When All
Things Were In Readiness For The Intended Assault, The Native Armament
Came Down The River In The Night;
And, while some landed and destroyed
the factory and fortifications, others attacked the ships, which were
fortunately prepared for their
Reception, the English having made fast
nettings along both sides of their ships, about two fathoms high above
the gunnels, to prevent the enemy from boarding, and were in readiness
to use their blunderbusses and pikes, to prevent them from forcing their
way to the decks.
On seeing the approach of the proas towards the ships, the English plied
their great guns, loaded with double, round, and partridge shot, and
made great carnage among the Borneans, yet this did not deter them from
pushing forwards and using their utmost endeavours to board. But, having
got up to the gunnels, they were unable to get over the netting, and so
were slaughtered with great ease by the English from the decks. Some of
the assailants got in at the head doors of one of the ships and killed
a few of the English on the forecastle, but were soon overpowered and
slain. Thus, after a long and sanguinary contest, the two large ships
beat off the enemy with small loss; but the two little vessels were both
burnt with most of their men, among whom was one Mynheer Hoogh Camber, a
Dutch gentleman who had been ambassador of the king of Persia, and had
fled from Batavia in one of these small vessels. Some say that the
English killed above fifteen hundred of the assailants in two hours, for
the heat of the assault continued during that space, besides many others
wounded and maimed. But the English were under the necessity of
abandoning the settlement at Pulo Laut.
The Bornean king or rajah thought his revenge had gone far enough in
driving the English from their factory: And, finding his revenue
considerably diminished by the loss of trade with the English, he sent
notice to such of them as traded to Johor, and other places in the
neighbourhood of Borneo, that he would still admit them to trade in his
dominions on the old footing, but would never allow them or any other
nation to erect forts in his territories. Several English vessels have
been there since to load pepper, and were civilly treated. The Dutch
also sent a ship there from Batavia in the year 1712; but the natives
refused to have any dealings with them.
END OF THE NINTH VOLUME.
End of A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume IX., by Robert Kerr
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