r boats start. One of them sank before she was out of sight,
and I soon heard that your ship had sunk another, and that two had got
away. It was not for another two days that I learned where they were,
and then I heard that they had gone into a creek twenty miles away;
there one had sunk, and the other had been joined by the two prahus that
had been far up the river; and I also learned that one of Sehi's men
had gone into the village and let himself be captured, so that he might
guide the ship's boats to the place where, as they thought, they would
find but one prahu, while three would be waiting for them. I was not
sure where the exact place was, for there are many creeks, but, with one
of my men, I rowed in a sampan all night, in hopes to arrive in time
to warn the boats; but it was not till I heard the firing that I knew
exactly where they were.

"When I got there the fighting was over, and but one prahu had escaped,
and I learned from the men who had swum ashore from those that had been
sunk that one of the English boats had been destroyed, and many men
killed, but that two boats had gone down the creek again. It was also
said that the white officers and sailors had boarded the boat that had
escaped, and had been all killed. I thought it best to follow the prahu,
so that I could send word to you where she was to be found. As there
were many passages, it was difficult to find her, and I should have lost
her altogether had I not heard where Sehi was hiding, and guessed that
she would go there. It was late when I arrived at the village. There
one of my men learned that two young officers, who had been wounded, had
been brought there, and that Sehi was sending word to you that, unless
you gave him the conditions he asked, they would be put to death.

"I did not know whether to send down to you, or to send up the river for
help; but I thought the last was best, for if you came in boats, then
Sehi's men would hear you, and the officers would be killed; so I sent
off my man with the sampan. I told him that he must not stop until he
got here. He must tell them that all my men, except fifty old ones who
were to guard the village, were to start in their canoes, and paddle
their hardest till they came within half a mile of the village, and he
was to come back with them to guide them, and I was to meet them. As
the prahus that had been up there were destroyed, the river was safe
for them to descend. I said that they must be at