[Illustration:  Retreat of the Pirates and Death of Captain Davis.]

The governor occupied the whole night in strengthening the defences and posting the men in the most advantageous places.  Soon after day-break, the pirates, with Captain Davis at their head were discovered landing from the boats; and quickly marched across the open space toward the fort.  A brisk fire was opened upon them from the fort, which they returned in a spirited manner.  At length, a hand grenade, thrown from the wooden veranda of the fort killed three of the pirates; but several of the Portuguese were killed.  The veranda of the fort being of wood and very dry, it was set fire to by the pirates.  This was a great advantage to the attacking party, who could now distinguish those in the fort without their being so clearly seen themselves; but at this moment Captain Davis fell, mortally wounded by a musket ball in his belly.  The fall of their chief, and the determined resistance of those in the fort, checked the impetuosity of the assailants.  They hesitated, and at last retreated, bearing away with them their wounded commander.  The Portuguese cheered, and led on by the governor, now became the assailants.  Still the pirates’ retreat was orderly; they fired and retired rank behind rank successively.  They kept the Portuguese at bay until they had arrived at the boats, when a charge was made and a severe conflict ensued.  But the pirates had lost too many men; and without their Captain, felt dispirited.  As they lifted Davis into the boat in his dying agonies he fired his pistols at his pursuers.  They now pulled with all their might to escape from the muskets of the Portuguese, who followed them along the banks of the river, annoying them in their retreat to the vessel.  And those on board, who expected to hoist in treasure had to receive naught but their wounded comrades and dead commander.

[Illustration]

AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF THE MALAY PIRATES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

With a Narrative of the Expedition against the Inhabitants of Quallah Battoo, commanded by Commodore Downes.

A glance at the map of the East India Islands will convince us that this region of the globe must, from its natural configuration and locality; be peculiarly liable to become the seat of piracy.  These islands form an immense cluster, lying as if it were in the high road which connects the commercial nations of Europe and Asia with each other, affording a hundred fastnesses from which to waylay the traveller.  A large proportion of the population is at the same time confined to the coasts or the estuaries of rivers; they are fishermen and mariners; they are barbarous and poor, therefore rapacious, faithless and sanguinary.  These are circumstances, it must be confessed, which militate strongly to beget a piratical character.  It is not surprising, then, that the Malays should have been notorious for their depredations from our first acquaintance with them.