Two days later the sultan sent a couple of prahus full of armed men to demand the return of his wives.
For as he spoke they swept round a bend, and the busy scene of excitement about the prahus and sampans, into which armed men were springing, passed from their sight.
There were the two prahus in front, crowded on the shore side with men, and a short distance to the left was the boat in which they had ascended the river, quite empty, for the crew were now in the first prahu.
The first mate went aloft with the glass in his hand directly the first faint streak of day appeared in the sky, to look-out for the prahus the moment the rays of the sun, striking on their sails, should enable him to see them.
While the greater part of the people were sleeping on shore, not suspecting danger, a number of armed prahus pulled into the harbour, and, undiscovered, they got alongside the brig.
Having accomplished their work of destruction to their entire satisfaction, with little loss to themselves, they shoved their prahus into the stream, and proceeded as fast as they could towards the sea.
The prahus were now so deeply laden that the Illanons were anxious to return as fast as possible to their own country.
Their prahus are seventy feet long; their greatest beam not being more than ten feet, and they sit very low on the water.
I speak of the slaves who had before been on the prahus to work the oars.
The whole line of prahus were seen to haul their wind, and to stand directly for us.
On a cliff above the town is the fort of Concordia, and near it a brook, just deep enough to float small prahus for a few yards.
She mounted four carronades, and one long brass gun amidships, besides numerous swivels on her bulwarks, to enable her to contend in every way with any piratical prahus we might encounter.
When, on further examination, they found nothing else to carry off, they dragged me down to the shore, off which several of their prahuswere lying at anchor.
We could observe the sails of the prahus gliding by to the westward like silent phantoms in the cold pale light of the morning.
We soon, however, perceived that we were seen and watched, for some of their prahus shortly tacked and stood in a direction to cut us off--so thought Captain Van Deck.
During the darkness the survivors made their escape unpursued, though they could see the prahus approaching the burning wreck soon after they had left her.
There was a breeze, and the prahus profited by it by spreading all their sails, but it did not serve to cool the air.
The frigate, under all sail, was coming round the point on the left hand, while the prahus were endeavouring to get away out of the range of her shot to the right or south side of the island.
Just then a puff of wind blew aside the mist, and exhibited some twenty prahus or more drawn up in order of battle, and ready to receive them.
There were numerous deep indentations, bays, and gulfs, with bluff cliffs here here there, and high rocks scattered about, capital spots in which whole fleets of prahus might lie hid without much chance of being discovered.
They could not bring themselves to believe that a whole fleet of pirate prahus would ever wait their attack for a moment, they felt almost sure that directly they appeared the enemy would attempt to escape.
The fog now cleared, and Jack saw that the prahus themselves were drawing in with the land.
While, however, they were still in doubt, a current of air it seemed blew off the top of the mist just as froth is blown from a mug of ale, and the upper sails of a fleet of prahus appeared not a quarter of a mile from the shore.
There is a good deal of trade from this river, and it annually sends several largeprahus to Singapore: two were lying off the town when we arrived, and two others had sailed for that place twenty days before.
The leaders of the piratical prahus are sometimes poetically addressed by their followers as Matari, i.
I certainly never made so sure of any thing in my life as of capturing the three prahus after I had seen them safe at the bottom of the little bay at Tanjong Datu: but "there is many a slip between the cup and the lip.
This village sends yearly two prahus to Singapore.
The three prahus were the same Illanun pirates we had so suddenly come upon off Cape Datu in the Dido, and they belonged to the same fleet that Lieut.
Each of the attacking prahus had between fifty and sixty men, including slaves, and the larger one between ninety and a hundred.
The three other prahus then commenced a spirited fire from their guns and small arms, assisted by a flight of arrows and spears.
The pirates, finding that we were retreating, returned to their prahus and fired their guns at us, but without effect.
The foremost of the prahus approached within ten yards of the barge, lowered her sail, and rounded to.
On his arrival in the bay we were not in sight, and perceiving several prahus with flags flying and gongs beating, he naturally concluded that we had been overpowered, and he was making the best of his way towards the ship.
While off this river we had notice given us that there was a fleet of 100 piratical prahus lying off the island of Balabac.
