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

by Sir Spenser St. John

A four hours’ walk brought us to the last Chinese station, which was evidently more intended as a resting place for wayfarers than because its inhabitants were actually much engaged in gold-working there. We ascended the hills to the village of the Gombang Dayaks, and heard that a continual stream of small parties of Chinese was constantly passing within sight of their village. So there was little doubt that the Chinese population was increasing.

From all the inquiries we made as to the numbers engaged directly and indirectly in gold-working, we considered there were nearly three thousand living between the town of Siniawan and the border. There were about five hundred agriculturists in Suñgei Tuñgah and its neighbourhood, and perhaps eight hundred in the town of Kuching, the sago manufactories, and the surrounding gardens; but these were soon after recruited by the three hundred fugitives from Sambas, to whom I have before referred; so that the Chinese population of Sarawak amounted to above four thousand five hundred before they rose in insurrection, and while seeking to overthrow the government, ruined themselves.

CHAPTER XIII.
THE CHINESE INSURRECTION.

Secret Societies—Extensive Intercourse—Smuggling—The Gold Company fined—Punishment of three of its Members—Arrogance of the Kunsi—A Police Case—Real Causes of the Insurrection—An Emissary from the Tien Ti Secret Society—Reported Encouragement given by the Sultan of Sambas—Sambas Nobles speak Chinese—Their Nurses—The Nobles conspiring—An Emissary arrives in Brunei—Proposal—Knowledge of the intended Insurrection—Proposed Attack on the Consulate—The Tumanggong’s Threat—The Emissary before the Court—Letter from the Tien Ti Hué—Rumours of intended Insurrection—Preparations and Inquiries—Commencement of the Revolt—Useless Warnings—Surprise of the Government House—Danger of the Rajah—Cowardice of the Chinese—Escape—Swims the River—Death of Mr. Nicholets—Attacks on the other Houses—On the Stockade—Gallant Conduct of Mr. Crymble and the Malay Fortmen—Warm Reception of the Rebels—Death of a Madman—A Brave Corporal—Escape of Mr. Crymble—His last Blow—Fortmen again behave well—Confusion in the Town—Peaceful Assurances—Attempt to organize a Defence—Panic-stricken—Departure—Conduct of the People—Next Morning—Killed and Wounded—The Chinese in Power—The Court House—A Check to Joy—Oath of Fidelity—Courage shown by Abang Fatah—A Blow struck—Second Descent of the Chinese—A Boat Action—Gallant Attack—Deaths—Anecdote—The Second Retreat—The Town in Flames—The Steamer—The Capital recovered—Pursuit of the Chinese—They retire to the Interior—Attacks of the Land Dayaks—Foray of the Chinese—Their Fort taken by the Datu Bandhar—Pursuit—Disorderly Retreat—Critical Position—Brave Girls—Pass the Frontier—The Men of the Kunsi—A Quarrel—Stripped of Plunder—Results of the Insurrection—Forces at the Disposal of the Sarawak Government—Conduct of the People—Disastrous to the Chinese—New System—Arrival of armed Chinese from Sambas—Dutch and English Assistance—Revisit Sarawak—Change—Conduct of the Rajah—Its Effect on the People—Secret Society at Labuan—Dangers from the Secret Societies and their Defenders—Curious Incident—Thoughtful Care of the Rajah.

I shall endeavour to tell the story of the Chinese insurrection which suddenly broke out in Sarawak in the year 1857, as it appears to me to be fraught with instruction to us, and if carefully studied, may be of infinite service to those who have to govern colonies where the Chinese form a considerable portion of the population.

For many years the Chinese had attempted to form secret societies in Sarawak; but every effort was made to check their spread among the people, and it appeared as if success had attended that policy. To a considerable extent it was the case: but up in the interior, among the gold workers, the kunsi or company stood in the place of a secret society, and its members carried on an extensive intercourse with their fellow-countrymen in Sambas and Pontianak, and with the Tien Ti secret society in Singapore. I have described in the last chapter a tour which Mr. Fox and I made among the settlements of the Chinese in the interior of Sarawak, during which we became convinced that smuggling was carried on to a great extent, for, however numerous might be the new immigrants, the opium revenue did not increase.

At last it was discovered that opium was sent from Singapore to the Natuna islands, and from thence smuggled into Sarawak and the Dutch territories; it was traced to the kunsi, which was thereupon fined 150l.: a very trifling amount, considering the thousands they had gained by defrauding the revenue, and measures were immediately taken to suppress the traffic, which, together with the punishment of three of its members for a gross assault on another Chinese, were the only grounds of complaint they had against the Sarawak government.

To show their arrogance, I will enter into the details of this case. A Chinese woman ran away from her husband, a member of the kunsi, who followed her to Kuching, and obtained an order from the police magistrate that she should return with him, but on her refusal, she was ordered to remain within the stockade. As the case was peculiar, she was not confined to a cell, but suffered to move about in the inner court; and some of her friends supplying her with men’s clothes, she managed to slip out unperceived by the sentry, and obtained a passage on board a Chinese boat bound for one of the villages on the coast. Her husband hearing of the place to which she had removed, followed her with a strong party of the members of the kunsi, and recovered her. Not satisfied with this, they seized all the boatmen, and flogged them in the most unmerciful manner, and then placed them in irons. When let go, they of course brought their complaint before the police magistrate, and three of the party were punished for taking the law into their own hands.

These trivial cases were not the real cause of the insurrection, as the Chinese before that date were greatly excited by the news that the English had retired from before Canton; and it was of course added, we had been utterly defeated, and their preparations were made before the smuggling was discovered, or the members of their company punished. The secret societies were everywhere in great excitement, and the Tien Ti sent an emissary over from Malacca and Singapore, to excite the gold workers to rebellion, and used the subtle, but false argument, that not only were the English crushed before Canton, but that the British Government were so discontented with Sir James Brooke, that they would not interfere if the kunsi only destroyed him and his officers, and did not meddle with the other Europeans, or obstruct the trade.

It is also currently reported that the Sambas sultan and his nobles offered every encouragement to the undertaking, and the Chinese listened much to their advice, as these nobles can speak to them in their own language, and are imbued greatly with Chinese ideas. To explain this state of things, I may mention that they are always nursed by girls chosen from among the healthiest of the daughters of the gold workers; and I may add, that about that time there was a very active intercourse carried on between the Malay nobles of Sambas and Makota, and that the latter was constantly closeted with an emissary of the Tien Ti Hué, or secret society, to whom I am about to refer. It behoves the Dutch authorities to look well to the proceedings of the native governments within their own territories, as there is very great discontent, and there is not the slightest doubt that the nobles are conspiring.