110 BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. [chap. 



" Tenteng and his people knew that it wouhl he easy to attack the 

 battery from the forest in rear, where his people could unite and hide 

 themselves, and thus they took advantage of this want of care of the English, 

 who had neglected to defend that side, not dreaming of an attack from a 

 point from whence they did not expect an enemy. In the meantime those at 

 Banguey exerted themselves, transporting the people across the sea to the 

 woods of Balambangan, and without being discovered by the English. The 

 natives had oidy three small boats, each of which would scarcely convey 

 seven persons, but these boats, after many trips, succeeded in transporting all 

 the people to Balambangan, disembarking them on the opposite side of the 

 island, where the English were established, and in this manner they ap- 

 proached silently, concealing themselves in the wood immediately behind the fort. 



" The English little dreamed of what was about to happen, and the 

 officers slept profoundly, having enjoyed themselves at a fete given the day 

 and night preceding in celeliration of the Governor's birthday. 



"At dawn on the 5th of March, 1775, they formed in three divisions, 

 attacked and burned simultaneously the Governor's house, fort, and barracks ; 

 shouts and shrieks on both sides were dreadfid, those who died from wounds, 

 as well as those who conquered, seemed to unite in fearful din to celebrate 

 this easy conquest. At that period there were in the port two brigs, two 

 pontoons unladen, and a large bark belonging to the English ; the Governor 

 always had a small boat in readiness at the gate of his house ; he, with six 

 men, escaped to one of these brigs, and those that were armed with guns 

 opened a brisk cannonade towards the land. The Chief, Dakula, who had 

 made himself master of the fort, returned this fire, and by a chance shot 

 cut away the only cable of one of the brigs, which was anchored nearest the 

 land. The sea-breeze driving her on shore, the crew jumped overboard ; some 

 were drowned, and a few gained the other brig, where they met the Governor. 

 A flag of truce was hoisted, but he did not succeed in saving any of those 

 remaining on shore, therefore, making sail, he quitted the smoking ruins of 

 this position, over which he now ceased to have command. 



" Tenteng captured forty-five cannon, two hundred and eight cwt. 

 of powder, two hundred and fifty muskets, twenty -two thousand shot, a 

 great deal of iron, lead, tin, and gold in bars, more than fourteen thousand 

 dollars (Spanish) in coined silver, a large quantity of muslins and other 

 kinds of merchandise, the whole valued at one million Spanish dollars." 



The Sultan of Siilu, although nominally repudiatmg this act, 

 received a great part of the spoil, and no reparation appears to 

 have been exacted by the English. Some little time afterwards 

 the settlement was re-established, but it was again abandoned in 



