The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-30 00:00:00

quarters, and from thence to retrace our steps to the
ships off Borneo, where I might replenish provisions
and make a fresh start, should your Excellency approve
of the plan. I informed Mr. Brooke of my decision,
and having destroyed all the magazines, ammunition and
property belonging to Hadji Assim, and conveyed the
brass ordnance, which were Spanish guns of great
beauty, into the boats, I re-embarked at one P.M. ; on
getting clear of the creek, I had the pleasure of finding
your Excellency in the main branch of the river, and I
trust I may be allowed to express the gratification ex-
perienced by Mr. Brooke and myself at your considera-
tion in bringing up the Phlegethon to assist our return,
and also how gratified I felt at your approval of my
proceedings, and at your giving me orders to prosecute
the original plan by the other route, should Mr. Brooke's
information obtained at Kabiran receive further confir-
mation.

On our arrival at the capital, the result of the inqui-
ries made on the subject were so decidedly favourable,
as to induce Mr. Brooke to request that your Excel-
lency would give directions for the expeditionary force
to make a second attempt by the new route; and having
received your orders to this effect, I started again from
Brune at 6.30 A.M. on the 13th, giving the people the
previous day (Sunday) to rest.
The detachment of marines carried sixty rounds in
their cartouche-boxes, the small arm party thirty
rounds, with a hundred rounds of spare ammunition for
each bayonet in the boats. Four days provisions were
issued to each man, two being cooked and carried in the
haversacks.
On leaving the city, instead of proceeding several
miles up the river, as on the former occasion, we took
the first large branch on the left bank, not a mile distant
from the shipping, and continued ascending that stream
in a south-westerly direction, with occasionally only
four fiat at low water till noon, when we entered the
Damuan river, and half an hour afterwards pushed into
a creek of a similar character to that leading to Kabi-
ran, but more difficult of access, as was proved by the
launch being unable to make any progress. At one P.M.
the leading and smaller boats effected a landing at a
place, which we were informed by some natives taken
from their canoes, was called Palihoug, and that a road
led from thence to Damuan, distant a march of twelve
hours. A closer inspection, however, showed us that a
morass, rendered impassable by the continued heavy
rain of the last week, lay between us and the higher
jungle ground.
At this unpleasant juncture of affairs, Mr. Brooke
was assured that, by retracing our steps into the Da-
muan river, and then ascending it for a few miles, we
should find another creek leading to the village of Mal-
bout, which village was on the road to Damuan, and
through which the force must have passed had it been
able to prosecute the journey by land from Palihoug.
Our boats were accordingly retracked to the creek's en-
trance, and then moved up the Damuan river, in itself
so confined at this part as to preclude our advance with-
out the constant aid of our pioneers, who, in three cut-
ters ahead under that efficient officer, Lieutenant Heath,
cleared the passage.
At three P. 31. we entered the second creek, which
was even more intricate than the last ; and finally, at
4.30, after being ten hours at the paddles, we reached
the edge of a swamp, which our guides informed us was
the quay of Malbout.
I may here be allowed to express my great disappoint-
ment at such a termination to the maritime part of our
expedition, and also to confess that I felt very great
doubts as to the fidelity of our guides. The country, so
far as the eye could trace, was one sheet of water, ter-
minating in a jungle, the nearest angle of which might
be a quarter of a mile distant. To this point I deter-
mined to direct our steps ; and, accompanied by Mr.
Brooke, with a guard of forty marines under Lieutenant
Mansell, and by Lieutenant Vansittart, whom you kindly
allowed to act as my aid-de-camp, we pushed on rapidly
in the hope of discoverins, firm ground for the force to
encamp on. The march,' as usual, was knee deep, but
on entering the jungle we discovered a tolerable path
with a gentle rise, and half an hour's walk brought us to
the promised village, which, with the exception of a few
individuals, was entirely abandoned.
I dispatched Lieutenant Vansittart to the boats to
desire that the marines and the seamen of the marching
party should be landed forthwith, and endeavour to get
up before dark, leaving such of the gun-boats as had
been able to penetrate the labyrinth of the creek to guard
the provisions and spare ammunition. At this time the
rain fell heavily, but the houses were fortunately water-
proof, and being, moreover, built on piles, moderate
shelter was afforded to the detachments as they arrived ;
and by seven P.M. all the force was collected, and I
received a report from Lieutenant Patey that the gun-
boat division was all right.
Having detained some of the natives with a promise
that their property should be protected if they would
guide us to the Sultan's retreat, we enlisted three into
our service, who appeared desirous of accepting the
terms. These men assured Mr. Brooke that the Sultan,
with a large body-guard, had passed up the river
Damuan a week ago, and that he had blocked up the
passage after him. I observed, however, that as we ad-
vanced the number of the Sultan's fighting men, as
given by the guides, was rapidly diminishing, and,
instead of five hundred, they were now reduced to half.
From the time occupied, and the rate of progress, I
imagine that at this place (Malbout) we were about
twenty miles in a south-westerly direction from the
capital, and amidst a race called liaydans; they seemed
a quiet, inoffensive people, and far less savage in appear-
ance than the Dyaks at Kano :vitt.
The rain continued incessant till five A.M. on the
next morning, the 14th, when it cleared up. My plans
were arranged for commencing the march into the
interior at daylight, but the waters had risen so much
on the lower ground during the night as to render
access to the landing place a difficult operation, and it
was six A.M. before Lieutenant Dunbar arrived with his

