having discovered that the people who had alarmed him were not the same that he had supposed.  The natives that came to the ship this morning sold us, for a few pieces of cloth, as much fish of the mackrel kind as served the whole ship’s company, and they were as good as ever were eaten.  At noon, this day, I observed the sun’s meridional zenith distance by an astronomical quadrant, which gave the latitude 36 deg. 47’ 43” within the south entrance of the bay.

Mr Banks and Dr Solander went on shore and collected a great variety of plants, altogether unknown, and not returning till the evening, had an opportunity of observing in what manner the Indians disposed themselves to pass the night.  They had no shelter but a few shrubs:  The women and the children were ranged innermost, or farthest from the sea; the men lay in a kind of half circle round them, and their arms were set up against the trees close by them, in a manner which showed that they were afraid of an attack by some enemy not far distant.  It was also discovered that they acknowledged neither Teratu, nor any other person, as their king:  As in this particular they differed from all the people that we had seen upon other parts of the coast, we thought it possible that they might be a set of outlaws, in a state of rebellion against Teratu, and in that case they might have no settled habitations, or cultivated land, in any part of the country.

On the 9th, at day-break, a great number of canoes came on board, loaded with mackerel of two sorts, one exactly the same with those caught in England, and the other somewhat different:  We imagined the people had taken a large shoal, and brought us an overplus which they could not consume; for they sold them at a very low rate.  They were, however, very welcome to us; at eight o’clock the ship had more fish on board than all her people could eat in three days; and before night, the quantity was so much increased, that every man who could get salt, cured as many as would last him a month.

After an early breakfast, I went ashore, with Mr Green and proper instruments, to observe the transit of Mercury, Mr Banks and Dr Solander being of the party; the weather had for some time been very thick, with much rain, but this day was so favourable that not a cloud intervened during the whole transit.  The observation of the ingress was made by Mr Green alone, while I was employed in taking the sun’s altitude, to ascertain the time.  It came on at 7h 20’ 58” apparent time:  According to Mr Green’s observation, the internal contact was at 12h 8’ 58”, the external at 12h 9’ 55” p.m.  And according to mine, the internal contact was at 12h 8’ 54”, and the external 12h 9’ 48”; the latitude of the place of observation was 30 deg. 48’ 5-1/2”.  The latitude observed at noon was 36 deg. 48’ 28”.  The mean of this and yesterday’s observation gives 36 deg. 48’ 5-1/2” S. the latitude of the place of observation; the variation of the compass was 11 deg. 9’ E.