12*2 FIRST BRUNEI CONQUESTS. 
were repulsed, falling back again on Tutong and 
Belait. There the Bruneis attacked and beat them ; 
but Besiong. with a few followers, made his escape by 
boat, and sailed down coast as fast as he could to get 
back to his brother-in-law at Rutus, report his failure, 
and raise the country. Besiong reached the Rutus 
safely, but before he and Tugau could collect all their 
followers or send word to the neighbouring districts, 
Pateh Berbi and Semaun, who had followed by sea 
from Tutong with all their people, were upon them. 
Thus taken by surprise Tugau was beaten, and made 
full submission to Alak Betatar through his brothers, 
promising to pay the tribute demanded. 
Having got Tugau into their power, Pateh Berbi 
and Semaun did not give time for any possible com¬ 
bination of the neighbouring Milano chiefs, but went 
straight for Mukah, the most populous Milano settle¬ 
ment remaining. 
There they were again successful, beating the chief, 
Busui, and receiving his submission also. 
These two decisive victories seem to have effectually 
cowed the surrounding country, as Kedahat of Oya and 
several other chiefs submitted without attempting 
resistance. 
Alak Betatar therefore was now ruler, at least no¬ 
minally, over all the coast districts from Brunei to the 
Igan, with the exception of Bintulu, the story of whose 
submission is somewhat different. 
It appears that none of the Bintulu villages were 
very near the sea and it so happened that when Pateh 
Berbi and Semaun returned to Brunei from their con¬ 
quering expedition, no Bintulu people were about in 
their boats off the mouth of the river, so that the Brunei 
fleet, although, on the look-out for other settlements to 
conquer, did not guess that the place was inhabited. 
Later on Alak Betatar sent an expedition along the 
coast by sea with express orders to find and subdue 
any settlement they might come across. Even then 
the} 7 would have sailed past the mouth of Bintulu river, 
thinking it uninhabited, but for an accident. As they 
passed by someone saw fresh banana leaves and stems 
floating out to sea, and called attention to them. The 
