Borneo and the Indian Archipelago Part 2

In ten days we completed the survey of the island, and sailed for Batan, where we arrived on the 7th of February. There we remained a few days, and then sailed for Hong Kong, having but three days' provisions on board. We encountered a heavy gale; but, fortunately, it was in our favour. On the 9th a junk was reported in sight; and in the course of an hour we were sufficiently near to perceive that the people on board of her were making signals of distress, and cutting away her masts. We hove to as near to her as we could venture, for the sea ran high, and lowered a boat, which reached the junk in safety. They found her to be in a sinking state: a hawser was made fast to her, with the intention of towing her into Hong Kong, then not fifty miles distant. We again made sail, towing the junk at a rapid rate; but the strain caused her planks to sever, and consequently increased the rush of water in her hold. The Chinese hailed the s.h.i.+p, and entreated to be rescued from their perilous condition. She was immediately hauled alongside, and twelve of her crew succeeded in getting on board of us; but the hawser gave way, and the junk drifted astern, with five men still remaining on board. Sail was immediately made, and in a short time we ran alongside of her, staving in her bulwarks, for both vessels were rolling heavily. Fortunately her mainmast had gone by the board; had it been still standing, and had become locked in our rigging, we should have been in great peril ourselves. The remaining five men and a dog gained the s.h.i.+p, and the junk again went astern, and in three minutes afterwards went to the bottom. When they saw her sink, the Chinese raised up a cry at their miraculous escape. One poor fellow had his hand shockingly mutilated, it having been crushed between the sides of the two vessels.

The wind had now much subsided, and we made sail for Hong Kong, where we arrived on the following day. There we found the Agincourt, Sir Thomas Cochrane, who was now commander-in-chief, Sir William Parker having sailed for England. The cutter and two of the Company's steamers were also here; and the Minden hospital s.h.i.+p, as usual, crowded with the sick and dying. Our first lieutenant, Mr. Wade, took this opportunity of leaving the s.h.i.+p, and Mr. Heard succeeded him.

On the 6th we sailed for Macao, which is too well known to require any description here. On the 10th we sailed for Manilla, an account of which I shall reserve for our future visit. On the 1st of April we again sailed, on a surveying cruise, to the southward. After fixing the positions of several small islands in the Mendoro Sea, we steered for Samboangan, a Spanish penal colony, situated at the southern extremity of Mindanao. On the 8th we arrived there, and took up our anchorage close to the town.

Samboangan is built on an extensive plain; most of the houses are supported on poles ten or twelve feet from the ground. The roofs are thatched, and the sides covered with palm leaves, ingeniously secured by strips of bamboo. The fort is well built; and although a century old, is in very good preservation. It has a numerous garrison, and is defended by guns of large calibre. There is also an establishment of gun-boats, which scour the coast in search of pirates. On each side, and at the back of the town, are groves of cocoa-nuts, bamboos, plantains, and other fruit trees, through which narrow paths are cut, forming delightful shady walks to a stranger, who gazes with astonishment and pleasure upon the variety of delicious fruits, of whose existence he had no idea. The plain on which the town is built extends about eight miles inland, when it is bounded by a chain of mountains, which divides the Spanish territory from that of the warlike tribes who inhabit the interior.

The plain I have spoken of is covered with small villages, pleasantly situated among thick groves of trees; and it is watered by numerous streams. The whole country around Samboangan abounds in scenery of the most picturesque description; and the groups of gaily-dressed and joyous natives in no small degree add to the beauty of the landscape.

Horses can be obtained at very moderate charges; but unfortunately no one has ever thought of establis.h.i.+ng an hotel, and the want of one was much felt. We were, therefore, thrown upon the hospitality and kindness of the natives, who made us welcome by every demonstration in their power. Fruit, chocolate, and sweet biscuits, were the ordinary refreshments, for which the charges made scarcely repaid the trouble of preparing them.

The church, priests' and governor's houses, are the only respectable buildings in the colony; the other houses in the town are very inferior, being inhabited by liberated exiles from Manilla. We remained here five days, and early on the morning of the 13th ran down to a watering-place about fifteen miles from the town, and completed our water.

