My Life in Sarawak Margaret Brooke

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LIFE

SARAWAK

THE RANEE OF SARAWAK

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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021573468

PREFACE

IT

is

well

the

for

Malay races of Sarawak

they should find an advocate in their Ranee, for she loves them. To know Ranee

that

Brooke

know that, and Sarawak will realize

is

Life in

and

to

will feel that, in the

those

their confidence

only

way

to get at

read her

this fact to the full,

years she spent with these

simple people, she must have proved

won

who

them and That is the the hearts of a Malay people, it

to

by her sympathy.

and though the native population of this section of Borneo is divided into at least two sections, Malays and Dyaks, differing widely in religion, customs,

—

—

and language, they are Malay family which is

still

members over

spread

of the great

Malay

the

Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the islands of the

Archipelago, and farther the

Malay race

writer to

tell

afield.

It is

well for

any of

that they should find a sympathetic

the world something of their

little lives,

and exclusive people.

They do

for they are a silent

not understand publicity, they do not want as they are fairly and justly treated

;

it,

so long

indeed, superficial

observers might think that Malays do not really care

how they

are governed, and that

it

is

a matter of

— SARAWAK AND

viii

ITS

PEOPLE

them whether they are treated well or ill. Those who take the trouble to win his regard know that the Malay is as keenly interested in his own and his country's affairs as are those of other nationalities. He is humble about his own capacity, and that of his fellow-countrymen, to organize and indifference to

endeavour, to frame a scheme of righteous govern-

ment and to ensue it. He will, if properly approached and considerately handled by Europeans, be the first to

admit that they understand the business better,

that they are more trustworthy in matters of justice and money, and that they have a conception of duty, of method,

and especially a power of continuous

application to work, which

is

indeed well-nigh impossible

foreign and irksome

—

him.

to

Treat him

remember that he represents the people of the country for whose benefit, as Lord

fairly,

reasonably, justly,

Curzon of Kedleston

said,

and, though the white

man

the white

man is there, own hands

retains in his

the principal offices, the real power, and the

which

is

his burden, the

tion, gratitude,

and

Malay

will

loyal support,

work

give him admiraand show no sign

of jealousy or impatience.

If one bears in mind, as indeed one must, that the growth of the white man's

and the adoption of that advice which we say makes for good government, mean always the influence,

lessening of the Malay's authority

ment or

abolition of his privileges,

privileges in our opinion, ful

—

it is

and the

curtail-

—very often

bad

surely rather wonder-

and rather admirable that he should accept

his

PREI^ACE

'

ix

fate with

The

such a good, often even a charming, grace. Malay does not always approve of our methods,

and

sometimes they are really indefensible, but, though he disapproves, what is he to say? To whom is he to complain, and how ? We sometimes learn his language, because that benefit;

is

necessary for our

we even

take trouble to inquire about his customs and other matters concerning him and his life

;

but very, very rarely does he learn either our

language, or enough of our customs, to

heard

He

effectively.

make

realizes this better

himself

than almost

any other thing, and therefore, being a fatalist, he accepts what comes because he knows there is no other way. Given his nature, his traditions, his way of

life

through

disabilities,

all

the generations, and his present

how (is he

to

do otherwise

?

When

you

have handed over to others the control of everything

you once had, can you complain of

faith,

or even of

little

to

them of breach

things like the neglect of

your interests when they happen to clash with your controllers'

wishes or ambitions

humble or subordinate difficult to assert

.''

positions,

Western people, sometimes

find

in it

themselves, or what they believe to

Malay it is impossible. That being so, one would imagine that every white man who comes into a position of authority amongst such a people, so circumstanced, will be doubly and trebly careful to remember that the greater his power, the more need there is not only to be their rights

;

to the

seek, with single purpose, the benefit of " the people

SARAWAK AND

X

PEOPLE

ITS

of the country," but to champion their cause

he knows be to

it

is

right

—against

all

—when

comers, and

if

need

own detriment. To betray Malays, is like a mean advantage of a blind man who has

his

taking

put his hand in yours, in the firm belief that he

To

safe in his blind trust of you.

