ment and loss which the Malays would experience by being unacquainted with the fact, wrote another letter to the Dutch Governor of Macassar, apprising him thereof, and requesting him to communicate the intelligence to those whom it might concern.
Da'Atea was left, in charge of Mr. Tielmann, who promised to take care of him until he found a better situation. This is the person already mentioned, who ran away from one of the Macassar proas, and found his way to the settlement at Raffles Bay, and whom Captain Barker refused to give up, when claimed as a slave; but whether he acted correctly in this affair—although backed by the authority of Moses[1]—may perhaps be doubted.
This poor fellow, who was much esteemed on account of his good humour and obliging disposition, usually worked in the garden at Raffles Bay, where he performed more labour than two or three convicts, who being sent from home, according to their own account, for doing nothing, adhere to their favourite propensity of doing as little as possible elsewhere.
We found that Da'Atea understood very imperfectly the Malayese, as spoken at Coupang, which, it appears, differs considerably from the Celebese dialect. He regretted being left at Coupang; and, had his own wishes been acceded to, he would willingly have accompanied Captain Barker, at parting with whom he was exceedingly distressed, following the boat till nearly up
- ↑ Deuteronomy, chap, xxiii. ver. 15.