The engagement continued with great vigour for some time, when their fire slackened; and shortly afterwards two more of the prahus were deserted by their crews, who made for the shore; the fourth made off.
We had not, however, been recumbent long, ere the sounds of gongs were heard at a distance; and shortly afterwards the man on the look-out reported that three prahus were coming into the bay.
We next went over the naval arsenal, for being then at peace with every body, their prahus were hauled up under cover of sheds.
It would appear also that there was some mistake as to the number of men on board of the prahus and the number killed.
It was now daylight, and on looking around we perceived five more prahus off a point between the gig and ourselves in the barge and several others pulling in from seaward.
On our arrival in the bay with the barge and cutters, we found that the prahus had hauled into a creek, on the banks of which was a masked battery, which opened a spirited fire upon us as soon as we came within range.
The Dutchmen, however, knew this too, and kept closing gradually upon us; and when they saw our prahus bailing out water and blood, they knew we were suffering and cheered like devils.
But a brave Datoo with his shattered prahus saved us; he proposed to let the Dutchmen board her, creese [stab with a kris] all that did so, and then trust to Allah for his escape.
Three prahus in all were sunk and the whole force dispersed.
Our thirteen prahus had all been fitted out in and about Singapore.
They drive us into our prahus to escape their taxes and laws, and then declare us pirates and put us to death.
He was right, for a little gunboat was rapidly ascending the river, and one of the prahus began to settle down in front of the fort, while the other used her sweeps to get away.
The captain turned away, and the next minute the fight on all sides was general, the enemy winning their way nearer and nearer, and a couple of prahus sending a shower of ragged bullets from their brass lelahs over the attacking party's heads.
The prahus were now within a couple of hundred yards of the steamer, and had begun firing iron shot from their little brass lelahs, when the first gun spoke out.
The suspense grew maddening, as the noise of the engagement between the prahus and the "Startler" increased.
The news that one of theprahus was about, up the river, set the ship's company on the qui vive once more.
Yes, I think they are prahus moored to the trees," he said, examining them through the glass.
These small prahus have usually swivels mounted, which, although not of great calibre, are capable of throwing a shot beyond the range of small-arms.
These prahus frequent the shores of Malacca Straits, Cape Roumania, the Carimon Isles, and the neighboring straits, and at times they visit the Rhio Straits.
These are the most noted, but there are many minor places, where half a dozen prahus are fitted out.
Those of Sulu, and those who go under the name of the Lanuns, have prahus of larger size, and better fitted.
In the spring, from February to May, they are engaged in procuring their supplies, in fishing, and refitting their prahus for the coming year.
Their prahus are of much smaller size than those of Sulu, being from ten to twelve tons burden, but in proportion they are much better manned, and thus are enabled to ply with more efficiency their oars or paddles.
We passed for some distance between the bridges to the landing, and on our way saw several piratical prahus apparently laid up.
Scarcely had the prahus issued from the pool, than the guns of the ship were heard.
Two of Rajah Sehi's prahus go up and down river; stop all boats.
This is just the sort of place," the lieutenant said to Harry, "where the rajah's prahus may be hidden away.
Mr. Morrison," he said, "it seems to me that this is a likely place for the prahus to be hidden.
They were each asked their opinion as to whether the prahus could force their way through the creek by which they had ascended.
It will be a serious business to attack them in the boats alone; these prahus carry a tremendous lot of men, and the Malays will fight desperately.
The two reports sounded as if one, and were mingled with the explosion of shells as they struck the prahus exactly on the waterline.
As the prahusthat had been up there were destroyed, the river was safe for them to descend.
Each of the prahus has probably got at least half a dozen small guns, and it would be hardly possible to work our pieces unless the men were protected from their concentrated fire.
Before dark the vessel moved slowly out of the harbor, setting a course across the strait in the direction that the war prahus had taken.
Neither ventured forth from his place of concealment, for beyond the Ithaca ten prahus were pulling gracefully into the quiet waters of the basin.
So the ten war prahus of the Malay pulled quietly out of the little cove upon the east side of the island, and bending their way toward the south circled its southern extremity and bore away for Borneo.
