134 A VISIT TO THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



and it may be added, by the British public, declaring 

 itself by its acknoTvledged organ, the iufliiential portion 

 of tlie press, — nor was any voice then raised on the side 

 of Tvhat I must consider mistaken and short-sighted 

 humanity, allying itself with the pirate against the 

 peaceful trader. My successors on the station, ari-ivitig 

 there equally unprejudiced, but resorting in like mauiier 

 to the evidence of their senses, adopted the same views 

 as myself; nor am I a^are that a doubt on tliis subject 

 was entertained, either in England or abroad, during tUe 

 thi'ee following years. 



In 1849 I was again appointed, as Captain of the 

 Mcemid€i\ to carry out the suppi^ession of piracy on that 

 same coast of Borneo, and against this very people, the 

 Serebas. Arriring on the station, I instituted fresh 

 inquiries into the recent acts of piracy committed by 

 them ; and I should with ample reason have again 

 adopted the severest measm-es, bad I not been once more 

 ordered to ChiuEL Captain Fai-quhar, who succeeded 

 me^ met and defeated these pirates in the manner 

 wliicb I shall presently describe ; and then arose 

 an outcry in England, the secret spiings of which 

 I will abstain fi*om conjecturing, or rather from directly 

 pointing to. 



It assumed a shape which sufficiently indicated its 

 source, — that of unscrupulous calumny, aimed princi- 

 pally at one individual whom I am proud to call 

 my friend ; one with whom 1 first made acquaintance 



