THE PIRACY AND SLAVE TRADE OF THE 
INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO.* 
In September 1820, a brig coming from Snmanap fell into the 
bands of pirates near Lirga, but was recaptured by the royal 
corvette Venus, During 1819-20 the pirates made many descents 
upon the northern coast of' Java, carrying away many persons as 
prisoners and burning the government posthouses, thus rendering the 
road by no means safe, a circumstance which was probably one of 
the causes for afterwards making the line of communication more 
inland. In 1821 the existing arrangements for the suppression of 
piracy being found inadequate the Netherlands Colonial marine was 
improved and augmented. In 1821 the power of Netherlands was 
established in the island of Biliton and the inhabitants engaged to 
renounce piracy. The Governor General Baron Van Der 
Capellan, in reporting this circumstance to the Colonial department, 
states, that in consequent of the abandonment of Palembang in 
1819, and the check which the expedition sent against it had 
sustained, the insolence of the Biliton pirates, who regarded 
themselves as dependent* of Palembang, had been so increased, 
that it had become absolutely necessary, for the protection of the 
trade which was daily more and more disturbed, to take adequate 
means for remedying tlis constantly increasing evil. After the 
reconquest of Palembang; it was determined to bring the piratical 
inhabitants of Biliton :o subjection. This was accomplished 
without hostile measures being required, through means of a skilful 
native negotiator to whom the Governor General entrusted the 
business. In 1822 an expedition was sent by the Netherlands 
authorities against the prates of Tontoli and other places on the 
north-west coast of Celebes. It consisted of a royal frigate, five 
vessels of the colonial marine, twenty-four native vessels, and 
a thousand men of the native auxiliaries. A great number of 
pirate haunts and villages were burnt down, fifty of their prahus 
destroyed, twenty-three pieces of cannon taken and forty pirates 
put to death. In the year 1823 a private brig, the General de 
Kocky was taken betweer. Indramayu and Cheribon, on the northern 
coast of Java, by some piratical prahus. The General de Kock 
left Batavia on the 26tb October, and on the 29th was spoken by 
the Maria, Catherina who reported having been attacked during 
the night by a piratical force. About half-past eight the same 
morning, when abreast the point of Indramayu, and about 10 
miles from the shore, the General de Koch saw seven prahus 
pulling towards her, with their masts and sails lowered. When 
they neared the brig slie fired a gun and hoisted her colours, but 
they still approached beating their gongs. The brig again fired, 
on which they ranged up, three under the stern and two on each 
* Continued from p, 581. 