Turning to the other prahus he saw that one was already launched, but that the crew of the other was engaged in a desperate battle with the seven remaining members of his crew for possession of the boat.
They were peaceful fishermen, they explained, whose prahus had been wrecked in the recent typhoon.
The prahus were drawn up upon the bank and the warriors were preparing to eat.
Two prahus lay directly beneath them, and into these the head hunters were scrambling.
On and on they paddled up the river, gleaning from the dwellers in the various long-houses information of the passing of the two prahus with Barunda, Ninaka, and the white girl.
The Ithaca lay now in about five feet of water, and the war prahus of Muda Saffir rode upon her seaward side, so that those who manned them did not see the twelve who splashed through the water from land.
The people told me that I might photograph the arrangements incident to the feast as much as I desired, and also promised to furnish prahus and men when I wished to leave.
The Malay trader takes his prahus incredibly far up the rivers.
The natives had some trouble deciding how the prahus should be divided among them, the kapala insisting upon having the largest and best for himself.
The Dayaks, however, who have little to concern them except their prahus, in which is left whatever baggage they may have, as usual slept in the prahus or on the stony beach.
He wanted to bring too many prahus and men, for all the male population of the kampong were anxious to get this job, he said.
Having been relieved of their loads the prahus were hauled, one at a time, around a big promontory situated just opposite a beautiful cascade that falls into the river on the mountainous side.
Below them we halted and threw explosive Favier into the water in the hope of getting fish, and as soon as the upheaval of the water began the Kenyahs, as if by a given signal, hurried all the prahus out to the scene.
Two years previously it had been so dry for a while that prahus could move only in canals made in the river-bed.
I have not on other rivers in Borneo met with prahus quite as cranky as these.
As one Penihing chief expressed it to me: "The river was full of their prahus from the Kasao River to Long Blu.
The controleur was absent, but his native clerk and the kapala together got me the prahus and the men, such as the place afforded.
While at Ternate we heard that a suspicious fleet of large prahus had been seen steering to the southward.
When I saw the number ofprahus which had assembled on all sides, I could not help fearing that we might be overpowered at last.
The light rapidly increased; we could now clearly distinguish theprahus dotting the smooth ocean.
After consulting with our guides he answered that the huts were deserted, the whole of the inhabitants having been carried off by a fleet of prahus which lately visited the coast.
Already the leading prahus were within a quarter of a mile of the ship, when their crews ceased rowing.
The dark line of prahus were, however, in the meantime approaching, evidently, by their appearance, with hostile intent.
As we examined them through our glasses, we could see that they were large war prahus with numerous crews.
Every moment we expected other prahus to come up on the opposite side, but they kept away, waiting perhaps until their chief had gained a footing on our deck.
Hard as our crews pulled, the prahus appeared to be coming up with us.
Ned; "there's a whole fleet of prahus in the next reach.
On we dashed; even now we might be on board before the prahus got alongside.
And there, to the horror of the party, in a bend of the river, and apparently close to the spot where they had landed, lay two large prahus in the broad sunshine.
The sight of the prahus did not act as an appetiser, but the meal was eaten, great care being exercised that no traces of their stay were scattered about, and then once more the word was "Forward!
But for the presence of two strange prahus and their enormous crews, who seemed more than could be packed in the long swift vessels, it seemed impossible to believe in the great change that had taken place.
Of one hundred and twenty prahus which constituted the force of the piratical expedition, eighty were destroyed; about twelve hundred men of their crews perished.
Five of these war prahuswere destroyed, and about eighty pirates killed, and perhaps as many wounded.
It was found that, during the night conflict, a very extensive destruction had been inflicted upon the prahus and their crews.
For about two hours the cannonade lasted; when the fire of the prahus was subdued, the marines and sailors proceeded in boats to finish the destruction of the pirate craft.
It came at last, but not till the prahus were close up to us.
I first ascertained that the pirate prahus had drifted to such a distance that I was not likely to be heard by them, then I began shouting away at the top of my voice.
I looked round me; the prahus and brig were still to be seen, but after watching them for some time, they appeared to be drifting away with the faint land breeze from the spot where I lay.
