Singapore, when they build churches, build steeples, as they do in modern England, for birds to build in, instead of aisles in which Christians may pray.

But what have I to do with the shore? Let us return to the Hyacinth, and busy ourselves, painting and polishing, until every one belonging to her begins to believe she is the most beautiful thing that ever floated. The first lieutenant has holystoned the decks and scraped the masts, until both are as bright as a hound's tooth; the boatswain has been driven distracted by having to square and resquare the yards in consequence of some slight flaw being detected in their parallelism, and confides to me, as I steer him on board for the sixth time, that "He'll be d-d if he doesn't think them yards are enchanted, for, somehow, he used to square the Wapse's yards in five minutes;" and the carpenter has been "cutting out" the white streak here, and "cutting in" the black paint of the hull there, until he fancies he has brought the appearance of the old sloop to as near perfection as it is possible for mortal man to do.

CHAPTER II.

INTERNAL ECONOMY-FISHING-PARTIES-RUMOURS OF PIRATESNEWS OF AN ILLANOON SQUADRON-A FLOATING MENAGERIEAN ENCOUNTER WITH PIRATES-THE HYACINTH SEARCHES FOR PIRATES-A WAR-FLEET HEARD OF-QUEDAH POLITICS-WE ARE REQUIRED TO AID THE SIAMESE-RAPID EQUIPMENT OF PIRATE FLEET — THE MALAYS ARE WARNED OF THE COMING RETRIBUTION-CAPTAIN WARREN VISITS THE PIRATE FLEET

ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE TO EQUIP A FLOTILLA — THE HYACINTH AND GUNBOATS OFF QUEDAH-MY GUNBOAT AND CREW THE COXSWAIN'S EXCITABILITY-THE INTERPRETER'S

APPEARANCE.

THE Captain has gone ashore to take up his quarters with the Governor; the second-lieutenant says it is his duty to be out of the ship as much as possible in harbour, and has gone to carry his theory into practice. Those of the subordinate officers who are blest with funds go on shore to hire horses, and try and ride their tails off; those that have not, calculate the number of days that must intervene before they have a right to inform their affectionate relatives, through the Navy Agents, that they are alive, and of course doing well, and are heard to assert that they will commemorate the cashing of that prospective bill by feats in horsemanship and gastronomy which would make both steeds and

CRICKET AND FISHING PARTIES.

13

poultry tremble could they only hear them. Being of those whose happiness was involved in a cheque not yet arrived at maturity, I stayed on board; and, by way of amusement, cricket and fishing parties were made up. Of the former I shall not speak; for any one can form an idea of what cricketing must be at a distance of sixty miles from the equator, the temperature at the time we played, 3 P.M., being about 84° in the shadiest part of Singapore. The seining-parties were decidedly the most pleasant and healthy. The plan of proceedings usually consisted in either of the two seniors of the midshipmen's berth obtaining permission from the first-lieutenant to make up a fishing-party; that done, there was a selection of volunteers from the seamen, marines, and boys, sufficient to man the cutter and jolly-boat. Into the latter boat the seine-poles and lines were carefully placed, and in the cutter a goodly store of biscuit and pork, tea, coffee, and a little private stock of spirits. A couple of good frying-pans and some lard were of course a necessary addition, in order that we might enjoy a supper upon fish fresh from the water-a gastronomic treat in all climates, but doubly so in the East Indies. After evening quarters, the fishermen repaired to their boats, clad in any old clothes they chose to put on; and just as evening closed in we would leave the ship, repair to some beautiful sandy beaches among the neighbouring islands, and there, through the early part of the night, fish away to our hearts' content, then muster round a roaring fire, enjoy a merry supper of fried fish, rashers of pork, and biscuit, washed down with tea or coffee made in a teakettle in gypsy fashion. The supper over, a glass of grog

per man would be produced from the officers' private store, pipes would be lit, songs would be sung, and yarns told, until the small hours warned us to return to our floating home and the next day's routine. These nightparties, in after days, led us into strange adventures and funny scenes but I will not forestall my narrative; suffice it that at that time we were novices in the East, and all was charming, strange, and exciting.

Eagerly believing, eagerly listening to all that transpired around us, it may be supposed that nothing was more keenly sought for, by all on board the Hyacinth, than news about Malay pirates, those ogres, those bogies of the Archipelago; and just then two events happened, sufficient to satiate the appetite for the piratical for some time to come. The one was of the past, but still not long since. The Wolf, a sister-sloop that we had come out to relieve and send home, had twice fallen in with piratical squadrons.

On the first occasion, her boats, consisting of a pinnace and cutter, fell in with the pirates in a fine bay near Cape Romania, the extreme southern point of the Malayan peninsula. The prahus, some twelve or thirteen in number, fought the boats and escaped, the forces being very disproportionate. This fact sharpened our eagerness, and we naturally longed for an equally good opportunity, an anxiety which was soon likely to be gratified, as the traders from Cochin-China and Siam had reported that an Illanoon squadron was cruising amongst the islands which lie on the eastern side of the peninsula, and intercepting prahus and junks bound to Singapore. The Wolf had been despatched after

A FLOATING MENAGERIE.

15

these gentry, and the Diana steamer likewise, with a gunboat in tow, when the fact became undoubted of the existence of Illanoons. We awaited intelligence of their movements, and shortly afterwards the Diana arrived from a place called Tringanau, about sixty miles to the northward, and reported that an action had taken place, and the pirates, after fighting like heroes, had, it was supposed, retreated to their own country across the China Sea.

One fine morning our gallant captain sent off to express his astonishment that the arrival of H.M.S. Wolf had not been reported to him. I hardly fancy his astonishment was greater than our own, on the fact being ascertained to be true; for, although a vessel had been seen to come in, no one supposed she was a manof-war. I fancy that it was the skill displayed in dis guising the Wolf that had made her so successful in falling in with Malay pirates; and I must say the effort made to give her the appearance of a merchantman was carried to a wonderful extent; for even when on board of her it was difficult to realise the fact that a pennant flew overhead. She was a perfect floating menagerie. Baboons flew playfully at your legs; a loathsome orangoutang, or 'man of the woods," crawled up to shake hands, and made you thank Providence that man, in the progressive theory, had at any rate advanced a stride or two above the creature before you; pigs and peccaries, sheep, fowls, a honey bear, and a black panther, formed a scene Wombwell would have gloated over; whilst Mr Gould, or any other ornithologist, might have found a week's work in classifying all the parrots, louries, and