PELEW, or PALQS ISLANDS, a cluster of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, lying between the Caroline and the south point of the Philippine islands, extend in the di rection of S. W. to N. E. from 54', to 8° 12', north la titude, and from 34° 5', to 36° 40', east longitude. The origin of the term by which these islands are denoted has not been exactly ascertained. The most probable conjec ture is, that this appellation was first applied to them by the Spaniards of the Philippine islands, (by whom, as shall soon be shown, they were first discovered,) from the tall palm-trees with which they abound, and which from a dis tance have the appearance of masts of ships.
These islands seem not to have been known to Euro peans until the beginning of last century. Some of the natives having been driven on Mindanao, and symptoms of land having been seen south-east of Samar, both belong ing to the Philippine islands, the Spanish Jesuits of this place, thus instigated to explore the neighbouring seas, discovered, in November, 1710, that group of islands of which we now treat. The circumstances and character of the inhabitants, however, were comparatively unknown or misrepresented until the year 1783, when Captain Wilson of the Antelope, in the service of the East India Company, having been wrecked on the shores of one of these islands, communicated to the public, through Mr. Keate, a very excellent and minute account of the history, manners, and customs of the Pelewans. These islands have been re peatedly visited ; but to Mr. Keate's valuable narrative we owe almost all the intelligence we possess respecting this interesting portion of the globe.
Of the Pelew islands, which are about eighteen in num ber, the most important are Babelthouap, or Panlog, Oroolong, Coorooraa, Artingal, Pelelew, Emilligne, Emungs, Pethoull, St. Andrew's. The climate is salu brious and agreeable, and the seasons are divided into the wet and dry, as in other tropical countries. None of the islands are large ; they are generally long in proportion to their breadth ; they are considerably high and rugged, though they are not devoid of extensive valleys, exhibiting decided marks of industry and cultivation. With few ex ceptions they abound in wood of various kinds, and of all degrees of height, such as the cabbage, ebony, manchineel, carambola, the palm, and the wild bread-fruit trees, plan tains, bananas, bamboos, &c. Some of these trees are so large, that canoes, made of their trunks, are capable of car rying nearly thirty passengers. Of grain, the Pelewans were, when visited by Captain Wilson, entirely ignorant ; their staple livelihood consisting of beetle-nuts, yams co coa-nuts, bread-fruit, and fish, with which the neighbour ing seas arc liberally stocked. Oranges, lemons, the jam boo apple, are regarded as great luxuries. The use of salt is unknown ; the milk of the cocoa-nut is the usual beverage; and a species of sweet-meat is prepared from the sugar-cane, which seems to be indigenous. Every man possesses his own piece of ground, which is, in most cases, judiciously laid out, and highly cultivated, the time of the inhabitants being entirely devoted either to fishing or the cultivation of their land. But, however abundant in other articles, and though the soil, which is naturally rich, be well adapted for pasture, these islands, till lately, contained no cattle; or quadrupeds of any species, except a few grey-coloured rats and cats of a diminutive size, neither of which it is likely are indigenous, but brought thither by some vessels that touched upon the islands. In birds of various kinds there was no deficiency ; pigeons were the most numerous ; and though the common cocks and hens were very plentiful, the natives never thought of using them as food till instructed by the English.
The character of the Pelewans was, as formerly hinted, entirely unknown till the publication of Mr. Keate's inter esting work. The Spanish Jesuits, who first visited them, had represented them as savage cannibals, and as regard ed with horror by the inhabitants of the neighbouring islands. No account can possibly be conceived more
false. They arc, on the contrary, characterized by mild ness, politeness, and benevolence. Their humane and affectionate treatment of the English, who, in 1783, were wrecked on their coast, would have done honour to the most civilized and refined nation in the world. " They felt our people were distressed, and in consequence wished they should share whatever they had to give. It was not that worldly munificence that bestows and spreads its fa vours with a distant eye to retribution. It was the pure emotion of native benevolence. It was the love of man to man. It was a scene that pictures human nature in trium phant colouring ; and, whilst their liberality gratified the sense, their virtue struck the heart." But though they are distinguished by so much genuine politeness and goodness of heart, they are nevertheless living in the simplest state of nature, ignorant of the arts and sci ences, and devoid of liberal knowledge. The men go en tirely naked ; the women wear two little aprons, one before and the other behind, about ten inches deep and seven wide, made of the husks of the cocoa-nut stripped into narrow slips, which they dye with different shades of yel low. They are a stout well-made people, rather above the middle size ; their complexion, though not black, is of the darkest copper colour ; their hair long and flowing, which they sometimes form into one loose curl intwined round the head, though the women often allow it to hang, in a loose dishevelled state, down the back. Beth sexes are tatooed at a pretty early age. The men have their left ear perforated, the females both, which, according to the different ranks, are respectively decorated with beads, ear-rings of tortoise shell, or a sprig of some favourite tree. In both sexes also, the cartilage between the nos trils is bored, and is embellished with a fragrant leaf or blossom. By means of some dye, the teeth of all the chil dren at a certain age arc blacked ; but how this was effect ed the English could not learn, though they were told that the operation was tedious and painful. The Pelewans of all ranks, both men and women, are expert swimmers and admirable divers, and they regard bathing as a duty which every morning must he regularly performed. Their houses, situated on a pile of large stones three feet above the surface of the surrounding ground, to prevent damp, are built of wood, very closely interwoven with bamboos and palm trees. These buildings consist only of one apartment, and the fire is placed in the centre. Their bed clothes are formed of the plaintain leaf, of which also their dishes are made, though of the latter some are composed of earthen-ware, or of the shell of cocoa-nut neatly po lished. Their best knives are of mother-of-pearl ; others are formed of a large muscle-shell, or split bamboo. Their warlike weapons, resembling those of the other islands of Polynesia, are the spear about twelve feet long, darts, and slings, made chiefly of bamboo. Of all kinds of fire-arms they were completely ignorant till shown by Captain Wil son. Every man has his own canoe, on which he sets a high value, and which he almost regards as sacred. They are skilful mechanics; idleness is totally unknown ; and even the king himself, when unencumbered with affairs of state, does not hesitate to engage in mechanical operations. Any thing like religious principles seem not to be cherish ed among them ; but they believe that the soul survives the dissolution of the body. Polygamy is allowed ; but they are by no means distinguished for unchastity, or pro miscuous sexual intercourse. Their funerals are conduct ed in a very solemn manner; they have places appropriat ed to sepulture ; and they frequently erect unlettered monuments of stone over the spot where the body is re posited.