were utter ftrangers to the manners and difpofitions of the inhabitants of the islands on which misfortune had thrown them, and they revolved in their imaginations the hoftile scenes which they might poffibly have to encounter. These reflections did not contribute to make the night, which turned out more tempeftuous than the former, more comfortable.

In the morning it blew exceedingly ftrong, fo that the boats could not go off to the wreck: the men therefore employed themfelves in drving their provifions, and forming better tents,. from the materials which they had brought from the fhip 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, and Capt. W. with Tom Rofe, a Malay, whom they had taken on board at Macao, being on the beach, collecting the fresh water which dropped from the rocks, they 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; however, as there were but few of the natives, Capt. W. defired them to keep out of fight, until they should perceive what reception he met with, but to be prepared for the worst. They foon perceived that the natives had feen the Captain and the Malay as they converfed together, and kept their eyes fted faftly fixed on that part of the fhore where the English were. The natives advanced very cautiously toward them, and when they came near enough to be heard, the Captain directed the Malay, to fpeak to them in his own language; which they did not at firft feem to understand; but they ftopped their canoes, and foon after one of them asked, in the Malay tongue, who our people were, and whether they were friends or enemies? Rofe was directed to reply, that they were Englishmen, 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 fhort time, and then ftepped out of the cances into the water, and went toward the fhore. Capt. W. instantly waded into the water to meet them, and embracing them in the moft 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 veffel belonging to a Chinese, refident on the ifland of Ternate, one of the fame groupe of iflands, and had been kindly treated by the King, who, he said, was a good man; and that his people alfo were courteous. He told them farther, that a canoe having been out, fishing, bad feen the fhip's maft; and that the King, being informed of it, fent off these two canoes at four o'clock that morning, to fee what was become of the people who had beREV. Aug. 1788.

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longed

longed to her; and they knowing of the harbour which the Englishmen were in, had come directly thither.

Capt. W. and his people now going to breakfaft, the natives fat down with them, and tafted the tea, but did not seem to like it: they appeared, however, to be better pleafed with fome fweet bifcuits, which our people had brought with them from China; and before they had been with them an hour, they appeared perfectly free, and under no apprehenfion whatever. They feemed very defirous that one of the English 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 person fhould be, the Captain requefted his brother, Mr. Matthias Willon, to go, who readily confented; and about noon one of the canoes left the harbour, having Mr. Wilfon with them: the other canoe, with four perfons, among whom was Raa Kook, the elder of the King's brothers, and who was also General of his armies, remained with our people, of their own accord, until the canoe returned with Mr. Wilson. The Captain directed his brother to acquaint the King who they were; to relate to him, as well as he could, the nature of their misfortune; to folicit his friendship and protection, and permiffion to build a veffel to carry them back to their own country. He also fent a prefent by him to the King, of a fmall remnant of blue broad cloth, a canister of tea, another of fugar-candy, and a jar of rufk: the laft article was added at the particular request of the King's two brothers.

Those who remained behind, obferving that our people had much trouble to procure the fresh water which they had occafion for, conducted them across a narrow part of the island, where it was more plentiful; and the road to it being rugged and difficult, they carried Mr. Sharp, a youth of about fifteen years of age, who was fent on this duty, over the most difficult parts, in their arms; and were very careful in affifting, in those places, the men, 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 they got there, they found that fome of the natives had been on board; and that they had carried off fome iron-work, and other things; and in particular, that they had rummaged the medicine-cheft, and tafted fe veral of the medicines, which 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 express his uneafinefs for the confequences which might arise to the natives from their having tafted, or perhaps drank, fuch a variety of medicines.

I

medicines. Raa Kook's countenance fully defcribed the indignation he felt at the treacherous behaviour of his countrymen ; defiring that if they caught any of them attempting again to plunder the veffel, they would kill them, and he would juftify the English to his brother for having done fo: and he begged that Capt. W. would entertain no uneafiness whatever on account of what the plunderers might fuffer, because it would be entirely owing to their own misconduct.

