cealment, to vessels drawing about six feet water. These trees, springing from roots which firmly support their main trunks at a height of seven or eight feet above the flow of high water, cover the swampy ground which intervenes between them and a spacious lagoon. It is this lagoon which is the stronghold of the Lanoon pirates, and gives them the appellation of" Los Illanos de la Laguna,” where, it is highly probable, they submit to their own pirate chief, and who, acknowledging the supremacy of the sultan of Mindanao, shields the latter from blame by this semblance of independence; it is well known, however, that any matters referred to the sultan of Mindanao, respecting the acts of the Lanoons, especially upon questions of ransom, are speedily and effectually arranged by the sultan.

But to return to La Laguna; throughout the vast range of the bay connected with this lagoon, the Illanons have constructed numerous substantial escapes, being ways of timber, which permit of their hauling their vessels into the lagoon upon any sudden emergency, and so amazingly expert are they in this manœuvre, that when in hot chase, my informants have pressed them close, and considered their escape impossible, they have seen them dash suddenly into one of these escapes, and before their feluccas (or launches) could reach the spot of entry, they had been hauled out of sight, and upon presenting themselves at the opening, were saluted by a discharge of round and grape, from heavy brass guns placed in a battery, and so far within this dangerous jungle, that attack was impossible. It is a well-known fact, also, that the whole line of the bay is rigidly watched by vigias, or small look-out houses, built in lofty trees, and immediately on the alarm being given, ropes are instantly led to the point of entry, and the home population in readiness to aid in hauling them through the mangroves, as well as to defend them from further attack. The method of constructing these escapes is very simple; strong mangrove trees are driven at opposite angles, obliquely, into the mud, and their upper ends securely lashed to the growing, standing, mangrove trees, forming a V-shaped bed at an angle of 120 degrees. These trees, being stripped of their bark, are kept very smooth, and when wet, spontaneously exude a kind of mucillage, which renders them very slippery. The outer entrance of this angular bed is carried into deep water, and at so gradual an inclination, that the original impetus given by the oars, forces them at once," high and dry," and by the ropes there attached, they are instantly drawn by their allies into the interior, at a rate, probably, equal to that at which they were impelled by oars.

The vessels of the Illanons are very sharp, of great beam, and exceed ninety feet in length; they are furnished with double tiers of oars, and the largest generally carry about one hundred rowers, who are slaves, and not expected to fight unless hard pressed. The " fighting-men," (or chiefs,) as they are termed, amounting to thirty or forty, occupy the upper platform, and use the guns as well as small seilas or swivels. The whole of the main interior, occupying about two-thirds of the beam, and three-fifths of the length of the vessel, is fitted as a cabin; it extends from one-fifth from forward to one-fifth from aft, and, at the bow is solidly built out to the whole beam of the vessel, with hard wood bulks of timber, calculated to withstand a six-pounder shot; a very small embrasure admits the muzzle of the gun, which varies from the six to a twenty-four-pounder, generally of brass; independent of numerous swivels, of various calibre, mounted in solid uprights, secured about the sides and upper works of the vessel. Above the cabin is the fighting deck, upon which their heroes are placed, and upon any chance of action, they dress themselves in scarlet, and are equipped very much in the style of the armour furnished for the stage property of our theatres, varying from steel plate to ring chain, or mail shirt. Their personal arms

are generally the kris and spear, but they have, also, a huge sword, wellknown as the "Lanoon sword," which has a handle sufficiently large to be weilded with two hands. In place of a mast they have sheers, capable of being raised or depressed suddenly, upon which a large sail is hoisted.

The fitting of these sheers is as follows:-On the fore-part of the fighting deck is a small pair of bitts, each bitt-head being placed about three feet on each side the centre line; through the head of these bitts a piece runs, windlass fashion, its outer ends being rounded, which pass through the lower ends of the sheers in holes, this arrangement completes a triangle, having this windlass base of six feet. The heads of the sheers are joined by a solid piece of wood, perforated as a sheave hole for the halliards, by which the sail is hoisted; a third spar is attached, which, taken aft as a prop, instantly turns this mast, upon its windlass motion, to its vertical, and, almost, as by magic, we find the sail expanded, or reduced spontaneously.

