In that case it would be quite beyond our power to rout them out, and I certainly should not be justified in attempting it.

The destruction of his town and the burning of his palace would be a serious blow to him, but the destruction of his piratical fleet would be a very much heavier one.

If we can achieve that, we shall have done good service.
"The first thing to do is to find out whether there is a path either from this river, or the other branch, to the pool.

If so, at dark, after destroying the town, we will recall all the men on shore, buoy the anchor and drop it noiselessly, and drift down the river till we are far enough away to use the engines, then steam down to the junction of the two streams, and up again to the entrance to the creek on that side.
Then we will at once land a very strong party, land also two twenty-four pounders, and drag them to the pool.

We might hope to do so without any opposition, for the Malays would no doubt be gathered at the edge of the forest near the town to repel any attack we might make from there, and before morning we might have the guns in position.