that trust should be unthinkable.

of the customs of what

is

is

take advantage of I

am

not writing

called business, nor even of

ways of rival powers for in both these cases the means employed are less regarded than the end to be I am only gained, and success justifies all things. the

;

dealing with the mission of the white

any reason whatever, he undertakes the affairs of a people territory,

who

man when,

for

to administer

possess a possibly rich

but are unskilled in the art of administra-

That was the case of Sarawak when Sir James Brooke undertook its pacification and development in 1 84 1. This is not the place to describe the

tion.

task set before the it is,

I

first

white Rajah of Sarawak, but

think, the opportunity to point the

moral of an

achievement which probably has no

parallel. James Brooke must have been a man for whom the soft life of cities had no attraction, but he did not approach the problem of enforcing peace in a greatly

disturbed province of Borneo as large as England,

and suppressing piracy on its coasts, in the spirit of an adventurer; he described his objects in the following words " It is a grand experiment, which, if :

it

succeeds, will

people;

and

bestow a blessing on these poor

their

children's

children

shall

bless

;

PREFACE me.

If

it

please

God

to permit

XI

me

to give a

stamp

which shall last after I am no more, have lived a life which emperors might envy.

to this country I

If

shall

by dedicating myself

to the

task

I

am

able to

introduce better customs and settled laws, and to raise the feeling of the people so that their rights can

never in future be wantonly infringed,

I

shall

indeed

be content and happy."

Those were his intentions, and to that end he worked for twenty-six years with a success as remarkable as his own devotion and abnegation of

When

James Brooke died in 1868 he left to his nephew and appointed successor, the present Rajah of Sarawak, a peaceful and contented country, the hearts of whose people he had won by self-interest.

studying them, their interests, their customs, their

and their happiness, and to them he gave his life and energy and everything he possessed. It was a remarkable achievement, and he left to the country of his adoption the " stamp " of his heart's desire. Much more than that, he established a precedent on which his successor has acted with unswerving consistency for the last forty-six years it is the stamp of Brooke rule, and so long as it lasts peculiarities,

all will

be well with Sarawak.

Interesting

and

successful as

were the methods of

administration introduced and established in Sarawak

by Sir James Brooke and the present Rajah, I cannot go into them. It is sufficient to say that Sarawak has been ruled by the Brookes " for the benefit of the

:

SARAWAK AND

xii

ITS

PEOPLE

Mr. Alleyne Ireland, who was well qualified to form a sound judgment, wrote in 1905, after spending two months in travelling up and down the coast and in the interior people of the country," and

"

I

find myself unable to express the high opinion

I

have formed of the administration of the country without a fear that I shall lay myself open to the

With such knowledge

charge of exaggeration.

systems

administrative

the tropics as

in

gained by actual observation

of

may be

almost every part of

in

Empire except the African Colonies, I can say that in no country which I have ever visited are there to be observed so many signs of a wise and generous rule, such abundant indications of good government, as are to be seen on every hand in Sarawak." Again, in the same book, Far Eastern the British

Mr.

Tropics,

Ireland

the country which

land

full

I

wrote

:

"

The

carry away with

impression of

me

is

and prosperity, a land

of contentment

which neither the native nor the white

pushed

that of a

man

in

has

to their logical conclusion,

his views of life

but where each has been willing to yield to the other

something of

been here a

his

tacit

extreme conviction.

There

has

understanding on both sides that

those qualities which alone, can ensure the permanence

good government in the State are the white man and not in the native of

control

remains,

therefore, in

though every opportunity natives and of benefiting

is

by

to

be found

in

and the final European hands, al;

taken of consulting the their intimate

knowledge

PREFACE

Xlll

of the country and of the

people."

praise from

critic,

and the

an experienced

words of Mr.

last

That

is

high

but not too high,

Ireland's sentence cannot

be insisted upon too urgently when dealing with Malays.

