198 
AN ACCOUNT OF 
1783. 
O.CTOEE R.e 
cleared and floated the pinnace.-—While employed about 
this work, ten canoes were obferved coming into the har¬ 
bour; thefe came from the land to the fouthward; they 
were at firfl thought to be from Pelelew, but after¬ 
wards difcovered to be flrangers going to join Abba 
Thulle. —They gave our people fome yams of a different 
kind to any they had feen before, being of a flraw colour, 
tinged with a gritty red. Thefe flrangers were treated 
with fherbet, and carried round all the places where the 
■Works were going on; fliewn the veffel, and every thing 
that was judged might pleafe or entertain them. They 
viewed every objedl with that degree of furprize which 
might naturally be expected ; but by the little diffidence 
they expreffed in coming on fliore, and from being lefs 
Truck with the colour of our people than the other natives 
of thefe regions had been before, it was fuppofed they had 
come with minds fully prepared to meet with thofe objedls 
which their vifit to Oroolong difplayed to them. There 
was an old Rupack with them, who afterwards went into 
the Captain’s tent, and amufed himfelf in counting the 
leaves of a book, that was lying there ; which trying two 
or three times to do, after getting to fifty or fixty, he gave 
up the point, faying there were too many. They Tayed 
about two hours on fliore, and on going away the Captain 
prefented the Rupack with fome pieces of iron. 
CHAPTER 
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