Life in the forests of the Far East (vol. 2 of 2)

by Sir Spenser St. John

Since our colony of Labuan was established in 1848, a few Chinese have left it to spread along the coast. As yet they have had little effect, since most of them have married into native families, and done little else than carry on a petty trade, or manufacture arrack. Lately, however, a few have commenced pepper-gardens, but the districts are too unsettled to promise much, yet it is a movement to be encouraged. When I have asked the Chinese why they did not emigrate there, the invariable answer has been, “Will you afford us protection? if not, as soon as our plantations are productive, the nobles will force the produce from us.”

The sultan, in a moment of enlightenment, determined to encourage planters, and actually sent for a dozen from Singapore, paid their expenses to Brunei, and promised a monthly allowance till the produce of their vegetable-gardens enabled the Chinese to support themselves. These regular payments, however, soon became very distasteful to him, and every month be gave them less, till at last from want of food they all dispersed, and the experiment has not been tried again.

The Brunei government makes every effort to prevent the Chinese mixing with the aborigines, as it tends to destroy the monopoly of trade they seek to establish, and they fear also the teaching of the Chinese, who would never counsel submission to oppressive rulers, though when employed by the nobles as agents, they can be more systematically grinding than the Malays.

It is evident that the intercourse between Borneo and China, which undoubtedly was once very active, has been decreasing for above a hundred years, and the cause was doubtless the anarchy into which the country fell and the consequent want of protection. Fifty years ago, the junk trade appears entirely to have ceased; and even in 1775 it had been reduced to about seven a year, although they continued to build vessels at Brunei.

With regard to the accounts of old travellers, that the north of Borneo was formerly peopled from Cochin China, I have heard nothing to support the theory, beyond the tradition that in ancient days a great trade was carried on between Annam and the north-west coast, when many Cochin Chinese settled in Borneo. In fact, in the Champa country, in the southern portion of the Kambodian peninsula, there is a people whose language contains a considerable number of Malay words; so that the effect on these two countries may have been mutual, though Champa, doubtless, was more influenced by settlers from the Malay peninsula.

I have before alluded to the Chinese wandering from our colony of Labuan to settle in small numbers in the districts on the coast to the north of that island. A favourite place was Papar, as the Dusuns there were wealthy, and, being numerous, cared little for their nominal ruler, pañgeran Omar; and among the Chinese settlers were two men, who lived in a small house on the banks of the river. One day, early in the year 1859, the wife of the chief of a neighbouring village was passing that way, when one of these men attempted to pull off her petticoat, which constituted her only covering. Her screams bringing some friends to the spot, the man let her go and ran into his house. In the evening, the chief came to demand satisfaction for this very gross insult, but said, as the offender was a stranger, and perhaps did not know the customs of the country, he should only fine him the value of a goat. The two Chinese ordered him to leave their house, and, to enforce it, took up their carrying-sticks, with which the one who had insulted the woman struck him. The Dusun chief, who had his spear in his hand, stabbed the offender and wounded his companion, who came up to join in the attack. This affair caused great commotion in the district, and all the Chinese clamoured for vengeance.

Pañgeran Omar inquired into the case, fined the Dusun, and ordered the amount to be paid over to the dead man’s friends. They were not, however, satisfied with the amount of the fine, and determined to revenge themselves. Collecting a body of about twenty of their countrymen, on the pretence of a pig hunt, they marched to attack the chief’s village; upon which the Dusuns, beating the alarm gong, soon apprised their neighbours that they were in danger; and the Chinese, as usual, arrogant when there was no opposition, but cowards in circumstances of peril, immediately on finding their first volley did not frighten their enemies, fled with precipitation, and were pursued by the Dusuns, and the larger portion of them killed.

The case was misrepresented in Labuan, and some demands were made for satisfaction; but it was evident the Chinese had brought this disaster on themselves; and I know of no worse policy than to consider all those, whether British subjects or not, who leave our colony to settle on the coast as entitled to our protection. If we can be of service to them, it is as well to use our influence to insure them the best treatment, but we should never let the Chinese imagine we intend to give them the protection of the British flag on all occasions. Yet it is a subject which requires delicate handling, for, if we entirely abandoned their interests, they would be plundered and massacred; and without them there will never be any progress on the coast, or developement of trade and agriculture on a large scale; and if we claim them as British subjects, which a few are in reality, their insolence to the natives is often unbearable.

I have generally found that those Chinese who come direct from their own country are better adapted to succeed with the native chiefs than those who have resided long in our own settlements, where they acquired an independence almost amounting to lawlessness. I once nearly lost my life through the reckless conduct of one of these Singapore Chinese, who had been accustomed to treat the Malays there with great contumely. When he arrived in Brunei, he did the same thing with a crazy man belonging to the Pablat section of the town, and the Chinese quarter was thrown into confusion. I sent both men to the sultan, but in the meantime the report spread among the Malay’s relatives that the Chinese had ill used him, and 150 men immediately came down, shouting that they would run amuck among the Chinese. A respectable Bornean trader came hastily into my room, saying, if I did not immediately go down to the scene, there would be a massacre. I caught up my sword and hurried to the Chinese village, to find the Pablat men in the act of assaulting the strangers; and had one wound been given, there would have been no stopping the mischief.

I need not dwell on all the particulars, but it was with the greatest difficulty I turned the Malays back from their purpose. To me they behaved with great civility, after the first excitement was over; but the glare their chief gave me, when I put the hilt of my sword to his breast to prevent him using his spear on an unfortunate Chinese trader, who had nothing to do with the quarrel, was a very savage one. His hand in a moment sought his kris; but on my saying, in a very quiet tone, “Don’t draw your kris on me,” he dropped his intention at once, and although his followers drew their weapons and urged him to the attack, he began to explain to me the reason of his coming with that force at his back. I knew if I could check the rush for five minutes, things would be safe, as by that time some friends, who were staying at the house, would be down with all my armed followers; and so it proved. But the insolence of the Chinese was effectually checked by this demonstration, and I had no further trouble with them, as they thought I might not always be there to stand between them and death.