193 
THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
the evening they returned to fee him, and found him much 
better. The King was then come on fhore, and feemed 
much pleafed with the attention ftiewn his brother; he ap¬ 
peared on this occafion to be particularly anxious on his 
account, and indeed our people had repeated opportunities 
to difcover, that Abba Thulle teftified to every part of his 
family a moft affectionate and tender difpofition. 
When the fifhing canoes came in, a large portion of what 
they had taken was given to the TZngli/h, Whilft they were 
fitting with the King, a flying fox fettled on a tree near where 
they were, Captain Wilson’s fervant, who had been fhoot- 
ing pigeons in that part of the ill and, juft then coming up, 
and having his piece loaded, fliot it. This is an animal that 
has fome fimilitude to our bat, but is five or fix times larger; 
it refembles a fox in its head, and hath much fuch a fmell. 
The natives call it Oleek. It runs along the ground, and up 
trees like a cat; it has befides wings, which extend pretty 
wide, by which it flies like a bird. The Pelew people 
broil and eat them whenever they can knock them down, 
efteeming them a great delicacy; on which account the 
Engli/h , whenever they faw any, ufed to fhoot them for the 
King, being, like the tame pigeon, a privileged difh for 
thofe of a certain rank. The Artingall people who 
were prefent, feeing the animal drop from the top of a 
lofty tree, without any thing apparently palling to it, one 
of them ran to take it up, and on examining it, perceived 
G c the 
1783. 
CTO BE R. 
