ld have screened them
from us; on the contrary, they would have put them to death if once
in their power. I certainly never made so sure of any thing in my
life as of capturing the three prahus after I had seen them safe at
the bottom of the little bay at Tanjong Datu: but "there is many a
slip between the cup and the lip." We returned the following day to
pick up the anchor and cable, and observed that it was a place well
adapted as a rendezvous for pirates. The bay is studded with rocks;
and, to my horror, I found that I had run her majesty's ship Dido
inside two that were a-wash at low water! A mountain stream of most
delicious water runs into the bay between two rocks, and the coast
abounds with oysters.

On the 13th the Dido anchored off Tanjong Poe, outside the bar at
the entrance of the river leading to Mr. Brooke's residence and seat
of government, at the town of Sarawak, situated about twenty-four
miles up. At half-tide on the following morning we crossed the bar,
carrying no less than three and a half fathoms, and entered the
beautiful river of Morotaba, which we ran up for the first fifteen
miles under all sail, with a fresh, leading breeze. The Dido was the
first square-rigged vessel that had ever entered those waters. We came
to at the junction river which unites the two principal entrances to
the Sarawak.

In the evening our boats returned on board from their expedition,
having reached Sarawak the day previous by the western entrance. On
leaving the Dido, on the morning of the 8th, they proceeded to the
Island of Marundum, a favorite rendezvous for pirates, where they
came on a fleet of the Illanum tribe, who, however, did not give them
an opportunity of closing; but, cutting their sampans adrift, made a
precipitate flight, opening fire as they ran out on the opposite side
of a small bay, in which they had been watering and refitting. This,
of course, led to a very exciting chase, with a running fire kept up
on both sides; but the distance was too great for the range of the
guns on either side; and the pirates, who, in addition to sailing
well, were propelled by from forty to sixty oars each, made their
escape. It was not until nearly hull-down that they (probably out
of bravado) ceased to fire their stern guns. As they went in the
direction of the Natunas, our boats steered for those islands, and
anchored under the south end of one of them. At daylight next morning,
although in three fathoms water, the