Sarawak,

In

the

which

fact

is

most

and which must command the admiration of every man, especially of those who have been striking

associated

intimately

with

administration

the

Eastern peoples and their lands,

is

of

that throughout

the long years from 1841 to the present time, the

two white Rajahs of Sarawak spent whole

lives in this

practically their

remote corner of Asia, devoting

their best energies to the prosperity

and the happiness

of their subjects, whilst taking from the country, of

which they were the absolute Rulers, only the most

modest income. That has been the admirable and unusual " stamp " of Brooke rule to live with the :

people,

make

to

their

happiness

the

first

con-

and to refuse wealth at their expense. Nothing would have been easier certainly for the present Rajah than to live at ease in some pleasant Western land, with perhaps an occasional visit to

sideration,

—

—

Sarawak, and to devote to his own use revenues which he has spent for the benefit of Sarawak and its people.

The

State

agricultural

;

natural

fill

to

to

is

many

and would have seemed most

rich in resources, mineral it

the place with Chinese or to grant

concessions to Europeans

Either of these courses

would have meant a large accession of revenue, and no one would have thought it strange had the Ruler

SARAWAK AND

xiv

ITS

PEOPLE

of the country spent whatever proportion

good

to

him on

seemed

Only the people of the

himself.

country would have suffered; but they, probably,

was perfecdy natural, and, had they thought otherwise, it would have made would have considered that

no

difference, -for

it

it

not their habit to complain

is

The Rajahs

publicly of the doings of their Rulers.

Sarawak have made

of

" the benefit of the people of the

country" the business of their lives;

all

honour to

them for their high purpose. That the tradition they have established by seventy-two years of devotion, of personal' care of the affairs of Sarawak, should be

continued and perpetuated must be the prayer of

who I

all

love Malays.

make a

It is this

:

"

final

quotation from Mr. Ireland's book.

Nothing could better serve to exhibit at

once the strength and the weakness of a despotic form of government than the present condition of

Sarawak,

for if

it

be true that the wisdom, tolerance,

and sympathy of the present Rajah have moulded the country to the extraordinary state of tranquil prosperity

which

now

it

enjoys, the

power of an unwise

or wicked ruler to throw the country back into a condition

of

barbarism

necessary corollary.

however,

must

be

The advent

in the highest

admitted

as

a

of such a ruler

is,

degree improbable."

Every one must hope that a departure from the Brooke tradition is impossible, and as the matter is wholly within the discretion of the present Rajah,

knows

better than

anyone

else

what

is

who

necessary to

PREFACE

XV

secure the objects set out by his predecessor, and

confirmed and secured by his

own

there

rule,

man would be proud

to take

up and help

petuate so great an inheritance.

When

comes, he will remember the words of the

Brooke stamp to :

" If this

it

please

God

to permit

country which shall

last after

real

to per-

the time

first

me

no

is

Any

reason to fear for the future of Sarawak.

Rajah

to give a I

am no

have lived a life which emperors might envy," and he will begin his rule with the knowledge that his predecessor spent his whole life in making more,

I

shall

good the promise of those words. F. A. S. London, 22nd September 1913

INTRODUCTION ONE EVERY He was my

has heard of Rajah husband's uncle, and

Brooke. this

is

how he became

ruler of Sarawak. one of the largest islands of the world. The Dutch occupy three parts of its territory. The

Borneo

is

North Borneo Company, a group of Englishin the north, and Sarawak, with its five hundred miles of coast-line and its fifty thousand square miles of land, is situated on Until some four hundred years ago, the north-west. at the time of Pigafetta's visit to Brunei, Borneo was British

men, have established themselves

almost unknown to Europe, but ever since then, at various

periods,

Dutch,

Portuguese,

and English

have attempted to gain a footing in the island. Dutch, however, were the most successful, for

The it

was

only in 1839 that the English obtained a firm hold of

a portion of this

much

remembered that owing

men who attempted

disputed land.

It

must be

to the murders of English-

to trade with Brunei in 1788,

and 1806, the Admiralty issued a warning as to the dangers attendant upon English merchants engag1803,

ing in commercial ventures with the Sultan of Brunei

and

his people.

