THE PELEW ISLANDS. 137 
4i join him ; which, in confequence of receiving, they foon i 7 8 3 - 
SEPTEMBER, 
« did. And thus reinforced, being upwards of two hun- 
“ dred canoes, we proceeded, during the night, towards 
(e Art ingall, but flopped, fome hours before day-light, 
66 at an ifland fubje£l to Abba Thulle, where we went on 
i( fhore, upon a wharf, and flept on the ground for about 
“ three hours; then re-embarked, and pafiing through a 
u labyrinth of narrow channels, arrived off Artingall 
<e a little before day-break; here they all halted till the 
“ rifing of the fun, it being a maxim with the natives of 
u Pelew, never to attack an enemy in the dark, or take 
ee him by furprize. As the day came on, a fmall canoe, 
t( light-built, containing only four men, each man having 
4( in his hair a white feather, ftuck upright (and which 
(( were the long feathers of the tail of the tropic-bird) 
fummoned the enemy to a parley; the perfon wearing the 
“ white feather being regarded in the nature of a herald, 
66 either bringing terms, or demanding to be heard, hoftili- 
“ ties in this interval remained fufpended. 
<c Abba Thulle had previoufly notified to the King 
cc of Artingall, that he intended in a few days to offer 
a him battle; fo the latter was not unprepared for the 
u event. The enemy, on feeing our fignal of parley, dif- 
patched a canoe to Raa Kook ; who demanded to know 
u if they would fubmit to fuch terms as the King his brother 
had propofed, by way of atoning for the injuries he com- 
T a plained 
