er, we're prepared for them."

For some hours the breeze continued steady. Soon after noon it again
fell, and our pursuers crept closer to us. It was somewhat exciting,
and kept us all alive, though it did not spoil our appetites. The whole
of the day they were in sight, but when the wind freshened up again in
the evening we once more distanced them. The night passed as the former
had done. We could not tell when we went below what moment we might be
roused up to fight for our lives. I for one did not sleep the worse for
that.

The breeze was pretty steady during the middle watch, and I was not on
deck again till it was broad daylight. The second mate, who had been
aloft, reported that the pirates were still in sight, but farther off
than they were the day before, and the breeze now freshening, their
hulls sank beneath the horizon, and we fully expected to see no more of
them. We sighted Timor about three weeks after leaving Gely, and in the
evening brought up in a small bay, with a town on its shore, called
Cushbab. Our object was to obtain vegetables and buffalo meat.

The natives are Malays, and talk Portuguese. Nearly all those we met on
shore carried creeses, or long, sharp knives, in their belt, which they
use on the slightest provocation. Every boy we saw had a cock under his
arm. The people seemed to spend all their time in cock-fighting. They
are very fond of the birds, which are of enormous size; considerably
larger than any English cocks. Being unable to obtain any buffaloes
here, we got under way, and anchored in another bay some way to the
west, where we obtained twelve animals.

At first they were very wild when we got them on board, but in a few
hours became tame, and would eat out of our hands. They were destined,
however, for the butcher's knife. Some of the meat we ate fresh, but
the larger quantity was salted down for sea stores. The unsalted meat
kept for a very short time, and we had to throw a large piece overboard.
The instant it reached the water up came two tiger sharks, which fought
for it, seizing each other in the most ferocious manner possible, and
struggling together, although there was enough for both of them.

After leaving Timor we steered along the south-east coast of Java, and
then shaped a course across the Indian Ocean for the Cape of Good Hope.
The wind was fair, the sea smooth, and I never remember enjoying a
longer period of fine weather. In consequence of th