PIRATE CRAFT OF BORNEO

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gentle Dyak uses his "Eilean Pareng" for more domestic purposes than the decapitation of his neighbours or enemies. The weapon still remains general amongst them; the blade is about 22 in. long, 1 in. wide at the end, and only in. at the handle, which is made of Sambur deer horn, elaborately carved and ornamented, as well as the scabbard, with tufts of black and red hair.

The pirate craft are very narrow, with two large outriggers, so that when seen stem on they have the appearance of vast water spiders. The huge sail is made of fibre; to furl it it is rolled up; round the bulwarks are numerous bamboos to form a kind of balustrade instead of a life-line. The pirates used to be armed with heavy "parengs," interspersed with a great variety of bills and catchpoles, instruments shown by the warders in the Tower of London. The accommodation on board is very much limited, in fact hardly required in such a lovely climate as lat. 5° N.

The north part of this vast island is known as British North Borneo, now rapidly developing under a royal charter, with Sandaken for its capital, under the Protectorate of Great Britain. This was obtained in 1888. The natives are indolent, but the proximity of Chinese supply many who are too glad to settle down under peaceful English rule and grow vegetables, and John Chinaman does that admirably anywhere, wherever he may be.

SULU CRAFT AT SANDAKAU.

THIS schooner-rigged craft was rather a surprise when she loomed in the distance, heading for Sandakau Bay and Harbour. When she brought up she presented a very home-made but foreign appearance, for her masts were comparatively untrimmed sticks with bowsprit en suite. She was carrying Mahommedans on a pilgrimage to Mecca, with the ladies in the thatched house midships; poor things, would they ever get there? did they ever get there? Deponent sayeth not.

She is not a bad craft in design, and has lines very like an Arab dhow, which can go anywhere, with the Indian Ocean for its natural habitat, with Bombay at one end and the Red Sea and Berbera for the other. Were they converted Sea Bajaus, determined to atone for all their past sins by this little yachting expedition across the Indian Ocean? They ought to be all right up to Acheen Head, when, if the pirates of that lively locality did not stop them, they would have then to face the dangers of the deep. That is not all; when they arrive at the sacred object of that

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