THE MALAY RACE. 



129 



to his spear; all which we took in good part; and even this individual 

 seemed mollified as I handed him a small present. It was evident, 

 however, that there would have been little difficulty in bringing these 

 people to the last resort ; and as this did not enter into our plans, 

 and also as reinforcements were arriving, we commenced retracing 

 our steps. The natives seemed now in better humour, and invited us 

 to return ; but having once parted company, there appeared no suffi- 

 cient inducements for a renewal of the acquaintance. Something 

 indeed had been said about the Sultan ; and it was true, we were 

 intruders, having landed without his permission. 



These people did not appear to differ from the rest of the population 

 in the vicinity ; and I do not know to what particular class they are 

 to be referred. They may have been Biaju, or "people of the sea;" 

 but they were certainly not tattooed. Their profession was evidently 

 that of fishermen ; and they were probably a fair specimen of the 

 population of the numerous small islands scattered over the Sooloo 

 Sea. 



The inhabitants of the capital, according to Hunt, " came origi- 

 nally from Banjar-masin," on the southern coast of Borneo. All ac- 

 counts, however, agree, in the piracies being carried on by the Lantjn 

 of the great southern bay of Mindanao ; who frequent this place for 

 the purpose of disposing of their wares. If there were any of the 

 Lanun present at the time of our visit, we did not distinguish them. 



The 'jobas' or interpreter, according to his own account, belonged 

 "to the island of Ternati, and was called a Dutchman and a Chris- 

 tiano :" in physical race, he was evidently pure Malay. Although 

 quite young, the extent of his acquirements in the way of languages, 

 was remarkable ; and he wrote also in the Arabic character with great 

 ease and beauty. He too was held for ransom ; but being so useful a 

 person, we feared much for his prospect of a speedy release. 



On the 6th, the Vincennes left Sooloo, and a few hours afterwards, 

 we passed more coral islands, similar to those of the Pacific ; but with 

 the trees too tall and dense to allow a view of their Interior. On the 

 following day, we passed Kagayan Sooloo, an island of some im- 

 portance, and much resembling Sooloo, but smaller. According to 

 our native pilot, it is inhabited, as well as all the islets we had seen, 

 "and by very bad people." 



33 



