d; and the direction of the factory devolved upon Doctor
Cunningham, who came to this place after the ruin of the factory at Pulo
Condore. He is said to have given himself so entirely up to his studies,
that he left the care of the Company's concerns too much to the people
who were under him, who were unequal to the trust, and proved the ruin
of the factory. Before the fort was half finished, these people began to
insult the natives of the country; and, among other wanton acts of
folly, they very imprudently chose to search one of the boats belonging
to the king, which was carrying a female of rank down the river. This so
provoked the Bornean sovereign that he determined upon the utter
destruction of the English; for which purpose he collected his forces
together, amounting to about three thousand resolute men, which he
embarked in above an hundred proas, and sent them down to attack the
factory and unfinished fort.

There happened at this time to be two ships belonging to the Company in
the river, besides two merchant vessels of inconsiderable force; and as
Cunningham and his people had received advice of the preparations making
against them, they left their factory, taking refuge aboard the ships,
thinking themselves in greater security there than ashore. When all
things were in readiness for the intended assault, the native armament
came down the river in the night; and, while some landed and destroyed
the factory and fortifications, others attacked the ships, which were
fortunately prepared for their reception, the English having made fast
nettings along both sides of their ships, about two fathoms high above
the gunnels, to prevent the enemy from boarding, and were in readiness
to use their blunderbusses and pikes, to prevent them from forcing their
way to the decks.

On seeing the approach of the proas towards the ships, the English plied
their great guns, loaded with double, round, and partridge shot, and
made great carnage among the Borneans, yet this did not deter them from
pushing forwards and using their utmost endeavours to board. But, having
got up to the gunnels, they were unable to get over the netting, and so
were slaughtered with great ease by the English from the decks. Some of
the assailants got in at the _head doors_ of one of the ships and killed
a few of the English on the forecastle, but were soon overpowered and
slain. Thus, after a long and sanguinary contest, the two large ships
beat off the e