132 PIRATE RIVER. [1846. 



were unable to obtain the names of any of the streams 

 northward of Tampassook. 



Quitting the Batomande rocks, which were determined 

 to be in 6 52' 43" N., our next position was a cluster of 

 white rocks nearly on the chord of the arc, forming with a 

 large black Peninsula, about ten miles from Batomande, a 

 very extensive, but dangerous, bay. This bay contains three 

 large streams, but difficult to enter except at high water. 

 In the centre stream, off which I had taken my position 

 upon a high conical white rock, I discovered an encampment 

 which I suspected to be Malays, probably Illanons. This 

 received the name of Pirate river. Their prahus were hauled 

 within the trees, but as their crews came without fear to the 

 beach, and made signs for us to land, it may be assumed 

 they were not Bajows, who would certainly not have ven- 

 tured so far from their hiding-places. The ship was 

 anchored off these rocks for the night, and as the prahus 

 had not quitted before we resumed operations in the 

 morning, it became prudent to watch them. Our in- 

 structions, which most stringently forbad molesting any 

 vessel not actually caught in piratical courses, prevented 

 our interference, and they were suffered to pass our 

 working boats without examination ; but the well-known 

 Illafion sword was noticed glittering amongst them, a 

 weapon not at all indispensible in the hands of the poor, 

 wandering, peaceable Bajows, as they term themselves. 



Southerly from this Black Peninsula, the outer visible 

 objects are small rocky islets, distant about seven miles ; 

 the entire space between them is not only dangerous of 

 approach to shipping, but even to boats, being a continuous 

 range of reefs, spitting out from the land, and not seen 



