AN ACCOUNT OF 
36 
>783- fpeft him as a man of an upright charaAer, and fuch tliev 
in truth found him to be in every tranfaction they afterwards 
had with him. 
At their firfi: coming, the Malay^ who was quite naked, had 
requeued a pair of trowfers and a jacket, which were given 
him; and a pair of trowfers, together with an uniform coat, 
were at thefame time prefentedto Ra a Kook, who direchly put 
them on, not a little pleafed in appearing like his new friends, 
often looking at himfelf, and faying, “Raa Kook Englisf but 
it was fuppofed he found the heat and confinement of drefs 
very inconvenient, for after this vifit he never wore them ; 
and when Captain Wilson was at his houfe at Pelew, he 
perceived he had put them up carefully among what he 
deemed his valuables. He pofiefied naturally fo unbounded 
a curiofity, that not the fmallefi: circumftance which oc- 
curred efcaped his notice; he wifhed to have an explapa-? 
tion of every thing he faw, to imitate whatever our people 
did, and to inquire into the principle and caufes of all he 
obferved brought about by them, lending his perfonai af- 
fiftance in every thing that was doing, and even defired to 
aid the cook in blowing the fire. 
Our people finding themfelves now on a perfect good 
nnderfianding with this friendly Chief, did not hefi- 
fate to aik with freedom, by their interpreter, whatever 
their own curiofity fuggefted. Obferving that he wore 
round his wrift a polilhed bone of fome creature, in the 
2 form 
