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Sunday 9th [underlined]
Again thankful to see the sun rise. Variable
wind from N. Saw large green-back turtle
swimming close to the boat (5 yards at most). Also
big snake lying coiled up on the surface & asleep.
Also smaller snake, with alternate yellow & black rings
around it, swimming with us. Porpoises were seen,
evidently after a shoal of smaller fish, which
were rippling the surface of the water. Once while
the wind had fallen away, I got a line out & soon
had a shark, between 3 & 4 feet in length, which
was skinned & cooked for dinner & proved very
tasty with the addition of curry & onions & a
little green ginger. Found firewood was short,
so Skipper & blackboys went ashore, near Point
Blaze, & collected some dry wood. They landed
on the same beach Mr Basedow & I walked along
when we saw the red & green bird. Two natives,
(semi-civilized) met them. They had some snakes
cooked on a fire near by, & gave them to our boys
who brought them aboard & had a great feast, judging
by the relish with which they pulled the flesh off
the bones with their teeth. Another small shark
was caught, while they were ashore, making up