229 
English Company's Islands."] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
hulks, as if laid up for the bad season. Our conjectures were va- 
rious as to who those people could be, and what their business Thursday 17. 
here ; but we had little doubt of their being the same, whose traces 
had been found so abundantly in the Gulph. I had inclined to the 
opinion that these traces had been left by Chinese, and the report of 
the natives in Caledon Bay that they had fire arms, strengthened the 
supposition ; and combining this with the appearance of the vessels r 
I set them down for piratical Ladrones who secreted themselves 
here from pursuit, and issued out as the season permitted, or prey 
invited them. Impressed with this idea, we tacked to work up for 
the road ; and our pendant and ensign being hoisted, each of them 
hung out a small white flag. On approaching, I sent lieutenant 
Flinders in an armed boat, to learn who they were; and soon after- 
ward we came to an anchor in is fathoms, within musket shot; 
having a spring on the cable, and all hands at quarters. 
Every motion in the whale boat, and in the vessel along-side 
which she was lying, was closely watched with our glasses, but all 
seemed to pass quietly ; and on the return of lieutenant Flinders, we 
learned that they were prows from Macassar, and the six Malay 
commanders shortly afterwards came on board in a canoe. It hap- 
pened fortunately that my cook was a Malay, and through his means 
I was able to communicate with them. The chief of the six prows 
was a short, elderly man, named Pobassoo; he said there were upon 
the coast, in different divisions, sixty prows, and that Sal/00 was the 
commander in chief. These people were Mahometans, and on look- 
ing into the launch, expressed great horror to see hogs there ; never- 
theless they had no objection to port wine, and even requested a 
bottle to carry away with them at sunset. 
The weather continued squally all night, with frequent heavy 
rain, and the win^ blew strong ; but coming off the islands, the ship 
rode easily. In the morning, I went on board Pobassoo's vessel, Friday is. 
with two of the gentlemen and my interpreter, to make further in- 
quiries ; and afterwards the six chiefs came to the Investigator, and 
