'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎293] (312/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
293
joined by the ' Semiramis' and 4 Pluto,' the latter vessel
bringing Mr. St. John (the political agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. for Borneo) and
Captain Brooke, from Sarawak, to accompany ns on the Ex
pedition. We started again on the 27th, and proceeded alone
to Gaya Bay, leaving the steamers behind to complete coaling.
The 4 Semiramis' joined us at this place, and we proceeded to
Maladu Bay,where we remained four days until the 'Pluto'
arrived. We all started together on the 7th of February for
Tunku, the pirate settlement. This took a week (although
only two hundred miles) on account of the coast being quite un
explored, and the sea filled with reefs in all directions. We
anchored off the pirate settlement on the morning of the 15th,
and immediately hoisted all the boats out, manned and armed
them, and sent them, in company with those of the 6 Semiramis'
and 4 Pluto,' to ascend the river. Our force consisted of two
hundred and fifty men in fifteen boats, seven of which had guns,
each of the commanders taking charge of their own men, and
Captain Massie superintending the whole. Our pilot, mis
taking the river, ascended the wrong one, after having been
obliged to haul all the boats over by main strength, it being
nearly low water at the time. After trying the different
branches, not at all agreeing with the description of the place,
we returned in the afternoon. A large war boat was seen in
the river. The next morning, the 16th, the boats were sent in
the same order to another river, but being low water, found it
impossible to cross the bar, they therefore returned to their
respective ships till the tide flowed. When the tide had
sufficiently flowed (11.30 a.m.), we again started, and after some
little trouble succeeded in getting over the bar, and commenced
pulling up the river, the leading boats having white flags.
After two hours' pulling up a magnificent river, we arrived at
the chiefs house, and immediately landed the marines and
small-arm men. We found the place deserted, but from the
appearance of the fires they could only have left a few minutes
before. After having been ten minutes here looking round the
place, the men in the boats were suddenly fired upon from the
jungle, and one man killed and two wounded. The men, thus
taken by surprise, instantly seized their arms and fired into the
jungle; and as the boats' guns and congreve rockets could be
brought to bear, fired in the direction of the smoke. Small-arm
men were then landed on both banks, but nothing more was
seen of them. The men then embarked and returned down the
river to their ships. Next morning the boats reached the chiefs
house, about six am. and burnt about forty houses. While
this was going on, the natives again came down to the same
spot (chief's house) and fired on the crews left in the boats, by
which one man was killed and two wounded. In the afternoon
everybody was again embarked, and returned to their ships