THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
223 
mats, which they always carry with them in their canoes J 7 8 3 - 
NOVEMBER. 
whenever they are to fleep from home; they are made thin 
and light, laying one under and another over them : the 
King fent mats for the Engl/Jh ; and every one’s bed being 
quickly made, they all laid themfelves down, the torches 
were extinguifhed, a total filcnce prevailed, and every indi¬ 
vidual compofed himfelf to reft ; a fire being firft lighted to 
keep off the mofquitos. 
Between the hours of two and three, a meffenger from 
an ifland to the northward arriving, the King was there¬ 
upon awakened by one of his attendants, who brought in a- 
lighted torch; he inftantly arofe, and ordered the meffenger 
to be introduced ; after holding fome converfation with him, 
the King delivered to him a piece of cord, on which he had 
tied as many knots as there would be days before our people 
purpofed to fail; this they were afterwards acquainted with, 
and alfo informed the above meffage was occafioned by a 
defire which fome of the northern Chiefs, who were the 
friends of Abba Thulle, felt to know the time when the 
Englijh intended to depart—not to gratify idle curiofity, not to 
increafe the unjuft and ungenerous apprehenfions entertained 
by our people of the natives of thefe unknown regions; but 
to throw in, towards their fea-ftore, whatever their country 
produced, which thefe benevolent children of nature thought 
might be of ufe, or acceptable to the departing ftrangers, and 
l 
to 
