266 



vages tintil the end of August or beginning of 

 September. 



Ill addition to tbese two piratical nations, there 

 are several vessels of other states that are enga^^ed 

 in the same pursuit, and perhaps there is not a sin- 

 gle one of all the numerous countries in the Ar- 

 chipelago which does not, either overtly or tacit- 

 ly, encourage the system, Pedir, Siak, Man- 

 glun. Soosoo, ke. on the coast ol Sumatra, Sa- 

 lang'ire. Moar, &c. on the Malayan Peninsiula, up- 

 hold piracy as far as circumstances pennit them 

 todo so, whiUt the Bindings, Sambilangs, the 

 Lancavey groupe, and the Unggy river, afford 

 safe shelter to pirates ol every class. 



When piracy forms the national character of a 

 people, it is obvious that no external force, short 

 of utter cKtermination will succeed in extirpating 

 it; the death blow must be given by a reformati- 

 on of the priDciples of the people at large. When 

 we reflect upon the Bingular anomaly of the ex- 

 istence of the piratical state of Algiers surround- 

 ed, as it is, by civilized nations, and bear in mind 

 that, the Archipelagian corsairs possess a very 

 superior advantage in being enabled by the small- 

 ness of their vessels to effectually elude pursuit 

 by taking refuge in the creeks which present 

 themselves in every direction, the obstacles to 

 the suppression of piracy in this quarter appear al- 

 most insurmountable. But, when we further consi- 

 der that the very boats which trade to the different 

 British and Dutch settlements, and are consequent- 

 ly furnished with regular papers, become pirates m 

 their turn, if they happen to fall in with a vessel, 

 whose inferior size holds out hopes of conquest, 



