359 



sorts of delay, and theii tliere was an alarm of pira- 

 tes, and unfortunately it was not a false alarm. A 

 fleet of the celebrated llanun pirates, from the island 

 of Magindanao , had really arrived; they attacked a 

 small vessel not far from Dobbo , which , escaping from 

 them with one man wounded, brought the nevvs. Then 

 came messengers from one of the northern islands , tel- 

 ling hovv they had been attacked , and many taken 

 prisoners, and the rest of the population had all fled 

 to the mainland. Now for some time there was no 

 more hope of my getting boats and men. Guards were 

 set in Dobbo, and prows were got ready to go after 

 the pirates. A few days more , and the crew of one 

 of our captain's small vessels which had gone trading 

 among the islands, retiirned stripped of everything-. 

 They had got on shore, while the pirates plundered 

 the prow, taking everything, even to the men 's boxes 

 and clothes. They reported that the pirates were all 

 at the east side of the islands, where the merchants 

 send their small vessels to buy pearl-shell and tripang , 

 and there was no dan2:er of their returninq; ao'ain to 

 this side, where they had more to fear and less to 

 get. Now, too, I received a letter I had been expecting 

 from the Governor of Amboyna, with orders to the 

 Aru chief togive me assistance; and, after two month's 

 residence in Dobbo, I succeeded in getting a boat and 

 two natives , and set off for the great island of Aru. 



I visited several localities, and at length, finding a 

 good one near the centre of the island, 1 stayed there 

 six weeks, and got, on the whole, a very fine collec- 

 tion of birds. RctiirninGr to Dobbo, 1 intended to 

 iiiake another short cxcursion; bat lamencss, produ- 