The slaves who have escaped from these pirates assert, that within the lagoon they have extensive building establishments, and the means of repelling any attack which may be made upon them. The old prahus are used instead of houses, and in them they have their wives, families, or treasure, in readiness for removal to any part of the lagoon, upon any sudden emergency. In this respect they resemble the Tauka boats of China; an isolated and distinct community, subject alone to the rule of their admirals, under whom they proceed to sea in divisions, and which divisions occasionally unite for special purposes, amounting, at times, to as many as four hundred sail.

The limits of their cruizes are not confined to the neighbourhood of the Sooloo or Mindoro Archipelago. They have been traced entirely round the island of New Guinea, on the east; throughout the straits, and continuous to Java, and its southern side; along the coast of Sumatra, and as far up the Bay of Bengal as Rangoon; throughout the Malay Peninsula and islands adjacent, and along the entire range of the Philippines. Their attacks are not confined to small vessels, for we have instances, as late as 1843, of their molesting the Dutch cruizers off Java. They, however, generally act with great caution in their approach to square-rigged vessels, and can readily distinguish the difference between merchantmen and vessels of war, by the colour of their canvas. Along the entire coasts of the Philippines, they attack villages, and carry off boys and girls for slaves, and, in some instances, do not hesitate in kidnapping a Padre, for whom they demand heavy ransom (as upon a late affair they obtained upwards of one thousand dollars.) Upon one occasion they ventured as far into the Bay of Manilla as Cavite, and captured two boys who were in a fishing-boat. They had also, in this bay, within the Corregidor, where there is a gun boat establishment, a very severe action with this force, commanded, I believe, by a Lieut. Elliot, an Englishman in the service of Spain. The result of this encounter was the crippling of the Spanish force, so severely, that only the commander himself, although wounded, remained to serve his gun, and was not displeased to notice the enemy draw off; had they attempted to close with him, he had no further means of resistance. They also made a very determined attack upon one of the villages in a bay on the eastern side of Luban, and took many captives. They are particularly careful, in their habits of plunder, not to incommode themselves with any but articles of value, seeking gold, silver, arms, or ammunition, and cautiously avoiding any objects which might be recognized so as to bring them under the fang of the law; and it is to this extraordinary cunning that, although frequently captured by the Spaniards, it is difficult to attach to them any fact of piratical complexion.

At Samboanga, the Spaniards have a large force of feluccas, commanded generally by one of their most expert officers, and promotion usually follows

success. It is seldom, however, that they are fortunate either in coming up with, or in capturing, these Illanons, who, by the measures before alluded to, not only elude pursuit, but also compel them to haul off in (discomforture?) discomfiture, upon reaching their ambuscade.

Upon finding themselves too closely watched at the mouth of the Bay of Illana, they have been known to drag their vessels over the isthmus, and get to sea by the eastern coast of Mindanao, and maintaining the ruse by keeping up sufficient excitement to amuse the Spanish force collected in the Bay of Illana, commit, without restraint, the most bare-faced acts of piracy upon the shores of the Philippines, thus left exposed by the assemblage of the Spanish force to the southward.

These are the famed Illanons; but we have another notorious station in sight of Sooloo, upon the island of Balliznini, or Bangure of the charts, which may be considered a branch of the Illanons. Their island affords them, at present, as much security as La Laguna does at Mindanao. It is not approachable within distance of attack by reason of the reefs which environ it, and there is not anchorage near the edge of the reef. It is a lagoon island and the entrance is so narrow that it is staked precisely similar to the ways alluded to at Illanon, only admitting one vessel at a time, and that by preserving her keel exactly in the centre; consequently, the Spanish feluccas cannot enter, and if they did, they would be met by batteries within, mounting above one hundred guns, all laid with great precision to this very point of entrance. There are seasons (probably May or June) when they quit the lagoon, to join their allies on their extended cruizes, when only the females, old men and cripples, are left their property; and I was informed that two feluccas entered the lagoon on one of these occasions, by surprise, but hesitated to follow up the advantage, by retiring, without any act of hostility on either side.

