Yasin was a young man, pale, with a dissipated look, but quiet and pleasant in his manners. He was clothed in a short dark cloak with arms, a dress peculiar to the people on this coast, half Chinese, half European. We entered into conversation on various subjects, but principally about piracy and his recapture of the English schooner. Of this he gave the following account. That having heard there was a ship off the entrance of the river, he made inquiries of a Lanun who had just come up to the village. The man said the schooner was his; afterwards he wished to make out he had captured it from the Spaniards, but the Tuanku being informed that it was an English vessel, endeavoured to seize the Lanun, but he resisted and escaped into the jungle, persuading the Portuguese cook and a Lascar to follow him. The Tuanku then sent down a strong force to retake the schooner, which he succeeded in doing; the only men who showed resistance were two Lanuns, whom he put to death for killing the white men; the Sulus he could not kill, as that might have excited the resentment of the Sulu rajahs. He brought the vessel up the river, and put a strong guard in her, fearing the Lanuns would return, Memadam, of Tungku, having threatened to come back and recapture the schooner.
All present made great complaints of Tungku and other pirate places, saying it was impossible to carry on their trade in safety. Tuanku Yasin had only lately come to Benggaya from Labuk river; he intended opening a new country; he would have lived on the sea coast, but feared piratical attacks. Such was the account he rendered. He furnished us with supper, cooked by my servant, Ali; omelettes, stews, sliced sweet potatoes, rice, soup, which we enjoyed, and a bottle of wine made the meal complete.
Tuanku Yasin had unfortunately taken to opium, and this drug is doubtless the cause of his dissipated look. When I asked him whether we were the first Europeans he had met, he smilingly answered no, he had seen them once before. I afterwards found he had been a backer of Sherif Usman’s, and had defended the Maludu forts with great bravery, being the last man to quit the guns, and then only when the English force had cut away the boom and penetrated to the defences.
About one we intimated a desire to retire, and a comfortable raised sleeping place was provide for us, at the end of which three young chiefs slept with drawn krises, a guard of honour, I suppose, over us. Some of the people had never seen a white face before, and the town was in alarm, fearing all the sailors were about to ascend.
Nov. 1st.—At daylight I was up, writing out depositions, when I observed a number of men lounging near with lighted cigars; I drew my companion’s attention to the fact that these Sulus were actually smoking whilst leaning over twenty-five barrels of gunpowder. Soon after Tuanku Yasin made his appearance. He brought out the portion of the cargo which he had stowed away in his inner room, consisting of arms, guns, powder, cloths, and a number of small articles. After a good breakfast, and a friendly parting, we started. Argus pheasants were very numerous in the woods, and Sherif Yasin had constructed a large aviary under his house in which he had about ten or twelve, and he presented me with a very handsome pair. The men who manned the canoe placed at our disposal by Sherif Yasin, pulled down with the ebb at a good pace, and yet we did not reach the schooner until about ten, three hours’ rapid moving, perhaps above fifteen miles. The river winds in the most extraordinary manner; one place, divided now but by heavy drift, took us a two miles’ turn to arrive at the opposite side. We found the ship’s boats pulling up to meet us, thinking, as we had not returned that some accident had happened. Got the schooner under weigh, and then started in the cutter, reaching the steamer about seven.
3rd.—Having prepared the schooner for sea, we set off, towing her part of the way on her voyage back. A fleet of boats was reported ahead; all rushed on deck, thinking they might be the Lanuns about to attack Benggaya. I went up, and looking through the spy-glass, they appeared war-boats of large size. We steamed towards them; they drew up on the beach, and presently we saw the crews hurrying with their goods on shore; as we neared, they gradually appeared smaller and smaller; we had, in fact, been completely deceived by their looming over the waters. When abreast of them we anchored, and I went off in the gig to see who they were, intending to hail them and speak; but as we drew near our guides declared they were Baju boats, and this we soon found to be the case. They were small, neatly constructed, and fitted up for the residence of a family.
As we closed with the beach we waved a white handkerchief to them, and hailed; presently three men showed themselves, and came to us. One was a Sulu; two others were Bajus. They were rather big men, featured much like the Dayaks. They came from Banguey, and were bringing new boats to sell to Sherif Yasin. I invited them to come on board; they said they were in a great state of alarm, and men, women, and children rushed into the jungle, hiding their goods, as the Sulu man thought we might be Spaniards. They afterwards came on board. We inquired about clamp shells (the Concha gigas). They had never seen any longer than two feet. These Bajus were going to collect pearls at Lingkabu for the sultan of Sulu, who had made a contract to furnish some, I believe, to Mr. Wyndham. These men had never lived in houses.
I may conclude the story of the capture and recapture of the Dolphin schooner, by observing that an attempt was made to enter into communication with the Lanuns of Tungku, who, however, instead of respecting the white flag, fired on us, causing us some loss; we destroyed a few of their villages, but being only a desultory operation, it had no permanent effect. The British Government, hearing of the good conduct of Sherif Yasin, rewarded him liberally.
I have referred to those Baju boats going to Lingkabu, off the mouth of the Labuk river, to fish for pearls. The Sulu Archipelago furnishes, probably, a greater number of beds of valuable oysters than any other part of the world, and would, no doubt, be exceedingly productive, if proper measures were taken to develope them. At present, however, the natives confine themselves to dredging with what has been aptly described as the fluke of a wooden anchor, and consequently obtain but few. In shallower water, they occasionally dive, but are not sufficiently practised to do so when the sea is eight fathoms deep. I heard of an Englishman endeavouring to send down men with a regular diving helmet, but it was said he found that the current was so strong as to prevent the air passing down the tubes, by flattening them; but there must have been some mismanagement.
Occasionally some very fine pearls are obtained, and brought to Labuan for sale; I heard of one which was remarkably large and well shaped, purchased by the Hon. George Edwardes, late Governor of Labuan, and was pronounced, by all who saw it in the East, as the best that ever had been brought under their notice. I have seen very handsome ones myself, some perfectly round, others slightly pear-shaped.