1844.] FINAL ATTACK ON THE PIRATES. 143 



place where our last action had occurred ; here he found 

 about twelve or fourteen prahus, similarly ornamented to 

 those which had attacked us, hauled into, and moored 

 within a creek behind a village, but then inaccessible by 

 reason of low water, which laid bare a reef, preventing 

 approach within four hundred yards. The boats imme- 

 diately opened fire upon the prahus, which they endea- 

 voured to destroy, at least sixty round shot, beside 

 Congreve Rockets having entered them. This was not 

 effected without opposition ; their fire was instantly re- 

 sponded to from a masked entrenched battery, in which 

 was one heavy gun, apparently iron, and several smaller 

 of brass, the latter no doubt withdrawn from their prahus 

 for defence. Finding nothing further could be done, 

 they pulled round the Peninsula, where they suspected 

 a communication to be open in rear of the village ; here 

 they found two small prahus, evidently despatch boats, 

 which they towed to sea and burned. 



Mr. Hooper, finding that we did not return to him 

 at daylight, towed his three prizes to sea and burned them. 

 The largest was well stored with arms and gunpowder, 

 and blew up at five separate explosions ; all were supplied 

 with swivels, and English muskets with the Tower mark ; 

 the brass gun of the largest was too heavy to embark in 

 the gig, and Mr. Hooper also feared to encumber her in 

 the event of being chased. Before setting fire to these 

 prahus, a woman and child were taken out and landed 

 on the rocks, and from her frequent exclamations of 

 " Papua !" " Papua !" she was no doubt a slave cap- 

 tured from the coast of New Guinea, or some island 

 adjacent. Having met and communicated with Lieut. 



