CHAP. IXIV,] 



THE MAGINDANO PIRATES, 



341 



back rises a rather steep hill, and a short walk having 

 shown me that there was a tolerahle path tip it, 1 deter- 

 mined to stay here for a few days. Oppusite us, and all 

 along this coast of Butcliiaii, stretclies a row of line islands 

 completely uninhabited, Wlienever I asked the reason wiiy 

 no one goes to live in thera, the answer always was, i*'or 

 fear of the Magindano pirates." Every year these scourges 

 of the Archipelago wander iu one direction or anotlier, 

 making their rendezvous on some uninhabited island, and 

 carrying devastation to all the small settlements around ; 

 robbing, destroying, killing, or taking captive all they meet 

 with. Th«.nr long well-maniied praus escape from the 

 pursuit of any sailing vessel by pidling away right in the 

 wind's eye, and the warning smoke of a steamer generally 

 enables them to bide in some shallow bay, or narrow river, 

 or forest-covered inlet, till the danger is passed. The only 

 effectual way to put a stop to their depredations would be 

 tKi attack them in their stronghoklis and villages, and 

 compel them to give up piracy, and submit to strict 

 surveillance. Sir James Brooke did this with the pirates 

 of the north-west coast of Borneo, and deser\'e3 the thanks 

 of the whole population of the Archipeliigo for having rid 

 them of half their enemies. 



All along the beach here, and in the adjacent strip of 

 sandy lowland, is a remarkable display of i'andanaceie or 

 Screw-pines. Borne ai*e like liuge braiiching candelabra, 

 forty or hfty feet high, and bearing at the end of each 

 branch a tnft of immense sword-shaped leaves, six or eight 

 inches wide, and as many feet long. Ot hers liave a single 

 unbmnched stem, six or seven feet high, the upper part 

 clothed with the spirally arranged leaves, and bearing a 

 single terminal fruit as largu a.s a swan's egg. Others of 

 intermediate size have irregular clusters of rougli red 

 Iriiits, and all have more or less spmy-edgeil leaves and 

 ringed steins. The young plants of the larger species 

 have smooth glossy thick leaves, sometimes t^2n feet 

 long and eight inches wide, which are used all over 

 the Molucciia and New Guinea, to make "cocoyas'* 

 or sleeping mats, which are often very prettily orna- 

 mented with coloured patterns. Higher up on the hill it 

 a forest of immense trees, among which those producing 



