S2 NANKAURI 



named William Worthington. The dates given in the various 

 accounts of him are contradictory ; but it appears that, about 1808, 

 Worthington deserted at Nankauri from the frigate Bucephalus, 

 and that for some years subsequently the pirates were directed 

 by a man who' gave that name as his. 



In 1 8 14, the Ceres was boarded by an Englishman, who stated 

 that he had been left behind by a man-of-war. After inspecting 

 the vessel, he left, and next day, as the anchor was being hove 

 up, he arrived at the head of about thirty canoes, and made a 

 futile attack on the ship. 



A short time after, the brig Hope was cut off. An English- 

 man, who had previously stated he was Worthington, deserter 

 from the Bucephalus, murdered the captain and mate, and the 

 natives despatched the crew, with the exception of two or three, 

 who escaped in a boat and in some way arrived at Rangoon. 



At length Worthington was either expelled from the harbour, 

 or left with some home-going Bompokans ; but be that as it may, 

 a man of that name lived for some years on Teressa and Bompoka, 

 where several captains met with, or received letters from, him. 

 Their opinions of his character differed. He was last seen in 

 December 1820, when he reported that a ship from Bengal had 

 been cut off and massacred at Nankauri, with several others 

 previously, by natives led by Kafirs. He stated that after he 

 deserted at Nankauri, he was unable to leave until he had paid 

 a ransom to the natives. His death took place the same year, 

 and the natives with whom he lived afterwards gave him the 

 best of characters : that " John," as they called him, had long 

 dwelt quietly and amicably amongst them. His seems to have 

 thus been a case of " devil turned monk," and his career amongst 

 the natives akin to the records of the better-known "beach- 

 combers" of the early days in the Pacific* 



In a paper contributed to the Journal of the Indian Archipelago, 



1847, the missionary, Chopard, says that silver had a peculiar 



attraction for the natives, and was the chief article which induced 



them to butcher, by treachery always, crews of vessels calling at 



* Vide Asiatic Journal, vols, xiii., xv., xvi. 



