22 A N A C C O U N T OF
-1783.
A U t .U S *té>
T uofilay 12?
€ H \A P T E R mii
Firjl appearance of the Natives.— Phe curious 'tind'jffenSh
\ Interview between them and tbe g flig lilh .— Wiijl
•' son*s Brother fent Jo the King o f P e l e w , the King's
|Brother remaining with our People.
A ’1' day-break, as it blew -exceedingly hard, fo that the
”*• boats could not venture to fea, every oqe; ..went to
work, to dry the ftores and provifions. between the fob
and many: weredmfied to form better tents,'with fuch materials
.asjhey had fayed. About :,eight o’clock, in foemspiii,-
ing Captain Wilson and Tom Rose being,on the beach
coUe&ing water which dropped front the rocks, «be people
who were, employed in clearing away the ground, in the
wood behind them, gave notice that fome o f the natives,
were approaching, as they perceived a canoe coming round
the point into the bay; this gave fo much alarm that the
people all flew to the arms; however, as there were -only
two canoes, and thofe having but few men in them, the
•people were defired to remain ftill, and out of light, until
they Ihould perceive what reception the Captain and T om
Rose met with, whom they were convinced the natives
had
T H E P E L E"W I S L AND R . 23-
had difcoverbd, .as they eonverfed together; and kept fted-
faftly looking towards that part of the fhore where they
were; our people1 -yrere defired to be,-prepared for the
word, but by no means to appear for the prefeM> or fhew
any figns óf diftruft when they did, unlefs the behaviour'of
the natives to* them* Ihóuld render * ife abfolutely necefiary^
In this- foort interval of time theitanöés-had advanced taw-
tioufly towards the Ihore,where they .flood, when- Captain
Wilson defired Tom Rose to-Fpeak to. them in the Malay
■ language', which they did not" feem to underftand, but
flopped their -panoes | yet foon after crne-W’tbem fpoke in
the Malay and alked who they were? -and whether
they were friends ■ or . enemies ? Tn thefe queflioris ToM;
Rose was -dlre^ed to reply, w That they were unfortunate
«■ 'Èrtglifëmenr who had loft their Ihip upon the 'reef; and
m had faved theic^lves;. and Were their, friends.” Upon this
they, fpoke a few words- together (which was fince fuppofed
to have been tbe Malay man explaining to tb-em- 'what had
been faid) *r and prefently they ftepped but of the canoes
into the water; -and- came towards; the fhore, on Which
Captain WILSON waded^ info the Water to meet theïö, and
embracing them, in a friendly manner, conducted them
to the fhore, and introduced -them to his' officers and
unfortunate companions1^' they were eight dfr number,. two
of whom it was afterwards' known were brbthers ,to the
King. They left One man in each canöë; and, as they wtre-
e coming
U C'U STv