University of California Berkeley 
 

 
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NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SHIPWRECK 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ANTELOPE 
 
 AST-INDIA PACQ^UET, 
 
 OH T H I 
 
 PE&EW ISLANDS, fituated on the Weftern Part 
 
 PACIFIC OCEAN; 
 
 In : AU,Q/JST,,i 7 83, 
 
 PERT H: 
 p 51. a^o 
 
 R. MOR1SON AND SON, FfcRT ; AND SOLD 
 T. KAY AND CO. NEAR SO M M 
 T JSE, STRAND, 
 
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PREPACK 
 
 fubjeft can be more interefting 
 to man, than the hiftory of man ; and 
 no method can be more proper for in- 
 
 veftigating this fubjeci, than examin- 
 
 ( 
 ing the different appearances which he 
 
 affumes in different quarters of the 
 globe. Hiftory does not offer an ex- 
 ample of fuch difinterefted efforts, to- 
 wards the enlargement of human know- 
 ledge, as have been made by the Britifh 
 nation, fince the acceffion of his pre- 
 fent Majefty to the throne the noble 
 and hazardous enterprizes undertaken 
 and executed under his aufpices, will 
 remain to fucceeding ages, a monument 
 
 a of 
 
ii PREFACE. 
 
 of the zeal and patronage of GEORGE 
 THE THIRD. 
 
 If to bring to view a part of our Bre- 
 thren of Mankind hitherto unknown 
 a race of men that do honour to the 
 name of Manhood, be a fubjedt gene- 
 rally interefting, the following pages 
 muft enfure a favourable reception. 
 The Public have been often amufed 
 with uninterefting hiflories of voy- 
 ages and fhipwrecks ; and fiction and 
 fancy have been tortured to throw in- 
 to the dim fomething palateable; it may 
 therefore be neceflary to mention a few 
 fadls as to the authenticity of a narra- 
 tive, which arrefts the attention with 
 incidents, feldom furpafed in the airy 
 
 vifions of romance. 
 
 The 
 
PREFACE. iii 
 
 The Antelope was not fitted out for 
 the purpofe of adventure or difcovery ; 
 it was a pacquet commanded by Captain 
 Henry Wilfon, and manned by a mim- 
 ber of hands the greater part of whom 
 are now in Britain, and can vouch for 
 the reality of every circumflance. They 
 were wrecked on this almoft unknown 
 coaft, and after fuffering a feries of 
 unparallelled hardfhips, were reftored 
 to their country, their home and their 
 friends, by the benevolence of this 
 new race of men. 
 
 It is fomewhat remarkable that al- 
 though the iflands which gave birth to 
 fome of the mod important fcenes in 
 this work, lie at no very great diflance 
 
 from the common track to China, yet 
 
 / 
 
 a 2 it 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 it does not appear that any Europeans 
 ever landed on them. They were not 
 however totally unknown. In the 
 Lettres edifientes et curleufes^ we find an 
 account of this Archipelago, of which 
 the Palos or Pelew Iflands conflitute the 
 fifth divifion ; the other four confift- 
 ing of the Iflands which are now known 
 by the name of the New Carolines. Le 
 Pere Cantora tells us, that being fhip- 
 wrecked on one of the Caroline Iflands, 
 he had ufed every method to get infor- 
 mation concerning the reft ; and that 
 he was informed, " that the people of 
 the Pelew Iflands were inhuman and 
 favage ; that both men and women 
 were entirely naked, and fed upon hu- 
 man flefh 5 that the inhabitants of the 
 
 Carolines 
 
PREFACE. ' v 
 
 Carolines looked on them with horror 
 as the enemies of mankind, and with 
 whom they held it dangerous to have 
 any intercourfe." From this and any 
 other information that can be procu- 
 red, it appears that for a long feries of 
 years, the inhabitants of the Pelew 
 Iflands, have been feparated from the 
 reft of mankind, even thofe moft con- 
 tiguous to themfelves. Their ignorance 
 of the exiftence of white people, abun- 
 dantly evinces their being total ftran- 
 gers to Europe at any rate. 
 
 The name given by the Spaniards to 
 thefe Iflands is the Palos Iflands ; which 
 indeed is the name by which all the 
 Caroline Iflands formerly went; pro- 
 bably owing to the number of tall palm 
 
 trees 
 
Y! PREFACE. 
 
 trees with which they are covered, ha- 
 ving the appearance of malls of fhips 
 at a diftance, the Spanifh word palos 
 fignifies a mafb. 
 
 If therefore this publication tends to 
 introduce a new people to the reader, 
 who have, uninformed and'untaught as 
 they are, brought their manners to a 
 great degree of civilization ; the politi- 
 cian, the moralift, and the friend of hu- 
 manity, will not comider this an ufelefs 
 work, more efpecially to thofe who 
 have not accefs to perufe Mr Keate's ve- 
 ry complete publication on the fubjedl. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 e Antelope Sails from Macao Lift of 
 the Crew Diflrefs Struck on a Rock 
 Landing Appearance of Natives 
 Interview and franfacJlons between them 
 Particulars concerning Raa Kook^ Ar- 
 ra Kooker, &c. Page I 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 King Vifits them Reception and Be- 
 haviour Examines every thing ^ and is 
 pleafed Farther Proceedings* 43 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Captain Wilfon Vifits Pelew Manners of- 
 the Natives Ten Men lent with them to 
 
 */ 
 
 Battle Battle of Artingall Raa Kook 
 Vifits Oroolongfor more men Death and 
 Funeral of the King s Son. 69 
 
 C H A p. IV. 
 
 Difafler of the Veffel Account of the 'Third 
 Engagement Captain Wilfons Vifit to 
 
 R i (packs 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 Rupacks Abba Tbulle Vi/its the Eng- 
 lijh with bis Wife and Daughter , &c. 
 
 Page 116 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Expedition to Pelelew Vlfit from Alba 
 *Thulle Launching of the Schooner 
 Prefents to the King Preparations for 
 Departure Captain Wilfon made a Ru- 
 pack Blanchard's Determination to Re- 
 main Propofalfor Lee Boo Returning 
 ivitb the Engli/h Other Proceedings 
 previous to Sailing. 150 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 General Defcription of the Tflands Pro- 
 ductions Natives Drefs Difpojitions 
 'Manners Religion Marriages 
 Cuftoms General Character Govern* 
 ment Precedency, &c. 205 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 Pa/Tags to Macao Proceed to Canton and 
 
 +JLJ _^ ^J 
 
 Embark for England Anecdotes of Lee 
 Boo His Diflrefs and Death. 239 
 
 NARRATIVE 
 

 * 
 
 I > 
 
 -' 
 
 3 
 
NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SHIT If RECK 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ANTELOPE 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 The Antelope fails from Macao Lid of the Crew 
 Diftrefs Struck on a Rock Landing Appear- 
 ance of Natives Interview and Tranfaftions between 
 them Particulars concerning Raa Cook, Arra Koo- 
 ker, &c. 
 
 APTAIN Henry Wilfon, of the 
 
 Antelope Packet, in the fervice 
 of the Britifh Eaft India Company, a- 
 bout 300 tons burthen, failed from 
 Macao, in China, on her paflage horne- 
 ard, on Sunday the 2Oth, July 1783. 
 
 A As 
 
2 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 As in the fequel of this narrative, there 
 will be oceafion to mention the names 
 of the ftup's company at times, the fol- 
 lowing lift of them may be ufefuL 
 
 Names. Stations. 
 
 Henry Wilfon, Commander. 
 
 Phillip Benger, Jince dead> Chief Mate. 
 
 Peter Barker, Second Mate. 
 
 John G^riin,\/J ::[ ! i Third Mate. 
 
 John S!*arp, Surgeon. 
 
 ^irtiikv^iijm-DlvL, : :\ """> Paffenger. 
 
 * 1 1 o * . eo. 
 
 T f ' "hi e . * u n ft 
 
 John Blanch, Gunner. 
 
 William Harvey, Eoatfwain. 
 
 John ^olk'nghorn, Carpenter. 
 
 John Meale, Cooper and Steward. 
 
 Richard Jenkins, Carpenter's Mate. 
 
 James Swift, Cook. 
 
 Richard Shsrp, Midihipman. 
 
 Henry Wil*on, Junr. Midfhipman, fan / 
 
 the Captain. 
 
 John Wedgebrough, Midihipman. 
 
 Robert White, Midfhipman. 
 
 Albert Pierfon, Quarter Mafter. 
 
 Godfrey Minks, fines dead. Quarter Mafter. 
 
 Thomas Dutton, Captain's Steward. 
 
 Thomas Rofe, a Portuguefe, Linguift. 
 
 , Matthias Wilfon, the. Captain's brother, Thomas 
 
 Wilfon, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. J. 
 
 Wilfon, (fines dead) Dedrick Windier, Zachariah Al- 
 len, John Cooper, James Bluitt, Thomas Callles, Wil- 
 liam Roberts, Nicholas Tyacke, William Stewart, Ma- 
 dan Eianchard, Thomas Whitfield, William Cobble- 
 dick, and James Duncan, Seamen. Befides thefe Cap- 
 tain Wilfon was allowed fixteen Chinefe, to keep the 
 fliip's complement of hands complete. 
 
 ON Monday the 21 ft they got clear 
 to fea, having difcharged the Pilot, 
 and taken leave of feveral gentlemen 
 who accompanied them a few leagues. 
 From the 23d July, to the 8th of Au- 
 guft, they had very flormy unfettlecl 
 weather, infomuch that their foretop- 
 maft fprung, and all their live cattle 
 died. On the gth the weather became 
 more moderatq ; fo that opening their 
 ports they dried the fhip, examined 
 their ftores and provifions, and pro- 
 ceeded cheerfully on their voyage, flat- 
 tering themfelves their diftrefs and 
 danger were now fairly paft; little jud- 
 ging, that the hard misfortunes they 
 
 A 2 were 
 
4 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 were about to undergo, 'were fo quick- 
 ly to overtake them. 
 
 Early on Sunday morning, the loth 
 of O6tober, a ftrong breeze fprung up, 
 attended with much rain, thunder and 
 lightning. Captain Wilfon had gone 
 to bed about twelve, and Mr Benger 
 the chief mate, commanded on deck. 
 While the feamen were bulled in reef- 
 ing the fails, the man on watch ex- 
 claimed, Breakers^ which he had fcarce 
 pronounced when the fhip ftruck. It 
 is not eafy to exprefs the confirmation 
 which enfued ; all who were in bed be- 
 low, were immediately on deck, en- 
 quiring the occafion of the noife and 
 confufion : too foon they learned their 
 difmal fituation ; in lefs than an hour 
 {he bulged, and filled with water up 
 to the lower deck hatchways. During 
 this fcene of horror and difmay, the 
 feamen eagerly befought the Captain 
 
 to 
 
THE ANTELOP 
 
 to direct them, and his orders would 
 be implicitly obeyed. 
 
 Captain Wilfon's firff orders were, 
 to fecure the gun-powder and fmall 
 arms, and to get on deck the bread, 
 and fuch other provifions as were liable 
 to be fpoiled by the water, and cover 
 them with tarpaulins, &c. to keep 
 them from the rain* As the fhip took 
 a heel in filling, there was fome reafon 
 to fear flie might overfet; to prevent 
 which, they cut away the mizen-mafU 
 the main and fore top-mafts, and low- 
 ered the fore and main-yards, to eafe- 
 her. The boats were then hoiftedout,. 
 and filled with provifions ; a compafs, 
 and fome fmall arms, with ammunition, 
 and two men, being put into each with 
 directions to keep them under the lee 
 of the fhip, and to be ready to receive 
 their fhip-niates, in cafe the veffel fliould 
 part by the violence of the wind and 
 
 A 3 waves- 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 waves, as it then blew an exceeding 
 ftrong gale. 
 
 Every thing being now done that 
 prudence could didlate in fo trying and 
 diftrefsful a fituation, the officers and 
 people affembled on the quarter deck, 
 that part being higheft out of the wa- 
 ter, and beft flickered from the rain 
 and fea by the quarter-boards; and 
 waited for day-light, in hopes of feeing 
 land, for as yet they had not been able 
 to difcern any. During this dreadful 
 interval, the anxiety and horror of 
 which is much eaiier to be imagined 
 than defcribed, Captain Wilfon endea- 
 voured to revive the drooping fpirits 
 of his crew, by reminding them, that 
 fhipwreck was a misfortune to which 
 navigators were always liable ; and that 
 although theirs was rendered more dif- 
 ficult and diftrefling by its happening 
 in an unknown and unfrequented fea, 
 
 yet 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 7 
 
 yet he wifhed to remind them that this 
 confideration fhould only roufe them 
 to greater activity, in endeavouring to 
 extricate themfelves : and, above all, 
 he begged leave to imprefs on their 
 minds this circumftance, that whene- 
 ver misfortunes, fuch as theirs, had hap- 
 pened, they had generally been ren- 
 dered much more dreadful than they 
 would otherwife have been, by the de- 
 fpair of the crew, and by their difa- 
 greement among themfelves. To pre- 
 vent which, he moil earneftly requeft- 
 ed each of them, feparately, not to tafte 
 any fpirituous liquor, on any account 
 whatever ; and he had the fatisfaction 
 to find a ready confent given to this 
 moft important advice. 
 
 We have been the more circumftan- 
 tial in our account of this part of their 
 tranfacflions, becaufe we think it di- 
 
 plays, in. a moft remarkable manner, 
 
 ' 
 
 *. 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 the prefence of mind which was pre- 
 ferved, and the prudence that was ex- 
 erted by Captain Wilibn in one of the 
 mod trying fituations to which human 
 nature can be expofed. It fliews al- 
 fo, in the mo ft inequivocal manner, 
 the temper and difpofition of his offi- 
 cers, and the whole crew, and pro- 
 nounces their eulogium with ten thou- 
 fand times the force of any words that 
 could be ufed. 
 
 As they were almoft worn out by the 
 exceffive labour they had undergone, 
 two glafTes of wine and fome bifcuit 
 were given to every man aboard, and 
 they waited for day-break with no lit- 
 tle impatience, in hope of difcovering 
 land. Meantime they endeavoured to 
 fupport each others ipirits as much as 
 poffible, and by the Captain's direction, 
 put on as many clothes as poflible to 
 carry with them, in the event of getting 
 
 fafe 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 the wreck ; and let it not be 
 forgotten, among many other remark- 
 able inftances that occurred, in the 
 courfe of this voyage, to the honour 
 of this crew, that the utmoft cordiali- 
 ty prevailed among them ; none at- 
 tempted in the hour of confafion, to 
 touch htfs neighbour's property, nor to 
 tafte \hzforbidden fpirits. 
 
 The dawn difcovered to their view 
 a fmall ifland, at the diftance of about 
 three or four leagues to che fouthward ; 
 and as the day-light increafed, they 
 faw more ifland s to the eaftward. They 
 now began to feel apprehenfions on ac- 
 count of the natives, to whofe difpofi- 
 tions they were perfect ftrangers : how- 
 ever, after manning the boats, and 
 loading them in the beft manner they 
 were able for the general good, they 
 were difpatched to the fmall ifland, 
 under the direction of Mr Benger, the 
 
 chief 
 
10 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 chief mate, who was earneftly requeft- 
 ed to eftabliih, if poffible, a friendly 
 intercourfe with the natives, if they 
 found any, and carefully to avoid all 
 difagreement with them, unlefs reducd 
 to it by the moft urgent neceffity. As 
 foon as the boats were gone, thofe who 
 were left in the fhip began to get the 
 booms over board, and to make a raft 
 for their fecurity, if the {hip fhoulcl go 
 to pieces, which was hourly expecled : 
 at the fame time they were under the 
 moft painful apprehenfions for the fafe- 
 ty of the boats, on which all depended ; 
 not only on account of the natives, but 
 with regard to the weather alfo, as it 
 continued to blow very hard. But in 
 the afternoon they were relieved from 
 their fears on this head, by the return 
 of the boats, with the welcome news 
 of their having landed the ftores in 
 fafety, and left five men to take care 
 
 of 
 
THE ANTELOPE. II 
 
 of them ; and that there was no appear- 
 ance of inhabitants being on the ifland 
 where they landed: that they had found 
 a fecure harbour, well flickered from 
 the weather, and alfo fome frefh wa- 
 ter. This good account revived them, 
 and they proceeded in completing their 
 raft with frefh vigour, having got ano- 
 ther glafs of wine with bifcuit. A ve- 
 ry diftreffing accident however, hap- 
 pened this day ; the mizen-maft being 
 found near the fhips flern, and part of 
 the rigging entangled with the mizen 
 chains, Godfrey Minks was employed 
 to clear it, and wailfc he was doing it, 
 unluckily flipped overboard : the boats 
 were immediately fent to his affiitance, 
 but without efFed. 
 
 Having finifhed the raft, they load- 
 ed it together with the jolly boat and 
 pinnace, with as many ftores and pro- 
 vifions as they could bear, confidently 
 
 with 
 
12 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 with the fafety of the people who were 
 to be in them. And as the day was ad- 
 vancing, the Captain fummoned all the 
 people aboard ; indeed, fo bulily were 
 they employed in bringing as much 
 as pomble with them, it coft fome 
 pains to get them all colledled. Their 
 feelings on quitting the Antelope, go- 
 ing they knew not whither, were of 
 the mod diftreffing nature. The ftout- 
 eft of the hands were put aboard the 
 pinnace, which took the raft in tow 
 and moved flowly on, till they had 
 cleared the reef; while the jolly boat, 
 which was of little fervice to the raft, 
 proceeded alone to the more, and join- 
 ed their companions that had been left 
 in the morning. They found a tent 
 ready for their reception, and a fpot of 
 ground cleared for the ftores &c. 
 
 The fituation of thofe aboard the 
 pinnace and the raft, till they cleared 
 
 the 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 13 
 
 the reef, was terrible indeed. The 
 great fwelling of the fea was fuch, that 
 they repeatedly loft fight of each other, 
 and thofe on the raft were obliged to 
 tie themfelves to the planks with ropes 
 to prevent their being wafhed off; 
 whilft the horror of the fcene was in- 
 creafed by the fcreams of the Chinefe, 
 who were not accuftomed to the perils 
 of the deep. 
 
 When they had fairly cleared the 
 reef, they got into deep fmooth water, 
 in the channel running between the 
 reef and the i (lands ; but on approach- 
 ing the land, they found a very ftrong 
 current which drove them confiderably 
 to leeward. They foon found they 
 could not refift its impetuofity, and 
 therefore having brought the raft to a 
 grapnel, all the hands got aboard the 
 pinnace, to relieve the rowers. Mean. 
 hile, the cargo of the jolly boat being 
 
 B unladen, 
 
14 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 unladen, Captain Wilfon, was return- 
 ing in her, to affift thofe aboard the 
 pinnace. The night was by this time 
 dark, and the Captain overhearing them 
 at a diftance, hailed them. Thofe a- 
 board the pinnace, overjoyed at the 
 near profpeft of relief, returned the 
 haloo, in a manner fo unufual, that 
 Captain Wilfon immediately conclud- 
 ed they were natives. He was the rea- 
 dier to form this idea, as he had juft 
 learned from thofe on fhore, that from 
 various circumftances they had reafon 
 to conclude, there had been natives on 
 that fpot very lately ; he therefore re- 
 treated to fhore with the utmoft preci- 
 pitation. Happily, however, they were 
 foon relieved by the arrival of the pin- 
 nace, when all the company {hook hands 
 together, (need it be added,) with great 
 cordiality. They fupped on cheefe, bif- 
 cuit and water, and having lighted a 
 
 match 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 atch by the difcharge of a piftol, they 
 kindled a fire in the cove, by which 
 they dried their clothes and warmed 
 themfelves. The night proved very 
 uncomfortable as the weather was ex- 
 ceedingly tempeftuous, while the fear 
 of the fhip going to pieces, before they 
 could fave fuch things as they needed, 
 not a little heightened their diftrefs. 
 Left they fhould be furprifed by the 
 natives, they fet a watch and flept on 
 the ground by turns. 
 
 Next forenoon, (Monday the nth) 
 proved very ftormy, they attempted to 
 bring off the raft in vain, and were 
 obliged to leave it, bringing with them 
 the fails and remainder of the provili- 
 ons. 
 
 In the afternoon, the weather was 
 more moderate and the boats were diC- 
 patched to the fhip to bring off what 
 they could ; while thofe on more were 
 
 B 2 employed 
 
l6 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 employed in brufhing up the fmall 
 arms. 
 
 The evening fet in very fqually, and 
 as the boats did not return from the 
 ihip till about ten o'clock, thofe on 
 fhore were not a little alarmed about 
 them ; nor were they much eafier, when 
 on their return they learned, that the 
 vefTel was in fuch a fituation, as made 
 it exceedingly probable fhe could not 
 hold together till morning. When we 
 confider their fituation on this infor- 
 mation, it mull be granted, that the 
 viciffitudes of human life, have feldom 
 produced a coincidence of circumftan- 
 ces more peculiarly diftrefling. The 
 only hope they had, of yet floating and 
 repairing the veflel, fo as to return to 
 China, now to all appearance, imprac- 
 ticable ignorant where they were, or 
 among whom feparated not only from 
 wives, children and home, but from 
 
 all 
 
THE ANTELOPE. IJ 
 
 all mankind, except perhaps a race of 
 favages, as they naturally fuppofed - 
 without any profpecl of relief and at 
 the fame time fhivering under a ftorm 
 flill more tempefluous than the former 
 night, altogether brings to view a fitn- 
 ation, which none can think of, even 
 at this diflance of time, without com- 
 miferating.. 
 
 In the morning it blew exceedingly 
 ftrong, fo that the boats could not go 
 off to the wreck : the men therefore 
 employed themfelves in. drying their 
 provifions, and forming better tents,, 
 from the materials which they had 
 brought from the {hip the day before* 
 About eight o'clock in the morning., 
 the people being employed as above,, 
 and in clearing the ground from the- 
 wood which was behind the tents 5 , 
 Captain Wilfon with Tom Rofe, a Ma*- 
 y, whom they had taken on board at 
 
 B 3, MacaOy 
 
l8 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Macao, being on the beach, colle&ing 
 the frefh water which dropped from 
 the rocks, faw two canoes, with men 
 in them, coming round the point into 
 the bay. This gave fuch alarm, that 
 the people all ran to their arms ; how- 
 ever, as there were but few of the na- 
 tives, Captain Wilfon defired them 
 to keep out of fight, until they fliould 
 perceive what reception he met with, 
 but to be prepared for the worft. They 
 foon perceived that the natives had feen 
 the Captain and Tom Rofe, for they 
 converfed together, and kept their eyes 
 ftedfaftly fixed on that part of the more 
 'where the Englifh were. The natives 
 advanced very cautioufly toward them, 
 and when they came near enough to be 
 heard, the Captain diredled Hofe to 
 dTpeak to them in his own language ; 
 which they at firft did not feem to un- 
 -derftand; but they flopped their ca- 
 noes, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 1 9 
 
 noes, and foon after one of them afked, 
 in the Malay tongue, who our people 
 were, and whether they were friends 
 or enemies ? Rofe was directed to re- 
 ply, that they were Englifhmen, who 
 had loft their fhip on the reef, but had 
 faved their lives, and were friends. On 
 this they feemed to confer together for 
 a fliort time, and then ftepped out of 
 the canoes into the water, and went 
 toward the fhore. Captain Wilfon iii- 
 ftantly waded into the water to meet 
 them, and embracing them in the mod 
 friendly manner, led them to the fhore, 
 and prefented them to his officers, and 
 unfortunate companions. They were 
 eight in number, two of whom, it was 
 afterwards known, were brothers to the 
 Rupack, or King, of the neighbouring 
 iflands, and one was a Malay, who had 
 been fhipwrecked in a veflel belonging 
 to a Chinefe, refident on the ifland of 
 
 Ternate, 
 
20 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Ternate, one of the fame group of 
 iflands ; he had been kindly treated by 
 the King, who, he faid, was a good 
 man; and that his people alfo were cour- 
 teous. He told them farther, that a ca- 
 noe having been out fi filing, had feen 
 the {hip's marl; and that the King, being 
 informed of it, fent off thefe two canoes 
 at four o'clock that morning, to fee 
 what was become of the people who 
 had belonged to her ; and they know- 
 ing of the harbour which the Englilh- 
 men were in, had come direftly thither- 
 Being about breakfafl hour, Captain 
 Wilfon, Tom Rofe and only -a few o- 
 thers breakfafted with them; and in 
 the courfe of their fhort converfation, 
 a-'wifli was hinted to be informed, by 
 what means the Malay they had brought 
 with them, had reached their iflands. 
 The Malay, who could indiilindly 
 hammer out a few featences both of 
 
 Dutch 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 21 
 
 Dutch and Englilli, informed them, 
 that he had formerly commanded a 
 Chinefe trading veflTel, and about ten 
 months fince, on a voyage to Arnboy- 
 na, had been caft away on a neigh- 
 bouring ifland, from whence he had 
 come to Pelew ; this account they after- 
 wards found reafon to believe was not 
 juft. The Malay alfo mentioned, that 
 one of the Pelew flfhing canoes, had 
 obferved the wreck, and in confe- 
 quence, thefe two canoes had been di- 
 patched to fuccour the mariners if 
 found. They difliked tea, but relimed 
 the bifcuits very much ; and in a ftiort 
 time- grew very familiar and happy 
 with us. After breakfaft Captain Wil- 
 fon introduced them to feveral of his 
 officers, and acquainted them with our 
 mode of welcoming, by making hands, 
 a cuftom which they never afterwards 
 omitted on meeting any of the Englifh. 
 
 The 
 
22 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 The natives were of a moderate fize, 
 but admirably proportioned and very 
 mufcular; their hair was long and black, 
 rolled up in a peculiarly neat manner 
 clofe to their heads ; except the young- 
 er of the King's two fons, none of them 
 had beards ; they in general plucked 
 out the hairs by the roots; and it was 
 remarkable, that when they afterwards 
 examined the perfons of the Engliih- 
 men, they difjovered not a little fur- 
 prife that they could fuffer hair to grow 
 on their breads. They were perfectly 
 naked, and their {kin of a deep copper 
 colour ; only their thighs appeared 
 much darker, from being tatooed very 
 clofely. They ufed cocoa-oil, rubbing 
 it on their fkins, which gave them a 
 mining appearance and very foft. The 
 chief carried in his hand, a baiket of 
 beetle-nut, and a very neat bamboo, 
 which contained what they called their 
 
 cblnam ; 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 23 
 
 cbinam ; this is coral burnt to a lime, 
 with which they fprinkle the leaf of 
 the beetle-nut and then chew it ; this 
 makes their faliva red, which appear- 
 ing betwixt their jet black teeth, oc- 
 cafions a very difagreeable contraft. 
 They were conducted round the cove, 
 and to the great furprife of the Eng- 
 lifh, walked on broken rock, {hells 
 and thorny plants with the greateft 
 eafe. They were now enabled to fup- 
 port a mutual converfation, by means 
 of the Malay-man^ on the part of the 
 natives, and Tom Rofe on that of 
 the Englilh, and thus had an oppor- 
 tunity of examining one another as to 
 the different appearances which occafi- 
 oned mutual furprife. From this firft 
 interval, as well as what happened af- 
 terwards, it was evident, the natives 
 had never before feen a white man, 
 and were ignorant of the exiflence of 
 
 any 
 
24 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 any fuch ; the natural furprife at fee- 
 ing them may therefore be conceived. 
 The appearance of cloaths was quite 
 new ; indeed, they were at firfh at a 
 l-o fs to determine, whether die man and 
 his drefs were not of the fame fubftance. 
 One of their ideas was exceedingly na- 
 tural, on obferving the white ikiii in- 
 termixed with the blue veins, they fup 
 pofed the latter to be the effe<5ts of ta- 
 tooing. But nothing afforded them 
 greater furprife than the fight of two 
 dogs belonging to the fhip, which im- 
 mediately on their approach, fct up a 
 loud bark to the great delight of the 
 natives, who anfwered them in a fhout 
 almoft as violent; in thefe animals, they 
 took great delight, as, except a few 
 grey rats, there are no quadrupeds on 
 the iiland. Captain Wilfon was exceed- 
 ingly anxious to keep them ignorant 
 of the nature and ufe of fire-arms ; but 
 
 one 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 25 
 
 one of them accidentally picking up a 
 fmall leaden bullet, furprifed at its 
 weight, examined the Malay about it, 
 who requeftecl one of our mufquets, to 
 explain it by, to him. They feemed 
 very defirous that one of the Englifh 
 fhould go with them in their canoes to 
 their King, that he might fee what 
 fort of people they were. Every one 
 agreed that it would be right for fome 
 perfon to go ; but as difficulties arofe 
 concerning who the perfon fhould be, 
 the Captain requefted his brother, Mr 
 Matthias Wilfon, who readily confent- 
 ed ; and about noon one of the canoes 
 left the harbour, having Mr WiKbn 
 with them : the other canoe, withfour 
 perfons, among whom was Raa Koofc, 
 the elder of the King's brothers, and 
 who was alfo General of his armies, 
 remained with our people, cv their 
 own accord, until the canoe return- 
 
 C turned 
 
26 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ed with Mr Wilfon. The Captain di- 
 redted his brother to acquaint the King 
 who they were ; te relate to him, as 
 well as he could, the nature of their 
 misfortune ; to folicit his friendfliip 
 and protection, and permiffion to build 
 a veflel to carry them back to their own 
 country. He alfo fent a prefent by him 
 to the King, of a fmall remnant of blue 
 broad cloath, a canifter of tea, another 
 of fugar-candy, and a jar of ruik : the 
 laft article was added at the particular 
 requeft of the King's two brothers. 
 
 Thofe who remained behind, obfer- 
 ving that our people had much trouble 
 to procure the frefh water which they 
 had occafion for, conducted them acrofs 
 a narrow part of the ifland, where it 
 was more plentiful ; and the road to it 
 being rugged and difficult, they car- 
 ried Mr Sharp, a youth of about fifteen 
 years of age, who was fent on this du- 
 ty* 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 2J 
 
 ty, over the mod difficult parts, in 
 their arms ; and were very careful alfo 
 in aflifting the men, in thofe places, 
 who brought two jars of water from 
 the well. 
 