About

forty years

went by without

SARAWAK AND

xvHi

ITS

PEOPLE

English people making further attempts to trade in that part of the world, until one day, in

August 1839,

James Brooke, the future white Rajah of Sarawak, appeared upon the scene, and it was due to his bold but vague designs that peace, prosperity, and just government were subsequently established in a country hitherto torn with dissension and strife. James Brooke had always felt a great interest in those lands of the Malayan Archipelago. As a very young man he had held a commission in the army of the British East India Company, and had seen active service in Burmah. He was seriously wounded during the Burmese war, invalided home, and finally resigned his commission. He then made two voyages to the Strait Settlements and to China, and it is to

be supposed that

his interest in that part of the

world dates from that period of his father's

he invested in

At

life.

death, he inherited a small fortune,

which

in the purchase of

he

Archipelago.

set

in

sail

his

which

a yacht of 140 tons,

1838

for

the

Eastern

In those days, the Sultan of Brunei

owned the extreme north

of the island,

tory stretched as far as

what

now belonging

to

the

is

Rajah.

called

and

his terri-

Cape Datu,

Whilst staying at

Singapore, James Brooke heard rumours of a rebellion

by the Malays of Sarawak against their Sultan, for both the Sultan and his Brunei nobles (many of whom were of Arabic descent), in order to enrich themselves, had instituted a tyrannous and oppressive

government

against

the

people.

When

Brooke

INTRODUCTION made

arrived in Sarawak, he

Sultan's Viceroy, Rajah

xix

the acquaintance of the

Muda

Hassim, who was an

uncle of the Sultan of Brunei, and the acknowledged

Hence his title Rajah Muda and Sultan Muda, meaning heir - apparent. They made friends, when the Malay Governor confided in Brooke and besought his help in quelling the heir to the Sultanate.

Brooke consented, and the

rebellion.

The

soon at an end.

rebels,

back under the yoke of

their

oppressors, implored Brooke to

and Governor.

request,

was proclaimed Rajah

was fall

former tyrants and

become and

in

Rajah

their

Muda Hassim was

Rajah

able to the people's

rebellion

determined not to

favour-

1841 Brooke

Sarawak amidst the repopulation. Rajah Muda Hassim, as representative of the Sultan, signed a document resigning his title and authority to the Englishman, and in 1842 Brooke, being desirous of obtaining

joicing of

of

its

from the Sultan himself an additional proof of his goodwill the

towards his position

potentate

firmed his

On

in

title

Brunei,

when

the

Sultan

con-

as independent Rajah of Sarawak.

the other hand,

Rajah

Sarawak, visited

in

is

interesting to realize that

Muda Hassim was

never in any sense Rajah

it

of Sarawak, that country then not being a Raj, but a

simple province misruled by Brunei Governors

never bore the

Muda Hassim

title

of Rajah,

for

after

all

who

Rajah

did not abdicate in favour of Brooke,

was the people themselves who insisted on Sarawak being independent of the Sultan's and his

but

it

SARAWAK AND

XX

emissaries' authority,

PEOPLE

ITS

and chose Brooke as

their

own

Rajah, thus regaining their former independence.

When wak

James Brooke

first

became Rajah of Sara-

84 1, the area of his country known as Sarawak proper comprised some seven thousand in

1

square miles in extent.

might be as well

It

manner

in

which the

to give a short account of the first

white ruler of Sarawak

The Sarawak Malay

organized his Government. nobles, the

Datus or

governed the State

chiefs that

James Brooke's accession to power, and who had been superseded and driven into rebellion by the Brunei nobles, the Sultan's emissaries, were recalled by James Brooke and chosen to help in carrying out When in the course of years these his Government. nobles died, their sons or members of the same aristobefore

cratic families (but

always with the approval of the

people) were, and are, chosen to

The

first

of these chiefs

who

the vacant places.

fill

helped to inaugurate

James Brooke's Government was a Malay gentleman called Datu Patinggi AH, who was a direct descendant of Rajah Jarum, the

and

establish

gallant

founder of

who

Sarawak,

led

people

his

against

the oppression of Brunei, and found death by the side of his

and

Bandar, years,

James Brooke, sword his

people's

Bua

Haji

cause.

in hand, fighting for

His son,

Hassan, held

and died a few years ago

one hundred years of age. upright

man

;

intelligent

He and

office

in

the for

Datu sixty

Kuching, over

was a brave and wide - minded in .