The same night we sailed for Sooloo; and the next day, when performing divine service, it being Sunday, the officer of the watch reported five prahus in sight, full of men, and each armed with a long gun, pulling towards the s.h.i.+p. It was quite calm at the time, and our main deck ports were open. No doubt they perceived the daylight through the ports, and satisfied themselves that we were a man-of-war, for they soon afterwards altered their course, and made for the sh.o.r.e. We presumed that they were pirates from the island of Baselan, who, fancying we were a merchant vessel, had come out with the intention of attacking us.

At noon on the 16th of April we made the town of Sooloo, the capital of the island of the same name. It being calm, and the s.h.i.+p at some distance from the anchorage, the gig was sent ahead to board one of the three schooners lying in the bay, and hoist a light, as a guide to the s.h.i.+p; and a rocket was put into the boat to fire in case of being attacked by superior numbers. There were but five men in the gig!

After two hours' hard pulling, they arrived alongside the largest of the three vessels. She proved to be the Velocipede, an English vessel, trading to Sooloo for pearl oysters. The owner of the schooner soon came from the sh.o.r.e, having been sent off by the sultan of Sooloo to know the object of our visit. He was accompanied by several Datus or chiefs, who went back to the town perfectly satisfied with the explanation given.

But the arrival of a man-of-war appeared to excite the fears of the natives, for gongs were sounding throughout the night, and lights were flitting to and fro, by the aid of which it was perceived that there was a strong a.s.semblage of the natives.

The s.h.i.+p anch.o.r.ed on the afternoon of the following day, and the captain, attended by several of his officers, visited the sultan. We were received by the prime minister, who informed us that the sultan was somewhat indisposed, and begged to postpone the interview until the following day. Leaving the palace, we strolled through the town, which is partly built in the water; bridges, formed of interlaced bamboo, were the means of communication between the houses. As these bridges were some hundred yards in length, the walking was somewhat dangerous; a slip would have been the cause of a good ducking and a swim to any unlucky wight, which, I have no doubt, would have given great satisfaction to the townspeople, who, armed with spears, krisses, and s.h.i.+elds, were watching our motions; but no such mishap occurred, and we returned on board before sunset. Next day the captain and the same party went again on sh.o.r.e, and were received by the sultan in person. He was dressed in the extreme of Malay fas.h.i.+on. He was an excessively plain young man, and seemed to be ill at ease during the whole of the conference. He appeared to be a mere puppet in the hands of his ferocious chiefs, who had all the conversation, without referring to their royal master at any time.

The sultan's dress consisted of a purple satin jacket and green velvet trousers, both trimmed with gold and silver lace; a red sash confined his trousers at the waist; and in the sash he wore a kris of the most costly description. He wore diamond b.u.t.tons on his jacket, which, being open, exposed his naked chest. But the party who mostly excited our interest was the heir apparent, a child of four years old, who was dressed as an adult, even to his miniature kris. He bids fair to be a handsome man. His laughing face and engaging manner caused him to be caressed by the whole party, a circ.u.mstance which evidently gave much pleasure to the sultan. We were regaled with chocolate, sweet cakes, and fruit; and every attention paid to us by the chiefs. At our departure the sultan and ministers shook hands warmly with every one of our party, and we returned on board, accompanied by Mr. Wyndham, of the Velocipede schooner, who, being a perfect master of the tongue, had acted as an interpreter on this occasion.

The Samarang was the first English man-of-war that had called at Sooloo since the visit of Dalrymple in 1761, when he reinstated on the throne the sultan (grandfather to the present one), who had been deposed by his rebellious subjects.

Great Sooloo is about fifty miles in length, and twenty-five in breadth, being the largest of a group of islands known as the Sooloo Archipelago.

This group of islands is inhabited by a fierce and warlike race, bearing in their personal appearance a strong resemblance to the Malays, although the two languages differ materially from each other. Great Sooloo, the residence of the sultan, is very mountainous. Many of the mountains are wooded to the summit, while others are covered with patches of cultivation. These islands are thickly populated; and if the islanders do not practise piracy as a profession, they are always ready to aid, a.s.sist, and protect those who do. The town of Sooloo is well known to be the princ.i.p.al rendezvous of pirates, who, whenever they have made a capture, resort there to dispose of their lawless booty. The ministers, and even the sultan himself, are not able to resist the temptation of being able to purchase European goods, and articles of value, for less than half their real value. If not the stealers, they are the receivers, and thus they patronise piracy of every description.

