590 
DESTRUCTION OF THE PIRATE FLEET. 
ant actions. The Steamer at the rivers mouth manoeuvred and 
kept up a hot and destructive fire. The men of war boats outside 
were playing the same game, whilst the Sarawak natives on either 
bank of the river, about'3 \ miles across, were closely engaged with 
the pirates and intercepting their escape. 
The Nemesis, true to her former fame and fortune, was every 
where, and every where cutting up the pirates; rockets, shells, 
shots, musketry were flying in all directions—blue lights and port 
fires illumined the scene. Over a space of fully seven miles, tlieie 
was here a fight, there a chase. Here a pirate boat sunk at sea, 
whilst others were seeking safety (and often seeking it in vain) on 
shore in an inhospitable jungle far from their homes. At about 
eleven o’clock the firing relaxed and by twelve the pirates were 
no longer seen, and the English force was left to its repose. 
At break of day on the following morning the result of the 
night’s action became visible. On the Eastern point, or Batang 
Marrow, lay upwards of sixty prahus, and on the beach for a long 
distance was strewed the debris of their large pirate fleet sunken 
boats were carried here and their with the tide—fully 2,500 men 
of the enemy sought refuge in the jungle, where our people were 
eagerly hunting them in detached parties. 
Thus the pirates of Sarebas caught redhanded in the fact, laden 
with plunder, and gorged with blood, met the fate they so richly 
deserved. Upwards of eighty prahus were captured (many from 
sixty to seventy feet long, and eight or nine feet in beam) and many 
men slain. It is difficult to calculate the exact number of the 
killed, but at a low computation, three hundred must have fallen 
during the night’s action, and many wounded and exposed will 
swell the total loss of the pirates. The morning was occupied in 
destroying, and appropriating the captured prahus, and orders 
having been given to show mercy to any of the pirates who wished 
to give themselves up, the fleet in the evening joined the Steamer 
at Rembas. 
The next morning, the 2nd August, an advance was made up the 
Sarebas and the force anchored at Baring in the afternoon, and 
again proceeded at night to Sarueh. The next morning a Malay 
prisoner having been brought in, the following information oi the 
movements of the destroyed pirate fleet was obtained. A force (by 
his account) of 120 boats had set out under the firm persuasion 
that the Malays of Sarawak would not make any attack during the 
Ramadan or fast month, and probably, he added, the chiefs had an 
idea of attacking Siriki. Having (as before mentioned) plundered 
Palo, they held a conference in the Si Maring and proceeded to 
Mato, capturing by the way two trading prahus, one laden with 
sago bound to Singapore, the other returning from that place with 
piece goods &c. The panic on finding both the Sarebas and Ra~ 
luka guarded was complete. Every body (the prisoner added) 
lost his senses and each boat thought only of reaching home. 