 The weather remained as bad as ever 
 all the next night ; but grew better in 
 the morning ; and about 10 o'clock one 
 of the boats went to the wreck. When 
 hey got there, they found that fome 
 of the natives had been on board ; and 
 
 that they had carried off fome iron- 
 
 J 
 
 work, and other things ; and in parti- 
 cular, that they had rummaged the 
 
 J 
 
 medicine-cbeft, and tailed feveral of 
 the medicines, w^hich being probably 
 not very palatable, they had thrown 
 out the contents, and carried off the 
 bottles. This circumftance was made 
 known to Raa Kook by the Captain, 
 not fo much by way of complaint, as 
 to exprefs his uneafinefs for the confe- 
 
 C 2 quences 
 
0,8 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 \ 
 
 quences which might arife to the na- 
 tives from their having tafted, or per- 
 haps drank, fuch a variety of medicines. 
 Raa Kook's countenance fully clefcribed 
 the indignation he felt at the treache- 
 rous behaviour of his countrymen ; de- 
 iiring that if they caught any of them 
 attempting again to plunder the vefTel, 
 they would kill them, and he would 
 juftify the Englim to his brother for 
 having done fo : and he begged that 
 Captain Wilfon would entertain no un- 
 eafinefs whatever on account of what 
 the plunderers might fuffer, becaufe it 
 would be entirely owing to their own 
 inifconducl. 
 
 The fame evening, Captain Wilfon 
 made a propoiition to his officers, the 
 boldnefs and wiklom of which, and 
 the refolution manifefted in its execu- 
 tion, refledl the higheft honour on him 
 and them, while the unanimity and 
 
 cheerfulnefs 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 29 
 
 cheerfulnefs difplayed by the crew in 
 acceding to it, equally redound to their 
 credit. Every one who knows any 
 thing of feamen, knows that their grog 
 " is the folacje and joy of their lives ;' ! 
 that their grog foftens all their hard- 
 fhips, and caufes even the horrors of 
 war to pals by them unfelt ; that there 
 is no undertaking fo dangerous, or fo 
 defperate, that they will not mod rea- 
 dily attempt for it, nor fcarcely a com- 
 fort in life that they will not forego ra- 
 ther than reiinquifh it. Yet Captain 
 Wilfon finding them rather ncify when 
 they returned from the wreck, (owing 
 to a little flrong liquor which the ofli- 
 cer who was then on duty had given 
 them, and which coming after long 
 toil, and on an empty ftomach, had 
 operated powerfully, rather from thefe 
 
 \ 
 
 circumftances than from the quantity 
 which they had drank), it alarmed him 
 
 C 3 fo 
 
30 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 fo much, that he fubmitted to his offi- 
 cers the propriety of Having (with the 
 confent of the people) every cafk of li- 
 quor which was in the ihip. He knew 
 it was too bold a ftep to be taken wi- 
 thout their confent, and was fully a- 
 ware of the difficulty of obtaining it ; 
 but he trufted to the regard which they 
 had for him, and his influence over 
 them ; and he intended to make the 
 people themfelves the executioners of 
 his purpofe, while they were yet warm 
 with the project. He had the fatisfac- 
 tion to find that his officers immediate- 
 ly acquiefced, and the next morning 
 lie called all the crew together, and 
 told them he had fomething to propofe, 
 in which their future welfare, nay, 
 perhaps, their prefervation, was moft 
 materially involved. He then fubmit- 
 ted to their judgment the rneafure on 
 which he and his officers had delibera- 
 ted 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 3! 
 
 ted the evening before ; urged the pro- 
 priety of it in the moft forcible terms, 
 as a ftep which would belt authorife 
 the hope of deliverance from their pre- 
 fent fituation, and of feeing once more 
 their own country, and thofe who were 
 
 dear to them ; and he added, that 
 
 however relu(flantly they might yield 
 to the propofition, yet they could not 
 but be fatisiied that the underftanding 
 of every individual amongft them muft, 
 on reflection, perceive that it was a mea- 
 fure abfolutely necefiary to be adopted. 
 The moment he concluded, all the fail- 
 ors, with the ut moft unanimity, and 
 to their lading honour as men, replied, 
 that however they might fuffer from 
 being deprived of their accuftomed re- 
 cruit of liquor, yet being fenfible, that 
 having eafy accefs to it, they might not 
 at all times ufe it with difcretion, they 
 ave their full afleut to the Captain's 
 
 propofal ; 
 
32 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 propofal ; and added, that they were 
 ready to go diredlly to the thip, and 
 (lave every cafk of liquor on board. 
 This they moft confciencioufly perform- 
 ed ; and fo fcrupulouflydid they execute 
 their truft, that there was not a fingle 
 man among them who would take even 
 a farewel glafs of his beloved cordial. 
 
 During the ab fence of Matthias Wil- 
 fon, they had an opportunity of getting 
 more intimately acquainted with Raa 
 Kook, whom they found a moft ami- 
 able character indeed. Obfeirving a 
 piece of polifKed bone around his wrift, 
 they took occafion to enquiie into the 
 meaning of it. He informed them, it 
 was a mark of great diftinclion, con- 
 ferred only on the Blood Royal, and 
 principal officers of (late ; and that he 
 enjoyed it as being the King's brother 
 and commander in chief of the forces 
 both by fea and land. Raa Kook's 
 
 friendship 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 33 
 
 friendfhip was therefore cultivated with 
 all imaginable aillduity, and he in re- 
 turn thow^d himfelf attached to them 
 by a mod attentive politenefs ; he imi- 
 tated them in all their a&ions, and on 
 every occafion (hewed them how high 
 an opinion he had formed of them. 
 The Malay on his firft arrival had re- 
 qu-fted the ufe of fotne cl bathing which 
 was readily granted, and an uniform 
 coat with trowiers were at fame time 
 given to Raa Kook, who put them on, 
 but foon wearied of them, as he found 
 them cumberiome. He examined into 
 the moft minute acfkion, and was at no 
 little pains to learn from the cook, the 
 method of blowing up the fire with a 
 bellows. 
 
 In the morning of the 24th, two ca- 
 
 noes arrived, in which were Arra Koo- 
 ker, the King's other brother, and one of 
 the King's fons* They informed Capt. 
 
 W. 
 
34 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 W. that his brother wason his wayback; 
 but that the canoe in which he was, 
 could not make fo much fpeed againft 
 the wind as theirs, which occafioned t he 
 delay. The King by their means, offer- 
 ed them a hearty welcome '_> his territo- 
 ries, and affured Uiem of his friendihip 
 and prote&ion ; he aiio defired them to 
 build a veflel in any part of the illand 
 they inclined, and that he and his fub- 
 je&s would willingly afford them every 
 afliftance in their power. Raa Kook 
 then took his nephew and introduced 
 him particularly to the Captain and his 
 officers, and conducted him round the 
 cove, explained every thing agreeable 
 to the intormarion he himfelf had juft 
 received,- and feemed mightily pleafed 
 with his friend's aftoniihment. This 
 young man was very wtll made, but 
 had a flit in his nofe, probably the 
 confequence of a wound in battle. 
 
 In 
 
(THE ANTELOPE. 35 
 
 [n the forenoon two boats were dif- 
 :ched to the wreck. They found a 
 number of the natives in about 20 ca- 
 iioes bailed in examining the veffel ; 
 thefe Raa Kook foon difpatched, and 
 on this as well as every occafion did e- 
 very thing in his power to convince 
 the Englifti of his protection and friend- 
 hdp. 
 
 Meantime the people we r *e highly en- 
 ertained with Arra Kooker, who pro- 
 ed to be a moft facetious entertaining 
 an ; pofTefling uncommon talents for 
 mimickry and humour ; he defcribed 
 by many diverting figns the terror of 
 Matthias Wilfon while at Pelew ; in- 
 deed he had been under very great ap- 
 rehenfion ; but they were all revived 
 ith his appearance, and the account 
 e gave them of his embafly, in near- 
 y the following words : 
 On the approach of the canoe in 
 
 which 
 
36 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 which I went to the ifland where the 
 King, lives, a vaft concourfe of the na- 
 tives ran out of their lioufes to fee me 
 come on fhore. The King's brother took 
 me by the hand, and led me up to the 
 town, where a mat was fpread for me, 
 on a fquare pavement, and I was direc- 
 ted to fit down on it. In a little time 
 the King appeared, and being pointed 
 out to me by his brother, I rofe and 
 made my obeifance after the manner of 
 Eaftern nations, by lifting my hands to 
 my head, and bending my body for- 
 ward ; but he did not feem to pay any 
 attention to it. I then offered him the 
 prefents which my brother had fent by 
 me, and he received them in a very 
 gracious manner. His brother now 
 talked a great deal to him, the purport 
 of which, as I conceived, was to ac- 
 quaint him with our difafter, and the 
 number of us ; after which the King 
 
 ate 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 37 
 
 ate fome of the fugar-candy, feemed to 
 relifh it, and dillributed a little of it 
 to feveral of his chiefs, and then direc- 
 ted all the things to be carried to his 
 own houfe. This being done, he or- 
 dered refrefhments to be brought for 
 me : the firft confided of a cocoa-nut 
 fhell of warm water, fweetened with 
 molafTes : after tafting it, he direded 
 a little boy, who was near him, to 
 climb a cocoa-nut tree, and gather fome 
 frefh nuts; he cleared one of them from 
 the hufk, and after tafting the milk of 
 it, bad the boy prefent it to me, making 
 figns for me to drink the milk, and 
 then return the nut to him ; and when 
 I had done fo, he broke the ihell in 
 two, ate a little of the meat, and then 
 returned it to me to eat the reft. A 
 great crowd of the natives had by this 
 time furrounded me, who were curi- 
 ous and eager to examine my clothes 
 
 D a; 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 and perfon ; but as it began to be dark, 
 the King, his brother, myfelf, and fe- 
 veral others, retired into a large houfe, 
 where fupper was brought in, confi fl- 
 ing of yams boiled whole, and others 
 boiled and beaten together, as we fome- 
 times do potatoes ; there were likewife 
 feme {hell fifh, but I could not deter- 
 mine what they were. After fupper I 
 was conducted to another houfe, at 
 fome di fiance from the firft, by a fe- 
 male. Here I found at lead forty or 
 fifty men and women ; and figns were 
 made for me to fit or lie down on a 
 mat, which feemed fpread on purpofe 
 for me to fleep on : and after all the 
 company had iatisfied themfelves with 
 viewing me, they went to fkep, and I 
 laid myfelf down on the mat, and refl- 
 ed my head on a log, which thefe peo- 
 ple ufe as a pillow, and drew another 
 mat, which alfo feemed laid for the 
 
 . purpofe, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 39 
 
 purpofe, over me. I was unable even 
 to {lumber, but lay perfectly flill ; and 
 fome confiderable time after, when all 
 was quiet, about eight men arofe, and 
 made two great fires at each end of the 
 houfe, which was not divided by par- 
 titions, but formed one large habita- 
 tion. This operation of theirs, I con- 
 fefs alarmed me very much indeed ! I 
 thought of nothing lefs, than that they 
 were going to roaft me, and that they 
 had only laid themfelves down, that I 
 might drop afleep, for them to difpatch 
 me in that fituation. However, as 
 there was no poflibility of efcaping the 
 mifchief, if any were intended, I col- 
 lected all my fortitude, and recom- 
 mended myfelf to the Supreme Difpo- 
 fer of all events. I lay flill, expecting 
 every moment to meet my fate ; but, 
 to my great furprife, after fitting a 
 while to warm themfelves, I perceived 
 
 D 2 that 
 
40 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 that they all retired again to their mats, 
 and ftirred no more till day-light. I 
 then got tip, and walked about, fur- 
 rounded by great numbers of men, 
 women, and children ; and, in a little 
 time, was joined by the King's bro- 
 ther, who took me to feveral houfes, 
 in every one of which I was entertain- 
 ed with yams, cocoa-nuts, and fweet- 
 meats. I was afterwards conducted to 
 the King, to whom I fignified, by figns, 
 that I wifhed much to return to my 
 brother: he underftood me perfectly, 
 and explained to me, by figns alfo, that 
 the canoes could not go out, on account 
 of the great wind. I fpent the remain- 
 der of the day in walking about the 
 ifland, and obferving its produce, which 
 confided chiefly of yams and cocoa- 
 nuts : the former they cultivate with 
 great care, in large plantations, which 
 are all in fwampy watery ground, fuch 
 
 as 
 
THE 
 
 as the rice grows in, in India. The co- 
 coa-nuts grow chiefly about their hou- 
 fes, as does alfo the beetle-nut, which 
 they chew as tobacco." 
 
 The favourable account which Mr 
 Wilfon brought, joined to the mefTage 
 the King had fent to the Captain by 
 his brother and fon, put all our people 
 into great fpirits ; fo that they appli- 
 ed to their feveral avocations with re- 
 doubled vigour, and particularly to 
 getting every thing they could from 
 the wreck. 
 
 The number of the viiitants increa- 
 fing very faft, Captain Wilfon juJged 
 it prudent to fet a watch, their guefts 
 being previouily apprifeci, leu die turn- 
 ing out fuddenly under arms fhoukl 
 occafion an alar /a. Captain Wilfon 
 had kept all hU crew under a regular, 
 courfe of exercife, fo that they were 
 very expert in handling their mufquets, 
 
 D 3 to 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 to the no fmall furprife of Raa Kook 
 and the natives, who were thus impret- 
 fed with a very favourable opinion of 
 the power and abilities of their vifitants. 
 Arra Kooker, as has been already hin- 
 ted, was a mod extraordinary charac- 
 ter ; he pofTefTed expreffive features, 
 that conveyed his meaning, though to- 
 tally ignorant of his expreffions. He 
 was a man apparently about forty years 
 of age ; quite plump or rather round j 
 he attempted at one time to wear trow- 
 fers, but found them very difagree- 
 able ; but was remarkably fond of a 
 white linen fhirt. One of the dogs was 
 his great favourite, and whenever he 
 approached him, the animal leaped and 
 friiked about with every demonftration 
 of joy. His talents for mimickry were 
 fo great that he foon difcovered many 
 fingxilarities about the ftrangers, where- 
 
 by 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 43 
 
 by they were diftinguiihable from one 
 
 another, and kept them all in fpirits. 
 Thus, by the kindnefs of Providence 
 were thefe unhappy men, brought from 
 a ftate of the greateft diftrefs, to a fitu- 
 ation at lead tolerable ; indeed, had it 
 not been for the dread of not accom- 
 pliftiing the building of another veflel 
 to carry them to China, and thus being 
 for ever deprived, in all human proba- 
 bility, of feeing their friends, their fa- 
 milies, and country, they might have 
 ipent their time very comfortably, 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 The King Vifits them Reception and Behaviour Ex- 
 amines every thing, and is pleafed Farther Proceed- 
 ings. 
 
 ON the ijth, the Englifh were in- 
 formed that the King was coming ; and 
 foou after they faw a great number of 
 
 canoes 
 
44 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 canoes turning the point which, formed 
 the harbour ; but the King flopped as 
 foon as he got within the bay, and di~ 
 redled one fquadron of the canoes, 
 which were all armed, to retire to 
 the back of the iiland ; thinking, 
 probably, that fo great a number of 
 armed people would create an alarm a- 
 mong the ftrangers. He then came 
 forward with the reft, in great form, 
 and with much parade, as far as the 
 tide, which was then low, would per- 
 mit them ; and it was lignified to Cap- 
 tain Wilfon, by the King's brothers, 
 that he ihould then go and meet him. 
 Accordingly two of his own people 
 took him on their moulders, and car- 
 ried him through the water to the 
 King's canoe, which he was requefted 
 to enter ; and he and the King, whofe 
 name was Abba Thulle, embraced one 
 another. The Captain then related the 
 
 nature 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 45 
 
 nature of their misfortune to Abba 
 Thulle, by means of the two Malays, 
 and repeated his requeft to be permit- 
 ted to build a veflel to carry them 
 home ; and the King again gave his 
 permiffion for them to build it, either 
 where they were, or at the ifland where 
 he refided ; but recommended the lat- 
 ter, adding, that the iiland on which 
 they had landed was unhealthy, which 
 was the reafon it was not inhabited ; 
 and that he apprehended they would 
 be ill when another wind began to 
 blow. The Captain informed him, 
 that they had a perfon with them whofe 
 bufinefs it was to cure difoafes ; and 
 that it would be very inconvenient to 
 them if they removed farther from the 
 wreck of their veffel, becaufe they 
 could not then procure from her fuch 
 things as they might want, without 
 much trouble and lofs of time. To 
 
 thefe 
 
46 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 thefe reafons the King affented ; and 
 making figns that he wiflied to land, 
 the Captain was carried on (here by his 
 people, and Abba Thulle, flepping in- 
 to the water, followed him. On his 
 landing, he looked about him with a 
 good deal of apparent fufpicion, which 
 however was foon removed. Raa Kook 
 made up to him, and a fail being fpread 
 for him agreeable to their practice, the 
 chiefs of his company fat alfo down 
 forming a fquare ; and his other atten- 
 dants, to the amount of about 300 in- 
 clofed them in a circle, fquatting down 
 at fame time in fuch a pofition as that 
 they could rife in a twinkling. Captain 
 Wilfon made him a prefent, of a piece 
 of cloth and fome ribbons, which feem- 
 ed to pleafe him very much. He was 
 quite naked, as well as his brothers, 
 and without any bone on his wrift, or 
 other ornament; he carried a hatchet 
 
 of 
 
THE ANTEJLOPE. 47 
 
 of Iron on his fhoulder, which was fo 
 adapted to it, that it gave him no in- 
 convenience. 
 
 Abba Thulle, the King, was intro- 
 duced by Captain Wilfon to the offi- 
 cers and all his men, and upon being 
 told that Mr Benger was fecond in 
 command, he defigned him the Kick- 
 Gray Rupack, fuppofing Captain Wilfon 
 to be the King of fome country; but 
 when he was made to underftand, that 
 he belonged to a mighty Sovereign, and 
 that he was only his Captain^ he readi- 
 ly got hold of the word Captain^ by 
 which name he conftantly faluted him 
 afterwards, and Mr Benger, Kickaray 
 Captain. The King then enquired for 
 Captain Wilfon's badge of fupremacy, 
 which put him to a ftand ; luckily Mr 
 Benger flipped his ring into his hand, 
 which being produced, and the manner 
 of wearing it fhewn, pleafed Abba 
 
 Thulle 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Thulle not a little, as it carried fome 
 affinity to their ornament of the bone, 
 
 Raa Kook, having as before-menti- 
 oned, examined every thing belonging 
 to the Englilh, very minutely, took 
 much pains in pointing them out to 
 the King ; they went through the tents, 
 in which every thing furprifed them ; 
 nor did the difference between the Chi- 
 nefe and Englilh efcape their notice. 
 Raa Kook at fame time gave his bro- 
 ther to under (land, that there were ma- 
 ny different nations and clafles of man- 
 kind on the earth ; who were frequent- 
 ly at war with one another, as he of- 
 ten was with his neighbouring Ifland- 
 ers. Abba Thulle appeared to defpife 
 the Chinefe exceedingly becaufe they 
 had no mufquets. 
 
 But nothing feemed to ftrike Abba 
 Thulle with more aftoniihment than 
 the fire-arms, with whl~h Kv.i Kook 
 
 endeavoured 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 endeavoured to make him acquainted. 
 He exprefTed much anxiety to fee them 
 ufed, which Captain Wilfon ordered 
 immediately to be done. He defired 
 Mr Benger to caufe the failors go thro* 
 their exercife ranked up on the fea 
 beach, being then low water, while he 
 explained their motions to the King. 
 The men went through various evolu- 
 tions, with great readinefs, marching 
 backwards and forwards, and concluded 
 with three vollies. The aftonifliment 
 and furprife of the natives on hearing 
 the report of the mufquet.s is not eafily 
 conceived ; indeed, their Looting and 
 hallooing made a iioife little inferior to 
 it. Captain Wilfon judged it expedi- 
 ent to be guilty of a little profufion of 
 their powder, on this occafion, in or- 
 der to imprefs the minds of the natives, 
 with a more enlarged idea of the pow- 
 er of the Engliih ; a defign which was 
 
 E fully 
 
50 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 fully anfwered by it. But ftill further 
 to fhew them the effedts of their fire- 
 arms, Mr Benger ordered one of the 
 live doves which they had, to be let 
 loofe, at which he fired and immedi- 
 ately brought it down, with a leg and 
 wing broken. This furpaffed every 
 thing in their eftimation ; indeed, they 
 now feemed to have loft themfelves in 
 wonder and amazement. 
 
 Raa Kook was by this time pretty 
 well acquainted with any articles the 
 Englifh had about them, which he took 
 great pains in pointing out to the King, 
 his brother ; thofe that feemed princi- 
 pally to draw their notice, were, a 
 Grinding- Stone, which they turned 
 round with great fatisfadlion, obfer- 
 ving the effect of it upon pieces of 
 ; they alfo examined the tents, 
 the few culinary articles the Eng- 
 liili had. But the dogs were the great- 
 eft 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 51 
 
 eft fund of entertainment to them ; 
 with whofe barking they were fo much 
 delighted, that they kept a continual 
 uptoar with them, and it was found 
 neceffary to confine them. The King 
 alfo examined the Englifh as to their 
 provifions, and got a piece of ham and 
 a live goofe. 
 
 Abba Thulle was vaftly pleafed with 
 what he had feen, and propofed going 
 away. This was notified to his attend- 
 ants by a loud fliriek from one of his 
 officers, which gave not a little alarm 
 to the Engliih ; it was inftantaneoufly 
 obeyed ; the whole rufhing to their ca- 
 iioes with great alacrity, and the King 
 with the greater part of the natives 
 took leave of them. 
 
 Raa Kook remained with the Eng- 
 lifh all night, as did the King's foil 
 and a few of their attendants ; Captain 
 Wilfon ordered two tents to be pitch- 
 
 E 2 ed, 
 
52 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ed, one for the principal people, and 
 -the other for the commonalty. He con- 
 tinued himfelf with Raa Kook and his 
 party, after the guard was fet for foine 
 hours. The natives in the diilant tent 
 anxious to pay all attention to their vi- 
 fitors, prepared to fing a fong in their 
 way. Their method of tuning their 
 voices for this purpofe, was attended 
 with founds fo very difibnant and harfh, 
 that the Knglifh thought they were be- 
 ginning their war-hoop, or giving a 
 fignal to the King and thofe with him 
 to attack them. ImprefTed with this 
 idea, every man feized his mufquet 
 and ran to the tent where Captain Wil- 
 fon was, fuppofing him to be in the 
 mod imminent danger. There they 
 were undeceived and attended to the 
 fong which was conducted in the fol- 
 lowing manner; a chief gave out the 
 line, which a company next him took 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 up and completed the verfe; the lad 
 line they repeated, and it was taken up 
 by the next party, who alfo fung a 
 verfe. They continued their fong feme 
 time, and made iigns for our people to 
 repay them in kind, which was done 
 by a lad, named Cobbledick, to their 
 great fatisfa&ion. The manner of this 
 lad's ringing was afterwards mentioned 
 to the King, who, upon hearing him, 
 was fo much pleafed, that he never 
 met with him afterwards, without defi- 
 ling him to iing. 
 
 We come now to mention a circum- 
 flance, which, prefents thefe natives of 
 Pelew in a light that could not have 
 been pre-conceived ; a circumftancc 
 which difcovers fuch nice feelings, as 
 on th e one hand difplays human nature 
 in a very pleafmg attire, in this her na- 
 tive dreis ; while on the other, it may 
 put to the blufli enlightened natiqns 
 
 E 3 and 
 
54 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 and individuals. The Englifli had no 
 other means for again rcvifiting their 
 native homes, but by conftrufting a 
 fmall fchooner ; and for this purpofe, 
 had only a few inftruments faved from 
 the wreck : thefe they carefully con- 
 cealed from the natives, who had fhewn 
 a particular attachment to iron and in- 
 ftruments made of that metal. Acci- 
 dentally, a chief had obferved where 
 they were, and requefted a cutlafs from 
 Captain Wilfon : the Captain was loth 
 to part with it, but fearing worfe con- 
 fequences in cafe he refufed, thought 
 it bed to give it. As they went out of 
 the tent Raa Kook obferved it with 
 
 i 
 
 great difpleafure, took it from him, 
 and returned it to Captain Wilfon. In 
 a few hours the Malay coming afliore, 
 told the Captain he had given great 
 oiTence by offering a cutlafs to an 
 inferior officer and neglecting the 
 
 King 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 55 
 
 King and his brothers. In order 
 to make up matters, Captain \Vilfon 
 thought it bed to prefent each of the 
 King's brothers with fome cloth and 
 ribbons, which were very coolly re- 
 ceivedthey feerned to be unhappy. 
 In the afternoon, the King came round 
 from the back purt of the iiland where 
 he had {pent the night, and Captain 
 Wiifon went out in the jolly boat with 
 Tom Rofe to meet him* Now Abba 
 Thulle who had been fo happy and 
 pleafed the day before, appeared with 
 a gloomy refer ve, and the poor Eng- 
 lilhmen trembled in anticipating the 
 dreadful effects of his difpleafure which 
 they thought he was meditating. But 
 the real caufe of the uneaiineis which 
 evidently clepreflcd them all, was no- 
 thing more than a draggle in their 
 own breafts, how they fliould afk a 
 favour, from ftrangers almoft wholly 
 
 in 
 
56 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 in their own power, without having the 
 appearance of a command. A neigh- 
 bouring nation had injured them, and 
 as they meant to attack them in battle 
 in a few xlays, they very juftly forefaw 
 the advantages which would arife from 
 the prefence of a few of the Engliih 
 failors with their fire-arms. At length 
 with much evident confuiion, Abba 
 Thulle hinted it to Captain Wilfon, 
 who immediately allured him, he might 
 at ' any time command his men, who 
 were entirely at his fervice. No foon- 
 er was this anfwer notified by the inter- 
 preter, than every countenance bright- 
 ened up, and cordiality and happinefs 
 were reftored. The King, immediate- 
 ly dubbed the Captain a brother Ru- 
 pack, intreated him to fend fome of his 
 people to the part oi the ifland where 
 he lived, to carry him whatever pro vi- 
 fions they needed, and concluded with 
 
 alluring 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 57 
 
 alluring him, that his people were en- 
 tirely at his fervice, to affift in conftruc- 
 ting their vefTel or any thing elfe in 
 their power. He immediately retired 
 to the oppofite fide of the ifland, pro- 
 mifmg to return next morning for the 
 men. Nor was the happy fettlement 
 of this affair lefs agreeable to the Eng- 
 lifh than the natives ; the fear of ha- 
 ving incurred the difpleafure of thofe 
 whofe favour was fo neceffary, had 
 diflreffed them not a little, and they 
 accordingly were every one more zea- 
 lous than his neighbour to be chofen 
 for this fervice ; the following five were 
 appointed, Mr Cummin 3d mate, Ma- 
 dan Blanchard, Nicholas Tyacke, Jas. 
 Bluett and Thomas Button. They ac- 
 cordingly fet off next morning, proper- 
 ly armed and accoutered, Abba Thulle, 
 infilling on leaving four of his attend- 
 ants by way of hoftages. 
 
 It 
 
58 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 It is a rule among merchant mips, 
 that in cafe of fhipwreck, all fuperiori- 
 ty of rank or command ceafes, and e- 
 very individual becomes his own maf- 
 ter, and may fhift as he can for him- 
 felf ; but as they were now preparing 
 to build a veffel, they agreed to form 
 themfelves as the people of a dock-yard, 
 and appoint their beloved Captain fole 
 Manager and Director, which was done. 
 Mr Barker who had in his younger 
 years been employed about a dock-yard, 
 deiigned a plan for the veffel which 
 was agreed to be a fchooner, and all 
 heartily and cordially proceeded to the 
 different occupations afligned them ; 
 fome in felling trees, others carrying 
 them to the dock, while the greater 
 part were engaged in dreffing them, &c. 
 Their fpirits now revived with the prof- 
 pecft of deliverance,and all feemed but as 
 one man, having only one objedlinview. 
 
 The 
 
HE ANTELOPE. 
 
 The fituation of thefe unhappy people 
 opens a wide field for reflection ; ma- 
 ny circumftances rendered it very que- 
 flionable how far it was practicable to 
 complete their fchooner ; and if they 
 failed, all views of happinefs or com- 
 fort in this life, they confidered as at 
 an end; yet fo animated were they 
 with the hope of fuccefs, none gave 
 way to defponding, but every one look- 
 ed forward with rapture to the finifh- 
 ing of their new veflel, as the fummurn 
 bonum which they were capable of en- 
 joying. The Antelope being fixed and 
 ftuck to the coral reef, they had oppor- 
 tunity of getting from her various ar- 
 ticles which greatly expedited their un- 
 dertaking. One day they obferved a 
 green branch tied to the niaft head, 
 this they afterwards learned was a fig- 
 nal to any canoes that might be ftrag- 
 
 gling 
 
60 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 gling about, that the King was gone 
 to war, and they fhoiild follow. 
 
 The boats paid a daily viiit to the 
 wreck, from which they got many va- 
 luable articles. They one day brought 
 with them, two cafks of beef, and a 
 fmall caflc of arrack which had been 
 overlooked when the fpirits were fta- 
 ved. As they now underwent exceffive 
 labour and fatigue, Captain Wilfon 
 thought it prudent to allow every man 
 a fmall quantity of grog, which was a 
 valuable cordial to them. 
 
 By Sunday the 24th of Auguft, they 
 had got the keel laid on the blocks, and 
 the (lem and ftern poft bolted. Cap- 
 tain Wilfon therefore ordered every 
 man to attend public prayers and 
 thankfgivings to God for all his kind- 
 nefs to them, a pra&ice which was 
 continued every Sunday evening there- 
 after during their ftay on the ifland. 
 
 Next 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 6l 
 
 Next day they kept a holiday, having 
 already chriftened their embryo of a 
 veffel, The Relief, and every man re- 
 ceived a double quantity of grog on 
 the occafion. 
 
 About this time alfo they raifed a 
 fort of rampart or barricade in front 
 >f the tents towards the fea; on the 
 infide they had a foot bank on which 
 they could ftand and fire one of the fix 
 pounders which they had brought from 
 the wreck; and by this means, with the 
 afliftance of two fwivels, alfo mounted 
 on the barricade, they were pretty well 
 prepared to defend the entrance of the 
 cove. 
 
 Nine days had now elapfed fince the 
 five Engliihmen had left Oroolong with 
 Abba Thulle, and there had been no 
 news from them fince, although it was 
 expelled, they would have returned 
 within five days ; their friends were 
 
 F therefore 
 
62 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 therefore not a little anxious about 
 them. Captain Wilfon, uncertain to 
 what caufe to attribute their ftay, a- 
 gfeed with his comrades in a propofal 
 they made, to fettle a plan of defence 
 'within the barricade, and to open a 
 communication from one tent to ano- 
 ther, through which they could join 
 or retreat in cafe of an attack. 
 
