o an instant renewal of
hostilities.

"About 9 A.M. a party proceeded to the elevation previously marked,
within 300 yards of Balidah, and worked quietly till 2 P.M., by which
time they had made considerable progress; and being then reinforced,
they soon finished this new stockade, with a strong face toward
their adversaries, and an outer fence. This erection, however, being
below the brow of the hill, is useless as a post whence to assault
Balidah; and to-morrow another stockade is to be made close to it on
the summit, the present being intended to cover the working party at
the next. The enemy, about 4 P.M., having discovered the stockade,
opened a fire for half an hour; but finding it ineffectual, they sank
into their usual apathy. It is difficult to attribute this quietude
to any other cause than weakness; and they are doubtless harassed by
the want of Dyak light troops, as they are unable to oppose stockade
to stockade. Our party, by these successful advances, seem to gain
confidence; and it must soon come to an issue one way or other. To make
it favorable, I have sent for two six-pounder carronades, guns of vast
caliber here, together with a small addition to our force. I had the
curiosity to inquire of Macota the progress of his former campaign,
when he had 1000 Malays with only a few Dyaks. He represented the
enemy as active and daring then, and very different from their want
of spirit now. They had, he declared, combats by sea and by land;
stockade was opposed to stockade, and the fighting was constant and
severe; but he never lost a man killed during the two months, and
only boasted of killing five of the enemy! The principal danger in
Malay warfare is the 'Mengamuk' (_Anglice_, running a-muck), which
is the last resource of a desperate man.

"_27th._--The night passed quietly as usual. About 6 A.M. I started for
the hills, and inspected each post in turn. They are about commencing
another fort. I visited the spot to reconnoiter it; and the enemy
opened a fire directly they perceived me, which we returned. They
shot wretchedly ill; and the position is good, but exposed. About 10
A.M. they again began to fire from their fort, and detached thirty
or forty men, who crept out between our forts in order to interrupt
the work. The Malays, however, received them steadily; while the
Chinese placed them between two fires, and, by a discharge from a
tube, knocked down _one_ man. The rebels showed anxiety to possess
t