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

by Sir Spenser St. John

The harassing life they led must soon have worn them out without any attacks, as they could no longer pursue their ordinary occupations, or even fetch firewood or water without a strong armed party, as the Dayaks hung about their houses and infested every spot. It soon became a question of food, and they found they must either obtain it, or retire across the border into Sambas. They therefore collected all their boats and made a foray of eight miles down the river to Ledah Tanah, and there threw up a stockade, in which they placed a garrison of 250 of their picked men, under two of their most trusted leaders. They put also four guns in position to sweep the river, and these Chinese had the best of the government carbines and rifles there. They also sacked a few of the Dayak farmhouses, and one party made a bold attempt to reach the rajah’s cottage at Peninjau, to which I have referred in my chapter on the Dayaks of the right-hand branch.

But the villagers of Sirambau, Bombok, and Peninjau assembled in force, threw up stockades across the steep path, and successfully defended it against the assailants, who were driven back and pursued with loss. To check the Chinese and afford assistance to the Land Dayaks, the rajah sent up the datu bandhar and a small but select force to wait his arrival below the Chinese stockade, but the gallant bandhar, on being joined by the datu tumanggong and abang Buyong, and a few Sakarang Dayaks, dashed at the fort, surprised the garrison at dinner, and carried it without the loss of a man; the Chinese threw away their arms and fled into the jungle, to be pursued by the Sakarang Dayaks; stockade, guns, stores, and boats, all were captured, and, what was of equal importance, the two principal instigators of the rebellion were killed.

As soon as a few of the fugitives reached the fort at Beledah a panic seized the Chinese, and they fled to Bau, where they made preparations to retire into Sambas. The rajah, who was hurrying up to the support of the bandhar, hearing of his success, despatched Mr. Johnson with the light division to harass the enemy, and the advance parties of his Sea Dayaks were on them immediately, but the Chinese being well provided with fire-arms were enabled to retire in tolerable order, from a few miles beyond Bau to the foot of the Gombang range, along the good path which, as I have before mentioned, they had constructed; but every now and then the active Dayaks made a rush from the thick brushwood which borders the path, and spread confusion and dismay, but the Chinese had every motive to act a manly part, as they had to defend above a thousand of their women and children who encumbered their disastrous flight.

At the foot of the steep hill of Gombang they made a halt, for the usual path was found to be well stockaded, and a resolute body of Malays and Dayaks were there to dispute the way. It was a fearful position; behind them the pursuers were gathering in increasing strength, and unless they forced this passage within an hour they must all die or surrender. At last some one, it is said a Sambas Malay, suggested that there was an upper path, which, though very steep, was yet practicable; this was undefended, and the fugitives made towards it.

The Sarawak Malays and Dayaks, too late seeing their error in neglecting to fortify this also, rushed up the edge of the hill, and drove back the foremost Chinese; their danger was extreme; at that moment, as if by inspiration, all the young Chinese girls rushed to the front and encouraged the men to advance, which they again did, and cheered by the voices of these brave girls who followed them close, clapping their hands, and calling to them by name to fight bravely, they won the brow of the hill, and cleared the path of their less numerous foes. They were but just in time, as the pursuers were pressing hotly on the rearguard, and the occasional volley of musketry told them that the well-armed Malays were upon them; but they were now comparatively safe, as they soon cleared the Sarawak borders, and, although a few pursued them, the main body of the Malays and Dayaks halted on the Gombang range.

The miserable fugitives, reduced to two thousand, of whom above a half were women and children, sat down among the houses of the village of Sidin, and many of them it is said wept not only for the loss of friends and goods they had suffered from the insensate ambition of the kunsi, but that they must give up all hope of ever returning to their old peaceful homes. The kunsi, which on the night of the surprise had numbered six hundred men, were now reduced to a band of about a hundred, but these kept well together, and were better armed than the others, and formed the principal guard of the Taipekong, or sacred stone, which they had through all their disasters preserved inviolate.

Several times the assailants, who mistook it for the gold chest, had nearly captured it, but on the cry being raised that the Taipekong was in peril, the men gathered round and carried it securely through all danger. But here at Sidin, all immediate apprehension being over, the discontent of those who had been forced to join the rebels burst forth without control, so that from words they soon came to blows, and the small band of the kunsi’s men was again reduced by thirty or forty from the anger of their countrymen. Continuing their disorderly retreat, they were met by the officers of the Dutch government, who very properly took from them all their plunder and arms, and being uncertain which was their own property, erred on the safe side by stripping them of everything. Thus terminated the most absurd and causeless rebellion that ever occurred, which, during its continuance, displayed every phase of Chinese character: arrogance, secrecy, combination, an utter incapability of looking to the consequences of events or actions, and a belief in their own power and courage, which every event belied. The Chinese never have fought even decently, and yet till the very moment of trial comes they act as if they were invincible.

I think this insurrection shows that though the Chinese require watching, they are not in any way formidable as an enemy, and it also proves how firmly the Sarawak government is rooted in the hearts of the people, since in the darkest hour there was no whisper of infidelity. Had the Chinese been five times as numerous, there were forces in the background which would have destroyed them all. Before the Chinese had fled across the border thousands of Seribas and Sakarang Dayaks had arrived, and the people of Sadong were marching overland to attack them in rear, while the distant out stations were mustering strong forces, which arrived only to find all danger past.

I almost believe it was worth all the disaster to show how uniform kindness and generous consideration are appreciated by the Malays and Dayaks, and how firmly they may become attached to a government which, besides having their true interests at heart, encourages and requires all its officers to treat them as equals. The conduct of the Malay fortmen, of Kasim and Gapur, the generous enthusiasm of abang Fatah, and the gallant rush at the Ledah Tanah stockade by the bandhar and his forces, show what the rajah has effected during his tenure of power. He has raised the character of the Malay, and turned a lawless race into some of the best conducted people in the world.

I must add that the results of the Chinese insurrection were very curious in a financial point of view; though above three thousand five hundred men were killed or driven from the country, yet the revenue rose instead of falling, which proves what an extensive system of smuggling had been carried on. The breaking up of the kunsi was felt by all the natives as a great relief; and if the Chinese were to increase to ten times their former numbers, there would not be the slightest danger if ordinary precautions were taken, and if there were stringent rules well carried out to prevent them either forming extensive companies, or proper measures pursued to crush all attempts at banding themselves into secret societies.