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Updated: May 17, 2025
There was far more noise than there had been the night before on board the prahus, an incessant jabber being maintained, and voices rang high in excitement as the men discussed the destruction of the town and the orders that had been received for a portion of them to land on the following morning and take part in the annihilation of the whites if they entered into the forest.
He waited till the other boats closed up, and then whispered his final orders, appointing two boats to attack one of the prahus while he made for the other alone. "Now then," he whispered, "are you all ready? A bold dash, my lads, and they are ours." "Please, sir," said old Dick. "What is it?" cried the lieutenant, angrily. "Them's our own two boats. I'd swear to 'em."
The Ithaca lay now in about five feet of water, and the war prahus of Muda Saffir rode upon her seaward side, so that those who manned them did not see the twelve who splashed through the water from land.
It was now daylight, and on looking around we perceived five more prahus off a point between the gig and ourselves in the barge and several others pulling in from seaward. We gave way for the five prahus, which were drawn up in a line ready to receive us.
The breeze filled our sails, but continued light as at first, and we had done all that was possible to make the brig move through the water. Two prahus, apparently the fastest, were leading, and were already scarcely more than two miles off, while we were at a much greater distance.
We could look forward with confidence to the remainder of the journey, mainly down the great Mahakam River, toward distant Samarinda, because the Dayaks along the route were very numerous and had plenty of prahus.
It was with great sorrow we heard that the two lady passengers, of whom I have spoken, and nearly all the Dutch crew, were missing, and there was every probability they had been destroyed in the burning wreck. The crew of the jolly-boat had been taken on board one of the other prahus; but what their fate was, no one knew.
He was pointing with one hand down the stream, but on the middy gazing in the required direction it was too dark to see anything. "I can see none," he said. "Where?" "Two prahus coming up rapidly," said Ali; "be ready to fire." "Not so fast, young sir," said the lieutenant. "Will that steam never be up? Roberts," he cried, "touch the trigger of that life-buoy."
One of the prahus, pierced by the well-directed shot, foundered, another was abandoned, and the rest, favoured by darkness, made their escape. For a more detailed account, I must refer the reader to Captain Keppel's work on Borneo. During the survey, we visited the islands of Talen Talen the Malay word for turtle. These islands are the property of Mr. Brooke.
Then shots were fired, at first scattered, then rapidly; and it was at once evident, that in revenge for their defeat afloat, the crews of some of the prahus had joined those on the island in a general attack.
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