Governed by their own prince, and independent of any other power, the people of Sooloo have most extravagant notions of their own prowess, and of the strength of their fortifications; and they ridicule the idea of any one venturing to interfere with or attack them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SOOLOO VILLAGE.]

On the 18th of April we sailed from Sooloo, and visited several islands in the Archipelago, on one of which we grounded, but escaped without sustaining any damage. On the 23rd we anch.o.r.ed off Unsang, the eastern province of Borneo, where we remained four days surveying the coast. A shooting and fis.h.i.+ng party visited the sh.o.r.e daily: the former killed several wild hogs, and the latter brought every evening a plentiful supply of fish.

On the 27th of April sailed from Unsang. This day we first served out our s.h.i.+p-brewed porter, in addition to the usual allowance of spirits.

It continued to be served out nightly, but opinions were very different about its merits.

For several days after leaving Unsang, we had but little or no wind, and we were borne away by a strong easterly current, till we were carried in sight of Celebes, which is high and mountainous, and covered with dense forests of gigantic trees. On Sunday, the 4th of May, we arrived off Cape Rivers (Celebes), the position of which was determined by astronomical observations. It was the intention of the captain to have pa.s.sed through the Straits of Maca.s.sar, but light wind, and a strong current from the southward, would not permit us to gain a mile per day.

After experiencing very disagreeable weather while off the coast, we bore up and made sail for Monado, a Dutch settlement on one of the north-western promontories of this remarkably shaped island. Our pa.s.sage was any thing but agreeable; scarcely a night pa.s.sed that we were not visited by strong squalls, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. On Sunday, the 18th, we anch.o.r.ed in forty-eight fathoms off the town of Monado, within two cables' length of the sh.o.r.e, which shelves very suddenly into deep water. A kedge was laid out in-sh.o.r.e of the s.h.i.+p, and kept well taut; a requisite precaution, as otherwise, if the land breeze blew off strong, the s.h.i.+p would have dragged her anchor down the steep beach, and drifted out.

The town of Monado is built on a plain surrounded by mountains, the highest of which, Klabat, is 6000 feet above the level of the sea. The houses are well built, and neatly thatched; they are all detached, and enclosed in a yard or garden. The roads are excellent, and reflect great credit upon a Prussian engineer, who undertook the task. The fort, which is at the water's edge, is small, but strongly built, and well adapted to resist the attack of any native force, although I should imagine it could not hold out any time against the well-directed fire of a frigate's broadside. A party of us enjoyed a pleasant ramble through the town and suburbs, which are dotted with neat cottages, where their owners invited us to enter and partake of refreshments. We went into several, and found them scrupulously neat and clean, as Dutch houses usually are. The people who entertained us refused all compensation, and it was with difficulty that we prevailed upon the black-eyed damsels to accept our silk handkerchiefs by way of reminiscences. Very few Europeans reside here, although their half-bred offspring may be seen in every tenth person, and they boast of the European blood which flows in their veins. Monado abounds with poultry, fruit, vegetables, and all the necessaries of life. Cocoa and sugar are cultivated. Stock is easily obtained, and very moderate; and water is procured from a small river which divides the town. Boats should enter the river at last quarter flood, and return first quarter ebb, as the tide falls rapidly; and at low water the bar at the entrance is dry. During our stay we surveyed the major portion of the bay, finding nothing under 150 fathoms of water at one-third of a mile from the sh.o.r.e.

