140 DISCOMFORTURE OF THE ENEMY. [1844. 



on the second and third prahu with great rapidity, giving 

 them four rounds each. The fourth retired, and the first, 

 second, and third made for the reef, heeling over very 

 much as their crews endeavoured to escape at one side. 

 The musketry was reserved for particular objects on the 

 reef, some who, on gaining the beach, had the auda- 

 city to turn round and hurl spears and stones. As it was 

 important to secure the first three vessels, the gig was di- 

 rected to weigh the barge's anchor, and attach the cable 

 to the prahus in succession ; these were towed off by the 

 barge, and anchored by their own geer, sufficiently off 

 shore to prevent their being re-captured by the enemy 

 swimming off. 



During our detention on this service, the fourth and 

 fifth prahu had pulled to the reefs, and those who had 

 escaped unwounded, embarking quickly, made off. 1 

 therefore left Mr. Hooper with the gig, to prevent the 

 re-capture of our prizes, and went in pursuit of the other 

 two. They had gained about a mile in advance, but as a 

 proof of our greater velocity, even with their increased 

 crews, we succeeded in coming up with them in a bay 

 about two miles off. They did not wait after our second 

 discharge, but fled to the jungle severely handled by our 

 musketry ; in the prahus which they had vacated were 

 several dead and wounded, the latter were left in one of 

 the vessels which we entirely disabled, whilst the other, 

 containing the dead, was towed well to seaward and set 

 on fire. About dawn, just as this skirmish was over, we 

 noticed another division of five larger prahus, which, un- 

 perceived, had taken up their position in line abreast, 

 completely cutting off the possibility of our rejoining the 



