THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
ever, by day-light on the 21ft, they muttered before the 
King’s houfe with their arms, which confided of bamboo 
darts from five to eight feet long, pointed with the wood of 
the beetle-nut tree and bearded; thefe they ufe for clofe 
quarters, but they have fhort ones for diftance, which they 
throw with a fliort flick of .about two feet long, having a 
notch cut in it to receive the point of the dart, and place 
their hand at the other extremity of the dart, which, being 
made of bamboo, is elaftic and comprefled into a curve, 
proportioned to the diftance they aim at, and being then 
fuffered to fpring, in general it comes down perpendicular 
on the objedt to which it is directed. 
The EngliJJj embarked in five different canoes, and went 
away to the eaftward about ten or twelve leagues, calling as 
they went along at feveral of the King’s villages to refrefh 
and reinforce; at half an hour paft two in the afternoon, 
they got in fight of the enemy. The King had with him 
now a fleet of one hundred and fifty canoes, on board of 
which were confiderably above one thoufand men. Of the 
enemy’s force our people could form no certainty. Before 
the adtion, Raa Kook went in his canoe clofe to the town, 
and fpoke to the enemy for fome time, having Thomas 
Dulton in the boat with him, who had diredfions not 
to Are till fuch time as the fignal agreed on fliould be 
given him. What the General faid, being received by the 
N 
89 
1783. 
U G U S T. 
enemy 