We found here a Mr. Hart, who had been left at this place in consequence of his precarious state, from a gun-shot wound he had received on the Coti River (Borneo). Mr. Hart was a volunteer in the ill-fated expedition undertaken by Mr. Murray, who attempted to establish a colony in the Coti River, and who lost his life in an encounter with the natives. The vessels employed--a brig and a schooner--were fitting out at Hong Kong while we were there. We fell in with the schooner (the Young Queen) the day after we left Manilla. The captain of her came on board to give us the intelligence of the failure of the expedition, with the death of its leader. Misfortune appeared to cling to them, for, soon after the schooner left Coti, the crew of her mutinied, and the mutiny was not put down but by the death of the ringleader, who was shot by the commander. He was bound to Hong Kong to deliver himself up for trial for taking the life of the man, and I hardly need observe that he was fully acquitted. This gentleman was a brother of Mr. Hart.

On the 26th of May, our observations being completed, we sailed from Monado; Mr. Hart, with the captain's permission, taking advantage of this opportunity of reaching Sincapore. The following day we ran through the Straits of Banca, and steered for Ternate, off which island we arrived on the following Sat.u.r.day. On Sunday morning, before daylight, we struck heavily on a coral reef, but by dint of great exertion we got off, and floated at six. A boat was despatched to the Dutch governor of the town to state that it was not our intention to anchor. The island of Ternate is, I believe, governed by a sultan, who has sway over several other islands. The Dutch have a settlement here, and have long been on good terms with the ruling powers. It is the most important of the Molucca group, as it produces a vast quant.i.ty of cloves, beside every variety of tropical fruits. It was taken by us in 1810, and restored in 1815. This island, as far as I could judge, is perfectly round, and about twenty-five miles in circuit, the land gradually rising to a huge peak in the centre. It is of volcanic formation. It is well wooded, and abounds with game; and on this island the boa constrictor grows to the largest size, being often found upwards of thirty feet in length. The Dutch town is built on the south-east side of the island. The houses appear to be better constructed than those of Monado, and the whole town better arranged. There are several forts, two churches, and apparently about 400 houses. The one occupied by the governor is distinguished from the others by its size, and superiority of architecture and decorations.

We obtained quant.i.ties of every description of fruit from the boats which crowded round the s.h.i.+p: in addition to shaddocks, pineapples, oranges, bananas, and many other common varieties, we had the delightful treat of the mangosteins, which grow only in these lat.i.tudes. It is impossible to describe the peculiarly grateful taste of this cool and refres.h.i.+ng fruit. It is a mixture of the sweet and acid, blended in the most luscious manner. It is in size somewhat smaller than an apple, and the skin, which is very thick and bitter, of a dark plum colour. This when dried is used as a remedy for the dysentery. The inside, which is nearly white, is divided into four parts, resembling in substance a firm jelly; and, in my opinion, gives one more the idea of what nectar was, or ought to be, than any thing else which enters into the mouth of man.

We decided that the Peak of Ternate was the true Mount Olympus, and that it was there that the G.o.ds were a.s.sembled and, in ancient days, ate mangosteins, called nectar by the Greeks.

The boat which had been sent on sh.o.r.e to the governor at length returned, and we made sail to the southward, to survey a portion of the coast of Gilolo (another of the Spice Islands), which was supposed to be laid down incorrectly in the charts.

On the morning of Monday, the 3rd of June, the s.h.i.+p being off the coast of Gilolo, the gig with the captain, and the barge with several officers, left the s.h.i.+p with four days' provisions to survey a portion of the coast. At 11 A. M. they landed on a reef, running out about a cable's length from a small island. About two in the afternoon a body of natives, armed with spears and krisses, issued with loud yells from the jungle, and advanced towards them. At the same time a prahu pulled round a point, and made towards the barge, which was at anchor about fifty yards from the sh.o.r.e. The captain was at the time on sh.o.r.e taking observations, but as the natives approached he retired to the gig and got the arms in readiness. The natives came within 100 yards of us, and then halted. The captain signed them to go away: they approached nearer; we gave them a volley, and they hastily retreated into the jungle.

