On the 22nd we reached Patusen, finding everything in the wretched state we had left it. At 8 P.M. we heard the report of a gun, which was repeated nearer at nine, and before a signal rocket could be fired, we were hailed by the boats of the _Samarang_, Captain Sir Edward Belcher, and the next moment he was alongside the _Phlegethon_ with the welcome news of having brought our May mail. It appears that, on arrival of _Samarang_ off Morotoba, Sir Edward heard of the loss we had sustained, and, with his usual zeal and activity, came to our assistance, having brought his boats no less than 120 miles in about thirty hours. There were two accidents just at this moment which might have been more serious. D’Aeth, hearing of the mail, hurried on board the _Samarang_ in a small sampan, and was capsized. His skill in swimming saved him; his one paddler caught hold of a boat near. No sooner than these had been cared for, when Brooke, whose ears, always on the alert for native cries, heard voices in trouble, and, jumping into his Singapore sampan, pushed off with Siboo to the assistance of our Dyak followers, who had been capsized by the bore. He rescued three out of a crew of eleven, and these were half drowned when he reached them. [Sidenote: Aug. 23.] We moved down as far as the mouth of the Linga, and on the night of the 24th were once again in Sarawak. Here the rejoicings of the previous year were repeated. [Sidenote: Aug. 28.] But having received information that Seriff Sahib had taken refuge in the Linga River, and, assisted by Seriff Jaffer, was again collecting followers, we were off again on the 28th, with the addition of the _Samarang’s_ boats. And, determining to crush this persevering pirate, in the middle of the night came to an anchor inside the Linga River. When our expedition had been watched safely outside the Batang Lupar on its return to Sarawak, all those unfortunate families that had concealed themselves in the jungle after the destruction of Patusen and Undop, emerged from their hiding-places, and by means of rafts, canoes, packerangans, or anything that would float, were in the act of crossing towards Bunting, a flourishing place. Their dismay can well be imagined when at daylight on the morning of the 29th they found themselves carried by the tide close alongside the terror-spreading steamer, in the midst of our augmented fleet. Escape to them was hopeless; nor did the women seem to mind. It was a choice between starvation in the jungle or coming under submission to the white man. I need not say that, instead of being molested, they were supplied with such provisions and assistance as our means would permit, and allowed to pass quietly on. We sent several of our native followers into the Batang Lupar to inform the fugitives that our business was with the chiefs and instigators of piracy, and not with the ryots of the country. [Sidenote: Aug. 29.]