Of the native prahus alone there are many varieties, some built after European models, and carrying sails similar to those of our English luggers.
The masts of these prahus are very small, so that they may not be seen at a distance.
They have larger prahus and carry heavier guns than the Dyaks, and nothing can exceed their cruelty.
It was quite finished; only a little loose powder in a barrel, and a few broken cartridges, remained when the last prahus were taken.
Brooke then asked one of the chief officers of the Sarawak Government, who was on board, and Pangeran Matussim of Muka, if they were perfectly sure that these prahus were Illanuns?
Upwards of eighty prahus and bangkongs were captured, many from sixty to eighty feet long, with nine or ten feet beam.
These Dyaks were always head-hunters, and used to pull the oars in the Malay prahus for the sake of the heads of the slain, which they alone cared for.
The Jolly Bachelor was left to look after these runaways, and then the captives of the other two prahus were helped on board the steamer.
Of course the mist is thickest over the water, but the prahus are outlined in it, though dimly, I admit.
Deliver to the bearer, Fo Sing, any of the prahus which he may ask for, and do not question him," ran the lines.
Him what arrived at Sarawak with the fleet of prahus and a crew of darkies.
The embarkation then commences, and when it is ended, those who can be spared go to the empty prahus and scuttle them, cutting them adrift when the signal is given.
Leaping into sampans, which each of the prahus towed in her wake, some rowed at once for the boom, and gliding over it, or lifting their boat across the logs and chains, embarked again and came towards their victims at a furious pace.
But I see that the majority of the crews have already set foot ashore, and soon the prahus will be left to themselves.
Why, these prahus alone will be enough to set the tribe up once we have arrived," mused Tyler, "and no doubt we shall be able to sell them with ease.
At once all eyes were turned down the stream, where, some hundreds of yards away, a number of prahusand sampans of large size could be seen floating on the water.
But, then, the alarm will not in that case come so early as to ruin all our plans, for the bulk of the tribe will be embarked, and a cut with a sword will set the prahus free.
Tyler, as the fleet of prahus sailed clear of the boom, and headed for the sea once more.
We must endeavour to cool their excitement, and to make them wait till the prahus are close upon us.
But I doubt very much whether the pirates place theirprahus above the booms.
At once Tyler and the Chinaman set to work to count the prahus assembled at their moorings, and, thanks to the fact that all had come well round the bend, they had little difficulty at arriving at their correct numbers.
We will wait patiently, and should it turn out that these men are from the mountains, and know of our presence near at hand, we will at once set about the capture of the prahus and the embarkation of the tribe.
We met several palm-trees floating with their roots and some of their fruits above the water, like those we saw yesterday evening out on the Malacca Straits, looking like crowded Malay prahus with tattered mat-sails.
Most of theprahus had outriggers, and in all the leeside of the vessel was flat and perpendicular while the weatherside was rounded.
They were similar to theprahus or praus of Malaysia, which did not turn round, but sailed backwards and forwards, the sharp stem being exactly like the sharp stern.
Knowing the number of men that the prahus carried, Will felt that the chance of a successful resistance was slight.
The other four prahus at once turned their heads towards shore, and rowed with full speed towards the ship.
The prahus came along at a great rate, the sweeps churning up the water into foam.
If you take her inside, and lay her across the channel, the prahus can only attack on one side; and you can place all your guns and strength there.
Then, in the dim morning light, a pirate fleet of eight prahus was seen, lying at a distance of half a mile within the reef.
Scarce a day passed without their seeing the Malay prahus passing up and down the coast; but these always kept some distance out, and caused no uneasiness to the fishermen.
Those of Sooloo, and those who go under the name of the Lanuns, have prahus of larger size, and better fitted.
These prahus frequent the shores of the Straits of Malacca, Cape Romania, the Carimon Isles, and the neighbouring straits, and at times they visit the Straits of Rhio.
Their prahus are of much smaller size than those of Sooloo, being from ten to twelve tons burden, but in proportion they are much better manned, and thus are enabled to ply with more efficiency their oars or paddles.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "prahus" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
