always rest when they were against us. High water was the
only time, however, that suited us for landing, as the fall of tide
left a considerable space of soft mud to wade through before reaching
_terra firma_: this was sufficiently unpleasant to our men, without the
additional trouble of having to load and fire when in that position;
besides, when stuck fast in the mud, you become a much easier object to
be fired at. At Rembas the tide was not up until just before daylight;
and, having no moon to light us, a night attack was not considered
advisable; so that we brought up about a quarter tide below the town,
on the evening of the 16th. As Rembas contained a larger proportion
of Malays (who are always well supplied with firearms) than the other
settlements, though we had not experienced any opposition at Pakoo,
we fully expected they would here make a better stand.

We advanced early in the morning, and soon came up with a succession
of formidable barriers, more troublesome to cut through than any
we had before encountered. About a mile below the town we landed
700 of the Linga Dyaks on the left bank of the river, who were to
separate into two divisions--commanded by Seriff Jaffer and his son,
a remarkably fine and spirited youth--and creep stealthily through
the jungle, for which the country was well adapted, so as to get
to the rear of the town and forts, and make a simultaneous attack
on the first shot being fired from our boats. The last barrier (and
there were four of them) was placed just within point-blank range;
the gig being a light boat, I managed to haul her over, close to the
bank, and advanced so as to be both out of sight and out of range;
and just as our first boat came up with the barrier, I pushed out
from under the bank, and opened a fire of musketry on the stockade,
which was full of men. This, with the war-yell that followed from
their rear (both unexpected), together with their fears having been
already worked upon by the destruction of Paddi and defeat of Pakoo,
threw them into the greatest confusion. They fled in all directions,
without provoking us by firing a shot, although we found the guns
loaded. Seriff Jaffer and his Dyaks were gratified by having all
the fighting to themselves, and by some very pretty hand-to-hand
encounters. We were much amused, afterward, by their own account of
the heroic deeds they had performed. Lives were lost on both sides,
and heads taken. This Rembas was by far th