MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



441 



parture of Lord Amherst,) that 

 they might have been from Ba- 

 tavia to our relief. 



The small flag (belonging to 

 the embassy) was brought down 

 and displayed on the look-out 

 rock ; the strangers, each, imme- 

 diately hoisted siome flag at their 

 mast-heads. Anxious to know 

 still more about them, Mr. Sykes 

 was allowed to advance with the 

 union-jack, accompanied by some 

 more of the young gentlemen, 

 along the strand, to a considerable 

 distance ; and soon after some of 

 their party, with a flag, set off to 

 meet them. As they mutually 

 approached, the Malays dropped a 

 little in the rear of their flag- 

 bearer, and laid down their arms ; 

 ours also fell astern, and the two 

 ancients (or colour men), wading 

 into a creek which separated them, 

 cautiously met each other. The 

 Malay salamed a good deal : many 

 fine Yorkshire bows were made 

 on the other side : shaking hands 

 was the next ceremony, and then, 

 joining flags, they walked up arm 

 and arm to the place where the 

 captain and several others were 

 stationed. Satisfied now they must 

 be fiiends sent to our assistance, 

 they were welcomed with cheers, 

 and every countenance was glad- 

 dened. But our joy was of short 

 duration J for, although their flag 

 was laid submissively at the cap- 

 tain's feet, and all were sufficiently 

 civil in their deportment^ yet they 

 turned out to be mere wanderers, 

 employed gathering a sort of sea- 

 weed, found on the coast of these 

 (but in still greater abundance 

 among the Pelew) islands, said by 

 some to be an article of commerce 

 with the Chinese epicures, who 

 us« it like the bird-ne«ta in th«ir 



soups. All this was made out 

 chiefly by signs, added to a few 

 Malay words which some under- 

 stood. 



Mr. Hay, with his division 

 armed, proceeded down to their 

 anchorage, himself and some other 

 officers, going on board with their 

 Rajah, (as they styled him) who 

 expressed a great desire to see the 

 captain on board, and sent him a 

 present of a piece of fish, and 

 some cocoa-nut milk. During the 

 night many schemes were pro- 

 posed as to the best mode of ne- 

 gotiating with these people. Some 

 thought that, by the hope of ve- 

 Avard, they might be induced to 

 carry part of us to Java, and our 

 four remaining boats would then 

 be equal to the conveyance ot the 

 rest. Others, adverting to tiie 

 treacherous character of the Ma- 

 lays, and the great temptation to 

 murder us when in their posver, 

 from that sort of property still in 

 our possession, and to them of 

 great value, considered it safest to 

 seize upon and disarm them, car- 

 rying ourselves to Batavia^ and 

 then most amply to remunerate 

 them for any inconvenience they 

 might have sustained from being 

 pressed into the sei'vice. 



The morning of Thursday, the 

 27th, however, perfectly relieved 

 us from any further discussion on 

 this subject, the Rajah and his 

 suite having proceeded to plunder 

 the wreck, which by this time 

 they had espied. It is probable 

 they were not certain of our real 

 situation on the first evening, but 

 might have supposed, from seeing 

 the uniforms, colours, and other 

 military appearance, tlint some 

 settlement, as at Minto, (in the 

 i,sland of Banoa) }iad been esta- 

 blished 