'

INTRODUCTION Council, sons,

and a true

and of mine.

have dedicated wish

were

it

charming,

xxi

friend of the Rajah's, of our

Datu

Isa,

to

this book,

was

his wife,

in

my power

sympathetic

whose menfiory I and I only

personality,

and

understood how, in her blameless useful a high standard of

make

life,

amongst the

conduct

women of Kuching. The present Datu

words her

to put into

it

she set

Malay

Muhammad Kasim, Muhammad Ali, are the

Bandar,

and the Datu Imaum, Haji sons of the late Datu Bandar and of Datu Isa. These four great Malay officials are members of the

Supreme Council and assistant judges of the Supreme The Datu Bandar, premier Datu and Court. Malay magistrate, is president of the Muhammadan Probate Divorce Court. The Datu Imaum is the head

religious

of

the

Muhammadan community.

The Datu Tumanggong's

title,

signifying that

Commander-in-Chief or fighting Datu,

is

of

no longer

employed in that capacity, but ranks next to the Bandar as peaceful member of the Council,

Datu Hakim

whilst the

is

adviser in

Muhammadan

law.

Now

that a very short account has been given

as to the principal

must turn back

to the year

thread of our story. rivers

outside

Malayan

At

officials in

Sarawak, we

1841 and take up the

more northern infested by pirates,

that time the

Sarawak were

who, under the leadership of Brunei nobles, devastated The first Rajah, backed by his loyal adjacent lands.

SARAWAK AND

xxil

subjects,

made

many

ITS

PEOPLE

expeditions

against

these

In 1849, Her Majesty's ship Dido, commanded by Sir Harry Keppel, came to his aid, when the combined forces of Malays and Dyaks, strengthened by the crew of Her Majesty's ship, criminal tribes.

completely scoured out the nests of the redoubtable piratical

hordes,

and

an

end

devastation in those regions.

was

put

Little

by

to little

their

the

and strength of the white Rajah's government became acknowledged, even by the ci-devant miscreants themselves, and the inhabitants of the more northern rivers, realizing that after all honesty is the best policy, willingly laid down their arms and

authority

clamoured to be enrolled

in the territory of the great

white chief

Being monarch of tradition,

all

he surveyed, unfettered by

and owning no obedience

to the red-tapeism

of Europe, Rajah Brooke laid the foundations of one of the most original and, so far as justice goes, successful

Governments that perhaps has ever been known, its most salient feature being that from its very beginning the natives of the place were represented by their own people, and had the right to vote for and against any law that was made by their Government. Brooke established principal rivers,

and

stations in

in

the mouths of the

each of these stations were

appointed one or two English

officials to

the white ruler.

wood

in

Billian or iron

forts

represent

were

built

each of these settlements, and a small force of

Malays, armed with muskets and small cannons, was

INTRODUCTION

xxiii

placed there in order to enforce obedience to the

new Government and to inspire confidence supporters. The duty of these officials, called

laws of the in its

Governors or Residents, was

to protect the people

from the tyranny of some of the higher classes of Malays, to prevent head-hunting, and to discourage

The co-operation of local chiefs and was elicited to help in this good work, and headmen one cannot repeat too often that such native coadjutors have been the mainstay of the Rajah's Government, and so they must always remain. The present Rajah and his uncle have strictly adhered disorder.

to

excellent

this

policy

of associating the

natives

James Brooke respecting and maintaining

with the government of their country.

began

his

law codes

in

whatever was not positively detrimental

in the

laws

and customs as he found them. Instead of imposing European made laws upon the people, Muhammadan law and custom has been maintained whenever

it

affects

Muhammadanism.