 In the afternoon of Monday the 25th 
 the five men returned, accompanied by 
 Jlaa Kook, with a prefent of yams, co- 
 coa-nuts and fweet-meats. Mr Cum- 
 min gave the following account of their 
 expedition* 
 
 " They fpent the night after their de- 
 parture from the cove, in an ifland about 
 fix leagues to the eaftward ; and next 
 day arrived at Pelew, which is about 
 four miles diftant. Here they fpent 
 fome days, while the natives were col- 
 lecting their canoes. On the morning 
 
 of 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 63 
 
 of the 2 1 ft they were all afiembled, to 
 the amount of more than icoo men, 
 in about 150 canoes ; the Engliih were 
 feparated in five different canoes. Ear- 
 ly in the afternoon they came in fight 
 of the enemy, when Raa Kook, having 
 Thomas Button in his canoe, went clofe 
 in by the town and fpoke to the ene- 
 my for fome time. His harangue they 
 heard with indifference, when he imme- 
 diately threw a fpear, which was, in- 
 ftantly returned ; Dutton then fired, 
 and a man fell, to the great confufion 
 of the enemy. This was fpeedily fol- 
 lowed by a few more iliots, and Abba 
 Thulle was foon left mafter of the field. 
 The flight was all the mark of victory 
 wiilied for; and all the trophies they 
 defired, were a few cocoa-nuts and 
 yams. After the engagement, the fleet 
 returned homeward ; the King called 
 at feveral places by the way, where 
 
 F 2 the 
 
64 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 the women brought out fweet-meat li- 
 quor to drink. They did not reach 
 Pelew till feven o'clock next evening, 
 having fpent the preceding night in 
 various fmall creeks on the way. On 
 their landing the Englifh fired a volley 
 and gave three cheers, to the great en- 
 tertainment of the natives. Public 
 rejoicings took place throughout the 
 ifland, and every mark of attention 
 and refpedt was paid to the Englifh. 
 The King took them to his own houfe, 
 treated them with ftewed turtle, thank- 
 ed them moft politely for their aflilT:- 
 ance, and enquired at Mr Cummin, 
 whether he could have ten men to af- 
 iift him in another expedition he had 
 in view ; Mr Cummin referred him to 
 Captain Wilfon as he had no authority, 
 and departed very much pleafed with 
 the expedition. They landed on the 
 ifland where they had fpent the firft 
 
 night 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 65 
 
 \ 
 
 night, were again mod hofpitably 
 entertained, and returned next mor- 
 ning to their companions. This even- 
 ing they fpent with much feftivity, the 
 abfencees had their nine days comple- 
 ment of arrack meafured out to them, 
 and together with the yams and cocoa- 
 nuts made themfelves happier than a few 
 days before they could have fuppofed it 
 poffible for them to be. Mr Cummin 
 described the arms of the natives as 
 confining of darts from five to eighc 
 feet long, pointed and bearded with the 
 wood of the beetle-nut tree, which they 
 ufe when clofely engaged ; when they 
 fight at a diftance, they ufe Ihort ones, 
 which by means of an tlaftic piece of 
 bamboo, they throw at a particular ob- 
 jel with furpriling dexterity." 
 
 On the morning of the 2yth, feme 
 of the hands were difpatched in the 
 jolly boat to the watering place, and to. 
 
 F 3 caft 
 
66 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 caft the feine, which they did without 
 fuccefs. As the day was pleafanc, two 
 or three of thim propofed to return o- 
 ver land, and accordingly fet out ; the 
 remainder returned to the cove in the 
 boat. Night drew on and no tidings 
 of the travellers. People were imme- 
 diately difpatched with lanthorns to 
 traverfe the country in fearch of them. 
 They halloed as they went along, and 
 luckily difcovered the benighted tra- 
 vellers, refting on the very brink of a 
 precipice, over which they muft una- 
 voidably have fallen, had not the lights 
 appeared at thq critical moment they 
 did. 
 
 Raa Kook now informed Captain 
 Wilfon, that the King his brother, be- 
 flowed on the Engliih the ifland on 
 which they were, named by the natives 
 Gr oolong ; the Captain accordingly hoift- 
 cd the Britilh pendant, and took pof- 
 
 fcffion 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 feiTion for the Englim ; firing three vol- 
 lies of imall arms, as an initrument of 
 pofleffion. Kaa Kook like wife requeit- 
 ed Captain Wilfon to pay a viiit to his 
 brocher at Pelew, which from the ma- 
 ny things he had to attend to at Oroo- 
 long, the '" aptain was obliged to de- 
 cline : but he difpatched in his room, 
 Mr Benger the firft mate, his own bro- 
 ther Mr Matthias Wilibn, and Tom 
 Rofe, to compliment the King on his 
 late victory. He alfo fent one of the Chi- 
 nefe, who are all great botanifts, to exa- 
 mine the natural productions of the 
 ifland. They were received by the 
 King and his people with great hofpi- 
 tality ; and entertained with fongs in 
 which the word Englees was often re- 
 peated, feeming to refer to the late en- 
 gagement, of which they had a grate- 
 ful recollection ; Abba Thnlle menti- 
 oned to Mr Benger a more formidable 
 
 expedition 
 
68 .SHIPWRECK OF T 
 
 expedition he had in contemplation, in 
 which he expected the afliftance of the 
 Englifh. Mr Benger faid their houfcs 
 were very comfortable, furrounded 
 with plantations of yams and cocoa- 
 nuts ; they have no corn of any kind, 
 although the foil appeared to be very 
 rich. They have no cattle nor qua- 
 drupeds but rats. The Chinefe gave a 
 very poor account of the iiland, in 
 which, he found nothing to his mind. 
 
 Captain Wilfon now fet out in the 
 boat, to furvey the ifland which he 
 had got pofleffion of, the whole cir- 
 cumference of which he judged did 
 not exceed three miles. On the north 
 fide it is all covered with trees and a 
 fteep rock hangs prominent upon the 
 fea. There is a fine fandy beach on 
 the weft fide, as well as a fine plain be- 
 tween the Lills and the fea. The fouth 
 fide is rocky like the north ; but in fe- 
 
 veral 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 veral interior parts of the ifland, efpe- 
 cially towards the weft, there are evi- 
 dent traces of its having formerly been 
 inhabited. 
 
 CHAP III. 
 
 Captain Wilfon vifits Pe!ew Manners of the natives- 
 Ten Men fent with them to battle Battle of Artin- 
 gall Raa Kook vifits Oroolong -for more men- 
 Death and funeral of the King's Son. 
 
 O N Sunday the 3 ift of Auguft, Cap- 
 tain Wilfon refolved to pay his long in- 
 tended vifit to Pelew ; and accordingly 
 went about prayers in the morning, 
 previous to his fetting out. Though it 
 did not appear during all the time the 
 Englifti were about thefe iilands, that 
 the natives had any religious ceremo- 
 nies, it is remarkable that on this as 
 well as feveral other occaiions, they 
 
 paid 
 
70 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 gave no difturbance to the Englifh. 
 when fo employed ; but paid the great- 
 cft attention to what they faw, and be- 
 haved with the utmoft decency. Mr 
 Devis, Mr Sharp and Harry Wilfon ac- 
 companied the Captain on this vifit ; 
 \ The Englifli in their jolly boat, attend- 
 ed by Raa Kook and other natives 
 
 in a canoe. As a mark of the uncom- 
 
 t 
 
 moil attention which Raa Kook on all 
 occafions paid them, the following cir- 
 cumftance may be noticed. About 
 noon, when they were as yet three or 
 four miles diftant from Pelew, he pad- 
 dled off with all expedition to a lictle^ 
 town by the water edge, from whence 
 he brought them, what provifions he 
 could procure, to refrefh them. About 
 I o'clock they reached Pelew ; fired fix 
 mufquets and fixed their colours in the 
 ground at the end of the caufeway 
 where they landed, Raa Kook con- 
 
 du<5ted 
 
HE ANTELOPE. 
 
 dueled them to a houfe where they 
 waited the arrival of Abba Thulle. 
 Meantime the natives thronged into 
 the houfe to have a peep at the Eng- 
 lifh, bringing along with them various 
 refremments and fweet-meats. In a 
 little it was notified that the King was 
 at hand, when, notwithfiariding the 
 multitude then prefent, the greatefl 
 filence prevailed. On his arrival. Cap- 
 tain Wilfon embraced him as at firft 
 meeting, and prefented him with a few 
 trinkets, which were very agreeably 
 received. 
 
 Abba Thulle now propofed to con- 
 dudl them to the town, which is about a 
 quarter of a mile from the landing place, 
 where they were. The Englifh, in or- 
 der to aflume fome little formality, 
 carried their colours before them. They 
 paffed through a wood, and then came 
 to a fine pavement or caufeway ; 
 
 there 
 

 
 72 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 there are large broad flones laid in the 
 middle for the eafe of walking, and lei- 
 fer ones on the lides ; this led them to 
 the town, where they were conducted 
 to a large fquare pavement, furround- 
 ed by houfes. In the centre flood a 
 larger houfe than the reft, which was 
 allotted to the Englifh for their accom- 
 modation. In it there were a number 
 of women, of a fuperior rank, being 
 wives to the Rupacks or principal offi- 
 cers of ftate, who received them very 
 politely and prefented them with co- 
 coa-nuts and fweet drink of which all 
 partook. 
 
 In a little the King, after a fuitable 
 apology to Captain Wilfon, retired to 
 bathe, and a meflage was fent from the 
 Queen, exprefling a wifh to be favour- 
 ed with the company of the Englifh at 
 her houfe ; thither they all repaired, 
 and were feated in a little fquare before 
 
 the 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 73 
 
 the houfe. It appeared that this lady 
 was the principal wife of Abba Thulle, 
 (for he had others,) great attentionbeing 
 paid to her by all ; the King refided al- 
 moft conftantly at her houfe. She ap- 
 peared at the window, and by means 
 of Raa Kook, examined into the vari- 
 ous- peculiarities in the appearance of 
 the Engliih which ftruck her. She 
 fent them a broiled pigeon, which is 
 the greateft rarity the ifland produces, 
 and is held in the higheft eftimation ; 
 it is unlawful for any but Rupacks and 
 their wives to tafle them. After fatis- 
 fying her curiolity, they were conduc- 
 ted by the General to his houfe, where 
 they met with a very different recep- 
 tion, and had an opportunity of obfer- 
 ving the benevolent heart of this wor- 
 thy man in domeftic life. In his houfe 
 they were treated with the greateft 
 inclnefs, and with the moft expreillve 
 
 G tokens 
 
74 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 -**' 
 
 tokens of real welcome ; but what par- 
 ticularly warmed their hearts on this 
 occafion, was the endearing behaviour 
 of Raa Kook to his wife and children. 
 Thefe laft he fondled on his knees and 
 encouraged with all the genuine marks 
 of parental affedlion. The night was 
 now pretty far advanced, when they 
 retired to their houfe, where their 
 friend the General fpared no pains to 
 render their accommodation comforta- 
 ble. He procured plenty of mats for 
 them to ileep on, kindled fires to defend 
 them from the mofquitos and damps, 
 and ordered lome of his own men to 
 ileep at the other end to protect them 
 from any of the natives, who might 
 be led to difturb them from motives of 
 curiofity. Next morning they were at- 
 tended as ufual by Raa Kook, and af- 
 ter walking about for fome time, were 
 ordered to attend the King to breakfaft 
 
 in 
 
THE ANTELOPF. 75 
 
 in the Queen's houfe where they had 
 been the day before. They were re- 
 ceived with a peculiar etiquette, which 
 was never atierwards pradlifed. The 
 houfe was all in one apartment; at the 
 one end of which hung a fcreen of 
 mats which when drawn up difcovered 
 the King and Queen feated. They 
 breakfafted on yams and fifli very a- 
 greeably. After breakfaft Mr Sharp 
 the furgeon, accompanied by Mr Devis, 
 fet out to vifit a child of Arra Kook's, 
 which was fick. His houfe was about 
 three miles diflant ; this gave them an 
 opportunity of examining the country, 
 which they had not before done. This 
 vifit was very acceptable, and the Ru- 
 pack thought he could not fufficieiitly 
 repay them. Mr Sharp examined the 
 child's body, which was almoft cover- 
 ed with ulcers, but could not prefcribe 
 any thing, having no medicines. He 
 
 G 2 approved 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 approved of the mode of cure they had 
 adopted, which was chiefly fomenta- 
 tion. Arra Kook then laded feveral 
 fervants with provifions, &c. in baf- 
 kets, to be fent to the boats, and aflu- 
 red them when they left the illand, 
 they mould have his whole rookery 
 of pigeons. This by the way, was the 
 greateft compliment he could offer them, 
 in his eftimation, and fufficiently {hews 
 the uncommon gratitude with which his 
 bofom was warmed indeed, the rea- 
 ders will on many occafions have antici- 
 pated the remark, that the finer feel- 
 ings and virtues which adorn humani- 
 ty, (hone in thefe natives in no com- 
 mon degree. They returned to Cap- 
 tain Wilfon at Pelew the fa-Tie evening. 
 The requeft which had been repeat- 
 edly mentioned by Abba Thulle, was 
 now formally made to Captain Wilfon, 
 by defire of a council of Rupacks, viz. 
 
 that. 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 77 
 
 at he would allow them ten men; 
 accompany them to a ieCond en- 
 agement at Artingall, which was 
 i-oft readily complied with ; Captain 
 WJlfon mentioned at fame time that 
 it would be obliging were the men de- 
 tained as fhort time as poffible> not 
 to hinder the progrefs of their fchoon- 
 er ; to this Abba Thulle moil enga- 
 gingly replied, " That it was not his 
 wifli to detain them longer than was 
 abfolutely necefTary, but after doing 
 him fo much fervice, he behoved to 
 keep them a day or two to rejoice with 
 him." The council had met in the 
 forenoon on this tmfinefs ; every Ru- 
 pack or chief was feated on a ftone 5 
 that for the King "being higher than 
 the reft, and difputed from fide to fide 
 as it happened, without any regular 
 ord;r of fp v ?rs ; it anpeared that e- 
 very thing was decided by a majority, fi> 
 
 G that 
 
78 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 that their government bears no fmall 
 affinity to our own. 
 
 The remainder of the time the Eng- 
 lifh fpent at Pelew, was very agreeably 
 employed. One day when in compa- 
 ny with a great number of the na- 
 tives, Mr Devis, who was an excellent 
 draughtfman, took out his pencil, and 
 was bufily employed in taking the like- 
 nefs of a woman who drew his atten- 
 tion; the lady obferving him, and ig- 
 norant of his intention, retired in great 
 confufion. A chief befide him, noticing 
 the drawing, was greatly pleafed and 
 fhewed it to the King, who immediate- 
 ly ordered two women to come for- 
 ward and ftand in a proper pofition for 
 Mr Devis to take their likenefs. Mr 
 Devis foon finilhed his Iketches and 
 prefented them to the King who was 
 highly entertained, and calling the wo- 
 jnen {hewed them their portraits, with 
 
 which 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 which they were much pleafed. Ab- 
 ba Thulle then clefired Mr Devis to 
 give him his pencil and paper, on 
 which he fcratched a few figures, ve- 
 ry rudely, but fufficiently to fhew his 
 conception of what had been done. So 
 that while he thus difplayed his own 
 inferiority to the Aitift, he at fame 
 time gave evident proofs of the fenfe 
 he had of it, and his wifhes to poiTefs 
 thefe qualifications which fo pleafed 
 him. 
 
 Captain Wilfon and his companions 
 were carried to lee their method of 
 building canoes, by which means 
 they fa w fome canoes which were jufl 
 returned from a fkirmiih, in which 
 they had proved victorious ; they had 
 captured a canoe, which was confider- 
 ed as great a trophy, as a nrft rate man 
 of war would be in Britain. On this 
 occafion the Englifh had an opportuni- 
 ty 
 
8o -SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ty of obferving their method of cele- 
 brating fuch exploits, or keeping a day 
 of fVftivity. There was a great feaft 
 prepared for the warriors, previous to 
 which they danced in the following 
 manner. They ornamented themfclves 
 with plantain leaves, nicely paired in- 
 to ftripes, like our ribbons, which be- 
 ing of a yellowifh colour, had a good 
 effect on their dark {kins ; then form- 
 ing themfelves into circles, one within 
 another, an elderly perfon began a 
 fong, or long fentence, (for they were 
 not Certain which,) and on his co- 
 ming to the end of it, all the dan- 
 cers joined in concert, dancing along, at 
 fame time; then a new fentence was pro- 
 nounced anddauced to, which continued 
 till every one had fung, and his verfe 
 been danced to. Their manner of dan- 
 cing, is not fb much capering and leap- 
 ing, or other feats of agility, as a certain 
 
 method 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 8 I 
 
 etliod of reclining their bodies and yet 
 preferving their ballance. During the 
 dance fweet drink was handed about, 
 and when it was finifhed, an elegant 
 fupper was brought in. 
 
 Mr Sharp carried Contain Wiiibn 
 one afternoon to fee his favourite Ar- 
 ra Kook, who received them with great 
 joy, and entertained them very kindly* 
 They went through many plantations 
 on their way, and were much furprifed 
 to find the country fo highly cultiva- 
 ted. They obferved a tree named by 
 the natives Rtamall, which the Kng- 
 liih fuppofed to be a fpecies of the 
 bread-fruit. After enjoying plentiful- 
 ly this good man's bounty, they re- 
 turned to Pelew, highly delighted with, 
 their agreeable excuriion. In the courfe 
 of any obfervations they had opportu- 
 nity of making, they found the em- 
 ployment of the men generally to be 
 
 making 
 
82 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 making darts, hewing trees, &c. while 
 the women, looked after the yams, 
 wrought the mats and bafkets, nurfed 
 their children and dreffed the victuals. 
 On Thurfday the 4th of September 
 they left Pelew, loaded with prefents, 
 
 and amidfl the loud acclammations of a 
 
 f 
 
 vaft number of the natives. They ar- 
 rived fafe at the cove about nine in the 
 evening and found all their compani- 
 ons well and proceeding in their work 
 with the utmoft alacrity. The Captain 
 immediately informed them of the re- 
 queft the natives had made for ten men, 
 and every one was anxious to be of the 
 party ; at length they were determined 
 upon, and ordered to be in reaclinefs on 
 a call. 
 
 Elevated with the profpect of happi- 
 ly attaining that great point to which 
 their moil fanguine wifhes were direc- 
 ted, there was only one thing which 
 
 they 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 they dreaded,- and that was, whether 
 they could find a paffage with fufficien- 
 cy of water to carry them through the 
 reef; this Captain Wilfon fet out in 
 fearch of, and luckily difcovered a nar- 
 row opening, where there was about 
 three feet and a half water, fo that at 
 fpring tides which rife about nine feet, 
 they could depend on at leaft twelve 
 feet, which was coniiderably more than 
 their fchooner could draw. 
 
 In the afternoon of Sunday the yth 
 of September fome canoes touched at 
 the cove, bringing with them fome 
 frefli fiih, which they bartered for iron ; 
 and the following day the King arri- 
 ved, attended by his brothers, the 
 Prime Minlfler^ and feveral other chiefs; 
 they alfo brought fifti, efpecially fome 
 of a fpecies, which they had not feen 
 before, but which when boiled, proved 
 very palatable. It meafures about three 
 
 feet 
 
84 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 \ 
 
 feet in length, and one foot acrofs, the 
 flefh is very firm like a large cod. 
 
 During this vifit, the King examined 
 every thing with more attention than 
 before, befides many new objects of 
 furprife were now to be feen. The 
 Smith and his forge proved a matter 
 of great aftonifhment, never did a con- 
 juror keep an audience in fuch furprife 
 and confirmation, as the fmith did the 
 natives with his fire, bellows, and an- 
 vil; fo enamoured were they with the 
 red hot iron, that they could not be 
 prevented from catching the fparks, 
 though many fuffered in the attempt. 
 Nor did the Cooper and his cafks ef- 
 cape their enquiries ; the difpatch with 
 which he hooped and inclofed a barrel, 
 feemed to them the effe<5l of fome fu- 
 pernatural power: in fhort, every thing 
 ieemed to furprife fo much, arid drew fo 
 fpedators, that the workmen 
 
 could 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 8c 
 
 3 
 
 could not keep elbow room, and were 
 of courfe much impeded in their work. 
 Captain Wilfon had therefore to ufe 
 many ftratagems to entice away the 
 chiefs, and Raa Kook, was obliged to 
 interpofe his authority to keep the na- 
 tives at a diflance. The barricade which 
 had been eredted fince the King's laft 
 vifit, was a matter of much furprife, 
 they examined the breaft work with at- 
 tention, and did not fail to enquire the 
 ufe of the fix pounder and great gun ; 
 the Captain did his beft to explain the 
 ufe of them, giving him to undjsrftand, 
 that were the people of Artingall, or 
 any other enemies to approach the cove, 
 they could blow them to pieces ; and 
 in like manner by turning the fwivels, 
 he ihewed them, that they could de- 
 fend themfelves by land. This infor- 
 mation exceeded every thing they had 
 heard ; they talked among them/elves, 
 
 H and 
 
86 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 and by their geftures and attitudes 
 feemed to be loft in furprife. But the 
 great matter which occupied the atten- 
 tion of all on this vifit, was the appear- 
 ance of the new veffel. The King ex- 
 amined every thing about her with the 
 molt minute attention, calling his work- 
 men, and defiling them to notice and 
 profit by what they faw. A The power 
 and effedls of the iron work, and the 
 ftrong manner in which the whole was 
 bolted and wedged together, furprifed 
 the artificers ftill more than the King; 
 fo that poring into every thing with 
 the mod inquifitive eye, they were not 
 more amazed at what they faw done, 
 than to conceive how it was poffible to 
 complete the work, fo as to keep out 
 water and anfwer the purpofes of navi- 
 gation. They had an opportunity of 
 obferving an inftance of great fuperfti- 
 tion on this occafion. In orderto getpie- 
 
 ces 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 87 
 
 ces of wood proper for the different ufes 
 for which they were wanted, they had 
 made ufe of fever al different kinds ; 
 the natives obferved one kind in parti- 
 cular which they pointed out to the 
 Englim, and requefted they would not 
 ufe, as it would certainly prove unluc- 
 ky. Captain Wilfon politely thanked 
 them for their well meant hint, at the 
 fame time afluring them he dreaded no 
 harm. The King and his retinue re- 
 tired as ufual to the back of the ifland 
 and fpent the night. 
 
 2. C_/ 
 
 Next morning they returned over 
 land, ftill full of the idea of the guns, 
 and entreated the Captain to give them 
 a fwivel along with them on the expe- 
 dition ; this Captain Wilfon (hewed him 
 was impracticable, as they required 
 boats, particularly conftrudled for wor- 
 king them. He then begged to fee the 
 fix pounder fired, which was ordered 
 
 H 2 tp 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 to be clone. A fcene now enfued which 
 it is not eafy to defcribe. If the firing 
 of the mufquets occafioned the furprife 
 of which we lately took notice, how 
 much it was increafed on this occafion 
 may be conceived. The procefs of 
 loading was attended to very particu- 
 larly, but the flame and the following 
 report perfectly ftunned them. They 
 flared at one another for a few feconds, 
 then pulhing their fingers into their 
 ears run up and down crying out, the 
 noife being much too violent for the 
 drum of their ears, not accuftomed to 
 fo loud a noife. This however only 
 ferved to ftimulate their with for ha- 
 ving one of the fwivels with .them, 
 which they thought would flrike fuch 
 Terror into their enemies, as a long 
 courfe of years only would efface. 
 
 Abba Thulle in the afternoon repeat- 
 ed his requeft for the fwivel, which 
 
 Captain 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 8g 
 
 Captain Wilfon found great difficulty 
 to convince him it was not in his pow- 
 er to give him ; indeed he rather iu- 
 pedled the King and his miniflers went 
 away not altogether weil pleafed with 
 the refufal. Mr lienger therefore who 
 had the command of the party, and 
 had all his men ready drawn up with 
 their arms, ordered them immediately 
 into the canoes, and they fet fail. Cap- 
 tain Wiifon took every opportunity of 
 getting information concerning the 
 neighbouring iflands and their fit na- 
 tion ; the names of the principal were, 
 Artingall, Pellelcw and Emillegue. 
 
 On Monday the i5th the party re- 
 turned from the engagement at Artin- 
 ttngall, all well, though fbme of them 
 had made a very narrow efcape ; the 
 canoe in which Mr Matthias Wilfon 
 and James Duncan were, had becli o- 
 verfet by a fudden fquall of wind, 
 
 H 3 whereby 
 
90 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 whereby both they and four nat'ves a- 
 long with them had nearly gone to the 
 
 i 
 
 bortom. Unluckily neither Willbn ior 
 Duncan could fwim, but by the vigi- 
 lance and attention of fo me of the natives 
 they were got up into a canoe, having 
 kept fad hold of a piece of raft nearly 
 two hours. They brought the agreea- 
 ble news of having eflfedled another 
 complete victory at Artingall, which 
 Mr Matthias \Vilfon related in nearly 
 the following manner. 
 
 " They reached Pelew the fame night 
 they left Oroolong, frum whence Ab- 
 ba Thulle wiihed they mould immedi- 
 ately proceed to Artingall ; this how- 
 ever, they allured him was impracti- 
 cable, as it rained hard, and would 
 certainly prove hurtful to the armlT; 
 thev were all well lodged and entertain- 
 ed. The following evening, they went 
 on board the canoes appointed for them 
 
 along 
 
THE ANTEI^PE. 9! 
 
 with the King, Arra Kooker, 
 Raa Kook ;md the other Rupacks, and 
 a great number of the natives ; the old 
 men, women and children, followed 
 them to the water fide, when they 
 founded conch {hells, to notify their 
 departure to the canoes that were yet 
 in their creeks ; thefe fooii aflembled 
 to the amount of more than two hun- 
 dred. They proceeded {lowly, the great- 
 er part of the night, but flopped at an 
 ifland on the way, and flept on the 
 ground for three hours before day 
 break. They foon reached Artingall, 
 and halted till the fun was fairly rifen, 
 and the enemy had notice of their ap- 
 proach ; for, let it not pafs unnoticed, 
 is an eftabliflied rule in thefe iflands, 
 never to attack an enemy under night 
 or unprepared. 
 
 As the King had fome days before 
 fent information to Artingall, of his 
 
 propofed 
 
92 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 propofed attack, and at the fame time 
 terms of 7 peace, he now ordered a ca- 
 noe with four men in it to proceed to 
 the iiiand, and enquire whether they 
 were to fubmit or to fight. Each of 
 the heralds had one of the long tail-fea- 
 thers of the tropic bird fluck upright 
 in their hair, acs a fyrnbol of peace. 
 The meffengers foon returned, inform- 
 ing that they refufed the terms offered 
 them. Immediately Abba Thulle or- 
 dered the conch to be founded, and 
 waved his chin am (lick hi the air, the 
 fignal for forming the line of battle. 
 Meantime the enemy collected their 
 canoes, but kept clofe by the more, 
 ihewing an evident dinnclination to 
 come to battle. Abba Thulle had dref- 
 fed himfelf in the fcarlet coat which 
 Captain Wilfoii had given him, and 
 kept one of the Engliihmen in his ca- 
 noe, the other nine were difperfed 
 
 through 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 93 
 
 through the fleet in nine different ca- 
 noes, armed with mufquets, cutlaffes, 
 bayonets and pillols. 
 
 Finding the enemy would not ad- 
 vance, and their prefent fituation being 
 very unfavourable for the attack, the 
 King ordered a party of canoes to go 
 round a neck of high land, and lie there 
 concealed ; he then ordered the remain- 
 der to exchange a few darts in their 
 prefent pofition, and retreat with ap- 
 parent precipitancy ; by thefe means he 
 expecfted to draw the enemy from their 
 fhores, and the concealed fquadron 
 could then get betwixt them and land, 
 and thus hem them in on all hands. 
 He difpatched his orders with great 
 readinefs by means of fome very fwift 
 failing canoes, which cut the water 
 with aftonifhing velocity. His fcheme 
 took place as wifhed. The enemy rufh- 
 cd out to purfue the apparent fugitives, 
 
 and 
 
94 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 and the canoes earning round the high 
 land, furrounded them on all fides. 
 Thofe who fled now turned about, and 
 by means of the few fire arms, threw 
 the enemy into terror and confufion. 
 The noife of the mufquets, their 
 friends dropping they knew not how, 
 and the triumphant haloo which the 
 natives of Pelew fet up, totally difcom- 
 fitted them ; they retreated with preci- 
 pitation, ruflied through the canoes 
 that were betwixt them and the land, 
 as there were but few of them, and by 
 that means all efcaped but fix canoea 
 and nine natives who were captured. 
 The victory was however conii tiered as 
 very complete ; it is very feldoin that 
 any canoes are taken, and two or three 
 prifoners are generally the greateft num- 
 ber. The very dead bodies are careful- 
 ly carried off the field of battle, left 
 
 they 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 95 
 
 they fliould fall into the hands of the 
 conquerors to expofe them. 
 
 The conflidl from firft to laft did 
 not continue three hours ; therefore 
 having paraded round the enemy's 
 fliores, founding the conch fliell in 
 fignal of defiance, and firing when any 
 of them appeared within mufquet mot, 
 the King ordered the canoes to be col- 
 lecfled and to return to Pelew. 
 
 It now becomes neceflTary to mention 
 a practice totally inconfiflent with that 
 ' humanity, which has uniformly been 
 pointed out as a moft remarkable fea- 
 ture in the character of thefe natives of 
 Pelew. Notwithftanding the entreaties 
 and remonftrances of the ' : ih, no- 
 thing could prevent the death of the 
 prifoners. The reafou ani^ued for this 
 barbarous practice was, that they had 
 formerly retained t" as (laves, ia 
 which capacity they foon got acquaint- 
 ed 
 
96 SHIPWRECK OF , 
 
 ed with their various ftores, the creeks 
 and channels of the ifland, and fome- 
 how or other afterwards e leaping, made 
 ufe of the knowledge of the country they 
 had acquired, in aflifting them in their 
 depredations ; they had therefore found 
 it necefTary to kill every perfon whom 
 the chance of war brought within 
 their power. 
 
 All the prifoners had been wounded 
 in the engagement, and feemed to wait 
 their expelled fate with great courage. 
 The principal was a Rupack, known 
 by the bone about his wrift ; this they 
 endeavoured to wrench from him, but 
 without effect ; he ftruggled to retain 
 it with fingular magnanimity ; nor 
 did he quit it but died in the conteft. 
 His head was ftuck on a bamboo, and 
 fixed before the King's houfe at Pelew. 
 
