PIRATES CHECKED ONLY- 



145 



previous movements, was that the union of the Serebas 

 and. Sakarrau fleets was thus preyentcd, "with all the 

 murder and devastation which their combined forces 

 would liave committed. The veasels used hy the pirates 

 on this expedition were, strictlj speakings not Malay 

 praJius, but Dyak hangkongs. According to the work 

 they have in hand, thoy go forth in the heavier or the 

 lighter craft 



Altliough frustrated in their immediate designs by tlie 

 movements of the Saraivak force, it wa*s not likely that 

 the pirate fleets of Serebas and Sakarran, mustering 

 nearly 200 prahus in full equipment, would long suffer 

 their preparations to be wasted by inactivity, A friend^ 

 wlio learned Latin longer than myself recommends me to 

 announce to the classical world the discovery of the real 

 Hydra of old times, in a pirate floet : and, after going 

 deep into Lempriero, I think there have been worse hits, 

 I will conclude the chapter learnedly in working it out ; 

 having a start given me thus 



" ISon Hydra^ Bccto corpora, firmiar 

 Viud dolent«m crcvii in Hcrdiilcca;' 



So grtiyt ika Hydm'i sevei-'H atiunpi, 

 And gare gre&t ITerculM tho dampii. 



No single unfollowed-up blow seems to hurt a set of 

 pirates, any more than a many-iieaded mythological 

 monster ; and even Hercules despaired of success, sirjgle- 

 handed He was fain to appoint an aide-de-camp to 

 ^um ih^ dump$i as he cut off the heads. How then is 



