ith ease and took
his seat; and, during the interview, the only sign of uneasiness was
the quick glance of his eye from side to side. The object he aimed at
was to gain my guaranty that the lives of all the rebels should be
spared; but this I had it not in my power to grant. He returned to
his campong, and came again toward morning, when it was agreed that
Seriff Jaffer and myself should meet the Patingis and the Tumangong,
and arrange terms with them. By the time our conference was over,
the day broke, and we descended to the boats to enjoy a little rest.

"On the 20th of December we met with the chiefs on the river; and they
expressed themselves ready to yield, without conditions, to the rajah,
if I would promise that they should not be put to death. My reply was,
that I could give no such promise; that if they surrendered, it must
be for life or death, according to the rajah's pleasure; and all I
could do was to use my influence in order to save their lives. To this
they assented after a while; but then there arose the more difficult
question, how they were to be protected until the rajah's orders
arrived. They dreaded both Chinese and Malays, especially the former,
who had just cause for angry feelings, and who, it was feared, would
make an attack on them directly their surrender had taken from them
their means of defence. The Malays would not assail them in a body,
but would individually plunder them, and give occasion for disputes
and bloodshed. These apprehensions were almost sufficient to break off
the hitherto favorable negotiations, had I not proposed to them myself
to undertake their defence, and to become responsible for their safety
until the orders of their sovereign arrived. On my pledging myself to
this, they yielded up their strong fort of Balidah, the key of their
position. I immediately made it known to our own party that no boats
were to ascend or descend the river, and that any persons attacking
or pillaging the rebels were my enemies, and that I should fire upon
them without hesitation.

"Both Chinese and Malaya agreed to the propriety of the measure,
and gave me the strongest assurances of restraining their respective
followers, the former with good faith, the latter with the intention of
involving matters, if possible, to the destruction of the rebels. By
the evening we were in possession of Balidah, and certainly found
it a formidable fortress, situated on a steep mound, with dense
defences of