1845.] FEAST OF OYSTERS. 251 



not fear them, fire ! fire!" Lieut. Roberton deemed it impe- 

 rative to put a stop to these insults, and to prevent the 

 death of some of his crew. Pulling therefore sharply across 

 their line of direction, he desired his men to lay in then- 

 oars and prepare their muskets. The Malays discharged 

 their gun thrice without effect, but the musketry from the 

 cutter soon taught them their inferiority. (Grounding the 

 prahu they fled over the reefs to the jungle, where they 

 concealed themselves, carrying their wounded with them. 

 Lieut. Roberton being unable to get the prahu afloat, in 

 order to bring her out, took from her the brass gun, and 

 other articles denoting her piratical complexion, and set fire 

 to her. Her equipment was evidently Illanon, and from 

 information obtained the same evening, we learned that 

 she probably belonged to a reputed pirate den at Tooncoo, 

 situated about thirty miles to the northward of our posi- 

 tion, and had in fact committed an act of piracy upon 

 one of our allies, not many hours previous to her des- 

 truction, as will be noticed presently. 



The channel between the reefs having been declared 

 safe, we ran in with a fine sea-breeze, and obtained very 

 snug anchorage in ten fathoms, within a convenient distance 

 from the shore, where we had the further good fortune to 

 discover a small rill of tolerably pure water ; this by judi- 

 cious management in clearing its source inland, was found 

 sufficient to keep two boats employed watering. The 

 remainder were employed in the examination of the 

 coast, and outer dangers, as well as ascertaining the 

 possibility of getting to sea by a more direct or wider 

 channel. We found, very large, and most delicious 

 oysters in abundance, and they were much enjoyed ; but 



