A NIGHT CHASE AFTER A PRAHU.

69

CHAP. VI.

A Night Chase after a Prahu. - The Chase. The Prahu manœuvres admirably. - Jadee volunteers to board her. The Capture. - A Piratical Saint. - The Saint at Prayers.

The Saint's Deportment. — The Saint's Martyrdom. Defensive Measures. - Escape of Siamese Prisoners. - Sufferings of the Siamese Prisoners. A curious Mode of Sketching.

THE pluck and zeal of my crew often struck me, but never perhaps more than on the occasion I am about to relate.

We had had a long and unsuccessful chase one day after a fast-pulling prahu, and the crew being much exhausted, I anchored for the night at the mouth of a small river called the Furlong, about two miles north of Quedah fort. Heartily tired with the past day's exertion, all my crew soon dropped asleep, except the usual look-out man, and I donned my blanket frock and trousers, and threw myself on the deck to rest. About ten o'clock I was aroused one-eyed fellow called " Souboo,"

by a fine old

"Touhan!"* whispered he, "a large two-masted prahu has just sailed past us!" "Where?-in what

direction?" I asked. "To leeward, sir!" said Souboo, as he dropped upon his knees and peered along the water, over which the night mists were moving; "there she is a real 'capel prahu,' and sailing very fast." To up anchor and make sail to the land-breeze did not take many minutes; the sweeps were manned, and the guns cleared for action.

Whilst my little craft was flying through the water, I questioned Souboo as to how it was he first got sight of the prahu. "The wind was rather along the land than off it," said he, "and I was watching the mouth of the river, when suddenly happening to turn my head to seaward, I saw a prahu come out of the mist and almost tumble on board of us, as she hauled in for the stream; but in a minute her course was changed, and she bore up for the southward with flowing sheets."

"All right," exclaimed Jadee, "we will have herthere is a twenty-mile run for her to the Bountings, and before that ground is gone over the fog will have cleared off and the wind fail."

"How if she

* Touhan, in this sense, was equivalent to generally used as Mr. would be in English.

"Sir;" it is

THE PRAHU MANOEUVRES ADMIRABLY.

71

hauls up, and goes to the northward?" I suggested. "No Malay man tries to sail against the wind with a prahu, when the white man is in chase of him, Touhan!" said Jadee; "and if Souboo's description of this vessel is correct, she is one of the war-prahus of Mahomet Alee's fleet!"

Under this pleasing anticipation, Jadee got quite excited; and I must say I joined in the feeling, as the gun-boat listed to the breeze, and her dashing crew bent with a will to their oars. The zealous Campar handed to Jadee the longest and ugliest creese in his stock, and I observed all the men stick their short knives in their girdles ready for a fray. "No prahu yet!" I exclaimed, after running two or three miles through the mist. "We will catch her!" responded Jadee; and almost as he said the word, we seemed to be aboard of a large-sized prahu, running the same way as ourselves. There was a yell of delight from the Number Threes, as my crew styled themselves, and one as of astonishment from the prahu; but in a moment she, what is termed, jibbed her sails, and slipped out of sight again before we could dip our heavy yards and lug-sails. Altering our course so as to intercept her in her evident intention to seek a hiding-place in the Bounting Islands, the bow-gun was cleared away and

72 JADEE OFFERS TO BOARD THE PRAHU.

loaded with grape, ready to knock away her masts when another opportunity offered. Again we ran almost upon her, our sails being at the time boomed out "wing and wing." "Lower your sails, and surrender!" Jadee shouted, as I fired, and brought down her mainsail. For a minute her capture seemed certain; but we had to deal with no novice. As we shot past the prahu, going nearly eight knots, she dropped her foresail, put her helm hard down, and long before our sails could be furled and the gunboat's head got round, the villanous prahu was out of sight astern. I fancy I swore; for Jadee called the lost prize a "d-d poul," which she most decidedly was not, and added that he evidently was a pig! and would not fight."

We still determined to adhere to our original course, confident of the prahu having no shelter nearer than the islands, and were rewarded as the mist cleared away by again sighting her. I soon saw that we were by far the faster sailer with the fresh breeze then blowing, and determined not to let her escape me this time. I proposed, if three or four men would follow me, to jump on board of her, and prevent her escape, until the gun-boat got fairly alongside. Jadee at once seized the idea, and only so far altered it as to persuade me, through the

assistance of the interpreter, that the Malays in the prahu would be more likely to surrender quietly to a countryman who could assure them of quarter, than they would be at the sight of a naval officer, when fright alone might make them run a muck, and cause a needless loss of life.

Accordingly, Jadee and his three boarders stood ready at the bow, and, looking at them as they stood on the gunwale, eagerly eyeing the prahu as we rushed at her, they would have made a fine study for a painter. They were nearly naked, with the exception of a sarong wrapped round the left arm, to ward off such blows as might be aimed at them; in the waist-belt, across the small of their backs, each had stuck his creese, and a sharp short cutlass dangled from their wrists. Strange sights indeed do travellers see! but, for disinterested devotion and bravery, I question whether a finer example could be shown than that of these dark-skinned subjects of Queen Victoria.

As we closed the prahu, no answer was returned to our hail to surrender. "All ready!" said Jadee, swinging himself almost out of the rigging with "Look out!" I shouted, and fired again. at the sails. The prahu repeated her old manœuvre, but we checkmated her this time, for as our side

eagerness.