 Mr Benger took great pains to pre- 
 ferve the life of a poor fellow in the ca- 
 noe 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 97 
 
 noe where he was, and kept him fafe 
 for two hours, when one of the King's 
 people, who had been wounded, fnatch- 
 ed the Malay's dagger from him, and 
 dabbed him, before he could be pre- 
 vented. Mr Benger obferved that the 
 man died very undauntedly, and feem- 
 ed while in the agonies of death more 
 imprelTed with the appearance and co- 
 lour of his new enemy, than what he 
 was fuffering. In the boat where Mr 
 Wilfon was, there were two prifoners, 
 one of whom was wounded by a fpear 
 in fever al parts of his body, arid the 
 other had his thigh broke. When they 
 go to war they knit their hair in a 
 bunch at the crown of the head, and 
 immediately on being captured, they 
 throw it loofe over their faces, waiting 
 the fatal ftroke. No fooner did thefe 
 two vi6lims fignify that they were rea- 
 dy, than they were ordered to lit down 
 
 I in 
 
98 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 in the bottom of the canoe, which the 
 lame man readily did and was imme- 
 diately killed ; the other refilled for 
 fome time, when one of the natives, 
 fnatching Mr Wilfon's bayonet, plun- 
 ged it into his body ; he lay for fome 
 time weltering in his blood, but never 
 uttered a fingle groan. 
 
 They touched at feveral iflands on 
 their way home where the bodies were 
 expofed in triumph ; and the inhabi- 
 tants who were either fubjects or allies, 
 rejoiced with them on the occafion. 
 They brought out fweet drink, and o- 
 ther refrelhments, and feemed to par- 
 ticipate in the general triumph. A 
 vaft multitude waited at the landing 
 place of Pelew ready to receive them, 
 loaded with fruit, Sec.. Great feftivi- 
 ty and rejoicings took place immediate- 
 ly, and the praifes of the Englees re- 
 founded in their fongs as formerly." 
 
 After 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 99 
 
 After the return of the party all 
 hands were kept bufily employed at 
 the fchooner, which was now rapidly 
 advancing. They alib continued to 
 fend frequently to the wreck, from 
 whence they brought a variety of ar- 
 ticles very ufeful to them. That hun- 
 ger is an excellent whetter of the appe- 
 tite, has been often experienced, but 
 never more juftly than at prefent ; they 
 difcovered about 20 bags of rice in the 
 wreck, which having been fo long un- 
 der water, wouldnot now boil to a grain, 
 but a jelly, yet they confidered it as 
 very favoury food. 
 
 The men who returned from the lafl 
 expedition brought a mefTage from the 
 King, informing Captain Wilfon that 
 he would pay him a vifit in a few days, 
 to make his acknowledgements for the 
 affiftance he had given them ; he at 
 fame time retained Tom Rofe to give 
 
 I 2 him 
 
JOO SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 him information as to feveral particu- 
 lars concerning the Englilh, with which, 
 he wiflied to be acquainted. 
 
 Nothing new occurred for feveral 
 days ; the weather was exceedingly 
 rainy and ftormy, accompanied with 
 frequent and loud thunder. They 
 made feveral attempts to recruit their 
 ftock of provifions by fifhing, but al- 
 ways in vain ; whether it was owing 
 to their ignorance of the proper places, 
 or not ufing proper bait, Captain Wil- 
 fon never could determine. 
 
 On the 22d of September, Tom Rofe 
 returned from Pelew, bringing with 
 him a quantity of yams, ajar of mol- 
 lofTes, and a particular apology from 
 Abba Thulle, for having fo long de- 
 layed his intended vifit ; but many of 
 the neighbouring Rupacks having come 
 to Pelew, to congratulate him on his 
 late victories, he could not leave them 
 
 without 
 
THE ANTELOPE. IOI 
 
 without giving offence ; and he could 
 not bring them with him left it mould 
 
 * 
 
 be inconvenient to the Engliili. There 
 was fomething peculiarly delicate in 
 all Abba Thulle's behaviour; what edu- 
 cation, or refinement could have fug- 
 gefted more real politenefs than this 
 mefTage conveyed ; anxious on the one 
 hand to avoid any appearance of in- 
 gratitude ; and on the other, fearful 
 left his vifit ihoukl prove prejudicial 
 to thofe who had ferved him. 
 
 On the evening of the 28th Raa Kook 
 arrived at Groolong, accompanied by 
 two chiefs of fome neighbouring iflands; 
 they brought a prefent of cocoa-nuts, 
 yams and moloifes. Soon after their 
 arrival, Captain Wilfon read prayers, 
 as was ufuai, every Sunday evening, 
 at which Raa Kook and feveral ot the 
 naiives attended ; fome of them began 
 to talk aloud, -and were immediately* 
 
 I 3 checked 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 , 
 
 ' " . . . / . 
 
 Checked by Raa Kook, who behaved 
 with great decency ; while thus em- 
 ployed, the Malay arrived from Pelew 
 with a meflfage to the Captain, which 
 however Raa Kook would not fufler 
 him to deliver, till prayers were end- 
 ed. Abba Thulle delighted with the 
 fuccefs he had already obtained by 
 means of the Englifh, was eager to 
 take advantage of them, while in his 
 territories, to affift him in fubduing 
 his enemies ; he therefore defired Raa 
 Kook to requeft fifteen men, with one 
 of the fwivel guns to go with them in a 
 third grand expedition. Captain Wil- 
 fon having feveral things in his mind 
 which had of late given him fome un-. 
 eafinefs as to the behaviour of fome of 
 the natives, determined to take this op- 
 portunity of ftating his grievances to 
 Raa Kook, which he accordingly did. 
 He complained of feveral thefts which 
 
 the 
 
THE ANTELOPE. IOJ 
 
 the natives had committed from the 
 wreck ; particularly paper, copper, and 
 a fixpounder ; he mentioned the inhu- 
 man practice of killing all the prifbn- 
 ers, which made the Englifh regret that 
 they fliould have any concern in their 
 engagements ; and lafdy, he told him 
 that he was informed Abba Thulle 
 expecfted the fame homage from him 
 and his countrymen which was paid 
 him by his own people. This circum- 
 ftance had been privately fuggefted to 
 the Englifh, for no other reafon, as it 
 afterwards appeared, than to occafioa 
 a difference it poflible between the ng- 
 liih and the natives of Pelew. Captain 
 Wilfon likewife hinted that he conli- 
 dered it as a piece of difrefpedt to fend 
 home his men without a Rupack, or 
 fome perfon of confequence to attend 
 them. It is not eafy to cieicribe the 
 appearance which Raa Kook's COUE -- 
 
 naiice 
 
104 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 nance affumed on this information. 
 Shame, vexation and difappointment 
 were each in their turns depidtcd on it, 
 in a manner much mor~ expreflive than 
 any language he could have u(<;d. At 
 length after fome confiderable pauie, 
 he affured the Captain, that he would 
 entirely remove any grounds of dillruit 
 betwixt them That as to the articles 
 taken from the fhip, they would all be 
 returned, except the paper which had 
 been rendered ufelefs by the rain ; tire 
 fixpounder had never been taken with 
 an intention to be kept, but that Abba 
 Thulle had fent for it to be ihewn to 
 fome of his vifitors as a curioiiiy, and 
 meant certainly to return it. The re- 
 turn of the Engliih without a Rupack 
 had been entirely owing to Mr Benger's 
 hurry, who would not delay hip- depar- 
 ture a little till things were prepared. 
 He repeaced what has been formerly 
 
 mentioned, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 eritioned, as their reafon for putting 
 the prifoners to death, being a matter 
 not of choice but neceflky ; at the fame 
 time, he agreed to put the prifoners in- 
 to Captain Wilfon's hand to be treated 
 as he fhould think fit ; but what prin- 
 cipally diflreft him was the idea that 
 his brother fhould have been repi efented 
 as expecting homage from the Englifh 5 
 this he reprobated as an infamous falfe- 
 hood. It afterwards appeared that the 
 Malay had been confined fome time for 
 his ingenuity in this lie. This good 
 man's reafoning had a very fatisfadlory 
 effect, and Captain Wilfon having firft 
 confulced with his officers, agreed to 
 grant their requeft, only limiting the 
 n iiiiber of men from fifteen to ten, as 
 more could not be fpared from the 
 work. 
 
 Matters being thus agreeably con- 
 cluded, they iat dowa to fupper with 
 
 great 
 
106 ' SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 great pleafure ; after which Raa Kook 
 told Mr Sharp he had now a requeft to 
 make to him, which he hoped he would 
 grant him ; and that was, to go along 
 with him to Pelew, to infpect his fon's 
 foot, which was very dangeroufly hurt 
 by a fpear, which having funk deep in- 
 to the foot was broke off in attempting 
 to pull it out ; and the barb of the fpear 
 having got in among the fmall bones, 
 they could not extract it. Meantime, 
 his foot fwelled amazingly, to the great 
 diftrefs of the young man. One of the 
 natives, reputed among them as a man 
 of {kill, began to cut away the flefh ; 
 but after mangling his foot in a terrible 
 manner, he was obliged to defift, as the 
 effufion of blood became fo great that 
 he could not continue the operation* 
 They therefore had recourfe to their 
 mode of fomentation, of which Mr 
 Sharp much approved, and defired it 
 
 to 
 
THE ANTELOPE, 
 
 >e continued till he faw him, which 
 he could not propofe at this time, three 
 of the ableft men being fick. 
 
 Next day about noon, Raa Kook fet 
 fail with ten men under the command 
 of Mr Cummin, and in their abfence 
 the remainder continued their labours 
 at Oroolong with unremitting affiduity. 
 
 Although not dire6lly in the courfe 
 of the narrative, as the reader's curio- 
 fity will no doubt be fomewhat rai- 
 fed to learn the fequel of the young 
 man's hiftory juft mentioned, we {hall 
 next introduce Mr Sharp's account of 
 his excurfion to fee him. 
 
 Immediately on his landing he went 
 diredlly to the General, his father's 
 houfe, who met him with vifible diC- 
 trefs in his countenance. 
 
 Mr Sharp acquainted him, that he 
 was come to fee his fon, and had 
 brought fuch inftruments with him, 
 
 as 
 
1O8 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 as would enable him, he hoped, to ad- 
 minifter relief. He fmiied approbation, 
 and conduced him to his houfe, where 
 Abba Thulle, and fever al of the prin- 
 cipal people were affembled. After 
 paying his refpedls to them, Mr Sharp 
 A\as informed, that during Raa Kook's 
 ftay at Oroolong, the fwelling had fub- 
 fided by means of the fomentation, and 
 they had forced the fpear through his 
 foot, as the only method of extracting 
 it, At this time the whole army was 
 fetting out on the grand expedition, 
 Aihich the young man hearing, could not 
 bear the thoughts of being abfent from. 
 He therefore inlifted upon being car- 
 ried to his canoe, where though he 
 could not (land on his feet to fight, he 
 could raife himfelf fo much up as to 
 throw a fpear. He therefore went a- 
 long, and very early in the c ;e- 
 
 ment fell a facrifice to his magnanimi- 
 
 ty* 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 109 
 
 ty ; a fpear entering through his throat, 
 occafioned his immediate death. It is 
 impofEble to pafs over in iilence the 
 unhappy fate of this gallant youth. 
 A fpirit more truly heroic, hiftory has 
 hot left on record ; nor need we hefitate 
 to fay, that there wa more real valour 
 difplayed in this a6lion, which acci- 
 dent only has brought on record, than 
 in many feats which have attracted the 
 admiration of many generations. 
 
 This alfo gives us an opportunity of 
 mentioning their mode of burial, to 
 which Mr Sharp was witnefs on this 
 occafion. Raa Kook defired Mr Sharp 
 and the boatfwain to accorupany him 
 to the water fide, where two canoes 
 were waiting, into which they went, 
 acjompamed by about 20 Rupacks, 
 whom they had not formerly feen, as 
 they belonged to another iiland, tho 7 
 friendly to Abba Thulle. Mr Sharp 
 
 K, knew 
 
110 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 knew not whither they were going, but 
 fuffered himfelf to be conducted by 
 his friend. They landed upon an 
 ifland about four miles diftant from. 
 Pelew. They went a little way up into 
 the ifland, to a fmall uninhabited vil- 
 lage where there were four or five hou- 
 fes, furrounded by a neat pavement. 
 After refling about an hour here, they 
 fet forward to a town about half a mile 
 diftant, where a great many people of 
 both fexes were affembled, and an en- 
 tertainment prepared. Immediately af- 
 ter this, the women retired ; and in a 
 little, their attention was drawn to the 
 found of diftrefs and weeping at a lit- 
 tle diftance ; the voices appeared to be 
 principally thofe of women ; Raa Kook 
 immediately kd Mr Sharp from the 
 company to the place whence the noife 
 proceeded. They found a great multi- 
 tude of women attending a dead corpfe, 
 
 which 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 Ill 
 
 which was neatly wrapped in a mat, 
 and fupported by four men ; they kept 
 np a conftant lamentation, and were 
 juft about to lay it down, when the (Iran- 
 gers joined them. . The body was im- 
 mediately depofited in the grave wi- 
 thout any ceremony, while the men 
 who had borne it on their fhoulders, 
 proceeded to cover it quickly with 
 the duft. The women then kneeled 
 down, and their cries increafed fo much f 
 that they appeared as if they were an- 
 xious to tear up the very body again, 
 
 which had been jufl buried. A heavv 
 
 j *: 
 
 fliower of rain obliged Mr Sharp to 
 leave this interefting fcene, to feek 
 fhelter, but he never could learn the 
 caufe of Raa Kook's behaviour on this 
 occafion ; as notwithftanding the un- 
 common regard he had for his late fon, 
 whofe body they were convinced it 
 was, he preferved the moft profound 
 
 K 2 file nee 
 
112 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 filence on the fubjeft ; nor did he ap.- 
 pear particularly interefted. The moft 
 probable conjedlure they could form 
 was, that he confidered it to be below 
 that dignity of mind which he on all 
 occafions wifhcd to fupport, to appear 
 concerned on an occafion which gener 
 rally produces thofe feelings that be- 
 tray what they comider as human 
 weaknefs. 
 
 The night proved very flormy, fo 
 they could not return to Pelew, but 
 fpent the evening with Raa Kook. la 
 the morning Raa Kook carried Mr 
 Sharp and the boatfwain, to a little hut 
 contiguous to the place where his foia. 
 had been buried. Here they found 
 only an old woman, to whom the Ge- 
 neral fpoke for fome time ; {he theu 
 went out, but returned in a little, bring- 
 ing with her two old cocoa-nuts, fome 
 red ochre, and a bundle of beetle-nut 
 
 with 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 113 
 
 with the leaves. He took the cocoa- 
 nuts and crofled them with the ochre, 
 placing them one on each fide by him ; 
 after which he repeated fomething to 
 himfelf, which they fuppofed to be a 
 prayer ; he then croffed the beetle-nut 
 in the fame manner, and fat rmifing 
 over it a little, when he gave them to 
 the woman, who carried them out, as 
 Mr Sharp fuppofed, to the grave ; he 
 wifhed to follow her, but as Raa Kook 
 appeared under great agitation and not 
 inclined to rife, he did not leave him, 
 nor enquire farther. 
 
 Mr Sharp entertained his friends 
 with the infpedlion of his watch and 
 furgical inftruments, with which they 
 were greatly pleafed, as well as with 
 the defcription he gave them of the 
 mode of amputation, &c, 
 
 Their countrymen they had left at 
 Pelew were in great diftrefs about their 
 
 K 3 abfencej 
 
114 SHIPWRECK OP 
 
 ab fence ; they had been witnefles- to the 
 funeral of another young man who had 
 been flam in the fame battle. As they 
 were accidentally ftraggling thro' the 
 fields about two miles from Pelew, they 
 obferved a great number of the natives 
 going towards a village, with Abba 
 Thulle at their head. They came to a 
 large pavement, where the King was 
 feated, and a great crowd furrounded 
 him. Thofe who bare the corpfe, mo- 
 ved flowly on before the King, who 
 addrefled them in a fpeech, probably 
 recapitulating the qualifications of the 
 deceafed. This Ealogium he delivered 
 with great foleinnity, and the refpedt- 
 ful filence of all around him, added a 
 degree of affeding grandeur to the 
 fcene. The body was then carried to 
 the grave, attended by women only, 
 and thither Mr Matthias Wilfon fol- 
 lowed. He obferved an aged woman 
 
 getting 
 
THE ANTELOPE. IIJ 
 
 getting out of the new made grave, 
 whom he fuppc r fee the mother or 
 
 fome nea" the deceafed, 
 
 who h<. Ci 7 thing 
 
 was propv j her mind. 
 
 The laft oiu.. y always commit 
 
 to the women, & _ie men who are 
 nearly iaterefte r, relations, might 
 be led to difcover fome exterior marks 
 of grief, which they confider as dero* 
 gatory to the dignity of manhood. 
 Immediately on the body being laid in 
 the grave, the women fet up loud la- 
 mentations, as in the cr:fe of Raa 
 Kook's fon, and Mr Wilfon left them. 
 Their graves are made in the fame 
 manner as in this country ; fome have 
 a flat ftone laid horizontally on the 
 the grave, to prevent any perfon from 
 trampling upon it. They have alfo 
 particular fpots of ground fet apart for 
 the purpofc of burying their dead. 
 
 CHAP, 
 
Il6 SHIPWRECK OJ 
 
 CHAP IV. 
 
 Difafter of the Veflel Account of the Third Engage- 
 ment Captain Wilton's Vifit to Repacks Abba 
 Thulle Vifits the Englifh with his Wife and Daugh- 
 ter, &c. 
 
 THE VefTel was now considerably 
 advanced, when an unlucky accident 
 had nearly ba .iked their high railed 
 expectations. One night the tide r fe 
 to a very uncommon height, and had 
 nearly waihed away the blocks rrom 
 under her. At this time they were ve- 
 ry fhort of hands ; befi jes thole at Pe- 
 lew, three were very dck, fo that the re- 
 pairing the accident, 'd.A railing a ftrong 
 bank to defend from any iimiiar tide, 
 took up feveral days. The weather 
 was at this time very ilormy and difa- 
 greeable, in fb much, that iome days 
 they could not leava die tents to work. 
 
 The 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 117 
 
 .The jolly boat was difpatched to Pelew 
 for provifions, and in three days re- 
 turned, with the agreeable news that 
 the Engliih were fafe returned to Pe- 
 lew from the expedition to Artineall, 
 which had been vtiy fuccefsful ; but 
 Abba Thulle would not yet part with 
 them, as he was anxious to fliew i ^i 
 his gratitude, by entertar ^cm vn 
 the be ft manner he a :W 
 
 alfo brought with r Cop- 
 
 pers, that fome ci th h#d car- 
 
 ried off, on their fii il the wreck ; 
 
 this coming to Raa Kook's know- 
 ledge he had ordered them to be re- 
 turned, as he would by no means fufr- 
 fer any thing to be kept, that belong- 
 ed to the Engliflv 
 
 On Tuefday the yth of Olober all 
 the warriors returned, in high fpirits 
 with the entertainment they had met 
 with at Pelew. They were attended 
 
Il8 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 by Raa Kook, who brought with him 
 two jars of moloffes and fome excellent 
 yams. They gave the following ac- 
 count of the third engagement. 
 
 The canoes were aflembled and 
 proceeded on the expedition in the fame 
 manner as formerly, but were much 
 more numerous. On their arrival at 
 Artingall, the fame notice of the attack 
 was fent, but no canoes were to be feen, 
 
 
 
 nor any appearance of oppofition. Raa 
 Kook therefore took the command, and 
 having landed the troops, led them up 
 into the country ; while Abba Thulle 
 continued in his canoe, and di /patched 
 his orders to the two commanders Raa 
 Kook and Arra Kooker. They foon 
 met the inhabitants, who defended 
 themfelves with the greateft refolution 
 and bravery ; the King entreated the 
 Englifh not to land, left a^y of them 
 fliould meet with harm; but they, ob- 
 
 ferving 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 1,19, 
 
 f 
 
 ferving their friends rather hotly hand- 
 led, jumped on ftiore, attacked the e- 
 nerny, and furrounded a houfe to 
 which feverals of them had retreated. 
 The mufquets foon put them to flight, 
 and fet the houfe in flames ; upon this 
 one of the Pelew people, regardlefs of 
 the danger, ran in among the flames, 
 and fnatching a burning faggot, carri- 
 ed it to another houfe, where many of 
 the enemy had taken flicker, fet it on 
 fire, and returned fafe to his compani- 
 ons. Abba Thulle publickly acknow- 
 ledged his valour, by putting a firing 
 of beads in his ear, and afterwards 
 creating him an inferior Rupack. The 
 Engliili were frequently in. confide- 
 rable danger from the {pears of the 
 enemy, which they fhowered upon 
 them in great numbers ; but they were 
 fpon difperfed by a round of miiC- 
 quets, by which many of them loft 
 
 their 
 
120 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 their lives. Arra Kooker and Thomas 
 Wilfon made a very narrow efcape ; 
 Arra had afcended the hill in puriuit 
 of the enemy by much too far, when 
 noticing one of the Artingall people 
 coming down, he fkulked among fome 
 bufhes, till he was pail ; then running 
 after him, fetched him fuch a blow 
 with a wooden fword as immediately 
 dunned him ; but as he was dragging 
 him prifoner to a canoe, Wilfon luck- 
 ily obferved three or four of the ene- 
 my in purfuit of him ; who would in 
 all probability have killed him in a few 
 minutes ; he therefore immediately 
 levelled his mufquet at them, which 
 they perceiving, inftantly turned about 
 and fled ; this was a very fortunate cir- 
 cumftance, as although Wilfon had 
 prefented his mufquet, he could do no 
 ccu^ion with it, his ammunition ha- 
 ving been previoufly expended* 
 
 Five 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 121 
 
 Five canoes were burnt in this engage- 
 ment, and the caufeway or landing place 
 
 
 
 demoliflied, The only trophy of victory, 
 the conquerors carried with them, was 
 the large ftone on which the king fat in 
 council ; a circumftance which natu- 
 rally reminds a Briton, of the corona- 
 tion ftone, which Edward I. carried 
 to London from Scone. Great rejoi- 
 cings took place on their return to Pe- 
 lew ; though the untimely end of Raa 
 Kook's fon, with another blooming 
 youth, who loft his life in the engage- 
 ment, ferved to throw a damp on ma- 
 
 About this time Mr Barker had a ve- 
 ry fevere fall, which confined him 
 fome days ; but notwithftanding of 
 the delays occafioned by ficknefs and 
 accidents, the fchooner advanced pret- 
 ty quickly, fo that by the middle of 
 
 L Oaober 
 
122 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Ocflober her beams were all laid, and 
 many of them fecured. 
 
 Matters being in an agreeable train 
 at Oroolong, Captain Wilfon now re- 
 folved to pay a vifit with Abba Thulle, 
 to fome of the neighbouring iflands, 
 his allies ; he was attended by his 
 fon Henry Wilfon, Tom Rofe and 
 Thomas Button. They left Oroolong 
 in the morning of the 8th of Octo- 
 ber, along with their good friend Raa 
 Kook ; they reached Pelew by ten at 
 night, where they were kindly recei- 
 ved by Abba Thulle's eldeft fon Qui 
 BILL ; the King having fet off only a 
 little before for an ifland called E- 
 mungs : Raa Kook propofed to Captain 
 Wilfon to follow him immediately, 
 but as he found himfelf a good deal 
 indifpofed, he rather wifhed to fpend 
 the night at Pelew. They embarked 
 0ext morning having in their party, two 
 
 wives 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 123 
 
 wives of Raa Kook's and Qui Bill. 
 They fleered about twelve leagues to 
 the northward, and about noon were 
 off the mouth of a rivulet which runs 
 up into the ifland of Emungs. Raa 
 Kook then founded conch (hells to no- 
 tify their arrival. This rivulet they 
 found very difficult to navigate, be- 
 ing both {hallow arid narrow, befides 
 a number of fharp coral ftones on the 
 fides ; fo that the boatmen had fre- 
 quently to get out and haul them up. 
 They advanced upwards of a mile be- 
 fore they faw any houfes or inhabi- 
 tants, when xipon the conch-ihell be- 
 ing again founded, four young men 
 appeared, who foon retired precipitate- 
 ly as if terrified ; in a little timje how- 
 ever, a great number of the natives 
 CJ ne to the water fide, when Captain 
 Wilfon and Raa Kook landed, and 
 were conducted to a large houfe, where 
 
 L 2 great 
 
124 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 great multitudes fur-rounded them, ga- 
 zing with much ailoniihment, on the 
 Grangers, whofe colour and drefs were 
 fo new to them ; befides, their curioli- 
 ty had been railed by the accounts of 
 their valiant deeds in battle, of which 
 they had heard. They remained here 
 about half an hour, and then fet for- 
 ward to a large houfe or public build- 
 ing, about a quarter of a mile dif ant, 
 where Abba Thulle, and a number of 
 Rupacks were waiting their arrnal. 
 After fpending about tv o tours tlw,?, 
 they w-at to vifit the Rurack of the 
 
 * 
 
 town, an old infirm man ; here they 
 remained about half an hour, and had 
 fome boiled yams, fifh,aud fweet drink 
 fet before them ; they ate a little at d 
 returned to the great houfe, where a 
 great entertainment was waning ther^i. 
 The company were divided into no 
 parties; in the one were Abba Thiille, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 125 
 
 Captain Wilfon and his attendants, and 
 in the other Raa Kook, Qui Bill and 
 others. Captain Vvilfbn here remark- 
 ed, that nobody ventured to tafte the 
 meat, til! the King had given the word, 
 and in like manner none ventured to 
 lie down for ileep, till he was covered 
 with his mat. 
 
 After eating, the natives began a 
 dance in their uiual manner, which 
 continued the whole night ; they fung 
 allo a good deal, and as both men and 
 women joined, they produced together 
 a terrible nolle. i lie Englifh fpentbut 
 a very uncomfortable night here ; they 
 ha-.l oLiiy rough uneven boards to lie 
 en ; and had they been more agreeably 
 Lucl, che noife of the finging made it 
 ihipoflible to get ay reft Thefe a- 
 muli-mencs continued part of next day ; 
 aad in the afterDOOH^ they were enter- 
 Wita a mock fight betwixt two 
 
 L 3 of 
 
 \ 
 
126 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 of the natives, and a dance with f pears, 
 in their hands, which consumed about 
 an hour; during this r .ace, the chief 
 prefented Captain Wilfon with four 
 different fpears, and a curious wooden 
 fword, inlaid with (hell. Next day 
 they had new dances, which however, 
 were foon flopped by a terrible ftoi m. 
 of thunder and lightning. The wea- 
 ther clearing up in the afternoon, the 
 old Rupack was brought out to the 
 large pavement, carried on a board 
 flung with ropes on two poles, which 
 were fupported by four men. A piece 
 of etiquette now took place, which the 
 Engliih did not underftand ; all the Ru- 
 packs feated themfelves with much ref- 
 pect on the pavement, where the old Ru- 
 pack fat, but Abba Thulle went to a lit- 
 tle di fiance, and fat at the foot of a tree 
 making the handle of a hatchet; his place 
 was fupplicd among the Rupacks, by 
 
 Raa 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 Raa Kook who perfbnated and fpokc for 
 hiin H, iv ing convcrfed together for 
 forne time, the old ,-ack distributed 
 prei'ents of beads among the reii. Thefe 
 beads are in general a kind of coloured 
 earth, which they bake by a particu- 
 lar procefs whici-i the Knglilh could not 
 ger an opportunity of i being ; fome of 
 the Pelcw people however had made a 
 pared out of ibme bottles they had got 
 from the Antelope, having turned them 
 very neatly. The method of diftribu- 
 tiug theie beads was as follows : the 
 old xupack gave fome of them to one 
 of his attendants, who went into the 
 middle* of the fquare, then mentioned 
 the perfori for whom they were defign- 
 ed, pronounced an eulogium upon him, 
 and running up to him, delivered 
 them to him. After the Rupacks had 
 got their fhare, Tom Rofe was fent for 
 Capuia \V iiion, who was in the houfe 
 
 obferving 
 
12? SHIPW^FCK OF 
 
 obferving the ceremony from a win- 
 c- lo him th? Rupack gave a 
 
 i. ingot red I; ndiwotcrtoife-ihell 
 
 fpo-- After L. is ceremony, they 
 
 fpent another hour in converfation to- 
 
 dier ..en the old Rnpack was car- 
 i ?d ba\ k up ain on his board, and re- 
 Frethments fet before the Rupacks. 
 
 ptain Wilfon took an opportunity 
 of enquiring the reafbn of a number 
 o -uman iliulls being placed upon the 
 ov tide of the doors, windows and ends 
 of the great houfe, and was inform- 
 ed, that not many months before, 
 while the principal people of Emungs 
 were abfent on a vifit to a neig- -r- 
 ing ifland, the inhabitants cf Artingjill 
 
 :c!cd aixi at acked the town, putting 
 to death fuch as could not make their 
 efcape ; fetting.tht houfes on (ire and 
 c lu iDg wherever they can.e ; notice 
 or Uas having reached Pclew, Abba 
 
 1 hulls 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 Thulle quickly affbmbled his canoes, 
 and befet them unexpectedly ; at the 
 fame time, the people of Emungs re- 
 turning from their viilt, they fb com- 
 pletely furroundtd the Artineall people, 
 that very few of the r n efcaped ; and 
 thofe were the heads of fome of the 
 chiefs. 
 
 Captain Wilfon having fignified a 
 wifli to depart, next morning the conch- 
 fhell was founded, and the canoes a- 
 fembled by day-break. About eight 
 o'clock they embarked in company 
 with one Maatb^ a Rupack of confe- 
 quence in a northern if land, who had 
 eight or nine canoes in his retinue ; 
 thev parted with him at the mouth of 
 
 J A 
 
 the rivulet. He carried with him the 
 fcarlet coat and fpaniel dog which Cap- 
 tain Wilfon had given Abba Thulle, in 
 order to {hew them tr bis countrymen, 
 but they were afterwards returned to 
 
 Pelew. 
 
