flightly and partially cleared, much brokënfhells’ ând rock,
together with thorrïy plants and fhrnbs-remaining ovër it,
nor could ôur pebple help being fttrprizëd at feeing therfi,
'barefootéô às tbey Weré, walkoverall this rbugh way as perfectly
at éafe'âSif it had been the ffflootheft grounds Bteif
theSùtiieooernori appearance of the nati-yês'of PELEWëxcîteâ
furprize in the Englijb, their appearance, in return, awakened
in their vifitors a far greater degree of aftonifhment.— Our
countrymen, during all the time they remained in thèfb
iflands, were perfectly convinced, that the 'inhabitants had
never' before feen a white man, it Was tMerbfofb IpSp to
be wondered that th ey v iewed them as; a n ew and l-C Vfipÿ
extraordinary race ofbeingS:*' all they^obfervetT,' and*lffi
th e y touched, made th em exclaim we e l! xveel ! and fome-
times wêel a treeoy! w h ich the Malay informed them was
a declaration o f being well- pleafed.— T h e y began w ith
ftroaking the bodies and arms o f the Eriglifb, or rather
their waiftcoats and coat fleCves, as if th e y doubted- w h ethe r
the garment and th e man were n o t o f the fame fubftancé- ;.
but were told b y the Malay, that the ’Englifi in their own Climate
being expofed to far greater cold, were accuftomed always
to be covered, and had coverings b f different kinds to put
on as occafion required; fb that they could be always dry and
warm. Our people plainly perceived, by the geftures of the
Malm and the natives, that this was what they were converting
about ; nor could they avoid obferving, by the countenances
o f
T H E PE L EW. I S L A N D ^ 09
q£ the 'laite?i$$iet quicknefs* ydth 'which they-feerftpd to com-
iprehend whatever; inforn|fati^^th fe^/^|f^et’tliem'' The
aie^t thihg'ffliey noticed was oU'^pCqpl^st^ands, j|nd tfie, bfure
ve®>s of their ^Ms^jand they.pf©^hl^rconlideied|thqwhite
■ Hdn o f the,rLand^n^{^.eq)a^ artificial, apd^h'efydinslp^the
m>nn'©r ofvtateoing,, fnr,-th|y.'.immediately-requefteJII
fhits the m^n, mjght>fe dr^wn'ilp, tm %
i f ‘their arfh's!w©fe'of th i fame, colour tlisd-rr haM&.and
ihcqsi'g^dsfie^ in this, particular, th^ey exprefled Vi further
.'vyilhfbifee^eirltiodies,; upon wh ich feme o£th<§men opened;
their^qforas^an^Lgave. them tpt<nnderllaq.4i-thati all,the reft
of'tbeljf body '^a« o f the fameyeolour.^—T h e y^ em ed much
s^oniftied 'at finding hair on their hreafts, it^teing confidered
Witfe.6hepaf'a§‘'a<greatmark o f indelicacy, infomuch that they
/■ e^dfga&e-jrt frprrf every-part o f the body in. both feyes.-,r ,;
f ^Th^y^SerwaEdsi walked about,, teftifying,gf eat cur iofity,
hut.at the;fame time;exprefling a fear that they intruded too
nauqh. As -t-hpy ,had, come on fhore unarmed,-this epufiderar
tioAT^dueedGaptaia-'Wilson,. hefqre: he fb.ew.ed them-the
tentsyi©* order that all,the fire-arms fhould be putbutsof fight,
hy,.Qoyering them with' a. fail, tlaar tlidnnutual Confidence,
Which had fo happily fp ru n g up on bo th fides, migh t not he
chilled, or overfhadowed by the flighteft m iftru ft; hut this
well-conceived intention was fruftrate'd b y an accident.— As
pur people were concluding them to the tents, clofe by the
entrance,- one o f th e l natives picked up a bullet, w h ich had
been
1783.
U G U S T*