The fame evening, Capt. W. made a propofition to his officers, the boldnefs and wifdom of which, and the refolution and firmness manifefted in its execution, reflect the highest honour on him and them, while the unanimity and cheerfulness 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 folace and joy of their lives;❞—that their grog foftens all their hard fhips, and caufes even the horrors of war to pafs by them unfelt ;-that there is no undertaking fo dangerous, or fo defperate, that they will not moft readily attempt for it, nor fcarcely a comfort in life that they will not forego rather than relinquish it. Yet Capt. W. inding them rather noify when they returned from the wreck (owing to a little ftrong liquor which the officer 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 fo much, that he fubmitted to his officers the propriety of ftaving (with the confent of the people) every cafk of liquor which was in the fhip. He knew it was too bold a ftep to be taken without their confent, and was fully aware 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 themselves the executioners of his purpose, while they were yet warm with the project. He had the fatisfaction to find that his officers immediately acquiefced, and the next morning he called all the crew together, and told them be had fomething to propofe, in which their future welfare, nay, perhaps, their preservation, was moft materially involved. He then fubmitted to their judgment the measure on which he and his officers had deliberated the evening before; urged the propriety of it in the moft forcible terms, as a step which would beft authorize the hope of deliverance from their prefent fituation, and of feeing once more their own country, and thofe who were dear to them; and he added, that however reluctantly they might yield to the propofition, yet they could not but be fatisfied that the understanding of every individual amongst them muft, on reflection, perceive that it was a meafure abfolutely necef

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fary

fary to be adopted. The moment he concluded, all the failors, with the utmost unanimity, and to their lafting honour as men, replied, that however they might fuffer from being deprived of their accustomed recruit of liquor, yet being fenfible, that having easy access to it, they might not at all times use it with dif cretion, they gave their full affent to the Captain's propofal; and added, that they were ready to go directly to the fhip, and ftave every cafk of liquor on board. This they molt confcientiously performed; and fo fcrupulously did they execute their trust, that there was not a fingle man among them who would take even a farewel glafs of his beloved cordial.

On the 14th, in the morning, Arra Kooker, the other brother of the King, returned to the island where the English were, and brought with him one of the King's fons. He informed Cap. tain W. that his brother was on his way back; but that the canoe be was in had not been able to make fuch good way against the wind as his had done, which was the reafon he was not yet arrived and he added, that the King gave them free leave to build their veffel, either where they were, or in the ifland where he lived, and where they would be more immediately under his protection. Soon after Mr. M. Wilfon returned, and the account which he gave of his expedition was to the following purport:

my

"When the canoe which I went in approached the island where the King lives, a vaft concourfe of the natives ran out of their houses to see 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 directed to f 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 forward; but he did not feem to pay any attention to it. I then offered him the presents which 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 acquaint him with our difafter, and the number of us; after which the King ate fome of the fugar-candy, feemed to relifh it, and diftributed a little of it to feveral of his chiefs, and then directed all the things to be carried to his own houfe. This being done, he ordered refreshments to be brought for me: the first confifted of a cocoa-nut fhell of warm water, fweetened with molaffes: after tafting it, he directed a little boy, who was near bim, to climb a cocoa-nut tree, and gather fome fresh 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

he broke the fhell in two, ate a little of the meat, and then re

turned it to me to eat the reft. A great crowd of the natives had by this time furrounded me, who were curious and eager to examine my clothes and perfon; but as it began to be dark, the King, his brother, myfelf, and feveral others, retired into a large houfe, where fupper was brought in, confifting of yams boiled whole, and others boiled and beaten together, as we fometimes do potatoes; there were likewife fome fhell fish, but I could not determine what they were. After fupper I was conducted to another house, at fome diftance from the first, by a female. Here I found at least 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 fatisfied themselves with viewing me, they went to fleep, and I laid my felf down on the mat, and refted my head on a log, which thefe people ufe as a pillow, and drew another mat, which alfo feemed laid for the purpose, over me. I was unable even to flumber, but lay perfectly ftill; and fome confiderable time after, when all was quiet, about eight men arofe, and made two great fires at each end of the house, which was not divided by partitions, but formed one large habitation. This operation of theirs, I confefs, alarmed me very much indeed! I thought of nothing lefs, than that they were going to Poaft 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 poffibility of efcaping the mifchief, if any were intended, I collected all my fortitude, and recommended myfelf to the Supreme Difpofer of all events. I lay ftill, expecting every moment to meet my fate; but, to my great furprize, after fitting a while to warm themfelves, I perceived that they all retired again to their mats, and stirred no more till daylight. I then got up, and walked about, furrounded by great numbers of men, women, and children; and, in a little time, was joined by the King's brother, who took me to several houles, in every one of which I was entertained with yams, cocoa-nuts, and fweetmeats. I was afterwards conducted to the King, to whom I fignified, by figns, that I wifhed much to return to my brother: he understood me perfectly, and explained to me, by signs also, that the canoes could not go out, on account of the great wind. I fpent the remainder of the day in walking about the ifland, and obferving its produce, which confifted 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 rice grows in, in India. The cocoanuts grow chiefly about their houfes, as does alfo the betle-nut, which they chew as tobacco."