les for oars. In this manner
I frequently went a little in advance of the force; and on the 9th I
came on a couple of boats, hauled close in under the jungle, apparently
perfectly unconscious of my approach. I concluded them to be part
of the small fleet of boats that had been chased, the previous day,
in the mouth of the river; and when abreast of them, and within range,
I fired from my rifle. The crews of each boat immediately precipitated
themselves into the water, and escaped into the jungle. They were
so closely covered in, that I did not see any one at first; but I
found that my ball had passed through both sides of an iron kettle,
in which they were boiling some rice. How astonished the cook must
have been! On coming up, our Dyak followers dashed into the jungle
in pursuit of the fugitives, but without success.

We moved on leisurely with the flood-tide, anchoring always on the
ebb, by which means we managed to collect our stragglers and keep the
force together. Toward the evening, by the incessant sound of distant
gongs, we were aware that our approach was known, and that preparations
were making to repel us. These noises were kept up all night; and we
occasionally heard the distant report of ordnance, which was fired,
of course, to intimidate us. During the day, several deserted boats
were taken from the banks of the river and destroyed, some of them
containing spears, shields, and ammunition, with a few fire-arms.

The place we brought up at for the night was called Boling; but here
the river presented a troublesome and dangerous obstacle in what is
called the bore, caused by the tide coming in with a tremendous rush,
as if an immense wave of the sea had suddenly rolled up the stream,
and, finding itself confined on either side, extended across,
like a high bank of water, curling and breaking as it went, and,
from the frightful velocity with which it passes up, carrying all
before it. There are, however, certain bends of the river where the
bore does not break across: it was now our business to look out for
and gain these spots between the times of its activity. The natives
hold them in great dread.

From Boling the river becomes less deep, and not safe for large
boats; so that here we were obliged to leave our tope with the
commissariat, and a sufficient force for her protection, as we had
received information that thirteen piratical boats had been some time
cruising outside, and were daily expected up the