INTRODUCTION. 
xiii 
ment of introducing to the world a new people and a far 
greater one, in having the means in my power, of vindicating 
their injured characters from the imputation of thofe favage 
manners which ignorance alone had afcribed to them; for I 
am confident that every Reader, when he has gone through 
the prefent account of them with attention, will be con¬ 
vinced that thefe unknown natives of Pelew, fo far from 
difgracing , live an ornament to human nature. 
The part I have taken in this Work originated from my 
knowledge of Captain Wilson’s veracity, and from my 
being highly interefted with the account he gave of the in¬ 
habitants of thefe illands, which was fo happily illufirated 
by the good fenfe and amiable manners of the young Prince 
Lee Boo, whom, at the King his father’s requeff, he had 
brought with him to England. 
I frequently mentioned to my valuable friend, Mr. 
Brook Watson, (through whom I had firft been ac¬ 
quainted with Captain Wilson) that I thought the whole 
chain of events, following the lofs of the Antelope, well me¬ 
rited the public eye, wilhing him to fubmit the matter to his 
friend’s confideration;—but, after three quarters of a year, 
I perceived that the Captain’s own affairs, his natural diffi¬ 
dence, and probably his inexperience in preparing properly 
fuch a work, rendered him little difpofed to the undertaking 
—and, as he was then preparing to go out again to Indi a, 
the account was in danger of being totally loft. 
Struck as I was with the relation of the virtues and cha- 
4 raster 
