1844.] PURSUIT OF A PIRATE. 199 



mast, and set an enormous sail, steering directly across our 

 course. We soon noticed their huge Illation swords, which 

 .glittered in the sun, and directions were given to the second 

 cutter, which had her brass three-pounder ready, " to bring 

 him to," followed by rockets from my gig, and some few 

 random discharges of muskets. The ship now joined in 

 the chase, and tried the range of the shell guns, but without 

 effect ; under sail and oars she distanced us, and rounding 

 the Island of Dumaran, was lost to our sight. Giving 

 up the chase, which had at least afforded our crew some 

 little excitement, we landed upon the eastern extremity of 

 Dumaran, and completed our observations. That this was 

 an Illanon pirate, or one of their allies from Borneo, there 

 could not be the slightest doubt ; the prahu, masts, sails, 

 and equipment, were sufficient to stamp her character, 

 and although I had not decided evidence of any piratical 

 act to constitute her a pirate, still, her being found armed, 

 without sufficient plea for being in the track of the general 

 trade passing through these seas, would have warranted 

 her detention, and, if Illanon, I should have left her in the 

 hands of her allies, the Spanish Authorities of Manila. Our 

 fair wind deserted us at Dumaran point, which we found 

 fifteen miles too far east on the chart, and clouds, with a 

 short chopping sea, foretold stronger breezes than we had 

 experienced for many months ; before midnight, we had 

 a sharp north-easter, and were reduced to double reefed 

 topsails, stretching off to the southward of the Cujos 

 Islands. Finding the current set us very rapidly to the 

 southward, I endeavoured to regain my ground on the 

 Palawan side, and fortunately fetched to windward of 

 the S.W. Cujo rock, beyond which we noticed several 