The barge was now prepared for the expected attack of the prahu, which by this time had approached within point blank range of the barge's gun, which was a bra.s.s six-pounder. Observing, it is to be presumed, that the boat was so well-armed, and the men were loading the gun, the prahu ceased pulling, and hoisted Dutch colours. They were ordered to pull for the Gilolo sh.o.r.e, which they did; a rocket fired at them quickening their speed considerably. At 3 P. M. the observations being completed, the astronomical instruments were re-embarked on the barge, and the captain quitted the gig and went into the barge. Both boats were pulled towards the main land. On the in-sh.o.r.e side of the small island I have mentioned, we discovered a village consisting of fifteen or twenty houses. The gig was despatched with two officers to burn the village, which was done; the natives who were in the huts escaping into the jungle. In the mean time, the barge proceeded towards a large village in search of the prahu. On their way they fell in with a large canoe, at anchor in one of the creeks.

Taking the canoe in tow, we again took to the oars, and in a short time perceived the natives hauling the prahu into a creek. A round of grape quickly decided the matter; the natives fled, and the prahu was quietly taken possession of by our crew. Having effected our object, we proceeded along the coast with our two prizes in tow. At sunset, after rifling the boats of arms, flags, and gongs, we set them on fire, and made sail to the southward; the gig, which had rejoined us, being in company. About midnight we anch.o.r.ed in a small and lonely bay,--I should say, twenty miles from where the above occurrences took place. We took our meals, but did not attempt to repose till after two in the morning, although we were quite tired after the events of the day before. We then lay down, and composed ourselves to sleep.

We had not, however, been rec.u.mbent long, ere the sounds of gongs were heard at a distance; and shortly afterwards the man on the look-out reported that three prahus were coming into the bay. A short time sufficed to have every thing in readiness for the expected conflict.

The foremost of the prahus approached within ten yards of the barge, lowered her sail, and rounded to. A native, one of the chiefs we presumed, inquired in broken English if we belonged to a s.h.i.+p. The captain would not satisfy him on that point, but desired him to go away.

The other two prahus, having been joined by a third (making four in all), had now closed within half pistol shot, and lowered their sails.

Seeing that we were completely enclosed, a musket-ball was fired over the largest prahu. The men in the prahus gave their accustomed yell, and the whole force advanced towards us.

The six-pounder, loaded with round and grape, was now fired into the largest prahu; the cries and confusion were great; the crew of the prahu leapt into the water, but few arrived on sh.o.r.e,--they sunk under the fire of our muskets. The three other prahus then commenced a spirited fire from their guns and small arms, a.s.sisted by a flight of arrows and spears.

Pulling within twenty yards of them, we plied them alternately with grape and canister from our six-pounder. The engagement continued with great vigour for some time, when their fire slackened; and shortly afterwards two more of the prahus were deserted by their crews, who made for the sh.o.r.e; the fourth made off. The three prahus were taken possession of, towed into deep water, and anch.o.r.ed. Leaving the gig in charge of them, we went in pursuit of the fourth prahu, and soon came up with her; but her crew escaped by running the boat on sh.o.r.e.

Another prahu now hove in sight, pulling, or rather paddling, towards us. Leaving our prize, we faced our new antagonist, saluting her with grape and musquetry, and causing so much havoc, that, shrieking and yelling, they made for the nearest sh.o.r.e without returning a single shot. We followed her, firing into her as fast as possible. On coming up with her we found her aground, with six dead and one mortally wounded; the remainder of the crew had saved themselves by wading to the sh.o.r.e.

After getting this prahu afloat, we brought the other prahu, which we had just before captured (No. 4.), alongside. This boat was crowded with dead and dying. Among the latter was a female child, apparently about eight months old, in a state of nudity. The poor little creature's left arm was nearly severed from its body by a grape shot. She was removed into the boat, where the rest of the wounded were placed, with as much care as possible. A low moaning sound escaped from her lips, her eyes were glazed, and she evidently was fast dying: it would have been a mercy to have put an end to her sufferings. The dead were then thrown overboard, and the prahu set on fire; the last prahu, containing the wounded, was left to her fate.

