28 
* 783 * 
AUGUST, 
AN ACCOUNT OF 
flightly and partially cleared, much broken fhells and rock* 
together with thorny plants and fhrubs remaining over it* 
nor could our people help being furprized at feeing them*, 
barefooted as they were, walk over all this rough way as per¬ 
fectly at eafe as if it had been the fmoothefl ground. But if 
the uncommon appearance of the natives of Pelew excited 
furprize in the Englijb , their appearance, in return, awakened 
in their vifitors a far greater degree of aftonifhment.—Our 
countrymen, during all the time they remained in thefe 
iilands, were perfectly convinced, that the inhabitants had 
never before feen a white man, it was therefore little to 
be wondered that they viewed them as a new and a very 
extraordinary race of beings: all they obferved, and all 
they touched, made them exclaim we el l weel! and fome- 
times weel a trecoyl which the Malay informed them was 
a declaration of being well pleafed.—They began with 
ftroaking the bodies and arms of the Englijh , or rather 
their waiflcoats and coat Beeves, as if they doubted whether 
the garment and the man were not of the fame fubftance; 
but were told by the Malay , that the EngUfh in their own cli¬ 
mate being expofed to far greater cold, were accuftomed al¬ 
ways tobe covered, and had coverings of different kinds to put, 
on as occafion required, fo that they could be always dry and. 
warm. Our people plainly perceived, by the geflures of the 
Malay and the natives, that this was what they were converfing, 
about; nor could they avoid obferving, by the countenances 
of 
