34 
AN ACCOUNT OF 
1783. 
AUGUST 
to attend the King’s brother, as they had put off foon after the 
pinnace, and, as our people thought, were only gone out to 
fifh. They alfo reported, that it being low-water, the pinnace 
could not reach the fliip, but the men were compelled to wade 
over part of the reef to get to her, and were now able to fee 
her lituation, having difcovered that a large part of the rock 
had made its way through her bottom, and in two or three 
places appeared dry infide her hold, fo that fhe remained 
fixed on the reef. They difcovered that the natives had 
found their way to the cockpit, had rummaged the me¬ 
dicine cheil, tailed feveral of the medicines, which being 
probably not very palatable, they had thrown out the con¬ 
tents, and had carried off the bottles, fo that nothing re¬ 
mained in the clieil that could be of any further ufe. How¬ 
ever, it fortunately happened, that Mr. Sharp, the furgeon, 
at the time he quitted the fhip, conceiving he never fhould 
get back to her any more, had providently brought away 
fiome of the moil ufeful medicines. 
When thofe who returned with the pinnace brought this 
intelligence, and had informed our people that thefe canoes 
were gone up to Pelew, Captain Wilson made this tranfi- 
adlion known to Raa Kook, not fo much as a matter of 
complaint, as to exprefs to him his uneafinefs for the con- 
fequences which might arife to the natives from their tail¬ 
ing or drinking fuch a variety of medicines. Raa Kook 
begged Captain Wilson would entertain no uneafinefs 
whatever 
