d
off. They had four large war boats, and fired a volley of musketry as
they came up, and sent off their small boats to the attack. After they
had left, our men observed from their concealment that three had stayed
behind with a small boat; and being driven to desperation by the sight
of the plundering, one brave fellow swam off armed only with his parang,
or chopping-knife, and coming on them unawares made a desperate attack,
killing one and wounding the other two, receiving himself numbers of
slight wounds, and then swimming off again when almost exhausted. Two
other prams were also plundered, 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 islands east of
Ceram. It is now eleven years since they have visited Aru, and by thus
making their attacks at long and uncertain intervals the alarm
dies away, and they find a population for the most part unarmed and
unsuspicious of danger. None of the small trading vessels now carry
arms, though they did so for a year or two after the last attack, which
was just the time when there was the least occasion for it. A week later
one of the smaller pirate boats was captured in the "blakang tana."
Seven men were killed and three taken prisoners. The larger vessels have
been often seen but cannot be caught, as they have very strong crews,
and can always escape by rowing out to sea in the eye of the wind,
returning at night. They will thus remain among the innumerable islands
and channels, till the change of the monsoon enables them to sail
westward.

March 9th.-For four or five days we have had a continual gale of wind,
with occasional gusts of great fury, which seem as if they would send
Dobbo into the sea. Rain accompanies it almost every alternate hour, so
that it is not a pleasant time. During such weather I can do little, but
am busy getting ready a boat I have purchased, for an excursion into
the interior. There is immense difficulty about men, but I believe the
"Orang-kaya," or head man of Wamma, will accompany me to see that I
don't run into danger.

Having become quite an old inhabitant of Dobbo, I will endeavour to
sketch the sights and sounds that pervade it, and the manners and
customs of its inhabitants. The place is now pretty full, and the
streets present a far more cheerful aspect than when we first arrived.
Every house is a store, where the natives bar