1844.] LAST OF THE ILLANONS. 145 



vouring to beat through; the master of her came on 

 board, and without letting him know that I was wounded, 

 I questioned him very closely about the pirates which 

 might be expected to frequent this neighbourhood. He 

 spoke English well, and may have been of English extrac- 

 tion for aught I could tell,; his information confirmed 

 my opinion of their being Illanons, he distinctly declared 

 that no vessel of such size, or armed for war, but the 

 Illanons, could be in this neighbourhood ; and upon my 

 drawing one on paper, he stated, "that no vessel so 

 large, or so equipped for war, belonged to any of the 

 petty authorities of the neighbouring states." The im- 

 pression which he left upon my mind was, that it was 

 the remainder of the Illafion fleet which had been beaten 

 on the eastward of Java, by the Dutch squadron, and 

 that they were on their return from their customary 

 expedition to the coast of New Guinea, the Papuan 

 woman found on board the prahu, indicated their course 

 to be from that island, or the Geby Group, situated 

 between Gilolo and New Guinea. He informed us 

 further that one Dutch gun-boat was stationed at Ternate, 

 but the pirates cared little for her, nor was she of suffi- 

 cient force, or sufficiently swift to contend with them. 

 I mention these facts particularly, as in a document, 

 subsequently sent to me, his deposition varied upon this 

 matter. 



