266 ARMS. [1845. 



chain, or mail shirt. Their personal arms are generally 

 the kris and spear, but they have also a huge sword, well 

 known as the " Lanoon sword ", which has a handle suffi- 

 ciently large to be wielded with two hands. In place 

 of a mast they have sheers, capable of being raised 

 or depressed suddenly, upon which a huge mat sail is 

 hoisted. 



The fitting of these sheers is as follows : on the fore 

 part of the fighting deck is a small pair of bitts, each bitt- 

 head being placed about three feet on each side of the centre 

 line ; through the head of these bitts a piece runs, windlass 

 fashion, its outer ends being rounded, which pass through 

 the lower ends of the sheers in holes, this arrangement 

 completes a triangle, having this windlass base of six feet. 

 The heads of the sheers are joined by a solid piece of wood, 

 perforated as a sheave hole for the halliards, by which 

 the sail is hoisted ; a third spar is attached, which, taken 

 aft as a prop, instantly turns this mast, upon its wind- 

 lass motion, to its vertical, and, almost, as by magic, we 

 find the sail expanded or reduced instantaneously. 



The slaves who have escaped from these pirates assert, 

 that within the Lagoon they have extensive building 

 establishments, and the means of repelling any attack 

 which may be made upon them. The old prahus are 

 used instead of houses, and in them they have their wives, 

 families, or treasure, in readiness for removal to any 

 part of the Lagoon, upon any sudden emergency. In 

 this respect they assimilate to the Tartar race, in the 

 Tanka boats of China ; an isolated and distinct commu- 

 nity, subject alone to the rule of their Admirals, under 

 whom they proceed to sea in divisions, and which divi- 



