The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-29 00:00:00

THE BORNEO PIRATES.

The following sequel to the account of the action
of the Nemesis with the piratical fleet off the Borneo
river is extracted from the Singapore Free Press of
Aug. 5 :
" Nine captives arrived here a day or two ago from
Bruni, part of those who were on board the fleet of
pirates attacked by the Nemesis. Their depositions
had been taken by the marine magistrate, and we
shall give the substance of the statements. made by
Oneof Lingin, from f,
rnomamewdhiAcihudhae,
sstates
sailedtshoamteheoif he
is
tam. native
about four months ago in a prahu, of which he was
Nacodah along with seven other men, for Pulo Sa •
hassan. They
.fell in with a fleet of pirates one day's
sale from Lingin, by whom they were seized. They
took the men out of the boat and shared them amongst
the different prahus, tying their hands and feet, plun-
dered the boat, and cut her adrift. They then pro-
ceeded to Siantan, where they seized several persons;
at Pulo Soobie they took seven men and women, and
at Pulo Tambelan they seized three or four more.
During their passage they saw a large schooner with
raking masts, and also sighted a brig off Sarawak. At
Pulo Sahassan they were fired upon by the inhabitants,
on which they thought it best to shear off. They then
debated whether they should touch at Sarawak river,
but it was finally determined to proceed to Borneo
Proper, as it was said a steamer was in Sarawak river.
They anchored off. Aloara river at eight o'clock at
night, and next morning seized two fishermen on the
shore. Between eight and nine P.M. they descried
the steamer coming down the Bruni river, and at noon
the action commenced. The prahu in which this
person was confined was the first that was sunk, after
ten out of the crew of thirty had been killed and
wounded. Of the captives a woman and a boy
.weie
shot, the prisoners being made to sit on the deck
during the action. The pirates and their captives
swam on shore, where they were attacked by the
Kadyan Dyaks, who, however, on ascertaining the
captives, treated them well and took theni to the
Sultan at Bruni. About 40 pirates were brought in
alive, and the captives were desired by the Sultan to
take their revenge and cut them up. This they de-
clined, saying, God is great, and will punish the
wicked.' The Sultan's people then tied the hands of
the pirates, and about 200 fell on them and cut them
to pieces, the Sultan undertaking to despatch half the
number, while the other half were handed over
to Pangeran Moormein. The captives, about
fifty in all, were treated with kindness by
the Sultan and his people. This man re-
lates, that while they were at Pulo Siantan the
boats were all hauled on shore to have their
bottoms charred. One of the Chinese captives being
sick and unable to work, they hanged him up to a
tree, and then fell on him and cut him to pieces.
Another person of the name of Buwang states that he
is a native of Columbo, a small island to the south-
ward of Lingin. About tour months ago, about 3
o'clock in the morning, their village. was attacked by
pirates. He, his mother, and two sisters made their
escape in a small boat and directed their course to
Lingin,back.
Theybut were r
were
overtaken
puto
ri
bboya
board
the pirates
large andpra
bbur,o
theirugh t
hands and feet being tied. The pirates then coasted
along to the eastward, touching at several of the
islands, such as the Tambelans, Siantan, Soobie,
Sahassan, &c. They took several people at these
places, men, women, and children. They several
times threatened to throw his little sister, a child of
10 months old, overboard, because she cried, but at
Buwang's entreaty they did not do so. Another of
the captives says that he saw the sick Chinaman hung
up and cut to pieces after a feast. There seems to
have been from seven to ten captives in each ( f the
pirate prahus, and it is probable, therefore, as only
about 60 have been yet collected, that a number must
be still in the jungle or have been killed in the en-
gagement, or afterwards by the Dyaks on landing,
being confounded with the pirates. Every fresh detail
we receive only adds a new horror to the picture of
pirate life, and here we find it in the pirates amusing
themselves, after a feast, by hanging up and cutting a
poor Chinaman to pieces.

MONEY MARKET.—The premium on gold at Paris
is 8 per mille, which, at the English Mint price of
3/. 17s. lOid. per ounce for standard gold, gves an ex-
change of 25 35 ; and the exchange at Psi is on London
at short being 25 42k, it follows that gold is 0.29 per
cent. dearer in London than in Paris. By advicea from
Hamburgh the price of gold is 433} per mark, which at
the English Mint price of 31. 17s. lOid. per ounce for
standard gold, gives an exchange of 13 9i ; and the ex-
change at liamburgh on London at short being 13 10,
it follows that gold is 0.34 par cent. dearer in London
than in lianiburgh.