»30 
APPENDIX. 
A. ■ 
Monday, February 7th, 1831. — At eight A.M., the captain, second 
officer, and four men, went on shore to weigh pepper ; at half past three 
P. M., succeeded in procuring one boat-load ; saw her leave the bank of 
the river, opposite the scale-house, with the usual complement of men in 
her, that is to say, one steersman and six oarsmen ; the natives still bring- 
ing pepper to the scales, with the promise of giving us another boat-load 
to-day. The first boat was observed to make considerable delay in getting 
out of the river, and we supposed her crew might be stealing pepper from 
her, and secreting it among some neighbouring high grass. Two of the 
ship's men were accordingly sent down to watch them; and upon their 
approaching the boat, five or six Malays were seen to jump up from the 
grass, and hurry on board her : the ship's people supposed them to be the 
boat's crew, as they had seen about the same number quit her previous 
to their being observed by the Malays. At this time there was a brig 
standing into Soo-Soo. While waiting for the natives to complete our other 
boat-load of pepper, Captain Endicott went to the beach to ascertain if 
the brig approaching had hoisted any colours, lie then saw that the 
pepper-boat, which at this time was within a few yards of the ship, had at 
least double the number of men in her that she had when she left the 
scales. He immediately returned, and inquired into this circumstance. 
The men who were sent down to watch the boat in the river then informed 
him, that they had seen her take in several men out of a ferry-boat at the 
mouth of the river ; but, as they all appeared to be " youngsters," they did 
not think the circumstance of sufficient importance to report it. Our sus- 
picions were immediately excited that all was not right ; yet trusting they 
would not be permitted to go on board — it being contrary to the estab- 
lished regulations of the ship, in the absence of the captain, to admit more 
than two Malays on board her at a time, — and deeming it too late to ren- 
der any assistance if they were, the second officer and two men were 
sent to the beach to observe the movements on board ; who almost in- 
stantly returned with the information that there was trouble on board, and 
that men were seen jumping overboard from her. Convinced from this 
circumstance that we on shore had no time to lose, we immediately sprang 
into the ship's boat, and pushed off. Almost instantaneously crowds of 
Malays began to assemble on the banks of the river, which are about sixty 
yards asunder, brandishing their weapons and otherwise menacing us ; at 
the same moment a ferry-boat, with eight or ten men in her, armed with 
spears and krises, pushed off to intercept our passage out of the river ; but 
by pulling directly for her, and presenting a Malay sword, our only weapon, 
we succeeded in keeping them off. When we had cleared the river and 
came in full sight of the ship, we found the Malays had full possession of 
her ; some of them walking about the deck, while others were making 
signals of success to the people on shore ; none of the ship's crew, except 
one man aloft, was to be seen. At this moment three Malay boats, with 
forty or fifty men each, came out of the river, and pulled towards the ship 
and us. We then concluded, our only chance to recover the ship was by 
obtaining assistance from some other vessel ; and for this purpose we 
made the best of our way to Muckie, where we knew two or three Ameri- 
