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The Endeavour Journal of Joseph Banks 1768–1771 [Volume Two]

July 1771

July 1771

4. My Bitch Lady was found dead in my Cabbin laying upon a stool on which she generaly slept. She had been remarkably well for some days; in the night she shreikd out very loud so that we who slept in the great Cabbin heard her, but becoming quiet immediately no one regarded it. Whatever disease was the cause page 275 of her death it was the most sudden that ever came under my Observation. Many Shearwaters were seen about the ship.1

5. In the night the ship passd through a shoal of Macarels and in the Morning many Grabs and some seaweed was observd with many Shearwaters.

6. Several shearwaters and one Gannet2 were seen; much sea weed like tape3 flattish and narrow.

7. Several shearwaters and much Tapeweed; the water a little discolourd. Caught Lepas Cygnifera floating upon the water in round conjeries's, some of which were large enough to fill a mans hat.4

8. Calm: went in boat and shot Fulmar and Manks Puffin5 of Pennants British Zoology. Much sea weed but no more Lepades.

10. This Morning the land was discoverd by Young Nick the same boy who first saw New Zeland: it provd to be the Lizzard.6

12. At 3 O'Glock landed at Deal.

page 276

1 Probably Puffinus puffinus (Brünnich), the Manx Shearwater, some of which were shot on 8 July following.

2 Sula bassana bassana.

3 Though here called a ‘seaweed’ almost certainly Zostera marina, a marine angiosperm characterized by tape-like leaves. A significant point is the grouping of Zostera with marine algae in travel commentaries; for example, Osbeck wrote, ‘We at last saw the Scilly Islands in the forenoon … Fucus divaricatus, vesiculosus et Zostera, came swimming from the shore’.—Voyage, II, p. 122.

4 Lepas fascicularis Ellis and Sol. 1786.

5 Manks’=Manx; the bird was probably Puffinus puffinus (Brünnich), the Manx Shearwater, seen on 4 July.

6 Cook says (p. 477), ‘At Noon we saw Land from the Mast head bearing North which we judged to be about the Lands end’. They saw the Lizard in the afternoon of the 11th-still the 10th for Banks.