They notice fires on a hill and advance in battle formation. Their leader Aratoa notices a stick flying through the air to him and reaches out to grab it. This blow sends the band of warriors into disarray and they retreat back to the sea. For a long time nothing is heard of these pirates and the village warily returns to its original location, which it begins to fortify. Their civilisation advances on, forming a network of mines and forges throughout the continent.
Wonderful jewellery is made using the rich gold deposits found in the interior.
The pirates in the meantime play sport with whatever they can find, including the odd whaling vessel from the other side of the world. Their incursions into the continent become rarer as coastal villages develop more sophisticated defences. Instead, they begin to concentrate their activity to the north, where they throw in their lot with the Bugis and Macassans in preying upon small trading vessels. They meet their match, however, with the arrival of the Europeans, particularly the Portuguese and the Dutch, whose cannon power overwhelms their bows and arrows. The miners are naturally wary of their approach, but grow in confidence when Moanok offers to give all five of his wives as guarantee to the deal.