The Pelew Islanders.
The Times, 1824-09-16T00:00:00

The yre??, South Sea Whaler, Captain Freclerick Coffin, arrived Dn Thursday evciing last, at Deptferd, ater a voyareof 25 months, )aving left Gravesend the 2d of August, 1'2. ShBC was built as l pleasurc-yacht by the express conin,anxd of Buonaparte, and hias met with great succcis, having seturietd with 320 tons of oil. Dur- ing tleC paisaLe out, on Easter Monday, Alurch 31, 1823. while off the southernno st of thc Pelew Islands, under a lively brecre, seve. ral large sailing canioes appeared in sight, which increased in num- ber to near 30, e:ach h;ming from 6 to *lo on board, upon which the Syret: slackened sail ; and on approaching, many af the natives ca!!. rid out, as through motives ot inquiry. " English ? English S" and being answered iat the tflirrtlative, they came alongide, and with tolerably correct pronunciation, repeated. " Give us a ropea:' this was complied with. From the generally-reported mild ani pacife emeanour of these people, who, to the number of about one hundred, quickly crouded the deck. civi- Lities were exchanged in apparently the most frictitllv m3nner, and as they brought few provisions with thetn, and no articles of curi- Msity, the crew commenced bartering for their spears, witih which they were armed, and with which thiey seemzed to part reluctantly. At this timne the vtessel continued under easy sail, the canoes closely accompanying them, to their companions, in wlhirl thobe on board Deemed in no dlegree anxious to return. The mate, who felt a little distrust fro-xi their superiority in number,the crew being only tlhirty- seven, communicated his opinion to the captain, who instantly -oincided, ad gave orders to crowcl niore sal, thinking it woild induce them toodepart. This appeared to occasion some little dis. Like, and in a few ininutes after, while Captain Coffin was in a boat, lashed to the side, giving orders to that effect, two of the na- Lives, at a preconcerted signal it is supposed, suddenly seized hih, and endeavoured to throw him intto the sea, while a general attack was coetmenced on the rest of the crew. The Gaptaiti diseng:eged himself. succeeded in gaining the deck, and calling aloud that t*eir lives and safety of the shlip depended on desperate fighting, a fierce engagement ensued. Those ot the natives who in traffic had parted wvith their spears, were assisted with otiters from the canoes. or a.:ailing themselves of the harpoons, whicih with great dlexterity they broke to a suitable length, while others gaining the wvhaL:ng spades , used in digging into the fish when caught, continued a tmost furious attack * notwithstanding the disparity, the crew succeeded in driving them to the stem of the vesscl, where they leaped overboard anti regained their canoes. It is worthy of remark, that when any of the natives were wounded, or stunned by being knocked downr, they were instantly *hrown by. their comratdes into the sea, where they either swam or were piclted up by their companions, who frequently attempted to accompany them to return, but were always repulsed in endeavouriig to get up tile sides, and througrlout encouraged theen by loud cheering. O)n their quit.ting the Syrene, the crew connmenced firing, and though greatly exhausted, having a ready supply of am- munition, it was kept up wvhile within musket-shot, but with what edfect is not known, as several they supposed killed from their falling into the water were seen to risc and regain their canoes nearly tlLe whole of the ship's company were wounded severely in this attacki; iheafifcis of whitb, notwithtandir-g-atwuutting eerdons end skill, of the surgcon, sevcral will never, it is loarea,4.etiiely ru. cover from ;and it is to be regretted that the camcnfkr MW nicd Joseph Caulfield, who toujl4,t uirost re-outty,iosr nmlifebvbIowfruuL a *,hble spade, -whie nearIv severcid his fe;ad from his body, as did William WVsrrer. boat itee-rer to :he second ninteis ho was speared most dreadtullv throixztl the bodv ; tle latter hs-1et1 an-aged no- tIher, -nd the forner a wife ncldten children, IjVinD in London, tn. tally triprovided for. The retreat of' the savages was, as sudden as the ataeck,. fromn their modle of which, their pronunciation of certain worods, their jealousy In parting from their weaponts, the seizure of pecutliar implements and cenverting -tseai into weapons, the attack and seizure of the captain, ar.dl its corimr.endng t-ben there were fewest on deck, the crew contisuc ir opinion that thewhole was cmicerted and organized by Eulropeans ot Arnericmns, rqident ir. th)e island I What deterred thieli from entertaining the least suspicion was, the Xyred havinig a short tinme previous spoke to a vessel, which stated sbe liad been a-ground near the Pelew tslands, and Lhepamptim assistance that hal bcen rendered Ihr the natives. TIIE I'PLEW IVSLANDERS.