p, I proceeded in my gig to the scene of action,
leaving the steamer to maintain as strict a blockade of the Sakarran
and Lupar branches as, with their reduced force, they were capable
of. On my joining Lieutenant Turnour, I found him just returned from
a very spirited attack which he had made, assisted by Mr. Comber,
on a stockade situated on the summit of a steep hill; Mr. Allen, the
master, being still absent on a similar service, on the opposite side
of the river. The gallant old chief Patingi Ali was likewise absent,
in pursuit of the enemy that had been driven from the stockades,
with whom he had had a hand-to-hand fight, the whole of which--being
on the rising ground--was witnessed by our boats' crews, who could
not resist hailing his return from his gallant achievement with three
hearty British cheers. This had the effect of giving such an impulse
to his courage, that, in a subsequent affair, it unhappily caused a
serious loss among this active and useful branch of our force.

We had now to unite in cutting our way through a barrier across
the river similar to that described in the attack on the Sarebus,
which having passed, we brought up for the night close to a still more
serious obstacle, being a number of huge trees felled, the branches of
which meeting midway in the river, formed apparently an insurmountable
obstacle to our progress. But "patience and perseverance overcome
all difficulties;" and by night only three of the trees remained to
be cleared away. We were now within a short distance of their town,
so that we could distinctly hear the noise and confusion which our
advance had occasioned. On the right bank, and about fifty yards in
advance of the barrier, stood a farm-house, which we considered it
prudent to occupy for the night, for which advanced post we collected
about fifty volunteers. These consisted of Messrs. Steward, Williamson,
and Comber; a corporal and four marines; my gig's crew; and a medley
of picked men from our Dyak and Malay followers; not forgetting my
usual and trusty attendant John Eager with his bugle, the sounding of
which was to be the signal for the whole force to come to the rescue,
in the event of surprise--not at all improbable from the nature of
our warfare and our proximity to the enemy's town.

And here a most ludicrous scene occurred during the night. Having
placed our sentries and look-out men, and given "Tiga" as the
watchword, we were, shortly after midnight, sudden