438 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



either by fair means or by force ; 

 the pirates not appearing, at this 

 time, to have more than eighty 

 men. Those on the rocks, seeing 

 our boats approach, threw all 

 their plunder into their vessels, 

 and made off. 



Two of their largest proas were 

 now at work on the ship j but, on 

 observing their comrades abandon 

 the rock, and the advance of the 

 boats, they also made sail away, 

 having previously set fire to the 

 ship, which they did so cfFectuallv; 

 that in a few minutes the flames 

 burst from every port, and she 

 was soon enveloped in a cloud of 

 smoke. The boats were unable 

 to board her, and therefore re- 

 turned . 



Here was a period to every hope 

 of accommodation with these peo- 

 ple, if, indeed, any reasonable 

 hope could ever have been enter- 

 tained on that head. The Malays, 

 more especially those wandering 

 and piratical tribes, who roam 

 about the coasts of Borneo, Billi- 

 ton, and the wilder parts of Su- 

 matra, are a race of savages, per- 

 haps the most merciless and inhu- 

 man to be foimd in any part of 

 the world. The Battas are lite- 

 rally cannibals. In setting fire to 

 the ship, they gave a decided 

 proof of their disposition to us j 

 but, althoiigh ceitainly with no 

 good intention, tliey did merely 

 what we intended to do ; for, by 

 burning her upper woi'ks and 

 decks, every thing buoyant could 

 float up from below, and be mere 

 easily laid hold of. 



The ship continued burning 

 during the wIaoIc of tlie night ; 

 and the flames, which could be 

 seen tlirough the openings of tlie 

 trees, shod a melancholy glare 



around, and excited the most 

 mournful ideas. This night also 

 all hands were suddenly under 

 arms again, from a marine firing 

 his musket at what he very pro- 

 perly considered a suspicious cha- 

 racter near his post, who appeared 

 advancing upon him, and refused 

 to answer after being repeatedly 

 hailed. It turned out afterwards 

 that the branch of a tree, half-cut 

 through the day before, had given 

 ^ay, imder one of a race of large 

 baboons, which we found about 

 this time disputed the possession 

 of the island with us. At the well, 

 where there generally was kept a 

 good fire at night, on account of 

 the mosquitoes, the sentries had 

 more than once been alarmed by 

 these gentlemen shewing their 

 black faces from behind the trees. 

 They became so extremely trou- 

 blesome to some ducks we had 

 saved from the wreck, (seizing 

 and carrying them up the trees, 

 and letting them fall down again 

 when alarmed,) that on several 

 occasions they left their little yard, 

 and came up among the people, 

 when the monkeys got among 

 them, thus instinctively preferring 

 the society of man for protection. 

 On Sunday morning, ('iSd,) the 

 boats were sent to the still-smok- 

 ing wreck, and some flour, a few 

 cases of wine, and a cask of beer, 

 had floated uj). This last God- 

 send was annoiuiced just at the 

 conclusion of divine service, which 

 was this morning held in the 

 mess-tent, and a pint was ordered 

 to be immediately served out to 

 each man, which called forth three 

 cheers. Tiiis seems to be the only 

 style in Avliich a British seaman 

 can ffive vent to the warmer feel- 

 insrs of his heart. It is Ins mode 



of 



