THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
79 
The gunner was to fee all the arms kept in good order, and 1783. 
/ AUCW 
occafionally to affift the carpenter’s crew. The Chinefe were 
employed as labourers, to bring the trees, when felled, 
out of the wood ; to provide water for prefent ufe, and fea 
flore; and two of them appointed to wafh the linen, which 
though only rinfed in fait water, was a great refrefhment to 
our people at the clofe of a fultry day, and after fuch fe- 
verity of bodily toil as few of them before had ever expe- 
perienced. 
Notwithftanding the above diflribution, they occafionally 
changed their employments as circumftances arofe. The 
getting things out of the fhip at the time fhe ftruck, as well 
as the inattention every one had to himfelf in that calami¬ 
tous moment, as alfo the frequent vifiting and getting ma¬ 
terials from her after, had expofed many of our people to 
great bruifes and wounds, on which account Mr. Sharp 
was occafionally taken off from his new employment of 
fawing trees, to his more natural one of adminiftering re¬ 
lief to thofe who flood in need of it. 
All arrangements being now fettled, each went to his 
new department, and worked till dark, at which time all 
were fummoned to the great tent, where Captain Wilson. 
read prayers; it being the requeft of every one to join 
in paying unitedly their thankfgivings to that Supreme 
Being who had not only fo providentially preferved them,, 
but whole goodnefs now relieved their drooping fpirits, by 
, , Spreading* 
