B A T A V I A. 237 
fortune to lose a vcrj valuable man by the daggers of these 
people. FincUng him alone and defenceless, employed at the 
watering-place in washing his foul linen, they had rushed 
upon him unawares, plunged their weapons into his back, 
and thrown him into the pool of water. His companion, Avho 
had strayed to a little distance along the beach, met the 
murderous party who, perceiving he carried a musquet, 
passed hun Avithout the least molestation. He dragged the 
body of his friend out of the water, but poor Leighton had 
already expired. It could not have happened for the sake 
of robbing him of a little dirty linen, for in this case it was 
not necessary to commit a murder ; neither was he likely to 
have given them any provocation. He was, on all occasions, 
a man of thorough good humour. A circumstance Avas recol- 
lected, after the accident had happened, to which perhaps 
it might have been owing. One day a Malay came on board 
the Lion, with monkies, birds, fruits and vegetables for 
sale. Leighton, among his various pursuits, had a turn for 
portrait-painting, in which he was flattered with being suc- 
cessful. The Malay being a new character, he was desirous 
of obtaining his features. The man not understanding what 
he wanted, and suspecting that he might be practising some 
incantation, of which this nation is extremely apprehensive, 
springing from the deck of the ship, plunged at once into the 
sea and, scrambling into his canoe as well as he could, 
paddled off. Calling to recollection this circumstance, it was 
supposed by many that this same man might have instigated 
the party to put him to death. ? 
