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246 HISTORY OF THE IXDfAN NAVY.

'Procvis,' Captain Freeman. The Hon. Company's cruisers
' Teignmonth,' Captain liewitson, and ' Merciny,' Captain
Conyers. The gunboats 'Wellington,' and 'Young Barracouta,'
and four transports, which also embarked some guns and a
considerable quantity of military stores for the new settlement
on the island of Banca, opposite the mouth of the Palimbang
river.
On the 3rd of April the fleet reached Nanka Island, where
they remained a week at anchor. Tents were pitched on shore,
and all the artificers were employed in the completion of the
boats intended for the passage of the Palimbang river, by con-
structing platforms for the field-pieces and coverings to shelter
the troops from the heat of the sun and the ill effects of the night
air. A severe gale on the night of the 9th of April, occasioned
the loss of several of these boats, and damaged many others,
but, nevertheless, as further delay was impossible, the fleet got
under weigh on the following day, and, at noon on the 15th,
came to an anchor opposite the west channel of Palimbang
river. The two succeeding days were employed in getting the
'
' Procris,' ' Teignmonth,' ' Mercury,' and the gunboats Young
Barracouta' and ' Wellington,' over the bar ; and, on the evening
of the 17th, the greater part of the troops were removed from
the frigates and transports and placed on board these smaller
vessels, whose lighter draught enabled them to proceed up the
river. A violent storm, which came on during the night,
considerably damaged the boats and destroyed the coverings for
the men, made with so much labour and difficulty ; the four
serviceable flat-bottomed boats which alone were capable of
affording any kind of shelter to the men, were appropriated to
the field artillery and such troops as could be accommodated in
them.
A number of armed proas having been seen at the mouth of
the river, a party of seamen and thirty soldiers was sent up in
boats, but, on their approach, the enemy fled, and the village of
Soosang was found to be deserted. The remaining troops
proceeded on board their respective ships, on the evening of the
18th, after which the squadron got under weigh, and were
carried ten miles up the stream by the flood tide, and, towards
midnight, came to an anchor. The utmost care was necessary in
proceeding up the river to coerce the Sultan of Palimbang, as
not only was resistance expected at the batteries established at
Borang, but the employment of fire-rafts on the stream as it
narrowed higher up, formed an element of danger. The most
careful watch was kept by a division of look-out boats, astern
of which were three divisions, consisting of light boats, gun
launches, and flat boats with field pieces ; then came the
squadron, consisting of the 'Procris,' 'Teignmonth,' and
' Mercury,' with the two gunboats escorting the flats and other