THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
i i 5 
They acknowledged his great care and goodnefs for them ; i; 
at the fame time informing him, they were accuflomed to 
employ different kinds of timber in conftrudting their fhips, 
and from experience had difcovered that nothing was to be 
apprehended on that fcore. This caution feemed to arife 
from fome fuperjlitious idea which the natives entertained 
of this tree, of which there were feveral growing on the 
ifland of Oroolong. 
The King this day, as well as the General, much noticed 
the barricade, as alfo the fix-pounder; and after he had 
talked fome time with the Malay> he inquired the ufe of the 
great gun. The Captain fhewed him the balls, and grape- 
fhot, and alfo explained to him their force and effi¬ 
cacy : informing him, that if a number of canoes from 
Artingall, or any other ifland of his enemies, fhould 
approach the cove, this machine would blow them out of 
the water, and fhiver them to atoms. The King was alfo 
fhewn the fwivel guns, which were mounted on trees 
fawn down, as before mentioned; and it was explained to 
him, that they could be pointed in any diredfion which 
fhould be moft defirable, or convenient, fo that fhould any 
of his enemies come by furprize over land, thefe moveable 
guns would give our people as great an advantage and 
power over them by land, as the fix-pounder would by 
fea. 
The 