It was now daylight, and on looking around we perceived five more prahus off a point between the gig and ourselves in the barge and several others pulling in from seaward. We gave way for the five prahus, which were drawn up in a line ready to receive us. Notwithstanding their fire, a.s.sisted by their spears and other missiles, we pulled within fifteen yards of the outermost prahu of the five, and discharged our gun, accompanied by a volley of musquetry. The other prahus now closed and poured in a heavy fire; but, although the barge was struck, not one of our men was injured. The repeated fire from the boats soon caused the people in the prahus to make for the sh.o.r.e through the water, when many of them fell from our musquetry. It was now about six o'clock in the morning, our last charge of canister shot was in the gun, the last rocket in the tube, and nearly all the percussion caps expended. The barge was pulled closer to the nearest prahu to give more effect to the discharge, and the captain was in the stern of the barge with the rocket tube in hand, when one of the prahus on sh.o.r.e fired her swivel; the ball struck the captain, and knocked him overboard. He was hauled in, and we found that he had received a severe wound in the groin, which was dressed by the surgeon.

_Lieutenant Baugh_ now took the command, and the gun was discharged with good effect, and all the people on board of the prahus, who were able to escape, made for the sh.o.r.e. One of our marines was wounded in the neck with an arrow, and, with the exception of the captain, no other casualty took place.

The fight would have been continued with the round shot still left in the barge, but the a.s.sistant surgeon was anxious that the captain should return to the s.h.i.+p and have the ball extracted. The barge therefore pulled for the s.h.i.+p, whose royals were just visible above the horizon.

The pirates, finding that we were retreating, returned to their prahus and fired their guns at us, but without effect.

We arrived on board about 9 A. M., and the s.h.i.+p's head was put towards the scene of action, while the barge and two cutters were despatched in search of the gig, of whose safety we had great doubts. About 11.30, A.M., the second cutter, being in advance, discovered a sail in sh.o.r.e, and which, by the aid of our telescopes, we made out to be the gig. When we closed with her, and found that all was right we were greatly relieved.

We heard from Mr. Hooper, the purser, who was in her, that after waiting in vain for the barge's return, he set fire to the prahus. In one of them he found a woman and child alive, whom he landed at the nearest point. He then pulled in the direction we had gone, being guided by the sound of our guns. On his arrival in the bay we were not in sight, and perceiving several prahus with flags flying and gongs beating, he naturally concluded that we had been overpowered, and he was making the best of his way towards the s.h.i.+p. The boats continued pulling towards the sh.o.r.e, leaving the gig to return to the s.h.i.+p and ease the minds of the s.h.i.+p's company respecting her safety.

On our arrival in the bay with the barge and cutters, we found that the prahus had hauled into a creek, on the banks of which was a masked battery, which opened a spirited fire upon us as soon as we came within range. After an hour's cannonading on both sides we were joined by the gig, with orders for us not to land, but to return to the s.h.i.+p at sunset. This order was not received with pleasure, as we hoped to have a chance of punis.h.i.+ng the fellows a little more. We pulled a short distance along the coast, and entered another bay, in which we destroyed two prahus; after which we returned to the s.h.i.+p. Calms, and a strong current setting to the northward, detained the s.h.i.+p near the scene of action for several days. We at length pa.s.sed through the straits of Patientia, but did not get the breeze until we sighted the Isle of Bouro. Pa.s.sing through the Bonta pa.s.sage, straits of Salayer, and Java sea, we arrived at Sincapore on the 28th of June.

Here we found the Harlequin, which had had a brush with the pirates on the coast of Sumatra. The Harlequin, Wanderer, and Diana were sent to the villages of Micedo and Batta, to demand the murderers of an English captain. On the rajah refusing to deliver them up, the vessels opened their fire and burnt the villages. The Harlequin lost two men killed and five wounded; among the latter was Lieutenant Chads, whose arm was nearly severed by a Malay kris. While here the Superb arrived from Hong Kong on her way to England; the Driver, with Sir Henry Pottinger on board; and the Cambrian, Commodore Chads. Also the Iris from England, and the Dido from Hong Kong, which latter vessel sailed for Sarawak.

I may as well here remark, that the Dutch made a formal complaint against our captain for having attacked their prahus, which they a.s.serted were not pirates, but employed by them against the pirates. It is but fair to give the arguments that were used against us, particularly as the authorities at Sincapore appeared to think that we were to blame. They said, you were in boats, and you touched at Gillolo; the natives, accustomed to be taken off by the Illanoan pirates, were naturally jealous and suspicious, seeing no vessel. They came alone, armed, to ascertain who you were. At 100 yards they stopped; you signalled them to go away, and they advanced nearer to you, but they committed no act of hostility. You fired a volley at them, and they retreated. Here the aggression was on your side.

