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JUNE, 1920]
EPISODES OF PIRACY IN THE EASTERN SEAS
EPISODES OF PIRACY IN THE EASTERN SEAS, 1510 TO 1851.
Br 8. CHARLES HILL.
97
(Continued from p. 84.)
XXV.
A MALAY PRAHU FLIES THE BLACK FLAG, 1820.
I have said that I have found records of only two occasions on which the Black flag was used in Eastern waters. The first was the raid of the pirate Seager or England in 1720, 66 the second was the fight given below between the brig Pallas with twenty Malay prahus, the leading one of which carried such a flag. I strongly suspect that there must have been a European leader in the Malay fleet, though the Captain of the Pallas apparently did not identify such a man. This supposition is strengthened by the fact that whereas the fight with the Pallas took place on the 2nd August 1820, the following paragraph appears in the Asiatic Journal for April 1820:
"Dutch Pirate. A Dutch pirate has made his appearance in the Eastern Seas. A man named Thunderwold, formerly a resident at one of the outposts in Java, whose property had been confiscated for some offence against the Dutch Government, has armed two brigs, one mounting 22 guns, and with 6 praus, is committing great depredations in those seas. It is stated that he has attacked and sunk 2 Dutch cruisers and is otherwise annoying their trade materially. A Dutch 74 and a frigate are gone in quest of this marauder, who, it is reported, is now cruising about the straits of Sincapore. We do not, however, learn that he has molested any vessel under British colours."
A noticeable point in regard to the fight with the Pallas is the absurd smallness of the cruisers, manned largely by lascars, which were sent by the Indian Government to suppress piracy in the Malay Archipelago. The same is true of the Dutch cruisers, but this fact does not wholly account for the long endurance of piracy in these seas. The habit was engrained in the very nature of the islanders and only constant watchfulness and swift punishment could avail to suppress it. The introduction of steam vessels made these possible, and it is almost a truism to say that it was Steam which destroyed Piracy. Little incidents, occurring right up to the present time, show that the spirit and will still exist.
Defeat of Malay Pirates.
"We have great pleasure in bringing to the notice of the Public the following account of an affair which does honour to the spirit with which it was maintained, the defeat of 20 Malay pirate prows off Coba on the island of Banca [Koba, on the East Coast], by the little brig Pallas of this port [Calcutta] of 150 tons.
Her crew consisted of 24 persons only when she left this port, including the Commander, Chief Mate, Gunner and Seacunnies.67
Captain Roberts modestly avoids taking notice of the part he bore in the action, but says, Too much praise cannot be bestowed on Mr. Smith, the Chief Mate, and his brave little crew for their conduct on this occasion, the whole of whom fortunately escaped unhurt.' We are not aware that the crew had been at all increased, but are informed that five of 67 See ante, note on p. 78.
66 See Episode No. XX, ante, p. 37.
