Page 372 - Child's own book

friendly disposition: in short, they were a people that do honour
to the human race. It had so happened, from peculiar circum­
stances, indeed, that a Malay from Bengal had been thrown on
one of these islands, in a storm, about a year before, and was
by this time pretty well acquainted with their language ; it
happened also that Captain Wilson had a Malay servant named
Tom Rose, who could speak English ; by means of these two
Malays (one being an interpreter for the natives and one for
the English), an easy and free communication immediately
took place. The English having thus imparted the parti­
culars of their calamity, implored the friendship aud assistance
of the natives ; and these, finding the English to be really
distressed, gave them whatever was in their power, and gave it
also cheerfully.
The natives were of a deep copper-colour* and wholly naked.
They expressed 'the greatest astonishment at the colour and
dress of the English, not knowing but their clothing was part
of their bodies, till the nature and use of the garments were
explained to them by the Malay : and when one of the crew
(the captain s brother) visited the king at another island, at
sonic distance from the wreck, and accidentally pulled off his
hat, all the spectators were struck with astonishment, sup­
posing he had pulled off part of his head. The king, whose
name was Abba Thu lie, was a man of the greatest humanity,
and of fine natural abilities. He was touched with (he mis­
fortunes of the English, and promised them his favour and pro­
tection. He often visited them, seemed to t-hare in their
sufferings, and with great good-will granted them what help
and assistance were in his power. The captain and crew were
not without hopes, as their vessel had not gone to pieces, but
the}" might be enabled, out of the materials of the wreck and
the timber growing in the island, to form a new vessel, large