130 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Pelew. Before his departure, he anxi- 
 oufly entreated Captain Wilfon and his 
 company to go with him, which they 
 declined, as it would have detained 
 them too long from Oroolong. They 
 continued their route homewards very 
 agreeably, till about ten o'clock, when 
 a very violent florin of thunder and 
 lightning, accompanied with a deluge 
 of rain overtook them. The high wind 
 foon difperfed the canoes, and the boat- 
 men of that in which Captain Wilfon 
 was. ing in vain endeavoured to fleer 
 on tht^r way, agreed to rm.ke for the 
 fhore, which w^-s done ; and then kind- 
 led a fire by rubbing two flicks toge- 
 ther. Raa Kook covered himfelf with 
 his mat, and his two wives fheltered 
 thcmfelves under his boat cloak, at e- 
 very fiaih of lightning, ejaculating 
 what the Englifh fuppofed to be a pray^ 
 er. Captain Wilfon obferved on this 
 
 and 
 
THE ANTELOPE, 
 
 and other occafions, that the natives of 
 thefe iflands had a peculiar diflike to 
 their Ikins being wetted by rain, pro- 
 bably the fpattering of a ihower was 
 difagreeable, for it could not proceed 
 from any averfion to water, as they 
 bathed every day. The weather clear- 
 ed up about noon, when the compa- 
 nies of the different canoes met toge- 
 ther and dined. They then walked up 
 the country to a town named Arama- 
 lorgoo, where they were kindly enter- 
 tained. Before they embarked, Raa 
 Kook exprefled a defire to fire a muf- 
 quet, which he had never done, and 
 Captain Wilfon humoured him ; but 
 holding it loofely, it ftruck his ihoul- 
 der fo forcibly, that it fell from his 
 hands and he tumbled backwards. It 
 aftonifhed him to fee the En^liih fire 
 it fo eafily, while he could neither hold 
 it nor ftand when fired. 
 
 They 
 
132 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 They touched at a place called Emel- 
 ligree, which appeared to be a diftinct 
 government. The Rupack, a luity, 
 good-looking old man, lent them a for- 
 mal invitation to vifit him, which they 
 did. Abba Thulle defired that all his 
 company fhould attend this Rupack, 
 but he himfelf kept by his canoe, pro- 
 bably from the fame etiquette which 
 regulated his conducT: at Emungs. At 
 this place they were treated with all 
 hofpitality, not only in public, but at 
 feveral private houfes ; and were de- 
 tained fo long that the inhabitants had 
 to conducT: them to their canoes with 
 torches, for it was very dark. 
 
 It was ten o'clock before the canoe 
 in which Captain Wilfon and his par- 
 ty were, arrived at Pelew ; and as the 
 King was not yet come, none of the 
 natives would land ; the Englifh tho' 
 under no reflraint, chofe to ihew their 
 
 politenefs 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 133 
 
 politenefs on this occafion, by waiting 
 for him alfo. He foon arrived and 
 fpent this night with the Englifh in 
 the houfe by the water fide. Next 
 morning at breakfaft, Abba Thulle in- 
 formed Captain Wilfon that he was 
 direcfted by a Council, to requeft the 
 affiftance of his men in battle, yet once 
 more. The Captain replied, that no- 
 thing could give him greater fatisfadi- 
 on than to be of any fervice to the Pe- 
 lew people that lay in his power, but 
 when he left Oroolong, fo many of the 
 men lay fick, that till he faw how they 
 were, and converfed with his officers, 
 he could not give a pofitive anfwer; 
 with this they appeared very well fa- 
 tisfied, and about eleven o'clock in the 
 forenoon, Captain Wilfon and his par- 
 ty, with Raa Kook, fet fail for Oroo- 
 long, where they arrived fafe, about 
 four o'clock. 
 
 M Among 
 
134 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Among the firft employments af- 
 ter Captain Wilfon's return was Dif- 
 cipline. During his abfence, the Cook 
 had milbehaved exceedingly, appro- 
 priating great part of the fmall portion 
 of the meat they were allowed, to him- 
 felf and his affiftant. As it was necef- 
 fary, in their prefent fituation, that the 
 ftridleft difcipline mould be exercifed, 
 Captain Wilfon, by a Court Martial, 
 ordered him a cobbing. The native 
 tendernefs of Raa Kook's difpofition 
 appeared eminently on this occafion ; 
 when he faw the man dripped to the 
 waift and his hands tied againft a tree 
 to keep him extended, he entreated 
 Captain Wilfon to let him off. The 
 punifliment of cobbing is inflicted by 
 a thin flat piece of wood like a battle- 
 dore ; which Raa no fooner faw exer- 
 cifed, and the man bearing it patient- 
 ly, than he was reconciled {landing 
 
 by 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 135 
 
 by and encouraging him all the time. 
 A Chinefe was alfo puniflied in the 
 fame manner, for wounding one of 
 his countrymen with a (lone ; but he 
 roared and bellowed fo luftily, that 
 Raa Kook was greatly entertained with 
 his cowardice. 
 
 The canoes now frequently touched 
 at Oroolong with fifh, fo that the Eng- 
 liih had in general plenty of frefh pro- 
 vifions. On the ijth of October, three 
 canoes landed, in one of which was a 
 woman, the firft they had yet feen at the 
 cove. She went through the different 
 works and furveyed every ta ; r*=r with 
 great attention, but with great caution. 
 The men that accompanied her did not 
 land, nor could Captain Wilfon conceive 
 from whence they came ; it was con- 
 jedlured they were from Emilligree, 
 as none of the Englifh could recolledl 
 any of their countenances. 
 
 M 2 Abba 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Abba Thulie arrived about ten o'- 
 clock on the i yth, with the agreeable 
 news, that the Chief Minifter of Artin- 
 gall had been at Pelew with offers of 
 peace, which had been concluded u- 
 pon, to the great joy of Raa Kook and 
 the other natives. Abba Thulie brought 
 his youngeft daughter with him, named 
 Errc Bcfs, of whom he appeared to be 
 exceedingly fond ; he conducted her 
 through all the cove and explained the 
 ufe of every thing with much attention. 
 Befid.es ] ^ ;uib brought with him 
 on this vifit Liidee^ one of his wives ; a 
 very beautiful woman, young, and 
 greatly fuperior to any of the females 
 they had hitherto feen ; her genteel de- 
 portment and graceful ftep drew the 
 attention of every beholder. She had 
 with her eight or ten females, who 
 were all efcorted by Raa Kook, and 
 {hewn the forge, veffel, guns, tents and 
 
 other 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 137 
 
 other curiofities, with which they were 
 greatly furprifed. The King had alfo 
 brought fome of his artificers with him 
 (or facklekyst as he called them) to ob- 
 ferve the pi ogrefs of the vefTel, &c. he 
 itemed peculiarly anxious that they 
 fhould pay attention to the fchooner, 
 which all ranks agreed in confidering 
 as the ne plus ultra of human workman- 
 fhip. After their euriofity had been ful- 
 ly fatisfied, the Captain prepared an en- 
 tertainment for them in the tent, con- 
 fiding principally of fiih, and boiled 
 rice, fweetened with molofles, of which 
 they appeared very fond. 
 
 A good deal of conversation took 
 place on this vifit between the King 
 and Captain Wilfon on various fub- 
 jedls. Abba Thulle acknowledged that 
 the Englifli mufquets had now pro- 
 cured him peace with almoit all his 
 neighbours ; he at fame time rcqueft- 
 
 M 3 ed 
 
178 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Vf 
 
 ed that the Captain would leave ten 
 mufquets with him when he left the 
 ifland ; this Captain Wilfon told him 
 would not be in his power, as Britain 
 was at prefent engaged in war with fe- 
 veral different nations, with whofe ve- 
 fels they might fall in on their return 
 homeward, and fo require defenfive 
 weapons ; but he promifed him five, 
 which greatly pleafed him. Abba Thul- 
 le then enquired what quantity of pow- 
 der they had, but obferving that Cap- 
 tain Wilfon was not difpofed to anfwer 
 him readily, he very politely changed 
 the fubjedl. The Captain then defired 
 he would afTure his neighbouring ifland- 
 ers, that the Englifh, deeply fenfible of 
 the kind ufage they had received from 
 the inhabitants of Pelew, were deter- 
 mined to return very foon, in a much 
 larger fhip, and with a greater number 
 of men, and fully avenge any infult 
 
 that 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 that might be offered to the Pelewites, 
 either by the people of Artmgall, or 
 any other ifland. 
 
 Agreeable to a former promife of 
 Captain Wilfon's, Abba Thulle then in- 
 formed him, he had come at this time 
 to get the puns from the wreck, which 
 fhould either be placed at Oroolong or 
 Pelew, as the Engliih pleafed ; Captain 
 Wilfon having previouily confulted his 
 officers, defired him to take them all 
 to Pelew, except one, which they might 
 perhaps need in the fchooner. Accor- 
 dingly, next day, the King ordered 
 fome of his people to go to the wreck 
 in order to remove them. Having no 
 tackle, they found it a very difficult 
 jobb, and were forced to fend for ten 
 of our people to affift them ; the Eng- 
 lifhmen fpeedily lodged them in the ca- 
 noes t the furprife of the natives, who 
 could not conceive it poffible to handle 
 
 thefe 
 
140 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 thefe heavy pieces with fuch apparent 
 eafe. 
 
 -The King lodged at the back of the 
 ifiand, carrying with him all his at- 
 t ndants, that the Englifh might be as 
 
 hctie interrupted by them as poilible. 
 
 i 
 
 He had rut been long there, when he 
 fent for Captain Wilfon to give him ten 
 large fiih, part of a quantity his peo- 
 ple had taken ; of thefe he would only 
 receive four, which would fully flipper 
 ail his people, and fuch is the natu/e 
 of the climate there, that 110 fiih will 
 keep frefli above five or fix hours. The 
 King then ordered the remaining fix 
 to be dreifed for keeping, and fent to 
 the cove in the morning. Their me- 
 thod of cleaning and dreffing them is 
 as follows ; the fifti is firfr well cleaned, 
 wafhed, and all the fcaies taken off; 
 then two flicks are placed lengthways 
 of the filh, in, order to keep it ftraight, 
 
 in 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 14! 
 
 in the fame manner as flicks are placed 
 acrofs falmon in this country when 
 kippering ; it is then bound round 
 with broad plantain leaves, and fmok- 
 ed over a flow fire. In this ftate it will 
 be eatable for at lead two clays, though 
 not very pleafant. 
 
 In the morning, the ears of the Eng- 
 liili were faluted with the noife of fing- 
 ing in the woods, which proved to be 
 Raa Kook and his attendants coining 
 acrofs the country, with the fix dried 
 fiih, which were very acceptable. 
 This morning the King went to the 
 wreck, and returned to the cove, and 
 breakfalled on tea with Captain Wil- 
 fon, three Artingall people being alfo of 
 the party. After breakfafl, the flran- 
 gers were led through the works, and 
 their furprife was nothing inferior to 
 any that had yet been exprefTed ; the 
 guns particularly interefled them, as 
 
 the 
 

 
 14 2 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 the means by which fo many of their 
 countrymen died, in a manner then in- 
 comprehenfible. In a few days they 
 had a farther opportunity of feeing the 
 effects of the mufquets, by Mr Ben- 
 ger's killing fome pigeons while on wing, 
 they run to the carcafes, and exami- 
 ned them very attentively, and upon 
 noticing the wounds, obierved, it was 
 with fuch holes as thefe their country- 
 men died ; on this occafion the Pelew- 
 ites fecined to exult a little over their 
 neighbours, on the ignorance which 
 they (hewed of the ufe of fire arms. 
 The People of Artingall however re- 
 tained no animofity on this account 
 but feemed quite happy and at eafe. 
 
 Captain Wilfon had now occafion to 
 complain to Abba Thulle of a theft 
 which had been committed by fomc of 
 his people, a cooper's adze and a caulk- 
 ing iron being amiffing ; the latter he 
 
 recovered 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 143 
 
 recovered immediately, but the adze 
 he found had been carried to Pelew. 
 
 On Monday the 2oth the King went 
 again to the wreck, and in his abfence 
 a meflage was fent by Raa Kook to 
 Captain Wilfon, informing him that 
 he was very bad, and wifhed much to 
 fee the Captain and Mr Sharp. They 
 went immediately to fee their good 
 friend, whom they found much diftref- 
 fed with a large boil on his arm, which 
 was attended with -a considerable de- 
 gree of fever. Mr Sharp dreifed it with 
 care, and found him much better on 
 his return in the evening, when the 
 King was prefent, and expreffed great 
 thankfullnefs for the attention paid to 
 his brother ; Abba Thulle appeared ve- 
 ry much interefed for his recovery, 
 and on every occafioii manifeded the 
 higheit concern about all his relations 
 and friends. Captain Wilfon. obfer- 
 
 ved 
 
144 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ved when there in the forenoon, that 
 Raa Kook was attended by his wives, 
 who appeared greatly agitated ; their 
 breads were fcratched and bleeding, 
 by means of a prickly leaf, which they 
 applied very fmartly, in order to tefti- 
 fy their concern* 
 
 During Abba Thulle's refidence on 
 Oroolong, the Englifh were regularly 
 fupplied with frefh and dried fiih, 
 which were very acceptable ; among 
 the reft were fome Kima Cockles, fo 
 famous throughout Europe for their 
 beautiful fhells. Another unknown a- 
 nimal was obferved about this time, 
 fomewhat fimilar to our batt, but 
 four times its fize ; it runs along the 
 ground, climbs trees and leaps from 
 branch to branch with great alertnefs; 
 befides which, it has wide extended 
 wings, and flies rapidly. It is efteem- 
 ed a nice dim at Pelew, and like the 
 
 pigeon, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 145 
 
 pigeon, facred for chiefs only. On the 
 2 1 ft Abba Thulle came round to the 
 cove on his way to Pelew. He ailced 
 Captain Wilfon if the Englifti would 
 affift him in battle once more, to which 
 Captain Wilfon readily agreed. He 
 then told him that there would be a 
 grand council held at Pelew on the fub-* 
 je6l the next day, the refult of which 
 he would communicate ; on this ac- 
 count Raa Kook would not remain be- 
 hind, though far from well, his pre- 
 fence being neceffary in council. The 
 King then informed the Captain, that 
 he would fend him a quantity of paint 
 for their veffel, and defired the jolly 
 boat might be fent for it; this was 
 done, and a quantity fent, much more 
 than fufficient for their purpofe. It 
 conlifted of red and yellow ochre, being 
 all the natural paints of the country ; 
 the King fent a ftridl charge to pre- 
 
 N ferve 
 
146 SHIPWRECK OP 
 
 ferve the bafkets, in which the colours 
 were packed, from wet; and informed, 
 that men would be fent proper for 
 painting the vefTel, on their return from 
 the propofed expedition. Mr Devis, 
 Tom Rofe, and another of the Englifh 
 people went with the King to Pelew, 
 and remained there till the 24th, in 
 which time Abba Thulle had made full 
 farther enquiries at them as to fome 
 particulars concerning which he wifli- 
 ed to be informed, particularly as to 
 the nations with whom Captain Wilfon 
 had mentioned the Englifli were at 
 war. 
 
 By the 26th of October the veffel 
 was breamed an 1 the outfide caulking 
 completed. The fame day, a number 
 of flra 1 ger> touched at the cove, in 
 ten canoes ; they proved to be friends 
 to Abba Thulle, on their way to join 
 his fleet. It appeared they had previ- 
 
 oufly 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 147 
 
 oufly heard of the Engliffa, and by 
 that means were not fo much furprifed 
 on feeing them ; yet they were greatly 
 entertained with the various works, 
 through which they were conduced. 
 Their chief was an elderly man, and 
 fpent the greater part of the time they 
 were on more in Captain Wil foil's tent ; 
 finding a book on his table, he was 
 much pleafed with the appearance of 
 it, and entertained himfelf by reckon- 
 ing the number of leaves in it, a tafk 
 which he could not accomplim, ha- 
 ving frequently proceeded the length 
 of fifty, but could not go further. 
 
 Mr Sharp now paid a vifit to Raa 
 Kook, to enquire after his health, and 
 was happy to find him much better. 
 One of the furgeons at Pelew had cut 
 the core of the boil, and the furround- 
 ing flefh with one of their knives. 
 When we confider the nature of the in- 
 
 N 2 ftrument 
 
148 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 flrument with which all their furgical 
 operations are performed, and that all 
 their knowledge confifts in cutting out 
 the part affedled, one cannot avoid feel- 
 ing for the pain, or rather torture, 
 which thofe muft endure, who are fo 
 unhappy as to need their affiftance. 
 Perhaps they may now be enabled to 
 execute their operations with fome- 
 w:hat lefs pain, as the Englifh diftri- 
 buted a few twopenny knives among 
 them. Mr Sharp re-drefled Raa Kook's 
 fore, and left feveral dreffings, with 
 proper directions for application. His 
 vifit to the General was confideied as 
 very flattering, and warmly recom- 
 mended him not to the friends of his 
 patient only, but to all the ifland, who 
 were particularly fond of Raa Kook, 
 
 In the afternoon of Monday, the 
 ^yth of October, Abba Thulle, arri- 
 ved at Oroolong, with a great number 
 
 of 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 149 
 
 of canoes in his train ; they formed 
 the third grand divifion of the fleet, 
 which altogether confifted of upwards 
 of 300 canoes. They failed in good 
 order and made a very formidable ap- 
 pearance. The following ten men pre- 
 pared to go on this expedition ; Mr 
 Matthias Wilfon, Thomas Wilfon, 
 William Roberts, Thomas Button, 
 Nicholas Tyacke, Madan Blanchard, 
 Thomas Whitfield, John Duncan, Jas. 
 Swift and William Steward. Imme- 
 diately on the King landing he was in- 
 formed the men were ready ; upon 
 which they all embarked, the Englifh 
 on fhore giving them three cheers, 
 which they in concert with the natives 
 returned very warmly. 
 
 N 2 CHAP. 
 
150 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 CHAP V. 
 
 Expedition to Pelelew Vifit from Abba Thulle. 
 Launching of the Schooner Prefents to the King 
 Preparations for Departure Captain Wilfon made a 
 Rupack Blanchard's Determination to Remain 
 Propofal for Lee Boo returning with the Englifh 
 other Proceedings previous to Sailing. 
 
 THE Armament were fcarcely out 
 of fight, when a very furious ftorm a- 
 rofe at Oroolong, which diftrefled them, 
 all exceedingly ; not only on account 
 of the danger their veflel and tents 
 were in, but the apprehenfions they 
 reafonably entertained for the fafety 
 of their abfent friends. They were 
 however foon relieved ; on Thurfday 
 the 3Oth October about midnight, their 
 companions having been only gone a- 
 bout three days, a canoe was obferved 
 coming towards the harbour, and the 
 crew calling out Englees, they were per- 
 mitted 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 mitted to land. In this canoe, came 
 Arra Kook, and the furgeonsfucalzc, or 
 friend, the news of whofe arrival foon 
 raifed the Englifh from their beds to 
 hear fome account of their friends. 
 The original caufe of the contefl with 
 the natives of Pelelew it feems had been, 
 their refilling to deliver up two people 
 that had been faved from the Malay 
 wreck ; immediately therefore, on Ab- 
 ba Tlrulle's appearing on their coaft, 
 the enemy laid down their weapons, 
 offered prefents, and delivered up the 
 two Malay-men. Next day, thefe agree- 
 able tidings were confirmed by the re- 
 turn of the party, who gave the fol- 
 lowing account of the expedition. 
 
 They met with very bad weather 
 the firft night, and were obliged to land 
 on an uninhabited ifland, about four 
 leagues diftant from Pelelew, where they 
 creded temporary huts. Next day two 
 
 different 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 different parties went on an cxcurlion 
 to a neighbouring ifland, where they 
 terrified the natives, and pillaged a lit- 
 tle. Abba Thulle then called a coun- 
 cil, in confequence of which Arra 
 Kooker fet off next morning to Pele- 
 lew, and concluded the peace. On his 
 return in the afternoon, the Englifh 
 were informed, that in the prefent fi- 
 tuation of affairs it would be derogato- 
 ry to his dignity to approach Pelelew, 
 but if they had any wifh to fee the 
 ifland, Arra Kooker would attend them. 
 This offer was accepted, having previ- 
 oufly entered into a bargain, to keep 
 clofe together, in cafe of treachery on 
 the part of the Pelelewans. They were 
 attended by a great number of the Pe- 
 lew people, and highly entertained with 
 the iiland. They found the country 
 pleafant and fertile ; the land appeared 
 nearly level, aud the h ;uies were large 
 
 and 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 153 
 
 and better conftrucfted than thofe at 
 Pelew : The natives feerned to be friend- 
 ly and humane, and they (hewed a ve- 
 ry marked refpedl to our countrymen, 
 although the object of their vifit had 
 been to fpread devaluation. Indeed the 
 natives of Pelew difcovered a degree of 
 rancour againft thefe Pelelewans rather 
 inconriflent either with their character 
 or practice ; the Englifh were ready to 
 think they had been ftimulated to it 
 by the Malay, in order to get his two 
 friends out among them. 
 
 Abba Thulle made a very fhort ftay 
 at Oroolong, as did even Raa Kook ; 
 they returned to Pelew accompanied 
 by the King of Pelelew. This Rupack 
 was an elderly man, and of a ftern 
 rough appearance ; his hair was grey^ 
 and his beard tapered to a narrow point. 
 The only other fingularity about him, 
 from the people of Pelew was, his be- 
 ing 
 
154 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ing tatooed quite up to the navel, while 
 their tatooing did not exceed the mid- 
 dle of their thighs. Mr Sharp with 
 four of the men fet off the day follow- 
 ing for Pelew, in order to bring over 
 fome molofTes promifed. them by Raa 
 Kook. He mentioned that the ufual 
 rejoicings had taken place at Pelew on 
 the happy termination of this expediti- 
 on ; and fongs were compofed on the 
 occafion in which thefe words could be 
 diftinguimed, " Englees^ Weel a 7r- 
 coy" (very good) ; and in a particular 
 manner T'om Rofe was celebrated in 
 them. This agreeable jocofe young 
 man, a6led as an interpreter on all oc- 
 cafions, and had made himfelf a favou- 
 rite among the natives. 
 
 About this time Captain Wilfon in- 
 timated a wifh to his officers and crew, 
 that they would agree to a few days 
 being {pent in navigating round the 
 
 ftiores 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 155 
 
 fhorcs of this clufler of iflands, where 
 they had fpent fo many weeks with a 
 degree of comfort and fatisfa&ion, far 
 furpaffing their mod fanguine expedla- 
 tions. He told them they were the 
 firft Europeans who had hitherto viii^ 
 ted them, and as human nature was 
 here to be feen in an attire, (he had ne- 
 ver affumed, fo far as he had heard, it 
 would be acceptable to their Employers, 
 and a fervice to mankind, to fpend fome 
 little time in vifiting the other iflands 
 at which they had not yet touched ; he 
 faid that Abba Thulle would chearfully 
 give them all the alliftaiice in his pow- 
 er, and it was a tafk which could eafi- 
 ly be overtaken. But however plaufi- 
 ble the fcheme, it was approved by 
 none the fear of being engaged in ho- 
 ftilities with fome of thofe iflands to 
 which they were ftrangers ; the danger 
 of encountering fea florins in fmall ca- 
 noes 
 
156 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 noes ; and above all, the protracting 
 the anxioufly expected hour when they 
 ihould again let fail for their native 
 country, determined them al to en- 
 treat the Captain to lay afide the fcheme ; 
 which he accordingly did. 
 
 Meanwhile the vefTel advanced apace, 
 and a confultation was held, to fix on 
 the fafeft method of launching her, 
 which was agreed to be lay ways. 
 They had neither pitch nor rofin to pay 
 her with ; this want, neceflity, the mo- 
 ther of invention, taught them to fupply 
 by burning coral ftone into a lime ; 
 then lifting it thoroughly, they mixed 
 it up with greafe, and found in it an 
 
 s * 
 
 excellent fuccedaneum. 
 
 THE Reader will not have followed 
 his countrymen thus far, and feen Pro* 
 vidence refcuing them from the jaws 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 157 
 
 of death, and foftering them in thefe 
 to us unknown regions, without feel- 
 ing his heart warmed in no common 
 degree to the friendly iflanders, by 
 whom they were protedled ; yet it is 
 now necefTary to unfold a fcene on the 
 part of the Englifh, which without 
 well weighing the accompanying cir- 
 cumflances, he will be ready to cen- 
 fure as ungrateful, ungenerous, and 
 cruel. Inftances of fuch noble fenti- 
 ments of liberality, uncontrouled by 
 art or intereft, and continued fo long, 
 are fo very rare even in civilized na- 
 tions, that the minds of feveral of the 
 Englilh were ready to take alarm at the 
 fmalleft accident, left all this overflow 
 of kindnefs, fhould only be to lull th-ai 
 in fecurity, till they ihould in the firit 
 place ferve their own ends by them, 
 and then more effectually cut them off. 
 A meflage from the King at this time, 
 
 O informing 
 
SHIPWRECK OP 
 
 informing that he propofed paying 
 them a vifit in a few days, and remain- 
 ing with them till their departure, gave 
 the firil alarm; but on Tuefd ay No- 
 vember the 4th, two canoes being ob- 
 ferved off the harbour, towards night, 
 and neither of them coming in, it 
 was inftantly concluded that they 
 were fpies, and that the natives, con 
 fcious of the value of their aid in bat- 
 tle, intended to prevent their depar- 
 ture. Every precaution was therefore 
 made for a vigorous defence, in fpite 
 of the eloquence of Captain Wilfon, 
 who infifted that it was a degree of in- 
 juflice to entertain even a fufpiciorx of 
 a people fo hofpitable, and a prince fo 
 generous and condefcending. He ri- 
 diculed the idea of defence, fuppofing 
 the natives leally meant to detain them, 
 as the ammunition was nearly expend- 
 ed, and the natives could fo eafily cut 
 
 off 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 159 
 
 off their frefti water. Thefe and ma- 
 ny other arguments equally forcible 
 availed nothing ; it was determined 
 that every one fhould be on his guard ; 
 that the fwivels and fix pounder fhould 
 be loaded with grape mot, the fmall 
 arms charged with ball, and the car- 
 touch boxes loaded with cartridges, 
 and left they might be overpowered 
 with numbers, it was agreed to lingle 
 out the chiefs for the bayonet or muC- 
 quet, with a view to difmay and di- 
 perfe the multitude. There is not one 
 circumftance in all this narrative, which 
 is more difagreeable to relate, than what 
 common fidelity requires to be now 
 mentioned ; that the amiable and 
 princely Abba Thulle, the humane, 
 benevolent Raa Kook, and the jocofe, 
 entertaining and warm hearted Arra 
 Kooker, were to have been the firft 
 victims of this phrenzy ; not that the 
 
 O 2 Engliih. 
 
l6o SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Englifh were deadened to every fenfe 
 of honour, gratitude, and generofity ; 
 but when the precious cup of liberty 
 was now almoft at their lips, the dread 
 of its being yet wrenched from them, 
 however groundlefs the idea, wrought 
 fo powerfully as to abforbe, for a mo- 
 every principle of honour. 
 
 Happy are we to fay, it was but for a 
 little time, that thefe ungenerous fen- 
 timents prevailed : the reflection of a 
 night greatly moderated them, and by 
 morning light, there were none of the 
 company who did not feel, in fome de- 
 gree, the force of what Captain Wilion 
 had alledged the preceding night ; yea 
 many among them blufhed at the ap- 
 pearance they had made to one another, 
 difcovering the weaknefs of human 
 nature, when flruggliiig between the 
 hopes of returning to their native 
 
 country 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 country, and the dread of perpetual de- 
 tention. 
 
 Agreeable to a previous promife he 
 had made to the King, Captain Wil- 
 fon difpatched the jolly boat to Pelew, 
 on the morning of the 6th of Novem- 
 ber, under the direction of Mr Sharp 
 and Mr Matthias Wilfon, who carried 
 along with them, all the iron and tools 
 they could fpare. They were defired 
 to inform Abba Thulle, that until the 
 veiTel was completely finiflied, they 
 could not fpare him the mufquets, nor 
 any more tools, but in the mean time, 
 they hoped to have the pleafure of a vi- 
 fit from him, as they expedled to be 
 ready to fail in a few days ; they were 
 alfo defired to exprefs in the warineft 
 manner, the high fenfe the Engliih en- 
 tertained of the unbounded kindnefs 
 they had received, which they were de- 
 termined publicly to declare on their 
 
 O 3 return 
 
l62 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 return to Britain. While Captain Wil- 
 fon was talking with his ambaffadors 
 about this mefTage, Madan Blanchard 
 entered the apartment in queft of fome 
 tools he wanted ; and immediately took 
 the opportunity of defiring Tom Rofe, 
 who was to he of the party, to inform 
 the King that he was determined to 
 flay behind and refide at Pelew; upon 
 the Captain ridiculing his meflage, he 
 folemnly declared that he would not 
 embark with them. Many attempts 
 were made to convince him of the im- 
 propriety of fuch a ftep, but all in vain ; 
 mean time, the Captain ordered that 
 this circumftance mould not be men- 
 tioned at prefent, and the boat depart- 
 ed. By Captain Wilfon's defire, Blan- 
 chard's companions ufed every argu- 
 ment in their power to divert him from 
 a fcheme fo very imprudent in every 
 point of view ; but he informed them 
 
 his 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 163 
 
 his mind was refolved. The idea of 
 deferring his comrades fuggefted itielf 
 on his return from the firft expedition 
 againft Artingail, and he then menti- 
 oned it ; at the fame time adding, that 
 he would cheerfully join in their daily 
 labours, with the fame diligence and 
 perfeverance as any of them ; but that 
 he had refolved to end his days at Pe~ 
 lew, without again encountering the 
 conflicting elements at fea, Having 
 formed no particular connection with 
 any females, they looked upon him as 
 in j eft, but he never altered his refolu- 
 tion. 
 
 Next day the boat returned from Pe- 
 lew, having in company, the King, hit 
 young favourite daughter, Raa Kook 
 and feveral chiefs of diftindlion ; they 
 had been impeded by a ftorm ; and as 
 was formerly noticed, though thefe 
 people go perfe&ly naked, and fre- 
 quently 
 
164 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 quently bathe, they fly to fhelter from 
 a ftorm of rain, with the e'agerncfs of 
 an Englifh Beau, to preferve a new or 
 fafhionahle coat. The Englifbmen in 
 the pinnace fell in with the Pelew com- 
 pany in their canoes during the ftorm, 
 and accompanied them to the ifland of 
 Pethoull, where they fpent the night 
 together. The ladies who were of 
 the party, expreffed not a little difap- 
 pointmsnt in being obliged to halt a 
 night by the way, as they were very 
 impatient to fee the launch at Oroo- 
 long. They flipped together very 
 cheerfully, when there was again op- 
 portunity of remarking, that no one 
 prefumed to eat till the monarch had 
 pronounced the word Munga^ that is 
 Eat 9 upon which a fignal is given to 
 the attendants without, when all begin 
 to eat together. Each one's {hare was 
 portioned out on a plantain leaf, which 
 
 ferved 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 165 
 
 ferved for a plate ; though on great oc- 
 cafions they ufe a fort of dim made of 
 tortoife-fhell, and others of earthen- 
 ware and wood; they cut their meat 
 with a knife made of fplit bamboo, 
 with which they carve very decently. 
 