detachment of blue jackets, which I ordered to garrison
the village during our absence.
In order to test the fidelity of our guides, Mr. Brooke
requested that they might be pt rtectly free during the
night, and as they were still in the csmp at daylight, we
commenced our march with some confidence. On quit-
ting the village, half-an-hour's march brought us to the
termination of the jungle, and here we once more en-
tered on a swampy flat of long grass, breast high, the
beaten track through it being every where from two to
three feet deep—water and mud, but the depth being
uniform, and large forest trees in view on the opposite
side, our whole force had passed over in three-quarters
of an hour, and a mile's tramp i❑ the jungle brought us
to the village of Tanjong, where we found a white flag
suspended from the roof of the largest building, but the
women and children, and the greater part of the inhabi-
tants, had fled. Here we learnt that all these spots of
higher and cultivated lands were termed islands by the
natives ; they were covered with fruit and cocoa-nut
trees, and many shrubs and creepers of great freshness
and beauty, and the general character of the country, as
we advanced, was decidedly improving.
Rigorous orders had been given to respect the
property as we passed through the different villages,
which was well observed, and we continued our march
alternately, through swamp and jungle, blazing the paths
in every direction to secure our distinguishing the road
back, should the guides desert us.
At 10.30 we came suddenly upon a larger building
than any we had hitherto seen, erected close to a run-
ning steam, at the foot of a high and well-wooded bank.
The house was evidently new, and on exatnination found
to have been lately inhabited.
A strict search for arms and ammunition was insti-

tuted, and two shields were shortly discovered, the
largest of which, five feet long, ornamented with gilt,
and having an imperial crown on the top, supported by
two lions (not badly executed), was immediately recog-
nised by Mr. Brooke as belonging to the Sultan, the
sword-bearer having carried it before him at the recep-
tion given to your Excellency last year at the capital.
The usual quantity of arms, &c., were found, and se-
veral mats of groat beauty, about thirty feet in length
and ten feet wide, with furniture to correspond, the
whole arrangement of the interior giving evidence that
the Sultan had lately been a tenant, with the Pangerans
who accompanied him in his flight. Observing that no
injury was done to private property, several of the na-
tives here joined us, offering their services as guides, and
assuring Mr. Brooke that the Sultan had only moved
across the river, about two miles distant to another
house, more difficult of access. _ . _

We, accordingly, pushed on without loss of time, once
more buoyed up with the hope that the Sultan had de-
termined to make a stand.

On arriving at the river, which was there about 30
yards wide, we found the bridge three feet under water,
and, owing to the strength of the stream quite impass-
able. The pioneers commenced at once to cut down the
largest trees, which were close to the water's edge, and
three of them falling at the same time directly across to
the opposite bank, a compact bridge was soon formed
and well knitted together by the creepers. In executing
this service, which was especially under the charge of
Lieutenant Heath, I remarked the exertions of Mr.
Simpson, chief officer of the Phlegethon, whose small
party of Javanese were most useful.
I may also mention, that on my calling for volunteers,
Edward Burchutt, carpenter's crew of the Iris, swam
the river, with his heavy axe in his hand, at the great
risk of his life ; John Martin, carpenter's mate of the
Iris ; Alexander Lucas, C.C., of the Agincourt, and the
artificers and pioneers of all the ships worked heartily.
On crossing the river, our march was continued through
a swampy jungle, with thicker underwood than we had
previously experienced; but our guides pointing to some
cocoa nut and palm trees in the distance, informed us
that amongst them we should discover the Sultan's re-
treat. Just before reaching this secluded spot, the natives
rushed into the bush, and our whole party advanced, and
on gaining the open country we found ourselves directly
in face of a large and isolated building, standing on
iples, with a rivulet ten feet broad passing in its rear,
and the whole country round completely flooded. A
glance at the desolated appearance of the place showed
us at once there was no enemy to oppose us. It had
been evacuated probably the day before by the Sultan
and his followers ; magazines of powder, ammunition for
guns of different calibre, and cartridges admirably made
for musketry, were found in considerable quantity, and
one brass swivel gun of small dimensions, but the greater
part of the valuable property had been carried off.
Having destroyed the powder, and well reconnoitred the
swamp and jungle around, I directed Lieutenant Heath
to expend his damp rockets on the building, which was
then fired and burnt to the water's edge ; which service
concluded, we recrossed the river with our whole force,
and after a march of seven hours from leaving Mallout
encamped on the rising ground by the new house, in
which was found the Sultan's shield. The rain had set
in as usual in torrents at 3 P.M., and there being only
shelter for half the force, the remainder bivouacked
under bamboo sheds erected by themselves ; during the
whole night there was no cessation of the rain, no wind,
and myriads of musquitoes.
On the next morning, Wednesday, July 15th, we
commenced our march at an early hour to return to
Mallout, a decision which Mr. Brooke and myself had
come to in consequence of the whole of our guides who
were acquainted with this part of the country having