978 Information regarding Itlanoon Pirates. [Nov. 



treasury, Madana Hila, son of Skanna Bhatta, in the year Sum- 

 but 365 (A. D. 309) on the first day of the light half of the month 

 of Bysakh. 



On the seal, Sri' Bhatarka under a bull, as in Mr. Wathen's 

 grant, for which see vol. IV. page 475. 



VI. — Information regarding Illanoon Pirates. By Captain Blake, 

 H. M. S. Lame. 



In the course of the past year, Capt. Stanley, H. M. S. Wolf with 

 the Diana steamer in company, fell in with a fleet of pirates in the act 

 of attacking some Chinese trading vessels, and having rescued these, 

 the steamer followed, and by its rapid pursuit and well-directed fire 

 captured and destroyed several of the pirates. The prisoners taken 

 on this occasion were carried to Singapore for trial, and the Malays 

 were convicted and executed, the facts being such as to prove that the 

 fleet attacked had committed more than one act of piracy, before 

 the British vessels fell in with it. But amongst the prisoners were 

 some Illanoons, and it appearing that many of these pirate vessels were 

 of that nation, the Recorder who tried the case would not pass sentence of 

 death upon them, owing to some doubts which arose, as to whether they 

 might not be acting under commission from the Sooltan of Sooloo, 

 or from some other recognised prince of that part of the Archipelago. 

 Very little information was procurable as to the political character and 

 circumstances of these Illanoons. But they were not wholly unknown, 

 for in the year 1822 it was this same class of pirates who attacked the 

 Sect/lower, and Mr. Fullebton, then governor of P. W. Island, was 

 disposed to have sent an expedition for their chastisement, but was 

 restrained by the government of Bengal. There is also an imperfect 

 mention of this race in Mr. Moor's recent compilation of notices re- 

 garding the Indian Archipelago, which contains the intelligence col- 

 lected by Mr. Hunt regarding the Sooloo Islands in 1814 : but the 

 information procurable was altogether so defective, that it was deter- 

 mined to take the occasion of any one of H. M. vessels of war pro- 

 ceeding to the vicinity, to ascertain further particulars regarding 

 them. Captain Blake, ofH. M. S. Lame, found the opportunity 

 of making the desired inquiries, and the following report from 

 that officer is the result. It has been communicated by His 

 Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief to the Governor General, 

 and by His Lordship's orders is made available for publication in 

 this journal. 



