out boats
brought in tidings that the pirates were advancing in full force. The
_Nemesis_ first put to sea; and being seen by the pirates, they made for
the Kaluka river. The boats under the command of Lieutenants Wilmshurst
and Everest, with the native boats under Sir James, intercepted the
pirate flotilla, the men-of-war's boats opening a sure and destructive
fire upon them. The night had already fallen, and the naval officers
were anxious lest they should fire into the rajah's boats instead of
those of the enemy. A pass-word had been agreed upon to avert this
danger--the word "rajah;" but the occupants of the native boats
never ceased screaming this word, rendering it difficult for the naval
officers to determine in what quarter there was an enemy, in which a
friend also was not in danger of their fire. This state of hesitation
favoured an effort to escape on the part of the piratical prahus, two of
which made sail seaward. The steam-tender pursued, but the larger prahu
made again for the river, was run down by the _Nemesis_, and her crew,
sixty in number, were destroyed. The other prahu kept seaward, pursued
by the tender, who fired into her a large congreve-rocket, by which
she was destroyed. The boats of the squadron then rowed up the Sarrebas
river, and destroyed a few prahus, some pirate villages, and a town
which seemed to be the head-quarters of the pirates in that direction.
The flotilla next proceeded up the Rejanz river, and severely handled
the natives indiscriminately; for it was known that such as were not
pirates themselves aided them in every practicable way. Several hostages
and prisoners were taken; among others a little child, very fair, and
apparently having belonged to European parents who were murdered by the
Dyaks. It was found that, during the night conflict, a very extensive
destruction had been inflicted upon the prahus and their crews. Dead
bodies lay in great numbers washed upon the shores, with shattered
boats, presenting a scene of wreck and slaughter terrible to
contemplate. Of one hundred and twenty prahus which constituted the
force of the piratical expedition, eighty were destroyed; about twelve
hundred men of their crews perished. Most painful scenes were presented
to the British in the course of their proceedings, horribly verifying
all that had been heard of the cruelty of the natives of these regions.
They had taken many captives, and before putting to sea decapitated
them, and gas