F. M. DELT.
M. N. HANHART LITH. PRINTERS
ILLANOAN PIRATE.
(TAMPASSOOK, BORNEO.)
LONDON; LONGMAN & CO. 1848
On the 24th of March we sailed from Balam-bangan, with the intention of making a flying survey of the coast of Borneo, as far as the island of Labuan and the country at Sarawak, to make the best of our way to Sincapore, at which place we hoped to arrive about the 1st of May, there to receive our final orders and start for England. It would be tedious, and it is not necessary, to give a description of the survey which we afterwards made. We went over the same ground as before, and we surveyed with a musket in one hand and a sextant in the other, for the natives were not to be trusted. Our warlike friends at Tampassook did not much relish our re-appearance on their coast. A Spanish slave made his escape from them and came on board, begging a passage to any where. He had been taken prisoner, with six or seven others, in an engagement between the Manilla gun boats and the Illanoan pirates, and had been very cruelly treated. We learnt from this man that the pirates of Tampassook are very rich, and possessed a large number of fine prahus. They had also plenty of fire-arms, but were afraid of them, preferring their own weapons.
ILLANOAN PIRATES.
It was here that we heard the news of the murder of our old friends Rajah Muda and Bud-ruddeen. It appeared that they had been accused of being privy to the attack of the English on Maludu, and supporting our claims to the island of Labuan. Bud-ruddeen died as he had lived, a brave man, and worthy of a better fate. On the approach of his enemies he retired to his house with his sister and favourite wife, both of whom insisted upon sharing his destiny. For some time he fought like a lion against a superior force, until his
servants one by one fell dead. He then retired dangerously wounded to an inner chamber, with his wife and sister, and, allowing his enemies to follow him till the house was filled with them, he fired his pistol into a barrel of gunpowder, which had been placed in readiness, and at once destroyed himself, his friends, and his enemies. But this barbarous murder on the part of the sultan of Borneo and his advisers was not left unpunished. Sir Thomas Cochrane went to Bruni with his squadron, and reduced the sultan to submission and a proper respect for the English, and those who were friendly with them.