No

favouritism

and any white man infringing the laws of the country would be treated in exactly the same way as would be the natives of the soil. In the Sarawak Gazette of 1872, the present Rajah at the "A beginning of his reign wrote these words Government such as that of Sarawak may start from things as we find them, putting its veto on what is dangerous or unjust, and supporting what is

allowed,

:

is

fair

and

and equitable

letting

in

system and

the

usages of the natives,

legislation

wait upon

oc-

SARAWAK AND

xxiv

ITS

PEOPLE

When new

casion.

wants are felt, it examines and them by measures rather made on the

provides for

spot than imported from abroad

;

and, to ensure that

these shall not be contrary to native customs, the

consent of the people

The

are put in force. of class

made

is

gained for them before they

is

white man's so-called privilege

little of,

and the

government

rulers of

are framed with greater care for the interests of the

who

majority

are not Europeans, than for those of

the minority of superior race."

The Supreme

Council consists

of

four

Malay

together with three or four of the principal

officials,

European

officers

;

the Rajah presides over

all its

de-

The Malay members of the Council always

liberations.

take an active and prominent part in

decisions.

its

Every three years a State Council meets

Kuching,

at

under the presidency of the Rajah, consisting of the

members

Supreme

of the

Council,

the

European

Residents in charge of the more important

and

the principal

native

number, who come from the principality.

At

this

chiefs,

all

some seventy

meeting questions of general

the government of the

discussed

members

;

in

the important districts of

interest as to

the

districts,

country are

are informed of any recent

question relating to public

affairs,

and are

told of the

general progress achieved in the Government, or of

anything pertaining to the State since the Council's last

meeting.

Each member

is

formally sworn in and

takes an oath of loyalty to the Rajah and his Govern-

ment.

It

would be very tempting to anyone who

is

INTRODUCTION as interested as to give

more

I

am

xxv

in the prosperity of the country

details regarding the incessant

required in order that each law as

it

work

made should

is

be satisfactory and meet the requirements of the

whole of the Sarawak people

;

suffice

it

to say that

the Rajah, his English officers, and his Malay chiefs are

indefatigable

in

their

endeavours

promote

to

trade and commerce, peace and prosperity amongst

the people. to

I

have only a short space

which

in

speak of these more important matters, and

can only hope that the very slight sketch given in the limited space at

my

I

I

have

disposal of the past

and present history of Sarawak may induce those

whom

it

interests to seek further information in the

many volumes subject.

It

that have already been written

on the

might perhaps not be amiss to mention

the two last books published on Sarawak, these being

The White Rajahs of Sarawak, by Messrs. Bampfylde and Baring-Gould, and The Pagan Tribes of Borneo, by those two well-known English scientists It must be reDr. Hose and Mr. McDougall. membered that Mr. Bampfylde and Dr. Hose

—

occupied for years very important posts in the Rajah's

Government, and on that account their experience of the people and the country must be invaluable.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

.......

H.H. The Rajah of Sarawak

.

.

.

.

*

The Author From a

The

Painting by Mrs.

FACING PAGE

Part of Datu Bay, near Santubong

Datu

in

Isa

the Astana

and her Granddaughters

Sea-Dyaks in

Sea-Dyak

Europe

.....

1

.

....

War Dress

Woman weaving

.

a Cotton Petticoat

Mail Steamers' Wharf and Trading Vessels at Anchor near Embankment in Kuching Bazaar

..... .

Tuan Muda of Sarawak H.H. The Rajah

Muda

2

Alfred Sotheby

Rajah's Arrival at Astana, after a Visit to

A Room

Frontispiece

of Sarawak

14

23

26 34 58

62

.

....... ...... .....

Tuan Bungsu of Sarawak with Brooke

8

his little Son, Jimmie

The Daiang Muda H.H.

The Ranee Muda

..... ......

102

The Daiang Bungsu The Author and Kuching

Ima, in

the Morning Room at Astana,

Sun setting behind the Mountain of Matang xxvl

136 ISO

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

xxvii

.......

