nd Chinese, who cheat and plunder
them.

"While we are opening up Africa, it seems to me that we should make an
effort to civilise and carry the blessings of Christianity to the
numberless inhabitants of Borneo beyond the province of Sarawak."

We passed through the Straits of Balabac, between Borneo and the long
island of Palawan into the Sooloo Sea, said to be infested by pirates,
who have little difficulty in escaping pursuit among the numerous
islands to the south, forming the Looloo Archipelago. To the east of us
were the Philippine islands, owned and misgoverned by the Spaniards.

We, however, kept along the coast of Borneo, and though pirates might
have swarmed in its bays and rivers, we were fortunate in not falling in
with any. We met, however, several traders, Chinese as well as Malay,
from whom we made inquiries through Ned respecting the wreck of an
English vessel in those seas. Blyth also endeavoured to obtain
information as to where the articles we wished to procure were most
likely to be obtained. The captain of one of the Malay vessels came on
board us to do some trading on his own account. As he seemed inclined
to be communicative, we put several questions to him through Ned, who
was evidently highly interested in the replies he received.

To our questions as to what the Malay said, Ned replied, "He tells me,
sir, that he has heard of several white men being at a village on the
banks of a large river some way up from the coast. As far as I can make
out, they have been there a long time, and the natives won't let them
get away. The people he speaks of may be Captain Musgrave and some of
my old shipmates; but yet it does not seem to me from the sort of
country he describes that it can be near the place where the `Amphion'
was lost."

We told Ned to inquire if one of the men belonging to the prahu would be
willing to pilot us up the river, promising him a handsome reward if he
would do so, and undertaking to set him on shore at any place he might
name which we could reach. For this purpose the first mate, Blyth, and
I, taking Ned, went with the Malay captain on board his vessel.
Summoning his crew, he explained the object of our visit and the offer
which had been made. After a long palaver a man stepped out and
expressed his readiness to accompany us. The Malay captain, after a
short talk with the man, introduced him to us, saying that his name was
Kalong, that he was well acquainted with th