r, and continued discharging
their weapons with greater fury than before. We now discovered, that
what we at first thought a great misfortune, namely, the leaky condition
of the vessel, was in reality the means of preserving our lives. Had it
not been for that, we should have remained bound and helpless; but in
order to allow us to work at baling out, the pirates had set us free.
Although the slaves are not usually expected to fight, yet in the
present desperate state of affairs, arms were put into their hands, and
they were told that if they did not defend themselves they would all be
slaughtered. Men often fight blindly, scarcely knowing for what, and
such was the case with these unfortunate wretches. I speak of the
slaves who had before been on the prahus to work the oars. Many of the
poor Dyaks still remained bound, though at the last moment their
countrymen endeavoured to relieve them. No sooner did the sides of the
two vessels touch, than the Malays, with that mad fury which sometimes
possess their race, endeavoured to climb up the sides of the brig,
careless of their own lives, and only seeking to destroy their enemies,
well knowing that they had not a chance of success. They were repulsed
with musketry, boarding pikes, and pistols; still on they rushed, the
death of some only increasing the madness of others. Fairburn and I,
with the Dutchmen, hung back, endeavouring to shelter ourselves from the
shot on the opposite side of the platform, till we could find an
opportunity to get on board. The Dyaks shrunk down appalled at the
unearthly din, unaccustomed as they were to so rapid a discharge of
fire-arms. But a fresh enemy was now assailing the devoted vessel of
the pirates. No one attending to baling her out, the water was rapidly
gaining on her; its ingress being expedited by the shot-holes lately
made. Loaded as she was with booty, with living men and dead bodies, as
the water rose she sunk lower and lower. Many of the wounded were
drowned where they lay. Several of the Dyaks, not yet released, shared
the same fate. We had time to cut the thongs which bound the limbs of a
few, when we saw that not another moment was to be lost. We had worked
our way forward as the pirates were clustering more thickly at the
stern. The bow of the prahu swung for a few seconds toward that of the
brig, the mast becoming entangled in the fore chain-plates; we seized
the opportunity, and crying out in Dutch and Englis