, ADJECTIVE water to the shore.
Before long, two natives came down from a group of six or so huts not far from our landing point. One was an ADJECTIVE man, the other a younger fellow. We offered them ADJECTIVE gifts but they would not accept them. Perhaps they had misunderstood what we had said. Nonetheless, one of my NOUN then took up a musket and PAST TENSE VERB a shot over their heads, wounding the old man slightly. They promptly VERB back to their huts and came back with a number of other men. Not a moment later, they threw ADJECTIVE spears at us - all landing harmlessly I am glad to say. We fired two more musket rounds over their heads and fortunately, they left us.
ADVERB we crept up to the group of huts. Inside we found only a small huddle of children but no sign of adults. Unable to communicate with the youngsters, we left a gift of ADJECTIVE beads and returned to our boats.
I am now back in my ADJECTIVE cabin. What an eventful day. We shall stay here another week or so I should think, then continue our explorations up the east coast of this most ADJECTIVE land. Who knows what wonders we might find?
