24 
AN ACCOUNT OF 
1783. 
AUGUST. 
\ 
coming into the cove, feemed to look round with great 
■watch fulnefs, as if fearful of being betrayed; nor would 
they feat themfelves near the tents, but kept clofe to the 
heach, that in cafe of danger they might immediately re¬ 
gain their canoes. Our people now going to breakfaft, they 
were prefdhted with fome tea, and fome fweet bifcuits, 
made at China, of which two or three jars had been 
faved. Only Captain Wilson, and one or two more, with 
Tom Rose the interpreter, breakfafted with them; for, as 
they would probably have entertained doubts of our people, 
had the Englijh furrounded them to gratify curiolity, they 
might, from their apprehenfions, have haftily departed. 
In the little converfation which during the breakfaft could 
be obtained, a wifh was exprefted to the Malay they brought 
with them, of knowing by what event he chanced to be 
there. This fellow, beftde his own and the Pelew lan¬ 
guage, fpoke a little Dutch , and fome words of Englijh : he 
gave the following account of himfelf, * viz ,—That he 
commanded a trading veflel belonging to a China man at 
Ternate, had been on a trading voyage to Amboyna 
and Bantam, and had been caft away, about ten months 
before, upon an ifland to the fouthward, which was within 
fight of where he then was; that he efcaped from thence to 
Pelew, and had been kindly received by the king, who, he 
* The future condudl and behaviour of this Malay gave reafon to fufpeft there 
was little truth in the account he gave of himfelf. 
+ 
told 
