and then swimming off again when almost exhausted.
Two other praus were also plundered, and the crew of one
of them murdered to a man. They are said to he Sooloo
pirates, hut 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
Am, 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 hut 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.
Bain accompanies it almost every alternate hour, so that
it is- not a pleasant time. During such weather I can do
little, hut 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 barter their produce for what
they are most in need of. Knives, choppers, swords, guns,
tobacco, gambier, plates, basins, handkerchiefs, sarongs,
calicoes, and arrack, are the principal articles wanted by
the natives; hut some of the stores contain also.tep-coffee,
sugar, wine, biscuits, &c., for the supply of the traders; and
others are full of fancy goods, china ornaments, looking-
glasses, razors, umbrellas, pipes, and purses, which take
the fancy of the wealthier natives. Every fine day mats
are spread before the doors and the tripang is put out to
dry, as well as sugar, salt, biscuit, tea, cloths, and other
thillgs that get injured by an excessively moist atmosphere.
In the morning and evening, spruce Chinamen stroll about
or chat at each other’s doors, in blue trousers, white jacket,
and a queue into which red silk is plaited till it reaches
almost to their heels. An old Bugis hadji regularly takes