FACING PAGE

Daiang Sahada, Daiang Lehut, Mrs. Maxwell, and the

Author Verandah

in

158

Daiang Sahada's House at Kuching

Daiang Lehut, Daiang Sahada's Daughter

164 166

.

Inchi Bakar, School Master, Kuching

174

Malay Boy striking Fire from Dry Tinder

200

Salleh, a Tanjong Chief, playing on the Nose Flute,

with two Tanjong Attendants

.... ....

Hut containing Eatables to refresh the God NESS,

Batang Lupar River

Panau, a Sea-Dyak Chief

254

.

of Sick 260 282

An Encampment up the Batang Lupar River

..... ........

Bachelor House at Munggo during our Stay

Map

288

Babi, Bertram's Residence 298

Front Cover

MY

LIFE IN

SARAWAK

CHAPTER

WHEN

I

remember Sarawak, its remoteness, the dreamy loveliness of its landscape, the I

childlike confidence its people rulers,

I

to leave

English

long to take the it

again.

How

it

first

have

ship back to

in their

it,

never

happened that as a young

came into intimate contact with the I Sarawak is as follows: In 1868, on the

girl

people of

death of the

English Rajah of Sarawak, his

first

nephew and successor came to England and visited my mother, who was his cousin. On his return to Borneo in the early seventies, I accompanied him as his wife.

Looking over the diaries I kept in those days, they throw little light upon the new surroundings in which I found myself. I had received the limited education given to girls in that mid- Victorian period

;

had been taught music, dancing, and could speak two or three European languages but as regards the I

;

important things in of consequence to I

life,

my

these had never been thought

education.

was sea-sick almost the whole way from Mar-

SARAWAK AND

2

Singapore, so that

seilles to

various

Penang,

ITS

on

ports etc.

—

when we stayed

way out

our

was much too

I

PEOPLE

— Aden,

to take

ill

at the

Ceylon,

any

interest

remember that in Singapore we received invitations from the Governor and from the residents of the place to stay with them on our way to Sarawak but I felt ill, and the Rajah and I thought it However, we best to take up our quarters at an hotel. dined with the Governor and his wife. Sir Harry and Lady Ord, and I do not think I had ever met kinder people. The Chief Justice and his wife. Sir Benson and Lady Maxwell, were also charming to us, asking us to spend a day with them at their country house This we did, and it was all delightnear Singapore. ful and lovely, barring the fact that I met none of them.

in

I

;

the Singapore natives on these occasions.

was

It

fruits

at

Singapore that

tasted tropical

first

I

—mangoes, mangosteens, a

fruit called

the sour-

sop, tasting like cotton wool dipped in vinegar

and sugar also many other kinds all of which, under the distempered state of my mind, owing to the

—

;

journey,

I

delights of I

thought positively repulsive. first

impressions in the tropics,

did not share in those feelings.

the

damp clammy

and

I

in

feel

then thought that

I

As I

to the

must say

hated the heat,

of those equatorial regions, I

should never find happiness

such countries. After a few days spent in Singapore,

wooden gunboat

of 250 tons,

we embarked

She was a and her admirers had

in the Rajah's yacht, the Heartsease.

THE AUTHOR FROM A PAINTING BY MRS. ALFKED SOTHEBY

SARAWAK AND me

told

ITS

PEOPLE

3

she was as lively as a duck in the water.

This behaviour on her part was exceedingly annoying to

me

during the passage to Kuching, a journey

which took two days.

had

my

It

was on board the Heartsexperience of cockroaches

ease that

I

and

and these kept me

rats,

terror at night.

only

At

much

first

in

a perpetual state of

Cockroaches are

larger, flatter,

like black beetles,

and tawny brown

in colour.

the approach of rain they are particularly lively,

and as

rain falls daily in this region, their habits are

offensive to

great

human

beings.

and

distances,

alight

They on

fly

or spring from

their

victims.

I

remember how they startled me by jumping on to my face, arms and hands, as I lay in my bunk trying to get to sleep.

