136 SURPRISED BY THE NATIVES. [1844. 



issuing from each flank, evidently with the intention of sur- 

 rounding us ; their leaders being dressed in tight scarlet 

 clothes, and each man carrying a bundle of spears. 

 During my conversation with the Resident of Manado, 

 relative to the boat I had noticed at Manado Tua, he 

 informed me, that the pirates only dress in scarlet, 

 or gay dresses, and that the peaceable traders of these 

 seas are invariably clothed in the dull plain colours which 

 are manufactured amongst themselves; there could be 

 little doubt, therefore, that we had now fallen in with a 

 formidable party of these vagabond freebooters. They 

 advanced in a hostile manner, capering and yelling, and 

 on approaching, hurled their spears towards us, some of 

 which fell very near the instruments. 



Our party on the reef, consisting of three Officers and 

 "four seamen, were ordered to fah 1 back on the gig, about 

 thirty yards from the fixed instrument, the latter to load 

 their muskets and fix bayonets, the barge at the same 

 time was directed to close and cover us. A long period 

 elapsed before any of the gig's muskets would go off, 

 owing to bad percussion caps, so that the enemy, had 

 they been at all expert, might have speared some of us 

 before we could have repulsed them. Nor did this appear 

 to result from any want of bravery on the part of our 

 assailants, for the moment we commenced a discharge of 

 musketry from the barge, as well as gig, they merely began 

 to caper in defiance ; subsequently, however, and as they 

 found the balls flying very close to their heads, they hesi- 

 tated in their advance, and decided upon a retreat. A great 

 many of them might easily have been shot, but I directed 

 our party to fire over their heads, merely to frighten 



