mUATE CRUELTIES. 



m 



procurable would Fix the total loss of pirates at cigltf. 

 liiiiidrcd : but perfect accuracy on this point is impossible. 



The next morning was occupied in destroying the 

 captured pralius. 



Orders were given to shew mercy to any of the pirates 

 who wished to give themselves up ; but mercy is not 

 understood by tbcsts people, either in name or in reality t 

 and, indeed, the few womidb which were received by any 

 of our men were the penalty of their humane endeavoiira 

 to save the pirates from disowning. These latter, when 

 they took to tlie waterj invariably did so in full fighting 

 costume, — sword in one hand and shield in the other, — 

 rendering any effort of humanity most perilous. They 

 are indeed a desperate race, and latterly reckless either of 

 their enemies* life or tlieir own : nor do they spare age or 

 sex. Even in their conftised and precipitate reti-eat, on 

 this night, they found time to perpetrate great atrocities. 

 The mangled and headless trunk of a woman was found 

 among their desert^ plunder. She v^bb ascertained to b© 

 a captive from Palo. When unable to carry her off, these 

 " inoffensive traders " bad severed her head, and vented 

 their disappointment by the mutilation of the body. 



I have before stated that the chiefs of these tribes do 

 not attempt to deny tlieir cril deeds. On a subsequent 

 visit, made by some of them to the Rajah at Sarawak, one 

 of note, wb(>se name was Lingire. told hira that his bang- 

 kong was one of the largest in the balla, with a crew of 

 seventy men, and that he was advancing with tbe rest 



