Captain Keppel begs to acknowledge the receipt of the Rajah Muda Hassim’s letter, representing that the Dyaks of Sarebas and Sakarran are the pirates who invest the coast of Borneo and do material damage to the trade of Singapore. Captain Keppel will take speedy measures to suppress these and all other pirates, and feels confident that Her Britannic Majesty will be glad to learn that the Rajah Muda Hassim is ready to co-operate in so laudable an undertaking. Not being prepared for the Oriental fashion of exchanging presents, I had nothing to offer, but I found afterwards that Mr. Brooke had (unknown to me) sent a clock in my name. The Royal kris was handsome--handle of carved ivory, with a good deal of gold about it. My son has it. This letter of the Rajah’s gave me a good excuse of putting in motion the small preparations I, with Brooke’s assistance and advice, had been quietly making. We determined on attacking the pirates in their strongholds, commencing with the Sarebas. Brooke (the Tuan Besar), going to join personally in a war against such opponents who had never been conquered, although repeatedly attacked by the united forces of the surrounding Rajahs, was strongly opposed by the Datus. But Brooke having informed them that he should go, the reply was, “If you die, we die; what is the use of our remaining?” Brooke and I attended in my six-oared gig, which had been covered in like a native boat with _kadjang_, the mast and oars landed. The crew, which was increased by two, propelled her by paddles facing forward; each paddle was stopped by a lanyard to the brass rowlock. Each man was provided with a carbine. I had with the pennant in the bow the master of the band with his bugle, who could sound my whereabouts. Horton ascended the Sarebas River with ten boats, the lighter ones fitted much the same as my gig. [Sidenote: May 24.]