Mr. Wyndham had formerly served as a mate under Lord Cochrane, when he commanded a frigate in South America, and was with him when he performed some of his most brilliant actions, and having his old uniform perhaps saved his life. Mr. Wyndham also told us that, a few years ago, a vessel was brought into Sugh for sale by the Lanuns, which had been taken in the following manner:--The _Maria Frederica_, commanded by a man of the name of Andrew, was detained in a calm, when two Lanun boats approached and begged a few supplies. One of the men, who hated the captain, asked them why they did not come on board. The captain was unwell, and there was no one to stop them. Immediately forty of them sprang on deck, flourishing their swords, and drove the crew below, seized the captain, and brought the vessel to Tungku. They there buried the white men up to their waists in sand, and cut them to pieces with their swords. This it is said they did at the instigation of the traitor. Mr. Wyndham offered 150 dollars for him, but they would not part with him, fearing that the Englishman meant to put him to death. The vessel, I heard, was bought by a Spanish captain.[11] The Jilolo men are said to co-operate with the Lanuns in their excursions, and were the pirates who attacked Sir Edward Belcher. One of the men present on that occasion, who was living at Sugh during our visit, gave the following account: The sultan of Jilolo sent a fleet of boats to take prisoner a tributary rajah of New Guinea, whom they got on board and killed. In returning, they saw the Samarang boats, which the chief man mistook for native prahus, though our informant insisted they were Dutch boats, upon which the order was given to fire, and they were astonished by the severe thrashing they got from our blue-jackets, under the command of Sir Edward Belcher. No doubt these men are always ready to pirate when they have a chance. Mr. Wyndham also told me that when he was at the Aru group, it was said that the people of New Guinea were also piratical. His companions pointed to a long light boat, that was on the look-out to catch fishermen: this account agreed with what we had formerly heard. These are a scourge to the natives, but not dangerous to European vessels, yet in the end equally mischievous to trade. Accidentally we hear anecdotes that show more of the character of the government and people than even minute investigations. The following illustrates the degree of protection afforded by the chiefs even to their guilty followers, unless bribed beyond the value of the man. There was a slave here who was in the constant habit of robbing the Chinese, and had, in his endeavours to escape capture, killed several of them. The Chinese petitioned that he should be put to death, but could not obtain this favour until they had compensated the chief by giving him double the value of the slave; he then had him tied up and cut to pieces.