The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-09
LAST OF THE PIRATES.
Panglima Laut Terrorized the East
Indian Archipelago.


Indian Archipelago.
Prof. B. J. Skertchly who is staying
for week or so at the Murray Hill
Hotel, is widely travelled man, says
the New York Tribune, and has many
Interesting experiences to relate. He
is an Englishman by birth, but at pres
ent he considers himself resident Of
Australia. He has lived in almost ev-
cry quarter of the globe. For many
years he made his home in North Bor-
neo, and while sojourning there he
made the acquaintance of Panglima
Laut, said to be the last of the pirate
chiefs. In a conversation with a Trib-
une reporter yesterday afternoon, the
professor said
Until within the last 20 years pira-
cy was the only liberal profession wor
thy of the Malay gentlemen who infest-
ed the East Indian archipelago, say,
from Singapore to Timor Laut. Like
some other eminently respectable pro-
fessions, it has fallen into decadence,
owing chiefly to the close patrolling of
the sea by British and other war YES
sells. The most dreaded of these pirates
were two tribes, called the Illanus and
the Baglinini whose legends say that
they were driven from Johar about the
time of King Solomon, in consequence
Of being mixed up in the abduction of
the Princess Ayesha, daughter of the
sultan of Sulu. over which island the
United States recently hoisted Old Clio
ry. These people were compelled to
take to the seas, and until 20 years ago
they terroriZed the islands from Bor-
neo to the Moluccas. In the new Brit
ish territory of North Borneo the last
of their strongholds exists, and here
lives Panglima Laut, a six-foot. slen-
der, wlry f1erce-eyed warrior, who
made periodical raids along the Borneo
! shores, generally for plumber and
slaves, but often for pure devilment,
and just to keep his hand in He had
praus some of which had so paddlers,
and all of which sailed like witches
Most of them were outraged, and were
as safe as lifeboats.
! when the Panglima felt weary it
was his custom to don his brightest silk
garments, tie his small turban with a
knowing little cocktail over his right
ear, shave the right side of his mus
| tache. and swear never to sheathe his
kris, or short sword. until his mus
tache had grown again. He was 'ka-
BAL that Is, invincible, for he had gone
through some strange ceremony, which
convinced him that no steel or lead
could ever kill him unless in the hands
| of English or Americans. The Malay
places the Anglo-Saxons in a very ex-
allied place by themselves, but he looks
on the Portuguese, Dutch and Span
iards as having no greater power than
himself. Starting on pirate raid, the
Panglima would give battle to any
praus encountered on the high seas I'm
less the crews were his brother cut
threats, and as quarter was neither
asked nor given. the fights always re-
suited in decisive victory for one par
~ or 9th I'M n.
was never defeated at sea or on shore
His fleet of war praus would hover in
the offing until sunset, and then sud-
denly swoop down on coast village
and plumber it,
"On one occasion not long ago, II men
fell by the Panglima's kris in fair, open,
hand to-hand combat. The poor fell
low IS now simply native chief under
British rule, living in his old pirate
haunt on Darnel Bay, North Borneo.
Trade has been bad with him, and he
complained to me that, although he was
growing wealthy, all the fun had gone
out of his life. He had been reduced
TO what we might almost term a domes-
| tic and friendly piracy among his own
people for some years, maintaining his
family by levying 'tithes,' amounting
however, to almost 100 per cent, upon
| boats engaged in fishing. His occu.
patton ceased. and his great heart broke
when, after having deAed the English
and most plucki1y stood up against an
armed force he was asked in friend
ly way to come and watch the effect
of a Maxim gun before that instrument
was allowed to play its war tune tc
his people. He saw the rain of bul.
lots playing with precision upon dis.
tant objects, and then, thrusting his
kris home into his scabbord. he Gov
cred the handle with his coat. in toker
of friendliness, and pathetically ex.
claimed:
This is not fair It doesn't give 2
poor pirate a chancei'
Finally he succumbed to civiliza.
ton at Mrs Skertchlys hands, by sub.
hitting to be photographed But il
took half a day of moral suasion tc
get him to stand up before something
which, after his Maxim gun experi.
ence, he believed might be some Other
kind of Internal machine and as his
wife and family were also likely to be
victims, he first made a careful investi
cation, putting his head under the
black cloth, and keeping his hand on his
half-drawn kris all the time. He was
scarcely satisfied, apparently, but de-
termined to risk it, and stood like ada.
mant willie the exposure was beine
made. The pictures Of his wife anf
children were not good, because the,
were shaking with fright, but Pangli
mas was excellent,