 MefT. Sharp and Wilfon now pre- 
 fented the King with the iron tools, 
 which were very gracioufly received, 
 they explained the method of ufing 
 them, to which Raa Kook paid par- 
 ticular attention ; the Malay took this 
 opportunity of hinting, that the Eng- 
 lifh had not fent the mufquets they 
 had promifed ; to this Raa Kook with 
 great indignation in his countenance, 
 replied, that they had fent all they had 
 promifed to fend, previous to their de- 
 parture, of which they had given due 
 notice ; that this infinuation, was like 
 the former, whereby he had nearly ef- 
 fe&ed a difference between them : the 
 
 difcredit 
 
l66 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 discredit which this behaviour brought 
 upon the Malay, not with Raa Kook 
 only, but all the chiefs, quite difcon- 
 certed him, and he retired in coiifu- 
 fion. 
 
 The order in which the company 
 fat during this night's entertainment, 
 is worthy notice. The houfe in which 
 they were was in one large apartment, 
 torches were lighted, and ftuck in be- 
 twixt the boards of the floor, in a line 
 through the centre of the room ; and 
 the company fat in rows with their 
 backs to the li^ht. 
 
 When ready to retire for reft, the 
 fervants brought in the mats, and fires 
 being lighted to defend from the muf- 
 quitoes, the torches were extinguifhed, 
 and all was filence. This however was 
 interrupted about two or three in the 
 morning by the arrival of a meflenger, 
 who Was introduced to the King. This 
 
 they 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 167 
 
 they afterwards learned was a meflage 
 from fome of the neighbouring illands 
 enquiring the time of the departure of 
 the Englifli. The method which Ab- 
 ba Thulle ufed to fend his anfwer, is 
 very noticeable, he took a firing, and 
 put as many knots upon it as there 
 were days to the time. This enquiry 
 at firft founded rather difagreeable to 
 the Engliih, but it afterwards proved 
 to be a frefh inftance of their kindnefs, 
 as they only wiihed to know, for the 
 purpofe of contributing to their fea 
 (lore. 
 
 Next morning proved calm, and 
 they fet fail ; the King and daughter, 
 Raa Kook and another chief, went with 
 the Englifli in the pinnace ; a fudden 
 fquall arifing nearly overfet moft of 
 the canoes, but the pinnace, failed ve- 
 ry eafily to the great fatisfadlion of 
 Abba Thulle, who was mightily pleafed 
 
 to 
 
l68 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 to hear that Captain Wilfon propofed 
 leaving her with him. 
 
 Immediately on his arrival, Abba 
 Thulle ordered his men to proceed in 
 painting the veffel, which they did. 
 Raa Kook aflifted himfelf in the opera- 
 tion, under the immediate direction of 
 the King. The ftern was the place 
 which he decorated with all his art; 
 in particular he was at pains with two 
 circles, fome ornaments, hanging from 
 them, the particular intention of which 
 the Englifh never difcovered. In the 
 afternoon, the fhip was lowered off the 
 blocks upon the ways ; but being too 
 much over to one fide, was fwept with 
 a rope, and to boufe her over, a tackle 
 got upon it. The King attentive to 
 their proceedings fetched a long pole, 
 to apply as a lever to heave the veflel 
 over ; but, on a hint being given that it 
 was wrong, he defifted 5 me was eafily 
 
 got 
 
ANTELOPE. 169 
 
 got upon the ways, and every thing be- 
 ing ready, the next morning was ap- 
 pointed for the important launch. The 
 King now fat down near the fcene of 
 buftle ; and after a fliort converfation 
 with his brother and the chiefs, order- 
 ed it to be fignified to Captain Wilfon, 
 that it was his requeft he would change! 
 the name of the {hip to that of the O' 
 ? oolong, in remembrance of the ifland, 
 and the people. A ready concurrence 
 being univerfally given, the good prince 
 appeared more than commonly happy. 
 The Captain being told that Bknchard 
 was coming to offer himfelf to the Pe- 
 lew King, determined to make a merit 
 ofneceffity, and therefore fignified ta 
 Abba Thulle, that as a return for the 
 hofpitality with which the Englifh had 
 been treated, they would leave one of 
 their comrades with him, as a perpetu- 
 al reficlenter, who was qualified to ma- 
 
 P nagc 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 nage the great guns and other things, 
 beyond their comprehenfion. The idea 
 was by no means thrown away ; the 
 King was gratified beyond meafure. 
 
 This night Blanchard fpcnt with the 
 King, and was well entertained. He 
 promifed to make him a Rupack, to 
 give him a houfe and plantations, and 
 allow him two wives. All the crew re- 
 gretted much to part with Blanchard ; 
 his agreeable behaviour made him be- 
 loved by his companions, who loft no 
 opportunity to fpeak in his behalf to the 
 natives. This refolution of his, howe- 
 ver, was inexplicable ; as it is difficult to 
 conjecture what motives could urge him 
 to forfake that clafs of mankind among 
 whom he had hitherto lived, and be 
 feparated from them perhaps for ever. 
 As Abba Thulle, Raa Kook and the 
 natives in general, confidered his re- 
 maining among them as a very great 
 
 compliment, 
 

 THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 compliment, they were refolvecl to 
 make him happy ; and there is great 
 probability, he now lives among them 
 in a iituation not only comfortable but 
 refpeclable. Meantime the reader pro- 
 bably looks forward with anxiety to the 
 return of thefe (hips, which it is ex- 
 pected have ere this, paid a vifit to 
 thefe iflands, in hopes of hearing fome- 
 what concerning the future fortunes of 
 this young man. lie w r as only about 
 twenty y -irs of age when left there. 
 
 Abba Thulle defired Captain Wilfon 
 and his officers to point out to him a 
 proper fpot about the cove, where he 
 meant to plant fome cocoa-nuts and yams, 
 for the refrefhment of the Englifh on 
 their next vifit. This was done accor- 
 dingly, and it was obferved, that upon 
 the grain being put in the ground, the 
 perfon planting muttered a few words 
 to himfelf. An attempt was alfo made 
 
 P 2 tO 
 
172 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 to launch the veflel this afternoon but 
 in vain. 
 
 We come now to contemplate a fcene 
 peculiarly interefting. Next morning 
 (Sunday the 9th of October) the Eng- 
 lifli proceeded before day-break to make 
 ready for the launch ; it need fcarcely 
 be mentioned, that uncommon pains 
 were taken to put every thing in the 
 moft favourable train for getting her 
 afloat. About feven the King and at- 
 tendants were defired to be pr. fent, and 
 in a little time the veflel was agreeably 
 launched, to the general joy of every 
 fpe&ator. Never was there a more af- 
 
 fectingly happy fcene. Every eye 
 
 feemed to fparkle with a luftre borrow- 
 ed for the occafiori. Every counte- 
 nance looked animating joy and heart- 
 felt fatisfaclion ; but few among them 
 could utter their feelings : looks of 
 congratulation circulated around, while 
 
 every 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 173 
 
 every one fhook his neighbour's hand 
 with warmed fervour. Home, wives^ 
 parents, children, friends- all all- 
 ieemed as within grafp but defcrip- 
 tion is unequal to this tafk. Let not 
 however the behaviour of their Pelew 
 friends be forgotten; in their joy which 
 was alfo unbounded, real philanthropy 
 was to be feen They faw by this oc- 
 currence, thofe friends whom they va- 
 lued about to leave them ; thofe friends 
 by whom they had been ib much be- 
 nefited, and from whom they had learn- 
 ed fo much but they faw them happy 
 they knew their whole comfort de- 
 pended upon the iuccefs of this event 4 ,, 
 and therefore their benevolent hearts 
 participated in the general joy, 
 
 After a very happy breakfafl indei 
 they proceeded to carry every thing ah 
 board with all poffible expedition, and 
 in t? afternoon, the flood tide coming 
 
 P 3 - - in> 
 
174 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 in, the fliip was hauled into the bafon, 
 a deep place of four or five fathom wa- 
 ter ; and in the courfe of the day, they 
 got on board all the provifions, ftores, 
 &c. fuch only excepted as were to be 
 given in prefents to the King; and in 
 the morning took on board their an- 
 chors, cables, and other necefiaries, 
 making bitts, and fitting a rail acrofs 
 the (tern of the veffel. 
 
 Abba Thulle being now at the wa- 
 tering-place, lent for Captain Wilfon 
 to attend him ; on whofe arrival it was 
 intimated to him, that the Rupacks 
 had determined to inveft him with the 
 order of the BONE, and to create him 
 a Rupack of the firft rank; an' honour 
 which Captain Wilfon faid, he confi- 
 dered in a very flattering point of 
 view, and would receive with much 
 joy. We fliall mention this ceremony 
 of invefting with the BONE with fome 
 
 minuteaefs, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 175 
 
 minutenefs, as it is a diftinftion never 
 obtained without the moft unequivocal 
 pretenfions to merit, in the field, in 
 the council, or in domeitic life ; and is 
 efteemed a fupreme felicity by the cliC- 
 tinguifhed candidate. Some may be 
 ready to fmile, and ridicule the fimpli- 
 city with which thefe children of na- 
 ture, (lamp this fimple ceremony with 
 fo much confequence ; but it were hap- 
 py for European nations, if their marks 
 of honour were as carefully conferred, 
 and as furely indicated true merit in 
 the poflefTor. The glaring ceremony 
 with which the order of the Star and 
 Garter or the dignity of a Peerage is 
 conferred in Britain, does not convey 
 more honourable fentirnents of the di- 
 ftinguiihed objed to the beholders, than 
 this fimple unadorned badge of honour 
 does at Pelew ; nay there, perhaps it 
 may be juftly faid, the profpeft of the 
 
 BONE, 
 
176 SHIPWRECK OT 
 
 BONE, excites more emulation, infpires 
 greater courage, and more frequently 
 promotes virtue and commands refpecft, 
 than the embroidered flar or tinfeiled 
 ribbon dg in Britain. 
 
 The King and Rupacks having reti- 
 red to the (hade of fome trees, they en- 
 quired at Captain Wilfon of which arm 
 he made moft general ufe, which ha- 
 ving found to be the right, they took 
 a circular bone, prepared for the pur- 
 pofe, through which, with a good deal 
 of trouble they compreiTed his hand ; 
 after it had been fairly parTed over the 
 joints of the hand, and fixed oil the 
 wrift, the King addrefled him nearly 
 as follows. You are now mvejlcd with 
 our hlgheji mark of honour , and this Bone, 
 the Jignal of /'/, you 'will carefully keep as 
 bright as pojftblc^ rubbing it every day ; 
 this high mark of dignity muft always be 
 valiantly defended \ norfujfered to be ivrefted 
 
 from 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 177 
 
 from you but with your life" He was 
 then complimented by his brother 
 chiefs, on being admitted into their 
 order ; and the inferior natives, flock- 
 ing round, fliouted aloud to the Englecs 
 Rupack. 
 
 Monday the loth, the old dwellings 
 at the cove were cleared, and all the 
 neceiTaries carried on beard. The 
 wondering natives fo thronged the vef- 
 fcl, that ta - v were obliged to complain 
 to Raa Kook, who got orders from the 
 Knig, that none but Rupacks, mould 
 go on board ; but that the multitude 
 might obferve her, at fome little di- 
 tance in their canoes. As foon as the 
 fails were bent, they took her to the weft 
 fide of the ifland, and moored her in fix 
 fathom water. An immenfe concourfe 
 of natives followed in their canoes, hal- 
 looing and (hooting in a mod joyous 
 manner. The King's two brothers ac- 
 companied 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 companied them, who repeatedly call- 
 ed to their people to be minute in ob~ 
 ierving the management of the {hip ; 
 as if, at fame period, they expeded to 
 have one of their own. After this the 
 Captain went on more to the King, 
 who was waiting for him at Oroolong. 
 Abba Thulle now re fumed the fubjecl 
 of fending two of his people to Eng- 
 land : he told the Captain, by means 
 of the interpreter, that he had the hap- 
 pinefs of being much refpeded by all 
 his fubjeds, not only as being fuperior 
 in rank, but in mental capacity ; but 
 notwithflanding, he had often felt his 
 own infignificance, in feeing the mean- 
 eft Englimman, exercife talents of 
 which he had no conception ; and had 
 therefore refolved to part with his 
 youngeft fon, Lee Boo, who mould, in 
 company with one of the Malays, as 
 an attendant, be entrufted to Captain 
 
 Wilfon's 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 179 
 
 Wilfon's care, that he might be induc- 
 ted in fuch fcieiices as would tend, on 
 his return, to advance the profparity 
 of the people, and refledl honour on 
 the royal family. This youth, he faid, 
 was of a mild, pliable temper, and an 
 enemy to every kind of vice ; he was 
 under the care of an old man who li- 
 ved at fome diflance, but had orders 
 to be at Oroolong in the morning. 
 Captain Wilfon replied, that this mark 
 of his regard and efteem affe&ed him 
 deeply, and he fhould ever think of his 
 confidence with pride ; he affured Ab- 
 ba Thulle, that any perfon belonging 
 to Pelew would meet with attention 
 from him, but the fon of the man to 
 whom he had been fo much indebted, 
 he held himfelf engaged by every tie, 
 to treat with the fame tendernefs as his 
 own foru 
 
 Nor- 
 
l8o SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Nor were thefe the only perfons who 
 wifhed to accompany the Englifh ; for 
 fome time an uncommon gloom had 
 obfcured Raa Kook's chearful counte- 
 nance, which feemed to increafe as the 
 
 t 
 
 hour approached when he was to part 
 with his beloved Englees. It was after- 
 wards difcovered, that fo great was his 
 attachment to the Englim, that he had 
 afked permiffion of his brother, the 
 King, to accompany them home ; this 
 however could not be granted, as Abba 
 Thulle reminded him, he was next to 
 him in command, and in cafe of death 
 his fucceffor ; that therefore it would be 
 exceedingly imprudent in him to at- 
 tempt it. A nephew of the King's at 
 feme time made application to the fame 
 purpofe ; it was his brother who was 
 flain at Artingall as before-mentioned. 
 This young man urged his fuit- to Cap- 
 tain> Wilfon with great importunity, 
 
 but 
 
THE ANTELOPE. I I 
 
 but the Captain declined till he had 
 obtained permiffion from his uncle. 
 Captain Wilfon converfed Abba Thul- 
 le on the fubjeft ; he replied, that the 
 young man was unworthy of his pro- 
 tecflion, having rendered himfelf difa- 
 greeable throughout the ifland. At the 
 fame time, the young man appearing to 
 plead his own caufe, the King fternly 
 addreffed him nearly to the following 
 purport. You are undutiful to your 
 
 aged mother , and though you have defer- 
 <uing wives, you life them ilL Your vile 
 conduft has been publicly expofed^ and now 
 you 'would fly from the refultlng fhame ! 
 Remain where you are ; be a foamed of your 
 conduft^ and reform" 
 
 Abba Thulle now modeftly hinted a 
 requeft to Captain Wilfon, that before 
 he fet fail, he would fail round in his 
 new veflel to Pelew ; he particularly 
 mentioned that many aged people there 
 
 had 
 
l82 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 % 
 
 had never yet feen their veffel, &c. and 
 were very anxious to do fb ; he faid it 
 would not detain them long, and be 
 very agreeable to all his people. The 
 Captain at once conceived that this pro- 
 pofal would be very difagreeable to his 
 men, and perhaps revive their former 
 fufpicions, he therefore fuggefted fuch 
 objections as fatisfied the King that 
 the ftep would be improper. 
 
 The weather and wind appearing fa- 
 vorable, the Captain informed Abba 
 Thulle, that they purpofed failing the 
 next day. This very much diftreffed 
 him ; we have formerly mentioned the 
 embaffy which had been fent him at 
 Pethoull, in anfwer to which he had 
 fent word that the day following that 
 now mentioned by the Captain, was 
 the day the Englifh meant to fail, in 
 confequence of which all the neigh- 
 bouring Rupacks were to come to O- 
 
 roolong 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 183 
 
 roolong the next night to furnifh them 
 wkh provifions, and bid them farewel. 
 This information determined the Cap- 
 tain dill more to fet fail in the fore- 
 noon, as the number of canoes to be ex- 
 pected, would greatly incommode them, 
 he therefore apologifed in the beft man- 
 ner he could to the King, who appeared 
 greatly difappointed. He then begged 
 that the Captain and officers would 
 dine with him and his brothers on 
 Ihore. With this they cheerfully com- 
 plied, and after dinner Arra Kooker fo 
 pathetically begged for the favourite 
 dog, of which he had become excefTively 
 fond, that they could not refill his foli- 
 citations, though it would prove a par- 
 ticular regret among the failors. But 
 the general's intention was far other- 
 wife employed, he was already building 
 a Ihip in imagination ; and to realize 
 his delign, wifhed them to leave their 
 
 launching 
 
184 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 launching ways, faying he would ge 
 to work on the fame place. The King 
 had laughed at the infignificance of 
 Arra Kooker's requeft of the dog ; but 
 the fubjecl of {hip-building caught his 
 mod ferious attention ; it was of na- 
 tional importance, and of courfe de- 
 manded the patronage of a good prince. 
 In the midft of their difcourfe a battle 
 on board the fhip between two failors, 
 called for the prefence of the Captain : 
 the damage proved no greater than a 
 bloody nofe, which being fettled, Mr 
 Wilfon again returned. When the 
 circumftance was explained to the King, 
 he obferved that there were no doubt 
 bad men in all countries. The Eng- 
 lifh permiiuon was aiked, and obtain- 
 ed, to hoift an Englifh pendant on a 
 tree near the cove, with an infcription 
 as follows, on copper, to be placed on 
 another tree adjacent: 
 
 THE 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 185 
 
 THE HONOURABLE 
 ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY'S SHIP 
 
 THE ANTELOPE, 
 
 HENRY WILSON, COMMANDER, 
 
 Was Jofl upon the Reef north of this Ifland, 
 
 In the Night between the ^th and loth of Auguft; 
 
 Who here built a Veflel, 
 And failed from hence the I2th of November 1783. 
 
 Captain Wilfon explained the pur- 
 port of this infer! ption to Abba Thul- 
 le who was greatly pleafed with it ; and 
 havng explained it to his people, he a- 
 fared the Englim, that it fhould care- 
 fully (land there in remembrance of 
 their vifitors. 
 
 The converfation this day was prin- 
 cipally confined to the approaching fe- 
 paration. " When you are gone," faid 
 the King, " I much dread that the Ar- 
 tingalls will redouble their attempts a- 
 gainft me; and deprived of your aid, I 
 {hall probably feel the effects of that 
 aniinofity they have always had to- 
 
 wards 
 
1 86 SHIPWRECK OP 
 
 r 
 
 wards my people \ and having no more 
 the Englilh to fupport me, I will not 
 be match for them, unlefs you leave 
 the few mufquets you promifed me." 
 The Captain was quite fatisfied to com- 
 ply with the requeft immediately ; but 
 moft of the officers who ftill had ap- 
 prehenfions, were unwilling to give up 
 the arms till the laft moment ; that un- 
 lucky fufpicion which had fo ungene- 
 roufly taken poffeffion of them, had 
 been fo rivetted in their minds, that it 
 was not eafily diflodged. It is ne- 
 ceflary however, not to condemn our 
 countrymen too haftily ; they had been 
 accuftomed to fee roguery fo generally, 
 and fo fcientifically pradlifed, that dif- 
 truft and fufpicion are naturally inftil- 
 led among the firft principles of educa- 
 tion ; and it was not eafy for them to 
 conceive, that the fame fpecies fhould 
 be fo very different even at oppofite 
 
 quarters 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 187 
 
 quarters of the globe ; but here they 
 faw, the open undifguifed actions of 
 nature, knowing no deceit and dread- 
 ing none. 
 
 Abba Thulle was too quick lighted 
 not to obferve their diftrufl; and it is not 
 eafy to exprefs the agitation which la- 
 boured in his breait, on finding that 
 doubts were harboured of his fincerity. 
 " Why," faid he, " ftiould you diftruft 
 me ? I never refufed you my confi- 
 dence. If my intentions had been 
 hoflile, you would have known it long 
 ago, being entirely in my power : but 
 on the contrary, you have had my ut~ 
 mod affiftance ; and yet at the very laft 
 you iufpedl me of bad defigns 1" The 
 earneftnefs of his manner, fpoke his 
 feelings more than his words ; nor need 
 it be doubted, that a little recollection 
 brought the blufh into the countenan- 
 ces of thofe whom he addrefTed. The 
 
 man 
 
l88 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 man who had uniformly behaved with 
 fuch difinterefted, unfufpedling bene- 
 volence the man who freely commit- 
 ted his own fon to their care, to b.e 
 doubted within a few hoars of their 
 parting, was a flab, which the fenfi- 
 bility of Abba Thulle could not fnp- 
 port: the feverity and truth of his re- 
 proach, and the noble dignity with 
 which he fupported himfelf, brought 
 the daring thought of butchering him 
 and his brothers to view, and gave a 
 mod captivating picture of the mild, 
 yet forcible triumph of virtue. They 
 found themlelves guilty, and faw evi- 
 dently that virtue will flourim in what- 
 ever foil me is implanted. Without 
 further hefitation, they fent on board 
 for all the arms that could be fpared ; 
 and on the boat's return prefcnted him 
 with five mufquets, five, cutlafles, more 
 than half a barrel of gun powder and 
 
 flints 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 189 
 
 flints and ball in proportion. Once 
 more harmony was reflorecl, and the 
 generous AbbaThulle forgot, or feem- 
 ed to forget, the cruelty of their fufpi- 
 cions, 
 
 The King's fecond fon, Lee Boo, ar- 
 rived in the evening from Pelew, un- 
 der the care of his elder brother : Ab- 
 ba Thulle prefented him to the Captain, 
 and then to the officers ; he advanced 
 in fb eafy and polite a manner, having 
 much good humour and forcible ex- 
 preffion in his afpedl, that every one 
 was prepofifefled in his favour. As it was 
 now getting dark, the officers went on 
 board, leaving the Captain behind, at 
 the King's requeft. Next day Mr Wil- 
 fon informed them, that neither he, the 
 King, nor the Rupacks, enjoyed much 
 reft ; the afFeclionate father employing 
 the moments in giving advice to his 
 fon, and in recommending him to the 
 
 care 
 
190 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 care of the Captain ; not, however, 
 from the fmalleft fear that he would be 
 ill-treated : " I would wifh you," faid 
 he, " to fhew my fon every thing that 
 is ufeful, and make him an Englifh- 
 man. The fine things he will fee may 
 probably induce him to flip away from 
 you, in fearch of lefs confined gratifi- 
 cation ; but I beg that you will con- 
 trive to calm and fubdue the rafhnefs 
 and impetuofity of his youth. I well 
 know from the different countries 
 he muft pafs through, that he will 
 be liable to dangers, and even to di- 
 eafes that we never heard of, which 
 may kill him ; but I alfo know, that 
 death is the common lot; and whether 
 he dies with you, or at Pelew, is of no 
 moment. I know you are a man of 
 humanity ; and am therefore confident 
 that if my fbn be fick, you will look 
 on him with kindnefs. But ftiould 
 
 that 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 that happen, which your utmoft care 
 cannot prevent, let it not deter you or 
 your brother, or any of your country- 
 men, from returning ; for I (hall re- 
 joice at the fight." The Captain affu- 
 red the King, that he might reft fatis- 
 fied of the care and affection with which 
 his fon would be treated. Before Mr 
 Wilfon came on board, he admoniihed 
 Blanchard (the man who had refolved 
 to renounce his country) as to his con- 
 duct among the natives ; he defired 
 him to be watchful of the arms and 
 ammunition that would be left behind, 
 that they might defend themfelves from 
 their enemies ; he begged him not to 
 go naked, like the natives, as it might 
 leffen his importance with them as an 
 Englifhman, and countenance an evi- 
 dent indecency ; and that he might 
 have no excufe from the want of cloaths, 
 all that could be fpared was left him ; in 
 
 order 
 
192 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 order, alfo, that if he accepted the King's 
 offer of wives, he might be enabled to 
 drefs them fomewhat after his own cu- 
 ftom. The Captain did not forget to 
 enforce on him the abfolute neceffity 
 of continuing his religious duties, and 
 to be particular in keeping Sunday on 
 Sabbath. After this, he was requefted 
 to afk any favour that might tend to 
 his future comfort ; on which he beg- 
 ged to have one of the fhip's compafles, 
 and the mails, fails, and oars belong- 
 ing to the pinnace, which alfo was in- 
 tended to be left behind. 
 
 Wednefclay morning early, an Eng- 
 lifli jack was hoifled at the matt-head 
 of the Oroolong, and a fwivel fired as 
 a fignal for failing ; which being ex- 
 plained to the King, he ordered all the 
 provifions on board, which he had 
 brought for our voyage. A great num- 
 ber of canoes furrounded the vcflel, 
 
 loaded 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 193 
 
 loaded with prefents, fo that it was with 
 difficulty they cpuld avoid being over- 
 ftocked. When juft ready for fea, a 
 boat was fent on fhore for the Captain, 
 who then took Blanchard and the men 
 of the boat, into a temporary hut that 
 had been eredled ; and, making them 
 kneel, offered up thankfgivings to that 
 Power who had fupported their faint- 
 ing fpirits through fo many hazards 
 and toils, and had at laft opened to 
 them the door of deliverance. He re- 
 peated his advice to Blanchard, earnefl- 
 ly begging him not to forget his reli- 
 gion. 
 
 When Lee Boo came to the watering- 
 place, there were fent with him three; or 
 four dozen of a very fine fruit, fimi- 
 lar to the Engiifh apple ; it is of a fine 
 crimfon colour and oblong lhape : this 
 is a very rare fruit at Pelew, though 
 there are plenty of them in the differ- 
 
 R ent 
 
194 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ent South Sea Iflands. One of them 
 was given to every officer, and the re- 
 mainder kept for Lee Boo. 
 
 About eight o'clock, the Captain 
 went -on board, attended by Abba 
 Thulle, Lee Boo, the Rupacks and 
 Blanchard. It being doubtful as the 
 veflel was heavily laden with provificn, 
 whether, fhe would be able to get o- 
 ver the reef, it "was refolved to land the 
 two fix pounders and leave the jolly 
 boat behind, as they had nothing 
 wherewith to repair her, and the was 
 almoft worn out ; in her room Abba 
 Thulk w#s at great pains to procure 
 them a proper canoe. 
 
 Captain Wilfon had recommended 
 Mr Sharp the fiirgeon to Lee Boo as 
 his Sucallc or friend, and the young 
 Bian ftuck by him, with the greateft 
 attention, attending him to whatever 
 
 |)art of the veffel he moved, as his 
 
 Mentor 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 194, 
 
 entor on all occafions. Blancliard 
 now got into his pinnace, in. order to 
 take the veffel in tow, and parted from. 
 his old {hip-mates with as much coni- 
 pofure, as if they were to rn?et again af- 
 ter a fhort abfence ; he (hook hands 
 with them with the fame indifference,, 
 as if they were about to fail down the 
 Thames on a coafting voyage- a flri- 
 king contraft to what followed ! 
 
 The veflel now proceeded towards 
 the reef, deeply laden with Abba Thul- 
 le's bounty to a degree of fuperfluity, 
 and furrounded by great numbers of 
 the natives in their canoes, who had 
 every man brought his prefent, for 
 their good friends the Engkes- What a- 
 luxurious fight to a feeling heart I- 
 There was no room for them, yet eve- 
 ry one exclaimed, only this from mc^ on- 
 ly this from me, and if refufed, they re- 
 peated their requefts with fupplicating 
 
 R 2 countenance* 
 
196 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 countenances and tears in their eyes. 
 Indeed their generofity and afFecftion 
 were fo urgent, that a few tri'fles from 
 the neareft of them were accepted; while 
 the others, tinable to bear the feeming 
 neglect, paddled a-head, and put their 
 little prefents in the pinnace, not know- 
 ing that flie was again to return to the 
 fhore. Several canoes went before the 
 veffd to point out the fared track ; and 
 others were waiting at the reef, to (hew 
 them the deepeft water : from all thefe 
 precautions, which were directed by the 
 King, the reef was fortunately cleared 
 without any accident. The King now 
 came along-fide, and gave Lee Boo his 
 bleffing, which the youth received with 
 great refpeft and tendernefs : he next 
 embraced the Captain, in much appa- 
 rent diflrefs, and then cordially Ihook 
 
 hands with all the officers, crying-- 
 
 " You are happy becaufe you are going 
 
 home, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 197 
 
 ie, and I am happy becaufe you are 
 fo ; but flill very unhappy at your go- 
 ing away," Once mare renewing his; 
 aflurances of regard and good will, he- 
 left the veffel, and went into^ his canoe* 
 The natives who were to return with, 
 the King, looked up to the ve del eagerly, 
 with the mod expreffive countenances^ 
 and half diffolved in tears. This proof 
 of delicate fenfibility, and of proved 
 affecftion, operated fo ftrongly on the 
 feelings of all aboard, that it was with 
 much difficulty they fummoned refo* 
 lution enough to give three cheers at 
 their final departure, Raa Kook re- 
 mained, with a few of his attendants^ 
 to fee them out of danger beyond the 
 reef; but was fb- highly dfjedted, that 
 the veflil had gone a great \vay before 
 lie thought ot iummoning his canoes 
 to return. As he had been their firft 
 friend, the Captain gave him a brace 
 
 s 
 
198 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 of p idols, and a cartouch-box with 
 cartridges : and the moment of fepara- 
 tion being now come, he appeared fo 
 much affeded, that it was fome time 
 before he could fpeak ; pointing to his 
 heart, he faid it was there he felt the 
 pain of bidding them adieu. He en- 
 deavoured to converfe with Lee Boo, 
 his nephew ; but being unable to pro- 
 ceed, he precipitately went into the 
 boat, and giving them an expreflive 
 glance, as if his mind was convulfed, 
 he inftantly dropped a-ftern ; and thus 
 terminated our connection with the na- 
 tives of Pelew, after a refidence among 
 them from Sunday the loth of Auguft 
 1 7%3> to Wednefday the 12th of No- 
 vember following. 
 
 It may not be unfeafonable, while 
 the amiable behaviour of thefe two 
 refpeftable characters, Abba Thul- 
 le and Raa Kook, is frefti in the recol- 
 lection 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 199 
 
 ledtion of the reader, to make a few ge- 
 neral observations on their different 
 characters. 
 
