204 DEPART FOR SOOLOO. [1844. 



Pulo Mantan. 



P.S. Since I wrote, the Kajah came to me and said that he would 

 send us to Cote in a fast pulling canoe this night (llth Sept.), so as to 

 be out of the way of the Sultan, and to get to Macassar sooner. 



We shall be obliged to fight our way down the river, and the Rajah 

 has supplied us with muskets and amunition. 



(Signed.} W. BROWNEIGG. 



Such a communication did not admit of a moment's 

 delay, and after taking the depositions of the Lascars, 

 the ' Samarang ' was, on the 10th December, making the 

 best of her way to the relief of our countrymen, and 

 reached Sooloo on the 15th. We had, before quitting 

 Manila, received accounts of the murder of a Lieutenant, 

 and the capture of two seamen belonging to the French 

 corvette, ' Sabine ', whilst engaged watering in the Bay of 

 Maloza, on the western side of Basilan ; they had gone 

 up the river in a small boat in pursuit of game, or objects 

 of natural history. As the captives had been carried 

 into the jungle, and could not be recovered, application 

 was made, for the intercession of the authorities of Sambo- 

 angan, and after some days delay, they were ransomed, 

 as we understood, for fifteen hundred dollars. 



On arriving at Sooloo, I was informed by Mr. Wynd- 

 hain, that the French squadron had touched there, and 

 that the interference of the Sultan had been requested ; 

 that they had returned to Basilan to punish the pirates, 

 and were expected back shortly to make further commu- 

 nications to the Sultan. I immediately waited upon the 

 Sultan, and entered upon the business relative to our 

 countrymen still in captivity at Curan, on the eastern 

 coast of Borneo, and intimated to him my wish, that he 



