THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
291 
royalty, had every mark of diftindlion paid to his perfon. 
—His Rupacks or Chiefs approached him with the great- 
eft refpe6t; and his common fubje<fts, whenever they paf- 
led near him, or had occafion to addrefs him, put their 
hands behind them, and crouched towards the ground ; 
—even if they were palling any houfe or place where the 
King was fuppofed to be, they humiliated themfelves in 
the fame manner, till they had got beyond his probable 
prefence, when they refumed their ufual mode of walk¬ 
ing. On all occalions the behaviour of Abba Thulle ap¬ 
peared gentle and gracious, yet always full of dignity; he 
heard whatever his fubjedts had to fay to him, and, by his 
affability and condefcenlion, never buffered them to go away 
diffatisfied.—This perfonage, however great he was held at 
Pelew, was not underftood by our people to poffefs a fove- 
reignty over all the iflands which came within their know¬ 
ledge.—The Rupacks of Emungs, Emillegue, and Artin- 
gall, and the Rupack Maath, were independent in their 
own territories.—Yet Abba Thulle had feverai iflands 
over which he ruled; and all the obfervations that follow 
are folely confined to his government, though it is not im¬ 
probable that the other iflands might have much limilitude 
in their fyftem. 
Upon all occurrences of moment, he convened the Ru¬ 
packs and officers of ftate; their councils were always held 
in the open air, upon the fquare pavements which have 
P p 2 fo 
