forts were also taken and the
stockades burnt. The banks of the river were here so narrow that it was
necessary to keep vigilantly on the alert, as a spear even could easily
be thrown across, though for the greater part of the night the burning
houses made it light as day. In the evening, Doctors Simpson and
Treacher amputated the arm of the captain of the forecastle on board the
_Dido_. In the morning, a fleet of prahus came sweeping towards them,
and were only discovered to be friends just in time to save them from a
deadly discharge from the six-pounder.

In the evening, a party under Lieutenant Horton, who was accompanied by
Rajah Brooke, was sent up the left stream. Captain Keppel was at supper
on board the _Jolly Bachelor_, when the sound of the pinnace's
twelve-pounder carronade broke through the stillness of the night. This
was responded to by one of those simultaneous war-yells, apparently from
every part of the country. Captain Keppel, on this, jumping into his
gig, pulled off to the aid of his friends. From the winding of the
stream, the yells appeared to come from every direction--sometimes
ahead, sometimes astern. Proceeding thus for nearly two hours, a sudden
and quick discharge of musketry warned him that he was approaching the
scene of action.

He kept his rifle ready for use on his knee; and to give an idea that he
was bringing up a strong reinforcement, he ordered the bugler he had
with him to strike up "Rory O'More." This was immediately responded to
by three British cheers, followed, however, by a deathlike silence,
which made him suppose that the enemy were between him and his friends.

Seeing some human forms before him, he hailed, and, receiving no answer,
fired, supposing them to be Dyaks, when, to his horror, Lieutenant
Horton exclaimed, "We are here, sir." Providentially no one was hurt.
The sound of the current had prevented his hail being heard. The party
had taken up a very clever position on the top of a bank from which the
jungle had been cleared for about thirty yards, and which rose
perpendicularly from a little bay just big enough to hold the boats.
Here Lieutenant Gunnel was posted, with seven royal marines as a
rear-guard. This was an important position, and one of danger, as the
jungle itself was alive with the enemy; and although spears were hurled
from it continually during the night, no shot was thrown away unless the
figure of a pirate could be distinctly seen. The