4th October 1769

Society Islands to New Zealand
Gentle breezes and Cloudy weather. P.M. Variation per Azimuth 12 degrees 48 minutes East; sounded twice, but found no ground, with 120 fathoms of line. Saw some rock weed, but not in such plenty as of late. Wind South-East; course South 52 1/2 West; distance 86 miles; latitude 37 degrees 43 minutes South, longitude 175 degrees 00 minutes West.

Joseph Banks Journal
Several small peices of sea weed are seen today but no heaps; weather pleasant, breeze rather of the gentlest. Towards evening we were entertaind by a large shoal of Porpoises like those of the 30th of last month; they came up to the ship in prodigious circl[in]g action leaping out of the water sometimes 2 or 3 feet high as nimbly as Bonetos; immediately after them came a number of a larger sort quite black who movd very heavy in the water; both these troops kept their course by the ship without taking much notice of her probably in pursuit of some prey.

Sydney Parkinson’s Journal
On the 4th, we had light breezes from the S.E. with clear sharp weather. In the morning we saw some rock-weed; and, in the evening, a great shoal of bottle-nosed porpoises swam along side of the ship, with a great number of other porpoises, having sharp white snouts, and their sides and bellies of the same colour.

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