Page 289 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 257
the troops, consisting of the 14th Regiment, Colonel Watson, who
couimanded the force, a company each from the Bengal Artillery
and the Coiiii);iny's European Regiment, and the 3rd Bengal Vo-
lunteer Jxittalion. The men-of-war rendezvoused olf the Sambas
river, which had been blockaded since January, 1813, by the
' Teignmouth ' and ' Aurora,' assisted by some gunboats, and a
small body of European and Native troops under Captain
Morris of the Bengal Army, who also acted as chief Political
oflicer.* For the effective manner in which they had niain-
* Captain Macdonald was at Rcmbaiig, in Java, fitting the ' Aurora' witli anew
main-mast when he received tl;e summons to blockade tlie Sambas river, and made
the passage in k^ss tlian fifteen days, against strong nortli-westerly gales. He says :
— " On the evening of the 4th of February, 1813, very soon alter our arrival off
the river Sambas, we discovered a large junk, which, in endeavouring to enter,
had taken the ground ; as it appeared possible to cut her out, I determined to
make the attempt before high water would enable her to get fairly within the
bar, which is upwards of a mile in width. Accordingly, having got the ship as
near to her as we could guess, under cover of a dark and rainy right we manned
and armed the boats, and as the day began to dawn, pushed otf, keeping the ship
as near as possible to support them. Elated with his previous success, the Pau-
geran, as I fully expected, had, with a strong party from the shore, joined her
duruig the night, intending to preserve her from her impending fate ; but so quiet
and noiseless had been our approach, and so unexpected our proximity, tliat we
were close at hand ere he had time to do more than arouse from his slumber and
spring into the sampang, which, laying ready manned alonside, soon carried him
beyond our reach, his people following with the utmost precipitation in the boats
that brought them from the shore ; had we been a few moments earlier, or the
night less dark and drizzling, so as to have admitted our seeing our true position,
nothing could have saved that individual himself from our grasp ; as it was, wc
got possession of the vessel, and with the aid of the land wind, dragged her
through the mud and down to Pontiana, where she was placed under the care of
the Sulttm. The succeeding month was also a propitious one for us, having on
the third of Martth intercepted another of his vessels, laden with various kinds
of supplies, including a quantity of powder and shot, which his agents had pro-
cured from the llajah of Borneo Proper ; suspecting that we had gone to one of
the neighbouring islands to replenish our wood and water, they took advantage
of that temporary absence to seek admission, but unluckily for their interest,
selected the very day W'c so unexpectedly returned; she came skimming down
along shore, with a iine breeze and smooth sea, and had nearly accomplished her
object as we arrived ; fortunately for us it was near the hour for high water, and
being by this time somewhat better acquainted with the cliannel, we ))ushcd on into
little more than our own depth, crossed her, thereby compelling her to bear up.
and assisted by the evening breeze, brousiht her into blue water, and soon saw her
also under custody of the Prince of Pontiana, who expressed much gr.:tification
at the confidence reposed in his people. She was of great bulk, and navigated by a
renegade Portuguese, who had been mute or steersman in one of tlie sliips wliieli
the Pangeran cut off, and with whom he took service, engaging for a stipulated
sum, to carry this vessel to and IVom the coast of China, and bringing back the
annual supplies for the Chinese pojudation of Montrada and Landack ; exclusive
of her crew there were on board upwards of two hundred emigrants of all deno-
minations and kinds, seeking employment in these mining districts, and the loss of
the various materials with which she was loaded greatly distressed the general,
but particidarly the Cliinesc population. Here (at Pontiana) I found (he long
expected detachment had just arrived from Patavia. under the command of Cup-
tain Morris, of the Bengal Army, who acconijianied me back to Sambas and set
about immediately hutting tlie troops under the high promontory which bounds
the northern entrance to the river. Two fast samjiangs of light iind easy draft,
each capable of containing a dozen or more small-arm men, besides the rowers,
were procured and placed at his disposal, and one of the gunboats anchored m
VOL. I. S