140 



A VISIT TO THE INDIAN AHCHIPELAOa 



The strong tides which set up these rivers materially 

 assist the invading party to take their victims by surprise. 

 They reached the devoted river soon after the dawn of 

 day, The mode of proceeding is as follows The foremost 

 bangkong of the balla stops abreast of the fii^t farm- 

 house to which they come ; the crew msh on shore, 

 and the heads of the sleeping and unsuspecting inmates 

 are in a few mmutes sectired. The rest of the Beet 

 push on ; and regularly, as they move up the river^ 

 the leading boats stop by twos and threes, at each 

 successive farni-house, and cnaet their respective tragedies. 



Upwards of one hundred heads were taken in. ilVm 

 expedition by these murderous villains, Of all those 

 whose farms were attaekedj one man only^ Abong Sadikj 

 happening to be well prepared, — his firearms ready, 

 and his powder dry made a successfid defence. His 

 people JiLid just commenced work, when the enemy 

 swept up the reach. Twenty-seven of his men got 

 back to tiie house in time. Pulling up the ladders— 

 the Malay houses, as is well known, being btiilt on 

 piles- — they shot down the first three pirates that landed ; 

 on -which the remainder, abandoning for the present 

 their hope of beheading that particular establishment, 

 moved on to see if the inmates were as wide awake 

 next door. 



A few select ruffians of this fleet lingered behind after 

 the main body had quitted the river, having dressed 

 themselves in the spoils of their victims, and put on 



