1783.
AVGUST. fecrete them from the public view; a convenient placé was
found in a rock, and the tools concealed; and it tvas happily
effe&ed before the King arrived, by which our people
were, relieved from thofe difficulties they would otherwife
have been under. -1
The morning being fine and calm, our people launched
theif boats* in order to go off to the Ihip, but miffed the
Jolly-boat’s rudder, Which had been ftolenfor the falce of
thé iröii. Thófe èii fhore were employed iff getting ready
the blocks and wayS* in ofder tO lay dbwfi the ihtended
heffel. They had already got a piece of wood for a item,
ahd another for a ftefn-poft. About ten cTclOck-the Éfefcf
Minifler èame over land, From the back of the ifïand* ^hich
did not exceed the diftahce of half a mile'fff)'m4he èÓVe,
and after Jookihg for fome time at thé operations thenbeginning,
he took Captain Wilson byfthe hand, aütfiéd
him to the tent where the arms were kept; after viewing
wifhfully a cutlafs, he afked him for it. In the particular
fituation in which our people flood, Captain ! W i l s o n
thought a refufal' might be imprudent, particularly to a
Chief of his rank, and therefore judged it wifer to make
a virtue of neceffity. But, on coming out of the tent*
Raa Kook faw it in his hand, feemed difpleafed, and mad«
him return it.
The Malay fome time after coming on fhore from a canoe,
faid there was bad news; that he had heard “ that a cutlafs
“ had
#< had been giyetQ to one who was ^lmoft a ftrapger, whilft
f<sthe Kipg^vJ|ro^,rsj - who had
« thg fipip.pn the iffapd, had had aPY thing ° f ffich
« cqrifequence giyep, them, ap£ that they muff make them
prefer s .On this hint Captain Wilson offered
nagh of the King’s £ cpmnantqf cjotff, which they
both .rfp^ivqd vepy cooly; he prefepted thpm afterwards
.wffh wh^te lqng cloth apd’fpme rjhhanfis,. hut ftill not a
■ fipjle Appeared pn tffpip by which tffe Captain perjcdjvedj
^at tffis, was npf they, wanted*?—The event
diftreffed our people much; they had doubts whether this
apparent .cpolajefs- plight arife from their-having given the
p l i g h t the: Chiee or whether they had -been pu£
ppt of hnmo-qy at the ip < h # P pf t^is^er^n,. in having
inaptudpptiyffaid under the pt&effity of gratifyr
ang in a requeft, whjeh, fituated they
jqavrft have ppen upder diffieulti^-Jo refu:jh*
, In the aftefpoqp %he Malay informed Captain Wilson,
that $hp ^ipg. Was come rpupd iptp the hay, bqing op ffh
return to Pelew, and i f he wanted tQ take leayie of hint he
nuift go off to his canoe. The Captain accordingly went in
the jollyfboat, havipg with him Toiyi Rose his linguift, and
four other men. The meeting was,r to his -great furprize,
very cool on the King’s part, of courfe referved on that of
his own, for unlike, indeed, that undifguiied opennefs. which
marked
1783.
V GUST«