1844.] PIRATES. 117 



him, relative to recent visits of the pirates. After taking 

 refreshment of chocolate, sherbet, &c., we retired. On 

 our return to the boats, which, owing to the fall of tide, 

 had been compelled to shift down to the outer pier on 

 which the houses are constructed, we noticed three very 

 suspicious-looking boats attached ; these, Mr. Wyndham 

 assured me, were pirates, and, moreover, that they had 

 only a few days previously landed some captured women, 

 chiefly taken amongst the Bisayas, or the coasts of the 

 islands between Mindanao and Luzon, and exposed them 

 for sale in the public market ; we had not sufficient evi- 

 dence to interpose our authority, and as the Datu Muluk 

 was supposed to be a party interested in their proceed- 

 ings, it was not likely that any remonstrance I might 

 have made to the Sultan would be productive of any 

 benefit ; the natives in the boats were rather inclined 

 to be impertinent and to resent the curiosity of one of 

 our party, but fortunately it passed over. 



The city of Sooloo is built much in the same manner 

 as Brunai, running out in three lines into the sea, the 

 piles of the outer houses being in four fathoms, and the 

 intervals between the rows admitting of the ' Samarang ' 

 being secured in the mouth of the main street ; one half 

 of the town stands over the water, but the chiefs all reside 

 on terra firma. There are two batteries, one on each 

 side of the main water communication just alluded to. 

 The mode of their construction is good, viz. by parallel 

 lines of heavy piles driven closely together at a distance of 

 ten feet between, the parallels cross tied, and the interval 

 filled with earth ; embrasures are fitted similar to the ports 

 of a vessel, and would offer formidable resistance if the 



