114 FROM RADACK TO 



The 20th of February. The Rurick was sur- 

 rounded by canoes from morning till evening, and 

 filled with inquiring savages ; in the afternoon the 

 princess appeared, to whom I sent several presents 

 into her boat, as she would not venture on board. 

 In the west a large boat was seen, on board of 

 which were twenty-two people, men and women ; 

 the utensils of all kinds which they had with them 

 made us suppose that they were on a long voyage. 

 When it came up, the chief of the island of Kawen, 

 Labeleoa, a man of about seven feet high, came on 

 board, and presented me with a roll of mogan. He 

 talked a great deal ; and, among other things, he 

 advised us to sail to Aur, where the Tamon Ellip 

 (great chief) resided. A great many people had 

 assembled on deck, who, conscious of their supe- 

 rior numbers, behaved rather boldly. We were 

 often obliged to put a stop to the impudence of 

 our guests, who were only deterred by the idea that 

 we were supernatural beings, from making them- 

 selves masters, by force, of every thing. It was 

 already dark, and the boat which we had sent for 

 water had not yet returned, when the subaltern 

 officer called from shore, that he missed a sailor. 

 As the savages never appeared armed, I had al- 

 ways sent my people unarmed on shore not to 

 create distrust, for which I now bitterly re- 

 proached myself. An armed boat was imme- 

 diately sent on shore, and I at the same time 

 fired a cannon and threw up a sky-rocket ; and this 



