378 SO O LOO. 



the language that one hears from many intelligent men who have 

 long resided in that part of the world is, that in no country where 

 civilization exists does slavery exhihit so debasing a form as in her 

 Indian possessions. Another difficulty consists in the want of minute 

 knowledge of the coasts, inlets, and hiding-places of the pirates, 

 and this must continue to exist until proper surveys are made. This 

 done, it would be necessary to employ vessels that could pursue the 

 pirates every where, for which purpose steamers naturally suggest 

 themselves. 



What will appear most extraordinary is, that the very princes who 

 are enjoying the stipend for the purchase of the site whereon the 

 English authority is established, are believed to be the most active in 

 equipping the prahus for these piratical expeditions ; yet no notice is 

 taken of them, although it would be so easy to control them by with- 

 holding payment until they had cleared themselves from suspicion, 

 or by establishing residents in their chief towns. 



Another, and a very different race of natives who frequent the 

 Sooloo Archipelago, must not be passed by without notice. These 

 are the Bajow divers or fishermen, to whom Sooloo is indebted for 

 procuring the submarine treasures with which her seas are stored. 

 They are also very frequently employed in the biche de mar or 

 tripang fisheries among the islands to the south. The Bajows gene- 

 rally look upon Macassar as their principal place of resort. They 

 w-ere at one time believed to be derived from Johore, on the Malayan 

 peninsula ; at another, to be Buguese ; but they speak the Sooloo 

 dialect, and are certainly derived from some of the neighbouring 

 islands. The name of Bajows, in their tongue, means fishermen. 

 From all accounts, they are allowed to pursue their avocations in 

 peace, and are not unfrequently employed by the piratical datus, 

 and made to labour for them. They resort to their fishing-grounds 

 in fleets of between one and two hundred sail, having their wives and 

 children with them, and in consequence of the tyranny of the Sooloos, 

 endeavour to place themselves under the protection of the flag of 

 Holland, by which nation this useful class of people is encouraged. 

 The Sooloo seas are comparatively little frequented by them, as they 

 are unable to dispose of the produce of their fisheries for want of 

 a market, and fear the exactions of the datus. Their prahus are 

 about five tons each. The Bajows at some islands are stationary, but 

 are for the most part constantly changing their ground. The Spa- 



