The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

334 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chai-.and children for slaves. Not a man will stir from his village forsome time, and I must remain still a prisoner in Do])bo. TheGovernor of Amboyna, out of jiure kindness, has told the chiefsthat they are to be responsible for my safety, so that they havean excellent excuse for refusing to stir.Several praus went out in search of the pirates, sentinels wereappointed, and watch-fires lighted on the beacli to guard againstthe possibility of a night attack, though it was hardly thoughtthey would be bold enough to attemjjt to plunder Dol)bo. Thenext day the praus returned, and we had positive informationthat these scourges of the Eastern seas were really among us.One of Herr Warzbergen's small praus also arrived in a sadplight. It had been attacked six days before, just as it was returningfrom the " blakang tana." The crew escaped in theirsmall boat and hid in the jungle, while the pirates came up andplundered the vessel. They took away everything but the cargoof mother-of-pearl shell, which was too bulky for tliem. All theclothes and boxes of the men, and the sails and cordage of theprau, were cleared off. They had four large war boats, and fireda volley of musketry as they came up, and sent off their smallboats to the attack. After they had left, our men observed fromtheir concealment that three had stayed behind with a smallboat ; and being driven to desperation by the sight of theplundering, one brave fellow swam off armed only with hisparang, or chopping-knife, and coming on them unawares madea desperate attack, killing one and wounding the other two, receivinghimself numbers of slight wounds, and then swimmingoff again when almost exhausted. Two other praus were alsoplundered, and the crew of one of them murdered to a man.They are said to be Sooloo pirates, but have Bugis among them.On their way here they have devastated one of the small islandseast of Ceram. It is now eleven years since they have visitedAru, and by thus making their attacks at long and uncertainintervals the alarm dies away, and they find a population forthe most part unarmed and unsuspicious of danger. None of thesmall trading vessels now carry arms, though they did so for ayear or two after the last attack, which was just the time whenthere was the least occasion for it. A week later one of thesmaller pirate boats was captured in the " blakang tana." Sevenmen were killed and three taken prisoners. The larger vesselshave been often seen but cannot be caught, as they have verystrong crews, and can always escape by rowing out to sea in theeye of the wind, returning at night. They will thus remainamong the innumerable islands and channels till the change ofthe monsoon enables them to sail westward.March 9//'.—For four or five days we have had a continual galeof wind, with occasional gusts of great fury, which seem as ifthey would send Dobbo into the sea. Rain accompanies italmost every alternate hour, so tliat it is not a pleasant time.During such weather I can do little, but am busy getting ready