440 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



measure to sink theii' proa, for 

 she went down almost immedi- 

 ately. Nothing could exceed the 

 desperate ferocity of these people. 

 One who had been shot through 

 the body, but who was not quite 

 dead, on being removed into the 

 barge, with a view of saving him, 

 (as his own vessel was sinking,) 

 furiously grasped a cutlass which 

 came within his reach, and it was 

 not without a struggle wrenched 

 from his hand : he died in a few 

 minutes. The consort of this 

 proa, firing a parting shot, bore 

 up round the north end of the 

 island, and escaped. Their canoes 

 (which we found very useful to 

 us) were also brought on shore, 

 containing several articles of 

 plunder from the ship. They ap- 

 peared to be the two identical 

 proas which set fire to her. The 

 prisoners (the one rather elderly, 

 the other yoimg) wlien brought 

 on shore, seemed to have no hope 

 of being permitted to live, and 

 sullenly awaited their fate; but, 

 on the wounds of the younger 

 being dressed, the hands of the 

 otlicr untied, and food offered to 

 them, with other marks of kind- 

 ness, they became more cheerful, 

 and appeared especially gratified 

 at seeing one of their dead com- 

 panions, who had been brought 

 on shore, decently buiied. 



The Malays are a people of 

 very unprepossessing aspect ; their 

 bodies of a deep bronze colour ; 

 their black teeth and reddened 

 lips, (from chewing the betel-nut 

 and siri,) their gaping nostrils, 

 and lank clotted hair hanging 

 about their shoukh.-rs and over 

 their scowling countenances, give 

 them altogether a fiend-like and 

 murderous look. They are like- 



wise an unjoyous race, and seldom 

 smile. 



The state of one of the wounds 

 received by the Malay (his knee- 

 joint being penetrated, and the 

 bones much injured) would have 

 justified, more particularly in this 

 kind of field practice, amputation ; 

 but, on consideration that it would 

 be impossible to convince him of 

 this being done with the intention 

 of benefitting him, and might 

 have the appearance of torture, 

 which it was not improbable might 

 suggest the idea of amputation 

 and other operations to them, in 

 the event of any, or all of us, 

 falling into their hands, it was de- 

 termined, therefore, to try the 

 effect of a good constitution, and 

 careful attention. A little wig- 

 wam was built, and a blanket and 

 other comforts given to him, his 

 comrade being appointed his cook 

 and attendant. They refused at 

 first the provisions we offered 

 them ; but, on giving them some 

 rice to prepare in their own way, 

 they seemed satisfied. Never ex- 

 pectingquarter, when over-power- 

 ed in their piratical attempts, and 

 having been generally tortured 

 when taken alive, may account for 

 the others drowning themselves. 



in the forenoon, immediately 

 after this rencontre, fourteen proas 

 and smaller boats appeared stand- 

 ing across from the Banca side, 

 and soon after they anchored be- 

 hind Pu!o Chalacca. Several of 

 their people landed, and carrying 

 up some bundles on their should- 

 ers, left them in the wood, and re- 

 turned for more. We had fome 

 hope, from the direction in which 

 they first appeared, as well as their 

 anchoring at that spot (the rea- 

 deivous agr«ed upon at the de- 



p«rt«rs 