 Never was a prince more formed to 
 attradl and retain the love and admira- 
 tion of his fubje&s than Abba Thuile ; 
 his appearance majeftic, he command- 
 ed with authority ; while his affability 
 and eafy accefs, rendered him a femi- 
 deity, to all his fubjecfls. In one of 
 his councils, there was as much (we 
 had almoft laid more) relpedt paid to 
 his naked unadorned perfon, as to a 
 European potentate, amidft all his ti ap~ 
 pings and pageantry, from the fur- 
 rounding fycophants. His nice ho- 
 nour and quick feelings were very di- 
 cernible on many occafions ; never was 
 there a reproof more delicate and yet 
 more poignant, than what he gave the 
 Englifh on occafion of the late affair 
 with the mufquets. He was far from 
 
 one 
 
2OO SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 t 
 
 one of thofe harmlefs nothings ^ who hart 
 nobody becaufe they have not a fenfe 
 of injuries ; while the warmth and fen- 
 fibility of his heart won the love of all- 
 around him, his dignity of manner, 
 and propriety of conduct taught them 
 to approach him with refpedL He 
 poiFeffed a contemplating mind, and 
 few objects came within his obfervati- 
 on, without being attentively confide- 
 red. The profperity of his fubje&s,, 
 was the principal object with him. It 
 was this led him to part with his fon 
 
 Lee Boo, whom he tenderly loved 
 
 For this he was at fo much pains in- 
 examining every thing about the Eng- 
 lifh, that might be ferviceable to his 
 people in fine, his whole attention 
 was engaged in farming and executing 
 plans for the good of the nation and 
 individuals In domeftic life he (hone 
 mnarkably, and took a particular 
 
 charge 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 2OI 
 
 arge of all his own relations ; the 
 mifbehaviour of his nephew, at which 
 we have already hinted, feemed to give 
 him the greateft pain ; while as the hu- 
 band and parent, his heart feemed a- 
 wake to every finer feeling which a 
 dorns humanity. 
 
 Accident only has made him ac- 
 quainted with a few of the reft of 
 mankind ; and that accident he confi- 
 dcred as the happieft of his life ; w r e 
 may perhaps never hear of him again, 
 but judging from what is already 
 known, he may juftly be confidercd 
 as one of the beft of men and of 
 kings. 
 
 His brother Raa Kook was a prince 
 of fo univerfally engaging demeanor, 
 and whofe every adlion exprefled fome- 
 thing fo truly valuable, that Englifh- 
 men or natives equally admired him. 
 He was fo much a friend to the Eng- 
 
 litti, 
 
202 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 IHh, that it may be fufpe&ed their ac- 
 count of him is partial ; therefore little 
 fliall here be faid, and that little not ex- 
 aggerated. 
 
 His natural temper was cheerful and 
 pleafant, though without that mimic- 
 ry and humour for which his brother 
 Arra Kooker was remarkable ; at the 
 fame time he was far from averfe to a 
 good hearty laugh when a proper oc- 
 caiion offered. As commander in chief, 
 he was beloved by them all : he di- 
 penfed his orders calmly and fmoothly, 
 but would not tolerate neglecl. No 
 man better underftood the neceffity of 
 ftrifl difcipline ; fo that while he en- 
 couraged his inferiors to ufe all be- 
 coming freedom with him, he kept 
 them at that proper diftance, which is 
 the true key to cheerful obedience. In 
 principles of honour, he was by no 
 means inferior to his brother; and 
 
 not 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 not only wifhed that the Englifli fhould 
 hold him in an honourable point of 
 view, but all the nation ; thus it was, 
 that he could not bear the leaft idea of 
 pilfering among them, for, as former- 
 ly mentioned, if any thing was amif- 
 ling, Raa Kook foon difcovered and 
 punifhed the delinquent. One day, a 
 chief Rupack fought a cutlafs from 
 Captain Wilfon in his hearing ; the 
 frown inftantly appeared, nor would 
 he fuffer it to be given him, He was 
 exceedingly delicate in receiving fa- 
 vours himfelf ; and though from his 
 particular difpofition in enquiring af- 
 ter caufes and effe&s., many things a- 
 bout the Englifh were very highly pri- 
 zed by him, he was particularly atten- 
 tive, that nothing fhould betray any 
 <Iefire for what he thought might not 
 foe proper to be given. The reader has 
 already feen, his agreeable deportment 
 
 in 
 
204 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 in his family ; even to a degree which 
 many in this age of diffipation and 
 ftoicifm might reckon filly ; but let it 
 be noticed, that though the finer feel- 
 ings {hone in the natives of Pelew, to 
 a length many in Britain would call 
 effeminate yet in fatigue, pain, diC- 
 trefs and death, they appeared as he- 
 roes indeed. 
 
 Before we proceed to mention the 
 future fortunes of our navigators, the 
 following chapter is introduced to men- 
 tion fuch obfervations on the manners 
 and culloms of thefe amiable people, as 
 are thought interefling. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 General Defcriptlon of the Iflands Productions Na- 
 tives Drefs Difpofitions Manners Religion 
 Marriages Cuftoms General Character Govern- 
 ment Precedency, &c. 
 
 A S the Antelope was not a vefTel fit- 
 ted out for difcovery, and furniftied 
 with fcientific gentlemen, qualified for 
 making many philofophic obfervations, 
 the naturalift, or philofopher, muft 
 wait the iiTue of more particular difco- 
 veries and enquiries. Men diftreffecl 
 with the dread of perpetual exile, and 
 whofe attention was almoft wholly oc- 
 cupied about their deliverance, were 
 not the perfons for tracing nature ac- 
 curately in her various appearances and 
 effedls. 
 
 The Pelew Iflands, or as feme call 
 them the Palos Iflands, are fituated be- 
 tween 130 and 136 of eaft longitude 
 
 S from 
 
206 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 from London, and 5 and 9 north lati- 
 tude. They are long and narrow, lying 
 in north and eaft direction. They are 
 plentifully covered with wood of vari- 
 ous kinds ; fuch as the Cabbage free, 
 Ebony, and a fpecies of the Manchlneel, 
 the fap of which, when it touches the 
 fkin, occafions an immediate fwelling 
 and bliftering ; this was the tree, which 
 they, considered as unlucky. But their 
 three rnoft remarkable trees, we in Bri- 
 tain are totally ftrangers to ; one is a 
 very pretty tree, and upon boring a 
 hole in it, a thick fubflance like cream 
 diflills from it : another is very like a 
 cherry tree in its manner of branching; 
 it has a very thin cover, which is not 
 properly a bark, being as clofe in the 
 texture as the inner wood, which is ve- 
 ry hard; none of the Englim tools 
 could (land to work it : in colour it is 
 very like, though ftill prettier than ma- 
 hogany, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 207 
 
 )gany : the lad is like an almond tree, 
 the natives call it carambolla. Beetle- 
 nuts, yams, cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit, 
 are their ilaple articles of livelihood, a- 
 bout which they are principally con- 
 cerned; and a few oranges, lemons and 
 the jamboo apple (thofc brought to Lee 
 Boo on his departure) are their deli- 
 cates. They have no grain. The 
 iflands are in general well cultivated, 
 as the natives fpare no pains ; all their 
 labour confilis . in fifhing and the 
 cultivation of their grounds. Every 
 man had his own piece of ground fo 
 long as he inclined to dwell there ; but: 
 if he left it for another, it returned to 
 the King, as chief proprietor, who be- 
 flowed it on the next that applied for 
 it.- One thing was very difcernible, 
 that every man had his own canoe, 
 which he kept facred. 
 
 S 2 It 
 
'208 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 It has already been mentioned, that 
 there are no quadrupeds on the ifland, 
 except rats. Birds of different kinds 
 were obferved flying about, fome of 
 them very beautiful, but the greater part 
 of them are thofe which are known by 
 the name of tropic birds. Whether 
 from their peculiar kinds, or the echo- 
 ing in the wood, is not eafily determi- 
 ned, but the Englifh were ready to 
 think their notes had a very peculiar 
 melody ; one in particular, was un- 
 commonly fweet, but though the found 
 appeared quite at hand, none of the 
 birds could be noticed. Bu: we muft 
 not omit to mention, that the Englim 
 have probably taught them a lelfon 
 which may be of great fervice to them ; 
 the iflands abounded with common 
 cocks and hens, which the natives con- 
 fidered as a very ufelefs animal, and 
 therefore took no pains about them, 
 
 but 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 209 
 
 but left them to wander wild through 
 the woods ; at times they would have 
 eaten their eggs, provided they were 
 to their tafte, that is, not frefh or late- 
 ly laid; but if containing an imperfecfl 
 chicken, they were delicious. They 
 were now however taught to eat the 
 flelh of the fowls, which they fooa 
 found to be a very palatable food. 
 
 Few parts of the globe are fo well 
 fupplied with fiih. of all , kinds, parti- 
 cularly mullets, crabs, oyfters, mufcles, 
 &c. but the fiih. moil efteemed among 
 them is the Ihark, the greater part of 
 which they reckon delicious. Several 
 kinds of (hell fifli, they eat quite raw, in 
 preference to drefled. They have few 
 frelh-water fifh, as there are no rivers 
 on the iflands, only a few pools and 
 fmall fprings, &c. Their method of 
 preferring their fiih, has been already 
 noticed j they have no fait, and have 
 
 S 3 little 
 
210 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 little conception of fauce or feafoning 
 to any thing they eat. Sometimes they 
 boiled both nfh and vegetables in falt- 
 water, but this was no improvement ; 
 but when they eat any thing raw, they 
 fqueeze a little orange or lemon juice 
 upon it. 
 
 They get up betimes in the morning, 
 and their firft work is to bathe. There 
 are particular places appointed for this ; 
 and a man dares not approach the wo- 
 men's bathing places, without previ- 
 ouily giving a particular halloo, of 
 which, if no notice is taken, he may 
 proceed, but if they halloo in return, 
 he muft immediately retire. They 
 breakfaft about eight, and proceed to 
 public bufinefs or any other employ- 
 ment till noon, when they dine ; they 
 fup about fun-let, and very foon after 
 
 retire to reft. 
 
 The 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 21 1 
 
 The reader will have obferved fre- 
 quent mention is made of fweetmeats 
 in this narrative, a more particular ac- 
 count of which may be proper. They 
 had various forts ; one was prepared 
 by fcraping the kernel of the cocoa- 
 nut into a pulp, and then mixing it 
 up with orange juice and fweet drink. 
 This fweet drink is a competition of 
 the juice of fweet canes, which the 
 ifland produces plentifully. This mix- 
 ture they generally fimmered over a 
 flow fire, which when warm they made 
 up into lumps ; it foon turned fo hard 
 that a knife would fcarce cut it. This 
 the Engiiih called Choak-dog, but the 
 natives called it Woolell. Another 
 fort is macle up of the fruit of the tree 
 jull mentioned like the almond tree; 
 and on one occafion they prefented 
 Captaia Wiiiou with fome liquid fweet 
 
 meats, 
 
212 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 meats, which they prepare from a root 
 feme what iimilar to our turnips. 
 
 The natives are in general flout, 
 well made and athletic ; many of them 
 appeared to be uncommonly flrong ; 
 they are in* general about the middle 
 fize, and univerfally of one tinge as to 
 colour, not wholly black, but a very 
 deep copper colour. The men have 
 their left ear bored, and the women 
 both ; they wore a particular leaf, and 
 at times an ornament of ihell in the 
 perforated ear. Their nofes are alfo 
 ornamented, by a flower or fweet fhiub, 
 fiuck through the cartilage between 
 the noflrils. This cuftom is not pecu- 
 liar to Pelew, but is found in many 
 eaftcrn nations, and probably proceeds 
 from their great defire for fwcet fcents ; 
 and though at firfl it appeared rather 
 difagreeable, from want of ufe, it is 
 
 certainly a more pleafant and becoming 
 
 refrelhment 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 2 
 
 refrefhment to the nofe, than the ufe 
 of tobacco either by fnuffing or plug- 
 ging, Their teeth we have already 
 mentioned are died black ; but the Eng- 
 liili could never learn the method it 
 was done, nor more about it than that 
 it was accomplifhed by means of fome 
 herbs when young, and the operation 
 was very painful. The tatooing the 
 body is alfo done in yoxith, though not 
 altogether in childhood. The only ap- 
 pearance of any thing like drefs among 
 thefe natives is in the female fex, who 
 in general wear a piece of mat, or the 
 hulks of cocoa-nut died, about nine or 
 ten inches deep, round their waift; 
 fome of thefe aprons are very neatly 
 made, and ornamented with beads, 8cc. 
 Abba Thulle's daughter Erre Befs, gave 
 Henry Wilfon a prefent of a very neat 
 one to carry to his little filter. 
 
 It 
 
214 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 It has in general been granted, that 
 mankind however ignorant and favage, 
 are ftill poffefled of conference, and the 
 internal knowledge of a certain fome- 
 thing, their fuperior, to which they are 
 accountable ; nor has any clafs of men 
 yet been difcovered who have not fome 
 outward rite or ceremony whereby this 
 knowledge is expreiTed. However fu- 
 perftitious, enthufiaftical, .or foolifh 
 their different modes of worfhip may 
 appear, to thofe who have been bletl 
 with revelation, nay, however, much 
 we may be puzzled to inveftigate a 
 caufe, to which the fingularity of 
 fome of their religious rites are to be 
 attributed, yet ftill the exiftence of one 
 Great Firft Caufe or ruling Deity has 
 been acknowledged, not in word only, 
 but by fome outward ceremony or 
 rite. To deny that any fuch cuftom 
 exifts at Pelew, and yet that they ac- 
 knowledge 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 215 
 
 nowledge a Superior Power, may be 
 considered ram, yet, from the moft at- 
 tentive obfervations and enquiries the 
 Englim could make, they have reafon 
 to. believe that is the cafe. Neither 
 place, time nor circumflance, could be 
 obferved as pointing to any worfhip or 
 religious rite ; nor could the Englifh 
 colledl any thing from their converfa- 
 tion, though particularly queftioned 
 on the fubje6l, from which they could 
 difcover their ideas concerning the God 
 of nature. The moft probable con- 
 jedlure is, that the inward monitor, at 
 which we have juft been hinting, leads 
 them to think of fome directing chance, 
 good and bad, without any percife 
 idea further. 
 
 In order that the reader may fome- 
 how be enabled to judge for himfelf in 
 this particular, he may recoiled: the 
 following circumftances already menti- 
 oned 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 oned The unlucky wood which Abba 
 Thulle mentioned to Captain Wilfon 
 T Raa Kook's behaviour in the old 
 woman's houfe with the nuts> &c. af- 
 ter his foil's funeral and the mutter- 
 ing which took place on feveral occafi- 
 ons, mentioned through the preceding 
 fheets. It was very clear, that they 
 had fome ftrong fixed idea of Divinati- 
 on; when Lee Boo fet out to fea, he 
 was for feveral days uncommonly lick; 
 and he then told Mr Sharp, he was 
 fure his father and friends were very 
 forry for him, for they knew what he 
 underwent. He was prepoiTefled with 
 the fame idea when dying, as we will 
 foon have occafion to mention. In- 
 deed, on one occafion, while in Britain, 
 he feemed to intimate that they under- 
 ftood the fpirit exifted even after death; 
 as upon occafion of Captain Wilfon's 
 informing him the intention of going 
 
 to 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 to church, being to reform men's lives, 
 and that they might go to heaven, he 
 replied, that at Pelew, bad men flay 
 on earth, and good men grow very 
 beautiful and afcend into the fky. 
 When Mr Barker fell from the fide of 
 the vefTel, the natives faid it was owing 
 to the unlucky e wood being in the vefTel ; 
 and upon feveral other occafions feem- 
 ed to hint at the effe<5ls of a fuperlor 
 power. One particular mode of divi- 
 nation was obferved, and confidered to 
 be peculiar to the King, as none but 
 he ufecl it. They have a plant, not 
 unlike our bulrufh, by fplitting the 
 leaves of which and applying to the 
 middle finger, he judged of the fuccefs 
 of any occurrence of moment ; before 
 the firft expedition to Artingall, it was 
 noticed that the anfwer was very fa- 
 vourable, but when about to fet fail 
 on the fe<,ond, the oracle did not ap- 
 
 T pf 
 
2l8 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 pear altogether fo agreeable ; Abba 
 Thulle therefore would not f uffer them 
 to enter their canoes, until he had twift- 
 ed his leaves, till as he thought they 
 appeared more favourable. On this 
 fubjedt we mall only further add, that 
 the refpeftful attentive iilence of the 
 natives, while the Englifh were at wor- 
 fhip, feemed to indicate, that although 
 they knew nothing of any religious 
 forms of worfhip, yet they were not 
 infenfible of the exiflence of one Great 
 Supreme Caufe, who rewarded and pu- 
 niftied according as deeds mould me- 
 rit; and hence that ftrong fenfe of pro- 
 priety, juflice and delicacy, which pro- 
 duced among them the ftridlefl mora- 
 lity. 
 
 The general character of thefe na- 
 tives of Pelew is now pretty well im- 
 printed on the reader's mind, a very 
 few additional obfervations are there- 
 fore 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 fore neceffkry. Humanity is the pro- 
 minent feature in the picture ; the 
 Englifh were caft upon their territories, 
 in a ftate the mod helplefs that can 
 well be conceived ; twenty feven men, 
 without even common neceffaries of 
 life, entirely dependent on their boun- 
 ty ; fed, fupported, affiiled in their la- 
 bours, and every thing done for them, 
 that was in their power. Let us only 
 for a moment confider the hourly boun- 
 ty which was poured in upon them, 
 not of their ufelefs provender, but, as 
 the Englifh had many occafions to ob- 
 ferve, their beft provifions were given 
 to their flrangers, while many perhaps 
 were fcanty enough at home. Only re- 
 colledl the parting fcene fee the crow- 
 ding canoes holding out prefents, not 
 the diftant eflx j cls of complaifance, but 
 the warm efFafions of philanthropy ! 
 Could oftentation, pride, or the hope 
 
 T 2 Of 
 
220 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 of retribution influence them ? by no 
 means it was kindnefs to men they 
 never expected to fee again. 
 
 Their native politenefswas conftantly 
 obfervable ; poiTeffing a degree of curi- 
 ofity, beyond any of the South-fea na- 
 tives, they never knowingly intruded 
 when it was inconvenient ; in them it 
 was evident that good manners are the 
 natural refult of good fenfe. The at- 
 tention paid by the men of Pelew to 
 their wives, was very uncommon in 
 moft parts of the world ; and even a 
 Britifh hufband might at times get a 
 leiTon. Their marriages feemed to con- 
 fifl in a ferious folemn contract without 
 any formal ceremony, but they are 
 ftridlly faithful to one another ; and the 
 utmoft decency of behaviour is uni- 
 formly fupported. A hufband never 
 fleeps with his wife when pregnant, but 
 during that period the greateft atten- 
 tion 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 221 
 
 is paid to her, in order that me 
 may be kept eafy. A plurality of wives 
 is allowed, though they generally con- 
 fine themfelves to two, a Unpack three, 
 and the King five : they name the chil- 
 dren foon after born, without any ce- 
 remony. One of Abba Tlmlle's wives 
 bore him a fon while the Englifli were 
 there, which he named Captain, to the 
 memory of Captain Wilfon. They are 
 far from being naturally lafcivious, 
 and the utmoft decency is preferved 
 
 
 
 among the natives ; one of the failors 
 endeavoured to pay his addreiTes to a 
 female, but was rebuffed in a manner 
 that prevented any further attempts. 
 
 They are in general an aclive, labo- 
 rious fet of people, poffeffing the great- 
 eft refolution in cafes of danger, pa- 
 tience under misfortunes, and refigna- 
 tion at their death. Except a few Ru- 
 ' packs there was little fubordination of 
 
222 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 rank, (and of that we will fpeak pre- 
 fently) confequently their employ- 
 ments were pretty much the fame ; 
 fencing their plantations, planting their 
 yams, making hatchets, building hou- 
 fes and canoes, mending and preparing 
 fifhing tackle, forming darts and war- 
 like weapons with domeflic utenfils, and 
 burning chinam, may be faid to com- 
 prife the whole round of their employ- 
 ments. Thofe who had a particular 
 turn for mechanical operations or a- 
 ny uncommon pieces of work, they cal- 
 led Tackelbys ; it was to them the King 
 fo often gave particular orders to ob- 
 ferve the building of the Schooner. 
 Idlenefs was tolerated in none ; the 
 women were as laborious as the men, 
 and the King and Rupacks were as 
 much employed as any. Abba Thulle 
 was the beft maker of hatchets in the 
 iflandj and generally laboured at them 
 
 when 
 

 THE ANTELOPE. 223 
 
 
 
 when difengaged from affairs of (late ; 
 they had no idea of unemployed time, 
 and therefore it is, that without the pro- 
 per tools for finifhing a fine piece of 
 work, practice had taught them, even 
 with their coarfe implements, to exe- 
 cute, what a Britifh Artift, could not 
 have conceived practicable. Their mats, 
 bafkets and ornaments are fo curiouily 
 wrought, that when their fimple tools 
 are coinldered, the ingenuity is more 
 to be admired, than much fuperior pro- 
 ductions executed under the advanta- 
 ges which European mechanics enjoy. 
 
 That equality of ilation which ap- 
 peared evidently among them, and ig- 
 norance of thofe luxuries which ci- 
 vilization intruduces, proved no in- 
 confiderable fource of happinefs to 
 them ; the one prevented that ambi- 
 tion which is often fo deftructive to fo- 
 ciety, and the other thofe cares which 
 
 affluence 
 
 
224 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 affluence awakens. Tn all the connec- 
 tion which the Englifh had with them, 
 robbery or rapine were never named 
 among them ; nature it is true, al- 
 lowed them little, but that little they 
 enjoyed with content. Human nature 
 here fhone in mod amiable colours ; 
 men appeared as brethren ; uninformed 
 and unenlightened, they grafped at 
 nothing more than competency and 
 health ; linked together as in one com- 
 mon caufe, they mutually fupported 
 each other ; courteous, affable, gentle 
 and humane, their little flate was ce- 
 mented in bonds of harmony ; but 
 
 a fiiort account of their government 
 may be proper. 
 
 Abba Thulle, the King was the chief 
 perfor^ in the (late, and all the homage 
 of royalty was accordingly paid to his 
 perlbn. He was fuprerne in the great- 
 er part of the iilanus which came wi- 
 thin 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 22J 
 
 thin the obfervation of the Englifti; but 
 Artingall, Pelelew, Emungs and Emelle- 
 gree appeared to be independent, tho' 
 from any thing that could be obferved 
 or learned, their form of Government 
 was fimilar. The general mode of ma- 
 king obeifaiice to the King, was by 
 putting their hands behind them and 
 bowing towards the ground ; and this 
 cuftom prevailed not only when palling 
 him in the ftreets or fields, but when 
 they pafled the houfe in which they 
 fuppofed him to be. His carriage and 
 demeanour was ftately and dignified, 
 and he fupported his flation very be- 
 comingly. He devoted the forenoon 
 to public bufinefs, and decided every 
 matter of ftate by a council of Rupacks. 
 They afTembled in a fquare pavement 
 in the open air, the King being remar- 
 kable from being placed in the centre, 
 on a ftone of larger fize than thofe of 
 
 the 
 
226 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 the Rupacks. They feemed to deliver 
 their minds with freedom, as matters 
 occurred ; and the affembly was diffol- 
 ved by the King rifing up. The after- 
 noon was devoted to receiving petitions, 
 hearing requefts, and deciding contro- 
 verfies ; thefe it may eafilybe fuppofed 
 feldcm occurred, for as their property 
 wasfmall and of little value; and as there 
 
 % 
 
 were no lawyers nor their emifTaries 
 to foment difputes, the proper barriers 
 of right and wrong were eafily defined. 
 Wrangles and fighting feldom happen- 
 ed, for even a difpute between child- 
 ren, was checked by a fevere frown, 
 and their impetuofity bridled. When 
 any real injury was done by any one 
 to his neighbour, it was a pleafing 
 fight to fee how juftice was adminifte- 
 red ; their laws were the fimple dic- 
 tates of confcience as to right and wrong 
 
 between 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 227 
 
 between man and man ; no rhetoric or 
 enticing words of wifdom. were em- 
 ployed to mafic vice under the cloak of 
 virtue ; none of thefe fubterfuges could 
 be employed whereby fraud and op- 
 preffion could be fcreened ; oaths were 
 unknown, and the fimple dictates of 
 truth diredled the judge ; nor were there 
 any punifliment of a corporeal kind ; 
 being convifted of injuring a neighbour 
 was to them more galling and difgrace- 
 ful, than any pillory yet invented by 
 Britifh ingenuity. 
 
 MefTages were tranfmitted to the 
 King with great ceremony ; the me- 
 fenger never was admitted into the pre- 
 fence, but delivered it to an inferior 
 Rupack, who delivered the melfage to 
 the King, and brought his anfwer. 
 
 The General was next in authority 
 to the King, and aded for him in his 
 abfence ; he fummoned the Rupacks 
 
 to 
 
228 - SHIPWRECK OP 1 
 
 to attend when needed, and had the 
 chief command of all the forces ; tho' 
 it was obferved, that in a6lual engage- 
 ment, when the King was prefent he 
 himfelf officiated. The General fuc- 
 ceeded the King in cafe of his death, 
 and on his demife, Arra Kooker; when 
 the fovereignty would again revert to 
 Abba Thulle's eldeft fon, then Lee Boo 
 and fo on. The King had always an 
 attendant, who though not fo high in 
 office as the General, was more con- 
 ftantly about his perfon. He was 
 confidered as the principal MiniC- 
 ter, and a man of judgment ; he ne- 
 ver bore arms, nor went on the war- 
 like expeditions. It was remarked 
 that he had only one wife, and never 
 invited any of the Englim to his houfe. 
 The Rupacks were very numerous, 
 and confidered in the fame light as the 
 nobility are in Britain. They were of 
 
 different 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 22Q 
 
 different orders, diftinguifliable by the 
 fize and quality of the Bone, of which 
 Captain Wilfon belonged to the high- 
 eft rank. They all attended the King 
 on command, every one bringing with 
 him, a certain number of dependants, 
 
 
 
 -with their canoes, fpears and darts. ' 
 The reader will be apt here to trace a 
 fimilitude to the feudal fyftem; but as 
 the knowledge the Engliih acquired of 
 thefe matters was very fuperficial, no- 
 thing very conclufive can be afcertain- 
 ed. Thefe and many other matters 
 niuft be left for time to develope ; all 
 that can be faid further at prefent is, 
 that whatever was their precife mode 
 of government, it was wonderfully a~ 
 
 dapted for the people. All the iflands 
 
 \ 
 
 appeared populous, but the number is 
 not eafily conjedlured. There were four 
 thoufand active men in the expedition 
 agaiuft Pelelew, and it was evident, 
 
 U many 
 
230 SHIPWRECK OP 
 
 many more were left at home, not be- 
 ing needed. 
 
 The method they took for building 
 Loufes, was very ingenious. They rai- 
 fed them three feet from the ground, 
 in order to prevent damp; thisfpace they 
 filled up with folid flone and overlaid 
 with thick plank as a floor. The walls 
 were built of wood, very clofely inter- 
 woven with bamboos and palm leaves, 
 fo that no cold nor wet could poflibly 
 come through ; the roof was pointed in 
 the fame manner as village houfes are 
 in this country. Their windows come 
 down on a level with the floor, an- 
 fwering for doors alfo; and have a 
 fort of fhutters, which they fill up the 
 chafm with, when neceflary ; their 
 fires are kindled in the centre of the 
 room (for all the houfe is in one room) 
 the fire place being funk lower thai* 
 > the floor, with no timber below it, the 
 
 whole 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 23! 
 
 fpace being filled up with fmall 
 ftones, 8cc. Their houfes for public 
 meetings are about 70 feet long, but 
 the common dwelling houfes do not 
 exceed forty. 
 
 Their fpears have already been meri^i- 
 oned, it is thought only neceifary to add 
 concerning them, that they were barb- 
 ed tranfverfely, fo that if once they were 
 ftuck in the ilefh, it was impoflible to 
 extradl them. One of their moft effec- 
 tive weapons in war is the dart and 
 fling ; the darts are thrown by means 
 of an inftrumen\, not unlike what is 
 called a crofs-bow in this country ; 
 upon a ftrong ftraight piece of wood 
 the dart is laid, and on ? one end of the 
 wood is fixed an elaftic piece of bam- 
 boo, by compreiTing which with great- 
 er or lefs force, they throw the dart 
 to the diftance of fifty or fixty feet as 
 they incline ; it is aftonifliing how ex- 
 
 U 2 adly 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 a6lly they can diredl this weapon, and 
 the diftance at which it proves mortal. 
 They have daggers about thirteen in- 
 ches in length, which are made of 
 bones of fiih ; and fome of the Ru- 
 packs had alfo a kind of fword, made 
 of very hard wood and inlaid with 
 fliells. 
 
 Their canoes are admirable work- 
 manfhip ; they are made of the trunks 
 of large trees, in the fame manner with 
 thofe throughout the South-feas, but 
 \vith furprifing neatnefs ; they orna- 
 ment them with fhells and paint them 
 red. It has already been mentioned, 
 that the natives painted the Schooner 
 for the Englifh, and as their method 
 is peculiar, it may be proper to men- 
 tion it. They take the red ochre and 
 crumble it down among water, then 
 foak it for fome time over a flow fire ; 
 when it is brought to the neceflary 
 
 confidence, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 confiftence, they rub it on the wood, 
 while warm ; when dry, they varnifh 
 it with cocoa-nut oil, which gives it a 
 polifh that no water can efface. Their 
 canoes are of different fizes, but the 
 largeft will not carry more than thirty 
 people ; the common ones, from five to 
 ten. They ufe fails made of matting, 
 which are by no means capable to en- 
 counter a rough fea, they therefore 
 keep as near the fhore as poflible. The 
 natives row with great ability, info- 
 much, that the canoes made purpofely 
 for fwift failing, feem fcarcely to touch 
 the water, moving with a velocity un- 
 known to our boatmen ; their dexteri- 
 ty in handling the oars is admirable, 
 when on vifits of ceremony, they flou- 
 rifh their paddles with great addrefs 
 and exa<5t order. Their domeftic im- 
 plements are few in number and very 
 mplej they are the evident produc- 
 
 U Z tioas 
 
234 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 tions of neceffity, well calculated to 
 anfwer the ends intended, without 
 much ornament. Their little bafkets 
 which they always carry about with 
 them, are among their neateft pieces 
 of workmanfhip ; in them they carry 
 their nnts, knife, firing, and any other 
 little article they may need for the 
 work about which they are employed. 
 They are alfohungup around the walls 
 of their houfes for ornament and ufe. 
 Their knives are made of ihells which 
 they iharpen to fuch an edge as fully 
 anfwers all common purpofes. 
 
