THE PELEW ISLANDS.

59

stxed in astonishment at the rapidity of its motion, 178^and at the explanation of the General, that it august.Would immediately sharpen and pohlh iron.

Captain Wilson ordered a hatchet to be brought,and ground, that they might more readily perceiveits operation. Raa Kook eagerly laid hold ofthe handle of the stone , and began turning it,appearing highly delighted himself to let hisbrother fee how well he understood it ; hehaving the preceding day amused himself forsome hours with this novelty, and had sharpenedseveral pieces of iron, which he had picked upabout the tents. The circumstances which mostm this sight bewildered all their ideas, were,how the sparks of fire could come, and how astone, so well wetted, became so soon dry.

The King then visited the different tents, andenquired about every' thing he saw ; all wasnovelty, and of course interested his attention.

When he got to the tent where the Chinese menwere, Raa Kook, whose retentive mind neverlost a single trace of any thing he had beeninformed of during his stay among them, ac-quainted the King, that these were a people quitedifferent from the English , hnd that they wereChina-men , a word he had readily caught. —

He begged one of them would allow the King toexamine his head , noticing the long single-braided lock of hair hanging almost down to thecalves of their legs.

The King gave great attention to all that theGeneral said, and seemed to be making many