THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
flaffi of lightning, imagined they had feen the appearance 
of land ahead of the fhip. During thefe anxious mo¬ 
ments, they endeavoured to confole and cheer one another, 
and each was advifed to clothe and prepare himfelf to 
quit the fhip when neceffity fhould make that Hep in¬ 
evitable ; and herein the utmoft good order and regularity 
was obferved, not a man offering to take any thing but 
what truly belonged to himfelf, nor did any one of them 
either afk for, or attempt to take a dram, or complain of 
negligence or mifcondudt againft the watch or any par¬ 
ticular perfon. The dawn of day difcovered to their view 
a fmall ill and to the fouthward, about three or four 
leagues diftant, and foon after fome other iflands were feen 
to the eaftward. They now felt apprehenfive on account 
of the inhabitants, of wliofe difpofitions they were ftran- 
gers; however, after manning the boats, and loading 
them in the belt manner they could for the general good, 
they departed from the fhip under the care of Mr. Benger, 
who, together with the people in them, were earneflly re¬ 
queued to endeavour to obtain a friendly interconrfe with 
the inhabitants if they found any, and carefully to avoid any 
difagreement unlefs reduced to the laft neceffity, as the 
fate of all might depend upon the firft interview. As foon 
as the boats were gone, thofe who remained went imme¬ 
diately to work to get the booms overboard, in order to 
make a raft to fecure themfelves, as the Antelope was 
hourly 
*3 
i7 8 3- 
AUGUST. 
