ould draw the attention of the pirates toward us,
so as to give time for the other boats to clear themselves. This had
the desired effect. The whole force on shore turned, as if to secure
what they rashly conceived to be their prize.

We now advanced mid-channel: spears and stones assailed us from
both banks. My friend Brooke's gun would not go off; so giving
him the yoke-lines, he steered the boat while I kept up a rapid
fire. Mr. Allen, in the second gig, quickly coming up, opened upon
them, from a congreve-rocket tube, such a destructive fire as caused
them to retire panic-struck behind the temporary barriers where they
had concealed themselves previous to the attack upon Patingi Ali,
and from whence they continued, for some twenty minutes, to hurl
their spears and other missiles. Among the latter may be mentioned
short lengths of bamboo, one end heavily loaded with stone, and
thrown with great force and precision; the few fire-arms of which
they were possessed were of but little use to them after the first
discharge, the operation of reloading, in their inexperienced hands,
requiring a longer time than the hurling of some twenty spears. The
sumpitan was likewise freely employed by these pirates; but although
several of our men belonging to the pinnace were struck, no fatal
results ensued, from the dextrous and expeditious manner in which
the wounded parts were excised by Mr. Beith, the assistant-surgeon;
any poison that might remain being afterward sucked out by one of
the comrades of the wounded men.

As our force increased, the pirates retreated from their position,
and could not again muster courage to rally. Their loss must have
been considerable; ours might have been light, had poor old Patingi
Ali attended to orders.

It appears that the Patingi (over-confident, and probably urged
on by Mr. Steward, who, unknown to me, was concealed in Ali's beat
when application was made by that chief for permission to proceed
in advance for the purpose of reconnoitering), instead of falling
back, as particularly directed, on the first appearance of any of
the enemy, made a dash, followed by his little division of boats,
through the narrow pass above described. As soon as he had done so,
huge rafts of bamboo were lanched across the river, so as to cut off
his retreat. Six large war-prahus, probably carrying 100 men each,
then bore down--three on either side--on his devoted followers;
and one only of a crew of seventeen th