Xlll. 



however, to encounters with semi-savages. For in- 

 stance, the houses which my men had erected in 

 the Sooloo Archipelago — of which a sketch will be 

 found opposite to page 142, — were wantonly pillaged 

 and wrecked in March, 1884, by the Spaniards, when 

 at war with the late Sultan of Sooloo. Not only was 

 my property destroyed, but the town of Lamenusa 

 was entirely burnt, and many of the population were 

 taken captive and sold into slavery. 



On my behalf the English Government has 

 applied to the Spanish Government for redress, but 

 I regret to say that as yet I have only received 

 an acknowledgement of my complaint. 



Such difficulties as that just instanced, shew the 

 necessity for more adequate protection of the interests 

 of British trade in the Pacific. This question is ably 

 treated by Mr. C. Kinloch Cooke, in the November 

 number of the Nineteenth Century, and I should like 

 to see his suggestion for establishing a system of 

 Pacific Commercial Agents carried into effect. Nor 

 are our troubles confined to dealings with foreign 

 countries. A letter just received from Mr. Haynes, 

 in Western Australia, sets forth another grievance 

 against the Government of that Colony, in respect 

 to many vexatious restrictions. 



In order to give a vivid picture of the life led by 

 the Pearl-fishers in the prosecution of their exciting 