ACCOUNT OF THE SKERRYVORE LIGHTHOUSE: with Notes on the illumination of Lighthouses.-By Alan Stevenson, L.S. B., F.R.S.E., &c., Engineer to the Northern Lighthouse Board.-A. and C. Black, Edinburgh; Longman and Co., London. 1848.

If there be one subject more interesting to seamen than another, one that also comes home to his almost every-day observation, it is that of lighthouses. They are his especial friends by night or day, standing usefully in their solitude, the silent monitors of danger. And yet, of their history, their construction, their establishment, or the expense of preserving them, with how little of all this, is the mariner acquainted! The work before us, from the talented Engineer of the Northern Light-houses, Mr. Alan Stevenson, contains a highly interesting account of the erection of the Skerryvore lighthouse, certainly the most magnificent structure of the kind that is to be found on the shores of this country.

We must, however, reluctantly lay it aside for our next number, our limits denying us more space, at present, than the mere announcement of its appearance. We shall then take care to preserve for our readers, some interesting extracts from its pages.

NEW CHARTS.

(Published and Corrected at the Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, during the month of May, 1848.-Sold by R. B. Bate, 21, Poultry, London.)

New.

ANCHORAGE WITHIN PIEDRAS, MONO AND MONILLO CAYS, (Cuba,) West Indies, Spanish Survey, Price 3d.

KING ROAD, Bristol Channel, Capt. F. W. Beechey, R.N., 1847, Price 1s.
AFRICA, (WEST COAST,) Sheets, Nos. 15, 16, 17, and 18, Capt. Denham, R.N., 1846,
Price (each) 2s.

KASTRO, Lemnos Island, Archipelago, Com. Copeland, 1835, Price 1s.

1835, Price is.

1835, Price 1s.

SICILY ISLAND, corrected to 1833, Capt. W. H. Smyth, R.N., Price 3s.

New.

FRENCH, SPANISH, AND PORTUGUESE LIGHTS on the North and West Coasts, corrected to 1848, Price 6d.

AFRICAN LIGHTS to 1848, Price 2d.

Books.

MAKING AND ENtering the RivER TAGUS, by Mr. G. Biddlecombe, Master, R.N., 1848, Price 3d.

SOUTH AMERICA, Part II., La Plata, Patagonia, Falkland and Staten Islands, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, Capt. Fitzroy, R,N., 1836, Price 2s.

TOWSON'S (Second Edition) GREAT CIRCLE SAILING, and Lineur Index, Price 1s.

THE NAVIGATION LAWS.-The principal alteration in these laws as explained by Mr. Labouchere are.-1st. to remove all restrictions having reference to the importation of produce of Asia, Africa, and America from European Ports, either in British or Foreign bottoms, leaving to the Queen the power of imposing countervailing duties, on the ships of any Foreign nation which might treat British Shipping with injustice.-2nd. to do away with limiting British Registry, to British built ships, that ships built abroad, but owned by Englishmen, should be entitled to British Register.-3rd. with regard to manning, no alteration will be made in the law requiring two thirds of the crew to be British seaman, but on board ships in Foreign trade, Lascars are to be considered as such, and with regard to apprentices the present law compelling shipowners to employ them would be altered, leaving them to employ men or boys as they chose.-4th the coasting trade of the Colonies, it was proposed to reserve to British shipping, but to allow each colony to frame its own laws, subject to the approval of the Queen and to throw open its coasting trade to foreign countries if considered desirable.