pension of (I believe)
L250 a year.[1]

"ADMIRALTY COURT.

(_Before Dr. Lushington._)

"ILLANOAN PIRATES.--BOUNTY.

"In this case a petition was presented by Sir Edward Belcher,
the captain, and the rest of the officers and crew of Her
Majesty's ship-of-war Samarang, setting forth that on the 3d of
June, 1844, the Samarang being then engaged in surveying duties,
and near the island of Gillolo, on her passage towards the
Straits of Patientia, Sir E. Belcher, with two officers and four
men, quitted her in the gig, accompanied by the second barge,
armed with a brass six-pounder gun and small arms, and manned
with twenty officers and men. While engaged on the extreme side
of a reef, extending from a small islet, in taking astronomical
observations, they were disturbed by an extraordinary yell
proceeding from about forty men of colour, who were advancing
from the islet along both sides of the reef, with the evident
intention of surrounding Sir E. Belcher and his party, on
nearing whom they commenced hurling spears and arrows, though
without effect. They were soon repulsed and put to flight by
musketry. In the course of the day several large prahus made
their appearance, manned by large crews of Malay pirates, and
severe conflicts took place between the respective parties, in
one of which a ball from the leading prahu struck Sir E. Belcher
on the thigh, and knocked him overboard, severely and
dangerously wounding him; but, having been lifted out of the
water, and dragged into the barge, _he shortly after resumed the
command_, and ultimately succeeded in destroying all the prahus.

"Dr. Addams applied to the Court to award the bounties specified
in the 6th of George IV. c. 49. for the capture and destruction
of piratical ships and vessels. He submitted that the affidavits
produced clearly showed the character of the persons on board
the prahus, and that not less than 1,330 persons were alive on
board the several prahus at the beginning of the attack, 350 of
whom were killed.

"The Queen's Advocate, on behalf of the Crown, admitted that a
very meritorious service had been performed, and made no
opposition to the application.

"The Court pronounced for the usual bounties on the number of
pirates stated."

[Footnote 1: The account of this transaction is taken