At the same time, you say, a war prahu pulled round the point, and approached to within range; when the prahu was close to you she ceased paddling, and hoisted Dutch colours. You desired it to pull for the Gillolo sh.o.r.e, which it did. There was no aggression in this instance, and nothing piratical in the conduct of the prahu. After she had obeyed your order to pull to the Gillolo sh.o.r.e, you wantonly fired a Congreve rocket at her; your conduct in this instance being much more like that of a pirate than hers. In the afternoon you pull along the Gillolo sh.o.r.e, and you discover a village; you send your boat ash.o.r.e and set fire to it. Why so? You state that you were attacked by Illanoan pirates, who reside at Tampa.s.sook, some hundred miles from Gillolo, and you then burn the village of the people of Gillolo, and that without the least aggression on their part. Is it surprising that you should be supposed to be pirates after such wanton outrage? To proceed: you state that you then go in search of the prahu which you ordered away, and that on your way you captured a large canoe, which you take in tow, and afterwards perceive the pirates hauling their vessel into a creek. You attack them, and they run away, leaving the prahu in your possession, and, as usual, after rifling the prahu and canoe, you set them on fire.

Up to this point there has been nothing but aggression on your part; and it is not, therefore, surprising that you were supposed to be pirates, and that the communication was made along the coast, and the vessels employed against the pirates were summoned for its protection. Again, the prahus came out and surrounded you; they did not fire at you, but hailed you in English, requesting to know if you belonged to a s.h.i.+p.

Now, if any thing could prove that they were not pirate vessels, it was their doing this; and had you replied, they would have explained to you what their employment was: but you think proper to give no answer to this simple question, order them to go away, and then fire a loaded musket into them, which brings on the conflict which you so much desired. That these observations were true, it must be admitted, and the complaint of the Dutch, with the hoisting of the Dutch flag, gave great weight to them: however, pirates or no pirates, the Admiralty Court, on our arrival in England, considered them to have been such; and, as will be seen by the extract from the "Times" below, awarded head money to the amount of about 10,000l. to the captain and crew of the Samarang, and for his wound received, our captain obtained a pension of (I believe) 250 a year.[1]

"ADMIRALTY COURT.

(_Before Dr. Lus.h.i.+ngton._)

"ILLANOAN PIRATES.--BOUNTY.

"In this case a pet.i.tion was presented by Sir Edward Belcher, the captain, and the rest of the officers and crew of Her Majesty's s.h.i.+p-of-war Samarang, setting forth that on the 3d of June, 1844, the Samarang being then engaged in surveying duties, and near the island of Gillolo, on her pa.s.sage towards the Straits of Patientia, Sir E. Belcher, with two officers and four men, quitted her in the gig, accompanied by the second barge, armed with a bra.s.s six-pounder gun and small arms, and manned with twenty officers and men. While engaged on the extreme side of a reef, extending from a small islet, in taking astronomical observations, they were disturbed by an extraordinary yell proceeding from about forty men of colour, who were advancing from the islet along both sides of the reef, with the evident intention of surrounding Sir E. Belcher and his party, on nearing whom they commenced hurling spears and arrows, though without effect. They were soon repulsed and put to flight by musketry. In the course of the day several large prahus made their appearance, manned by large crews of Malay pirates, and severe conflicts took place between the respective parties, in one of which a ball from the leading prahu struck Sir E. Belcher on the thigh, and knocked him overboard, severely and dangerously wounding him; but, having been lifted out of the water, and dragged into the barge, _he shortly after resumed the command_, and ultimately succeeded in destroying all the prahus.

"Dr. Addams applied to the Court to award the bounties specified in the 6th of George IV. c. 49. for the capture and destruction of piratical s.h.i.+ps and vessels. He submitted that the affidavits produced clearly showed the character of the persons on board the prahus, and that not less than 1,330 persons were alive on board the several prahus at the beginning of the attack, 350 of whom were killed.