“The crisis was brought about by the forcible seizure of a number of Chinese, and their deportation to Ceylon, under pretext of their being engaged in committing irregularities in the neighborhood of Batavia. Exasperated by this tyranny, the Chinese in the vicinity of the city, who were not restrained by the presence of a military force, committed acts of violence, excess, and cruelty. Taking advantage of this, the Dutch promulgated a story of a wicked and long-meditated conspiracy, to destroy the European authorities. Between the Dutch troops and the armed mob of Chinese in the environs, several indecisive actions took place. On the 7th day of October, it was discovered that the Chinese quarter of the town was on fire. This was construed into an artifice to mask an attempt to murder the European inhabitants in the confusion of the conflagration.
“The habitual timidity of the Dutch colonists took alarm; the massacre of the Chinese inhabitants of Batavia forthwith commenced, and was in a few hours formally authorized by an order of the Government, which directed that none but the women and children should be spared. A band of brutal sailors was landed from the fleet in the roads, to carry this order into effect; the doors of the Chinese houses were burst open, and the inhabitants dragged out and massacred, without offering the smallest resistance. The city was in a state of conflagration, and nothing was to be seen throughout but fire, murder, and rapine—victims and executioners; it was not until the twenty-second of the same month that an armistice was proclaimed. The effects of this abominable tyranny were felt from one extremity of Java to the other: the Chinese who escaped the slaughter marched to the east, and leagued themselves with the Susunan, who were very willing to be rid of their common oppressors; and a series of revolts, wars, or rebellions was the consequence, which continued, for a period of fifteen years, to desolate the fairest portions of the island, and to exhaust its resources.”
CHAPTER XV.
ADVENTURES WITH A BIG SNAKE AND A MAN-EATER.
When, after a three weeks’ run along the coast, we arrived at the mouth of the River Progo—which, rising in the mountains of Kadu, in the interior of Java, empties itself into the sea at Martaram—we found it necessary to ship fresh water; and for that purpose three men, with a sampan and several empty casks, were ordered by Prabu to proceed up the stream. Then my brother and I were positively suffering for want of animal food. I say my brother and I, because the only provisions the natives cared about were rice, fish, and water; nay, so abstemious are these people, that it is a common boast among them that when necessary, as in the case of troops in the field, they can live upon the leaves of trees alone. Thus it was that, when Martin found the sampan crew were going up the river, he said:
“Claud, old fellow, we shall get as thin as weasels if we don’t soon get something better than rice and fish to live upon. What say you to going with these fellows, and trying our rifles among the game in the interior, or at least along the banks?”
“Nothing I should like better. I will persuade Prabu to give us permission.” But the latter required no persuasion; for not only did he give us leave, but a sampan to ourselves, and Kati, who had been a mighty hunter in his native isle, for our guide and mentor.
Taking advantage of this, in an hour or two we were pulling up the river to get beyond the tide; which, by the way, being at the flood, much lessened our labor, for, merely resting upon our oars, we were swept rapidly up the stream without any exertion of our own.
When we arrived at the spot where the water was to be obtained, we told the crew of the other sampan to fill their casks and return to the prahu without waiting for us; then, by Kati’s advice, we proceeded up the river, until we had reached within, as he believed, a few leagues of the ancient city of Yugyacarta. Here we landed, and, having secured our boat to the trunk of one of the thousand mangrove-trees along the banks, advanced into the jungle, preceded by Kati, who beat the path for us; but, as we left the river further and further in our rear, I began to have some misgivings as to our safety.
“Suppose,” I said, “we should beat up a tiger, Martin?”
“Well,” he replied, quite coolly, “suppose we do, we shall have to shoot the fellow, that’s all!”