 Their fiihing hooks were ingeni- 
 oxilly formed of tortoife-ihell, and 
 their combs of the orange tree ; the 
 Tnats on which they flept, and thofe 
 -with which they were 'covered when 
 afleep, were formed of the hufks of co- 
 coa-nuts. They have a number of vef- 
 fels made of earthen ware, for purpo- 
 fes 
 
THE ANTELOPE. \ 
 
 fes of cookery; they {land the heat ex- 
 ceedingly well, if heated by degrees, 
 of winch the natives are very careful. 
 Their firings, cords, and filhing-nets 
 are all manufactured from the hulks of 
 cocoa-nuts. Their drinking cups are 
 made of cocoa-fhells, which they po- 
 lifh with great art. But the hatchets 
 are the moft uncommon weapons ; the 
 blade is made of a very ftrong fpecies 
 of cockle, which they call Kima Cockle^ 
 ground to a {harp edge ; they were ve- 
 ry anxious however for iron to fubfti- 
 tute in its room. Some of their hatch- 
 ets were made with moveable heads, 
 with which they could anfwer the 
 principal purpofes of an adze ; fo that 
 though their tools were not remarkable 
 for beauty or convenience, yet the Eng- 
 liih were often furprifed with what fa- 
 cility they cut down the largeft trees 
 with them, 
 
 Their 
 
236 SHlJfWKiiCK OF 
 
 Their articles for ornament were far 
 from numerous ; the King had a very 
 fine tureen, fomewhat in fliape of a 
 bird, and finely ornamented with va- 
 rious devices, very neatly cut out upon 
 it, this he made a prefent of to Captain 
 Wilfon ; it held about 36 Englifh 
 quarts. The tortoife-meil they wrought 
 into various little dimes, fpoons, trays 
 and other veffels ; the fheli they have 
 in thefe iflands is of a very beautiful 
 kind, but their manner of working it, 
 the Englifh could never get an oppor- 
 tunity of obferving. 
 
 The torches they ufe have been fre- 
 quently mentioned ; they feemed to be 
 a rofin mixed with fmall pieces of a 
 particular fpecies of wood, which burns 
 well ; they have a clear light, and ail 
 agreeable fmell. 
 
 Having now recapitulated fuch ob- 
 fervations as the Engliili had opportu- 
 nity 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 237 
 
 nity to make during their fhort reii- 
 dence among them, it may not be im- 
 proper to glance a little at fucli parts of 
 their condudl as feem to difagree with 
 that ftrong humanity and urbanity 
 which have been uniformly reprefented 
 as diftinguifhing charaderiftics in thefe 
 natives of Pelew. Several inftances 
 have been given of their noble principles 
 not being confined to their intercourfe 
 with one another, but that to their e- 
 nemies, they behave with a degree of 
 generofity totally unknown among nine 
 tenths of mankind. Where is the na- 
 tion that fcorns to attack their enemy 
 unfeen or by night ? What people fend 
 embaflies to herald their approach ? 
 But it may be afked, how can it be ac- 
 counted for, that thefe friends of hu- 
 manity, ftiould fo wantonly take away 
 the lives of their fellow creatures, 
 when captivated ia battle : An anfwer 
 
 to 
 
238 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 to this has already been attempted; the 
 practice has but very lately taken place, 
 and is the refult of what they imagin- 
 ed to be political necejfity. They confi- 
 dered a captive as a moft dangerous 
 perfon among them ; no prifons, nor 
 public works to employ them in, fo 
 that had they not put them to death, 
 they would have been very troublefome 
 companions. 
 
 The reader may alfo have noticed in 
 the courfe of the narration, an inclina- 
 tion to pilfer, perhaps inconflftent with 
 that character of integrity we have 
 been jufl mentioning. The circum- 
 fiances however mould be carefully 
 weighed ; a nail, or bit of old iron, 
 was to them a precious jewel ; and the 
 commonalty had almoft no opportunity 
 of getting any, except in the way of 
 picking them up when they accidental- 
 ly fell in their way ; they very feldom 
 
 took 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 
 
 took any thing of confequence, except 
 when the temptation was fo peculiarly 
 fingular that even the rigidly virtuous 
 would eafily find an excufe for it ; it 
 may well be faid, " that they rnufl 
 
 have been more than men, had they 
 
 t f 
 
 a<5ted lefs like men. Virtuous in the 
 extreme that country would be deemed 
 where the confcience of no individual, 
 in the cool moments of reflexion, could 
 upbraid him with a heavier tranfgref- 
 fion, than applying to his own ufe a 
 bit of iron that lay before him.' 1 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 PafTage to Macao Proceed to Canton and Embark for 
 England, Anecdotes of Lee Boo His Diftrefs and 
 Death. 
 
 THE Englifh were now once more 
 on the way to all they held dear, 
 
 and 
 
240 SHIPWRECK OP 
 
 and having wiped away the tear of a 
 friendly farewel, proceeded on their 
 voyage with chearfulnefs ; the fir ft two 
 days the weather proved very tolerable ; 
 the wind varied from E. to S. E. 
 
 The principal perfon that will figure 
 in the few following pages, is the high- 
 ly valued Prince Lee Boo, a youth of 
 the mod remarkable abilities, and in 
 whofe hiftory every reader muft feel 
 interefted. He had thrown himfelf 
 freely into the protection of ftrangers, 
 deferring his native country, his friends, 
 his all, trufting to the honour of a 
 handful of men of whofe exiftence he 
 had but a few weeks before been utter- 
 ly ignorant. For a few days he fuffer- 
 ed exceflively from fea ftcknefs, in 
 which fituation he could eat nothing, 
 but was quite funk in his fpirits ; this 
 however wore off when he appeared to 
 be eafy and contented. Captain Wil- 
 
 fon 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 24! 
 
 fon now inflruded him as to decency 
 in his appearance, and defired he would 
 drefs as they did ; he did fo, but foon 
 threw off the coat and jacket as infup- 
 portably cumberfome 5 but ftill retain- 
 ed the trowfers, as decency required, 
 and would never afterwards part with 
 them ; indeed, as they began gradual- 
 ly to advance into a colder climate, he 
 focwi refumed the coat and jacket alfo. 
 His notions of delicacy from what 
 had been told him, and what he obfer- 
 ved among the Englim, gradually in- 
 creafed, fo that he would not fo much 
 as change any part of his drefs unlefs 
 when by himfelf. He continued to 
 warn himfelf feveral times a day, and 
 kept his clothes and every thing about 
 his perfon very clean. 
 
 Sunday the 1 6th they kept a fort of 
 thankfgiving to God for their deliver- 
 
 X ance, 
 
242 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ance, for which it may be fafely faid, 
 they were all very grateful. They now 
 alfo difcovered a fmall leak in the vef- 
 fel, which they found it impoflible 
 wholly to ftop, they therefore employ- 
 ed two men conftantly at the pump, 
 which kept it under. Lee Boo was 
 greatly difcouraged at lofing fight of 
 land, a circumftance which had not 
 previouily occurred to him. From 
 the 1 8th to the 2jth of November, they 
 had variable and difagreeable weather, 
 heavy fqualls, accompanied with thun- 
 der and lightning. On the 25th they 
 came in fight of the Bafhee Iflands to 
 the great joy of Lee Boo, who was hap- 
 py once more, with at leaft adiftant fight 
 of terra firma. On the 26th they faw 
 the ifland of Formofa, bearing N. E. ; 
 the 27th and 28th, the weather being 
 favourable, they fell in with feveral Chi- 
 
 nefe 
 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 243 
 
 ncfe fifhing veffels and fmall craft, .and 
 on the 2c;th anchored near the high land 
 
 % , V 
 
 called AiTes Ears. Having here enga- 
 ged a pilot to condudl them to Macao, 
 they arrived there next day. Lee Boo 
 was greatly aftonifhed at the fize of the 
 Portuguefe fhips in the Typa, calling 
 out cloWj c/oWy muc clow ! that is, large, 
 large, very large ! The Governor paid 
 Captain Wilfon and his crew all man- 
 ner of attention, and fent plenty of 
 provifions of all kinds to the men on 
 board the Oroolong, informing them, 
 at fame time, that peace was now re-ef- 
 tablifhed in Europe. Captain Wilfon, 
 Lee Boo and the officers got lodgings 
 appointed them on more, except Mr 
 
 i 
 
 Benger who took the command on 
 board. An exprefs was immediately 
 forwarded to the Company's fupra-car- 
 goes at Canton, informing of their ar- 
 rival and fituation. 
 
 X2 Mr 
 
244 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 Mr M'Intyre an old acquaintance of 
 Captain Wilfon's paid them uncommon 
 attention, and infilled on their lodging 
 in his houfe. He had a Portuguefe 
 Gentleman in company with him, -who 
 invited them to his houfe on their way 
 to Mr M'Intyre's, and that principally 
 on Lee Boo's account, with whom he 
 \vas greatly taken, and wifhed to intro- 
 duce him to his family. His houfe 
 was therefore the firft into which Lee 
 Boo entered, and his furprife on enter- 
 ing it cannot be eafily defcribed. The 
 rooms, the furniture and ornaments, 
 all feverally crowded fo many new 
 objects on his mind at once, that he 
 was perfedlly loft in amazement ; it 
 was remarkable however, that amidft 
 all his confuiion, his behaviour was to 
 the greateft degree eafy and polite; and 
 as he obferved that he occafioned the 
 fame furprife in others that they did in 
 
 him, 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 245 
 
 im, he very politely permitted them 
 to examine his hands, defcribed the 
 tatooing, and appeared pleafed with 
 the attention paid him. On their way 
 to Mr M'lntyre's, Lee Boo difplayed his 
 native benevolence very remarkably : 
 obferving the poor Tartar women, 
 with their children tied to their backs, 
 begging, he diftributed all the oranges 
 and other things he had about him a- 
 
 mong them. 
 
 When they reached Mr M'Intyre's 
 it was late, fo that the table was cover- 
 ed for 'fupper, and the room elegantly 
 illuminated ; a new fcene here burfl 
 upon him the whole feemed to him 
 
 a fcene of magic. It is impoiTible to 
 particular ife every thing with which 
 he was remarkably fafcinated ; a large 
 mirror at the upper end of the room, 
 rivetted his attention for a while ; lie 
 faw his complete perfon, and fuppofed 
 
 3 " 
 
246 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 it to be fomebody behind very like 
 himfelf ; he looked, laughed, and looked 
 again, not knowing what to think. In- 
 deed the mirror had a furprifing effedl 
 on more than Lee Boo ; the Englim- 
 men had feen every one his neighbour's 
 face, during all their diftrefs, but no- 
 body had feen his own ; the hollow 
 edged, long vifag'd appearance they 
 now made, to what they formerly re- 
 colledled, caft rather a melancholy ini- 
 preffion upon their minds. Next day 
 Lee Boo fpent moftly in examining Mr 
 M c ln tyre's houfe, in which he found 
 abundance of new obje<5!s to furprife 
 him. The other Gentlemen in the 
 mean time went about purchafing fuch 
 little commodities as they ftood in need 
 of, and every one brought in fome little 
 trinket with him for Lee Boo ; among 
 the reft, was a firing of large giafs 
 beads, which almoft diftra&ed the poor 
 
 Prince 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 247 
 
 Prince with furprife and joy. He 
 conceived himfelf poffefied of greater 
 treafures than all the Pelew iflands 
 could afford ; he run to Captain Wilfon 
 enraptured with -his property, and beg- 
 ged that a imall Chiueie veffel might 
 be hired to transport them to Pelew, 
 and defired his father might be inform- 
 ed the Enghcs ruid carried him to a 
 fine country, from whence he would 
 foon fend him other prefents ; at fame 
 time adding, that if the perfons Captain 
 AVi-lfon fhould employ, faithfully and 
 expeditiouily executed their truit,,he 
 would reward them with two glafs 
 beads ; = Happy flate of innocence, 
 where the utmoft ambition can be fo 
 eafily fatisfied. 
 
 While at Macao, Lee Boo had fre- 
 quent opportunities of feeing people of 
 different nations, but foon gave a deci- 
 ded preference to the Enghlh, efpeci- 
 
 ally 
 
248 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ally the ladies. It has been already 
 mentionee 5 .ere are no quadru- 
 
 peds at the Peiew Iflands, and chat the 
 Newfoundland dog left there, was the 
 firfb of the fpecies they had feen ; they 
 called himfaz/or, which name Lee Boo 
 now applied to every quadraped he 
 faw. Horfes were his great favourites, 
 he called them clo e wfailor or great failor ; 
 he would often go to the ftable and 
 flroke their mane and neck, and foon 
 ventured to mount them. He intreat- 
 ed Captain Wilfon to fend a horfe to 
 his uncle Raa Kook. 
 
 In a few days Captain Wilfon recei- 
 ved letters from Canton ; the fupra 
 cargoes defiring him to draw for what 
 money he needed, and ordering the 
 men to be fupplied with every iieceffa- 
 ry in abundance. The kindnefs fhewn 
 them on this occafion by all ranks at 
 Macao and Canton, all the officers and 
 
 men 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 249 
 
 men fpeak of in the warmeft terms. 
 Captain Wilfon, and his company took 
 {hipping for Whampoa in the Walpole 
 Captain Churchill, leaving Mr Benger 
 to take care of the Oroolong, and diC- 
 pofe of her. In a few days they arri- 
 ved at Canton, having been kept in fpi- 
 rits all the way by Lee Boo, whofe ad- 
 miration at every new object and fenfi- 
 ble remarks, at fame time, furpri- 
 ied all who had an opportunity of con- 
 verfing him. He was greatly furprifed 
 at the various difhes of meat, which he 
 faw fucceffively fet before them, alled- 
 ging, that his father, though a King, 
 was happy to ferve himfelf with a few 
 yams and cocoa-nuts ; while here, the 
 Gentlemen had a great many different 
 dainties, and fervants attending them 
 while they were eating, Obferving a 
 man drunk, he faid he would not 
 
 drink 
 
25 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 drink fpirits, as it made him unlike 
 a man. 
 
 X 
 
 An in {lance of Lee Boo's ftrong at- 
 tachment to thofe he knew, may be 
 here mentioned, which will ferve to 
 point out this ftriking feature not in 
 his charadter only, but in all the na- 
 tives of Pelew. One day while fitting 
 at a window which looked towards the 
 fea, he obferved a boat making towards 
 fhore, in which were Mr Benger and 
 Mr M'Intyre, his joy was fo great, that 
 he did not take time to tell Captain 
 Wilfbn or any other in the room the 
 caufe of his emotion, but fpringing 
 from his feat, flew to the fhore in a 
 twinkling ; immediately on their land- 
 ing he (hook hands with them fo hear- 
 tily and with fuch expreflions of affec- 
 tion, as won their warmed regard. 
 They had difpofed of the fchooner for 
 
 feven 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 25! 
 
 r en hundred Spaniih dollars, which 
 
 was confidered as a very good price. 
 
 
 
 Lee Boo became an univerfal favou- 
 rite wherever he appeared ; his agree- 
 able good natured pleafant behaviour, 
 made him acceptable in every compa- 
 ny. He one day very much furprifed 
 a company of gentlemen with his dexte- 
 rity in throwing the dart ; a party was 
 formed to have a trial of fkill in the 
 factory hall ; they hung up a gauze cage 
 and a bird painted in the middle ; they 
 flood at a good diftance, and with 
 much difficulty hit even the cage ; 
 when Lee Boo's turn came, he took 
 up his fpear very carelefsly, and with 
 the greateil eafe, flruck the little bird 
 through the head. He had one day 
 an opportunity of feeing fome blue 
 glafs, which greatly delighted him; it 
 was a colour he had not before feen ; 
 the gentleman in whofe houfe it was, 
 
 made 
 
252 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 N 
 
 made him a prefent of two jarrs of the 
 fame colour, which greatly delighted 
 him ; Ob ! were it poffiblc he exclaimed^ 
 that my friends at Pelew could fee them I 
 
 As the time was now near at hand 
 when the company's (hips would fail 
 for England, Captain Wilfon laid be- 
 fore his people an account of the pro- 
 duce from the Oroolong, and other ar- 
 ticles which had been fold ; and giving 
 to every one an equitable {hare, he ad- 
 drefTed the whole company nearly as 
 follows: " Gentlemen, the moment 
 being now arrived when every one 
 may to advantage follow his own in- 
 clination, I cannot part with you, wi- 
 thout teflifying my approbation at the 
 fpirited, the judicious, and the manly 
 conduct you have preferved, amidft 
 our trying difficulties ; and be allured, 
 that, on my arrival in England, I will 
 reprefent you to the Company as en- 
 titled 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 253 
 
 titled to their particular regard, and I 
 make no doubt but they will reward 
 your toils." If mutual adverficy will 
 reconcile the moft inveterate enemies, 
 furely the fufferings of friends muft ri- 
 vet a more forcible affe&ion ; and every 
 one now prefent, appeared to feel the 
 weight of the remark, for a tender con- 
 cern was manifeft in every counte- 
 nance. The conduil of Mr Wilfon 
 had been fo mild and prudent, and his 
 example fo animating, they ftill wifhed 
 him for their commander : but it was 
 not now a time for choice ; neceflity 
 and reafon pointed out their courfe. 
 Lee Boo and the Captain came home 
 in the Morfe, and the furgeon in the 
 Lafcelles ; while others embarked in 
 different {hips. 
 
 What has already been mentioned 
 concerning the amiable Lee Boo, has 
 no doubt interefted every reader in his 
 
 Y hiftory, 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 hiftory, in which we hope to be excu- 
 ied, if regard for a favourite fubjedt, 
 fhould lead us to be at times trifli ngly 
 minute, as fome readers may think. 
 
 The Morfe was commanded by Cap- 
 tain Elliott, with whom Lee Boo made 
 Iiimfelf very happy ; his fpirit of enqui- 
 ry concerning various objects which 
 he faw, began now to be directed more 
 concerning their utility than formerly; 
 and he fhewed no fmall anxiety to pick 
 tip as much knowledge as poflible con- 
 cerning fuch articles as would be uie- 
 ful at Pelew. His method of keeping 
 his Journal is very noticeable ; he had 
 a firing on which he caft a knot for e- 
 very remarkable object he wiflied to 
 imprint on his memory ; thefe knots 
 he examined daily, and by recolledling 
 the circumftances which occalioned 
 their being caft, he imprinted the tran- 
 iacflions on his memory : the officers of 
 
 the 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 255 
 
 the Morfe humouroufly remarked when 
 they faw him referring to his hempen, 
 tablet, that he was reading his Jour- 
 nal. He was not forgetful of the 
 crew of the Oroolong, about whom he 
 made frequent enquiries, Early in the 
 voyage, he afked for a book, that with 
 afliftance he might learn the Englifh. 
 alphabet, which was given him. At 
 St Helena he was furprifed at the fight 
 of the fbldicrs, and the cannon on the 
 fortifications; and four men of war arri- 
 ving during his flay there, afforded new 
 matter of aftonifhment. On being ta- 
 ken to fee a fchool, he appeared fo con- 
 fcious of his own deficiency, that he 
 begged he might learn like the boys. 
 While here he had alfo opportunities 
 of riding on horfeback of which he 
 was very fond ; he galloped with great 
 eafe, and fat his horfe very gracefully. 
 Before the Morfe failed from St Hele- 
 
 2 na 
 
256 SHIPWRECK Of 
 
 na, the Lafcelles arrived there, fo that 
 he had an interview with his firft 
 friend Mr Sharp ; he was exceedingly- 
 happy with that Gentleman for whom 
 he had the greateft regard. When 
 the Morfe approached the Britifh chan- 
 nel, the number of fhips that palled, 
 confounded his Journal, and he was 
 obliged to difcontinue his memoran- 
 dums. But on landing at Portfmouth, 
 the objects that met his view were fo 
 ftupenduous and grand, he was invol- 
 ved in (ilent aftonifhment, afking no 
 queftions whatever. The Captain pro- 
 ceeded to London, impatient to fee his 
 family, and left Lee Boo under the pro- 
 tection of his brother ; who, however, 
 foon after fet off in a ftage-coach, with 
 his innocent charge. Defcribing his 
 journey, he faid he had been put into 
 a little houfe,- which horfes ran away 
 
 with 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 257 
 
 with, and that though he went to fleep, 
 he did not flop travelling. 
 
 On his arrival in London, he was 
 not a little happy to meet with his 
 Mentor, his new father, whom he was 
 afraid he had loft. Being {hewn his 
 chamber, he could not conceive the 
 ufe of the bed, it being a four poft one 
 and of courfe different from what he 
 had feen on board : before he would 
 repofe himfelf, he jumped in and out 
 of it feveral times, to admire its forrn^ 
 and intimating that here there was a 
 houfe for every thing ; it was all fine 
 country, fine ftreets, fine coach, and 
 houfe upon houfe up to the iky for the 
 huts at Pelew being only one ftory, he 
 confidered every floor here as a diftincl:- 
 houfe. Captain Wilfon introduced 
 Lee Boo to fome of the Eaft-India Di- 
 rectors, and to mod of his friends ; and 
 at the fame time {hewed him the moft 
 
 IY 3 confpicupus 
 
SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 confpicuous public buildings ; but his 
 prudent conductor kept him from ftage 
 and other exhibitions, left the heat of 
 of the place might communicate the 
 fmall-pox. He was fent to an acade- 
 demy at Rotherhithe, where he was ve- 
 ry affiduous in learning to read and 
 write : and he foon became the favou- 
 rite of all his fchoolfellows, from his 
 gentlenefs and affability. During the 
 hours of recefs, he amufed his benefac- 
 tor's family by mimicking fuch peculi- 
 arities as he obferved in the boys at 
 fchool. He faid that when he return- 
 ed to Pelew, he would keep an acade- 
 my himfelf; and he imagined the 
 great men of his country would think 
 him very wife when he {hewed them 
 their letters, He always called his pa- 
 tron, Captain ; but he would addrefs 
 Mrs "Wilfon no otherwife than his Mo- 
 ther, although he was to cold to the 
 
 contrary ; 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 259 
 
 contrary ; conceiving it a tender ex- 
 preffion. When he faw the young aC- 
 king charity, he was highly offended, 
 faying they ought to work; but the fup- 
 plication of the old and infirm met his 
 natural benevolence " Muft give poor 
 old man ; old man no able to work." 
 
 About this time he appeared to be 
 about twenty years of age, middle fized; 
 fo with having a moft expreffive coun- 
 tenance much fenfibility and good hu- 
 mour, that he inftantly prejudiced one 
 in his favour ; his eyes were fo flriking- 
 ly expreffive that though he knew very 
 little Englifh, his meaning was eafily 
 underflood. 
 
 This quicknefs of manner and readi- 
 nefs of apprehenfion were aftonifhing ; 
 a young lady with whom he was one 
 day in company fat down to the harp- 
 fichord, in order to difcover how it af- 
 fe<fted him $ to the mufic he paid little 
 
 attention, 
 
260 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 s 
 
 attention, but he was greatly "intereft- 
 cd to difcover how the founds were 
 produced. He at fame time fung a 
 fong in the Pelew flyle, but it was ve- 
 ry harih. He was naturally polite ; one 
 day at dinner, Mrs Wilfon delired him 
 to help her to fome cherries, when Lee 
 Boo very quickly proceeded to take 
 them up with his fingers ; me pleafant- 
 ly hinted his error, when he immedi- 
 ately took up a fpoon, at the fame time 
 his countenance was in a moment fuf- 
 fufed with a blulh. 
 
 Captain Wilfon, one day, happening 
 torebukehisfon for foine trifling neglect 
 in the prefence of Lee Boo, the gene- 
 rous youth was not happy till he had 
 joined their hands, which he did with 
 the tears of fenfibility flreaming from 
 his eyes. He preferred riding in a 
 coach to every other conveyance, as it 
 allowed people, he faid, an opportuni-^ 
 
 ty 
 
THE AN'TELOPE. 
 
 ty of talking together : he was fond of 
 going to church, becaufe he knew it 
 was a religious duty, the object and final 
 nd being the fame both at Pelew and 
 in England. He was prefent at Lunar- 
 di's aerial afcenfion. ; and remarked, 
 that it was a ridiculous mode of travel- 
 ling, as it could be done fo much eafi- 
 er in a coach. He narrowly obferved 
 all plants and fruit-trees, and faid he 
 fhould take fome feeds of each to Pelew. 
 Indeed, in all his purfuits, he never 
 loft fight of what benefits they might 
 might tend to in his country. But in 
 the miclft of his innocent refearches, 
 juft as he was getting a quick know- 
 ledge of the language, he was taken ill 
 of the dreaded final 1-pox : Dr Smith 
 immediately attended him, who, in the 
 firft ftage of the diforder predicted the 
 fatal confequences which enfued. He 
 cheerfully took the medicines that were 
 
 hadminiftered ; 
 
262 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 adminiftered ; and willingly difpenfed 
 with the fight of Mr Wilfon, when he 
 was told that he never had the diforder,- 
 and that it was infectious. In the 
 midft of his illnefs, hearing that Mrs 
 Wilfon was confined to her chamber, 
 he cried " What, mother bad Lee 
 Boo get up to fee her :" which he ac- 
 tually did. Mr Sharp, the furgeon of 
 the Antelope, alfo attended him. 
 Viewing himfelf in a glafs juft before 
 his death, he turned his head away in 
 difgurt, at the appearance of his face, 
 which was much fwelled and disfigur- 
 ed. Getting worfe, and fenfible of his 
 approaching fate, he fixed his eyes at- 
 tentively on Mr Sharp, and iliid 
 u Good friend, when you go to my 
 country, tell my father, that Lee Boo 
 take much drink to make the fmall-pox 
 go away, but he die that Captain and 
 Mother very kind all Englifh very 
 
 good 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 263 
 
 good men was much forry he could 
 not tell Abba Thulle the great many 
 fine things the Engliih got." He then 
 enumerated all the prefents he had re- 
 ceived, which he begged the furgeon 
 to diftribute among his friends and the 
 Rupacks. The dying difcourfe of this 
 child of nature fo affedled the man 
 who attended him, that he could not 
 help fobbing moil piteoufly, which 
 Lee Boo obferving, aflced " Why 
 fliould he cry fo, becaufe Lee Boo die?' 1 
 Thinking Mrs Wilfon's illnefs arole 
 from his own, he would frequently 
 cry out, me being only in an adjoin- 
 ing chamber, Lee Boo do well, mo- 
 ther :" The dreadful mouient of fepa- 
 ration being now arrived, he told Mr 
 Sharp he was going away ;" and yielded 
 his laft breath without appreheniion, 
 and with that native innocence and fim- 
 plicity which had marked his every ac- 
 tion. 
 
 
SHIPWRECK OP 
 
 tion. The family, the fervants, and 
 thofe who knew him, could not with- 
 hold the tears of affectionate regard, 
 when informed of the melancholy e- 
 vent ; The Eaft-India Company order- 
 ed Lee Boo to be buried in Rotherhithe 
 church-yard, with every poffible mark 
 of refpecfl : all who knew him, with 
 the pupils at the academy, attended 
 the funeral ; and the concourfe was o- 
 thcrwife fo great, that it might be fup- 
 pofed his good qualities had been pub- 
 licly proclaimed, inftead of being pri- 
 vately communicated. A tomb, with 
 this infcription was foon after erected 
 by the Eaft-India Company : 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 265 
 
 To the Memory 
 
 Of Prince Lee Boo, 
 
 A Native of the Pelew or Palos Iflands ; 
 
 And fon to Abba Thulle, Rupack or King 
 
 Of the Ifland Coorooraa* ; 
 Who departed this Life on the 2yth of December 1784, 
 
 Aged 20 Years, 
 
 This Stone is Infcribed, 
 
 By the Honourable United Ealt India Company, 
 
 As a Teftimony of Efteem 
 
 For the Humane and Kind Treatment 
 
 Afforded by his Father, to the Crew of their Ship, 
 
 The Antelope, CAPT. WILSON, 
 
 Which was wrecked off that Ifland 
 
 In the Night of the 9th of Auguft 1783. 
 
 Stop, Reader, flop ! Let Nature claim a Tear ; 
 A Prince of mine, Lee Boo, lies bury'd here. 
 
 X 
 
 This amiable young prince, whofe 
 refidence here was only five months, 
 conformed himfelf to the Englifh drefs 
 in every inftance, except his hair, 
 which he continued to wear after the 
 
 IZ fafhion 
 
 * Coorooraa is the proper name of the lilarid, of 
 which Pelew is the capital town. 
 
266 SHIPWRECK or 
 
 fafhion of hi> own country. He was 
 of a middling ftature ; and his counte- 
 nance was fo expreffive, that it depic- 
 ted the beft qualities of a virtuous 
 mind : his eyes were lively and intelli- 
 gent; and his whole manner, gentle 
 and interefting : he had the natural po- 
 litenefs of a gentleman", without the 
 drudgery of ftudy, or the obfervance 
 of eftablifhed forms of ceremony. Af- 
 ter his death it was found that he had 
 laid by all the feeds or ftones of fruit 
 be had eat after his arrival, with a 
 view to plant them at Pelew, 
 
 When we refledl on the unhappy 
 fate of poor Lee Boo, with which the 
 reader is now acquainted, the mind 
 ranges to the habitation of his father 
 Abba Thulle, who on a cord had tied 
 thirty knots, as a memento that his fon 
 would return in thirty moons or per- 
 haps a few more, for which he was 
 
 willing 
 
THE ANTELOPE. 267 
 
 willing to make allowance. Thofe 
 moons have long fince performed their 
 evolutions ; the knots are untied ; and 
 yet no gladdening fail hovers round 
 Pelew. Lee Boo is dead in reality; 
 and though no more even in the tor- 
 tured imagination of his expecting fa- 
 mily, yet the fight of an European ve- 
 fel, even at this diftant period, would 
 animate their hopes, and recal the fond- 
 nefs of paft endearments. It will be a 
 long time before the Ariel will reach 
 this friendly, this hofpitable Chore; 
 when the joy of the King to fee a re- 
 turn of the Englifh, will be fo far over- 
 clouded by his parental difappointment: 
 but, his mind is too noble, open, and 
 generous, to entertain for a moment, 
 a fufpicion that Captain Wilfon could 
 be guilty of inattention to Lee Boo, 
 much lefs of bafenefs or ingratitude. 
 As a communication with the friend- 
 
268 SHIPWRECK OF 
 
 ly ifles of Pelew is about to be renew- 
 ed, there is every reafon 'to hope that 
 we {hall yet receive. a fequel to fome of 
 the preceding circumftances, with fur- 
 ther particulars of a race of unenlight- 
 ened people, whofe fincerity, and ftri6l 
 adherence to the dictates of honour 
 and religion, are at once a difgrace and 
 a burlefque on the pafiioiis and pur- 
 fuits of thofe who confider themfelves 
 as much nearer the ftandard of perfec- 
 tion. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY 
 
 BODQBfl^DDM 
 
 M8272 
 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 

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