ion and began to swim ashore.

Grape-shot from the smaller guns or musketry from the marines would have
destroyed numbers of the Malays struggling in the water, but looking
upon them as out of the fight, Lieutenant Johnson left them to struggle,
some to one bank, some to the other, and gave his orders merely to the
men at the great guns.

It was one from the port-side that had wrought this mischief. Now one
from the starboard spoke out. There was once more the great white ball
of smoke, the deafening roar, and the shot struck the water about twenty
yards from the nearest prahu, ricochetted, and passed clean through her,
going down the river afterwards in a series of richochets.

This shot caused no little confusion on board, and several of the sweeps
fell uselessly in the water; but the prahu still came on, with the
occupants yelling and beating their gongs.

Another shot struck the water, and though well aimed for the next prahu,
it rose and went over her, merely making a great gap in the
matting-screen from behind which the Malays were keeping up a brisk but
ineffectual fire.

Another shot at one of the prahus coming down stream; and this went
clean over, and crashed through the palm-trees a quarter of a mile away.
But the next shot produced a hearty cheer from the sailors, for it
struck the slight vessel right on the water-line, made a tremendous gap,
and must have caused terrible slaughter, for the Malays were thrown into
confusion, the sweeps clashed one with the other, and all governance
seemed gone, the prahu turning broadside on, and then floating slowly
with the stream for a few yards before settling down and sinking,
leaving her masts and the top of the mat screens visible, for the water
was shallow where she sank.

The two prahus coming down stream were thus effectually disposed of; but
the two coming up were now close at hand, and before another gun could
be brought to bear their bows struck the sides of the steamer,
grappling-irons were thrown over the bulwarks and into the chains, and
yelling savagely their crews of fierce fighting men came swarming upon
the deck.

It was sharp work leaving the guns and preparing for the boarders; but
the sailors and marines were ready, and received the fierce, yelling
crowd of Malays with a sharp fire and the point of the bayonet, while
these latter attacked fiercely with kris and spear. Their charge was
most daring, and they came on in such numbers, and fought