442 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



blished there j and this may also 

 account for their civility in the 

 first instance ; i'ov, from the mo- 

 ment their liarpy-like spirit was 

 excited by tlie wreck, and they 

 saw our real condition, tliere were 

 no more offerings of fish, or of 

 cocoa-nut milk. 



To have sent the boats openly 

 to attack them was judged impo- 

 litic ; it would only have driven 

 tliem off for a moment, and put 

 them on their guard against sur- 

 prise by night, should it be thought 

 necessary, in a day or two, to do 

 so. They could deprive us of 

 little ; for the coi)per bolts and 

 iron work, which they were now 

 most interested about, were not to 

 us of material importance. 



We had the day before moved 

 the boats into another cove, more 

 out of sight (from the overspread- 

 ing branches of the trees,) and 

 safer in case of attack, being com- 

 manded by two strong little ports 

 (one having a rude draw- bridge,) 

 erected on the rocks immediately 

 above it, and wattled in, where an 

 officci" and piquet were nightly 

 ])laced J and a new serpentine 

 path was cut down to this inlet, 

 communicating with our main po- 

 sition aloft. 



On Friday, the 28th, the Ma- 

 lays were still employed on the 

 wjeck. A boat approached us in 

 the forenoon ; but on the gig 

 going out to meet it, they refused 

 to correspond, and returned to 

 their party. No relief having ap- 

 peared from Batavia, and the period 

 being elapsed at which (as was now 

 thought) we had reason to expect 

 it, measures were taken, by re- 

 pairing the launch and construct- 

 ing a firm laft, to give us addi- 

 tional powers of Iranspoiting our- 



selves from our present abode, 

 before our stock of provisions was 

 entirely exhausted. 



On Saturday, the 1st of March, 

 the Malays acquired a great acces- 

 sion of strength, by the arrival of 

 14 more proas from the north- 

 ward (probably of the old party,) 

 who joined in breaking up the 

 remains of the wreck. 



At day -light, on Sunday, the 

 2d, still greater force having 

 joined them during the night, the 

 pirates (leaving a numbcj' at work 

 on the wreck) advanced, with up- 

 wards of twenty of their heaviest 

 vessels, towardsour landing-place ; 

 fired one of their patereroes; beat 

 their gongs ; and, making a hide- 

 ous yelling noise, they anchored 

 in a line, about a cable's length 

 from our cove. We were in- 

 stantly under arms, the party 

 covering the boats strengthened, 

 and scouts sent out to watch their 

 motions, as some of their boats 

 had gone up the creek, at the 

 back of our position ; and to beat 

 about, lest any should be lying in 

 ambush from the land. About 

 this time, the old Malay prisoner, 

 who was under chaige of the 

 sentries at the well, and who had 

 been incautiously trusted by them 

 to cut some wood for the fire, 

 hearing the howling of his tiibe, 

 left his wounded comrade to shift 

 for himself, ran off into the wood, 

 and escaped, canying with him 

 his hatchet. Finding, after wait- 

 ing a short time in this state of 

 preparation, that they made no 

 attem])t to land, an officer was 

 sent a little outside the cove in a 

 canoe, wavi ng in a friendly manner, 

 to try how they would act. After 

 some deliberation, one of their 

 boats, with several men armed 



with 



