1844.] EXCURSION UP THE LINGA RIVER. 151 



The narrative of the attack on Patusan, by the Dido's 

 boats preceding my arrival, is already well told by my 

 friend Keppel ; we were too late to bear a part in it, and 

 had only the satisfaction of examining the still smoking 

 ruins of the stockades, which they had so very gallantly 

 stormed and carried; stockades which were strong in 

 themselves, from their mere position, and being so admi- 

 rably placed for supporting each other compelled him to 

 divide his attacking force. 



Nothing remaining unexecuted in this branch of the 

 river, Phlegethon towed us to the mouth of the Linga, 

 in order to communicate with the Chief at Bunting, and 

 thence to Sarawak, where, from fresh information obtained 

 relative to Seriff Sahib having taken refuge in the Linga, 

 a new expedition was planned up that river. 



The Linga is a branch of the Batang Lupar river, 

 forking southerly immediately within its mouth. Orders 

 were quickly despatched to prepare the boat force of the 

 ' Samarang ' by midnight, at which hour I reached the 

 ship and started for the rendezvous at the entrance of the 

 Moratabas, where we all assembled by 8 o'clock on the 

 following morning. Our force thus added, amounted to 

 two heavy barges, two large cutters and three gigs ; com- 

 prehending two six-pounders, two three-pounders, brass 

 field guns, three rocket-tubes, and seventy men and officers. 

 We reached the Linga on the night of the 28th, and 

 anchored in its mouth about midnight, so arranging 

 our flotilla as to prevent any chance of ingress or egress 

 without our knowledge. 



On the following morning some of the parties which 

 had escaped from the Sakarran, and sought refuge in the 



