Lastly a
Chinese trader had wished to purchase him and had offered several "gown
pieces" as the price, but this offer too was declined. When Kolff called
with two Dutch men-of-war, he and his men would have nothing to do with
him, nor would they assist him to escape.
Forbes gave accounts of many ships having been cut off by these pirates
but only two clear accounts - the one of a China junk which they boarded,
murdered and plundered the crew, and eventually burnt, and the other a
schooner manned with black men, which they plundered afterwards
liberating the men. He also said that a whaler had been cast away seven
moons ago, and that two whale-boats and one jolly-boat with only five
people in all arrived at Timor Laut. This story, however, was confused
and incoherent.
When Captain Bremer arrived at Sydney in H.M.S. Alligator about the same
time as the Essington, he had Forbes placed in the hospital there and
wrote to the Admiralty asking for inquiries to be made about his
relatives and to inform them of his existence. In his despatch Captain
Bremer remarked that even Forbes's features seemed to have "assimilated
themselves" to those of the islanders.
The kindly chief was afterwards rewarded, as was Captain Watson, by the
Admiralty.
