Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy: A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities.Anonymous
History
Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy: A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities.
Anonymous
Mutiny; Pirates; Seafaring life; Shipwrecks
They passed many towns and saw many proas within the harbors. Having
observed a retired place, they landed to procure some fresh water, but
they had hardly got a draught each, when two canoes were seen coming
to the very place where they were. They immediately shoved off and
kept on their course all day. Just as the sun went down they
discovered two canoes not far from them fishing. As soon as the
natives saw them they made the best of their way to the shore. Captain
Woodward wished to inquire the distance to Macassar, but not being
able to stop them he made for one of two canoes which he saw at a
distance lying at anchor. Being told that the captain was below and
asleep he went down and awakened him. He came on deck with three or
four men all armed with spears, and inquired where they were going.
Captain Woodward told him to Macassar and inquired of him the distance
to that place. He answered that it would take a month and a day to
reach it. Captain Woodward told him it was not true and made the best
of his way off. The Malays however made chase, but Captain Woodward
and his men by putting out to sea and making great exertion, soon lost
sight of them and were able again to stand in towards the land.
At daylight they discovered a number of fishing canoes, two of which
made towards them. They let them come alongside as there was only one
man in each. One of them came on board and Captain Woodward put the
same question to him respecting Macassar. He first said it would take
thirty days to reach there and asked them to go on shore and see the
Rajah. But they declined doing this, and he afterwards acknowledged
that a proa could go there in two days.
They then left the canoe and sailed along the coast. At evening they
perceived a proa full of Malay men set off from the shore. It was soon
along side, and four of them jumping into the boat nearly upset her,
and thus Captain Woodward and his men were again prisoners of the
Malays. They were carried to a town called Pamboon and then conducted
to the Rajah's house. The Rajah demanded of them whence they came and
whither they were going. Captain Woodward answered the same as before;
he also told him that they must go immediately, and must not be
stopped. They had now become so familiar with dangers and with
captures, and were also so much nearer Macassar, than they could have
expected after so many narrow escapes, that they became more and more
desperate and confident, from the persuasion that they should at last
reach their destined port.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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