The

tiny prick of their spiky, spindly

was a hateful experience. Every one must be familiar with

legs

rats

floor of

my

cabin,

less

were discon-

at a distance, but the Heartsease's rats

certingly friendly.

more or

They glided, up and down the sometimes scratching at my pillow,

which did not add to was on the It

my

comfort.

third

morning

after

leaving

I suddenly felt the ship moving in This encouraged me to waters. smooth absolutely crawl up on deck, and look around me at the scenery. The tide It was the most beautiful I had ever seen. was on the turn, and the morning mist was still

Singapore, that

hanging about the watery forests on the banks arrd about the high mountains of the interior, and as it swept across

th,e river it

brought with

it

that curious.

SARAWAK AND

4

indefinable

sweet,

smell,

PEOPLE

ITS

half-aromatic

and

half-

making one think unaccountably of malaria. remember that I felt very cold, for everything I could see the touched was dripping with dew.

sickly, I I

high

mountain of Santubong, a great green

rising almost out of the water to

cliff

a height of about

summit with At the foot of the mountain was luxuriant forests. a great expanse of sand, over which enormous brown boulders were scattered, as though giants had been three

thousand

disturbed at a

feet,

game

covered

to

its

At

of ninepins.

the back of

grew groves of Casuarina trees (the natives call them "talking trees," from the sound they make when a breeze stirs their lace-like the sandy shore

branches), looking as though the slightest puff might

away in clouds of dark green smoke. Brown huts, made of dried palm leaves and

blow them built

on

all

poles, dotted the beach,

tethered to the shore held

little

ands mall canoes

brown naked

playing and baling out the water.

washing clothes on clothed in one

long,

children,

Women

were

They were

the river-banks. clinging garment,

and

folded

tucked under their armpits, and their straight, long, black hair was drawn into huge knots at the nape of their necks.

All this

I

people were too far off for features,

and the incoming

saw as

in

a vision

;

the

me

to distinguish their

tide

was carrying us up

the river at a swift pace.

on our way up, we met Chinamen the stern of swift, small, narrow canoes,

Here and standing in

there,

SARAWAK AND

ITS

PEOPLE

S

propelling their boats gondolier fashion, with cargoes of fish for the

and

sorts

all

We passed

Kuching market.

boats of

from the small sampan scooped

sizes,

out of a single tree trunk, with

solitary paddler,

its

to the larger house-boats belonging to Malays, filled

women and

with

These

children.

wisre roofed in to

shelter their inmates from the rain or sun,

by old men

usually propelled

sitting

and were the

in

bows and

cross-legged, wearing dirty white cotton drawers

jauntily placed conical hats, which sometimes allowed

the folds of turbans to be seen, these showing that

My

the wearers had been to Mecca.

attracted by one very small canoe, for

A

scarf.

tiny

boy,

perfectly

saw, sitting

I

woman huddled up

amidships, an old

naked,

was

attention

a cotton

in

was bravely

paddling her along, whilst he shouted insults to his

poor old lady passenger as our steamer passed by. It

was on

morning

this

also,

that

made

I

acquaintance of the Malay crew of our yacht. all

Like

people suddenly finding themselves for the

time in the midst of an alien race, sailors all

that

looked

alike.

some were young and some were

aged eighteen or

them

at

all.

They

fifty,

I

first

thought the

I

from the Rajah

elicited

I

the

old,

but whether

could see no difference in

had the same almost bridgeless thick lips, dark restless eyes, and

all

noses, wide nostrils,

the lanky hair belonging to their Mongolian race. I

at

tried to

make up

to

them

in

a feeble

them and smiled as they went

to

way

and

;

fro,

I

looked

but they

only bent double as they passed, paying no more

SARAWAK AND

6

my

attention to

my

cane

things

I

friendly

ITS

advances than they did to

They were

chair.

had ever seen

;

PEOPLE

yet

moving apparently, their work the gentlest

was told that they were as efficient as any ordinary European crew. The Rajah was accompanied on the occasion by one of his officers who had come to meet us at

did not suffer, for

As we

Singapore.

were the most

wanted

I

obtained, 1

had

three sat on deck,

silent pair

know about

to

but

questions,

I

and

I

no

I

I

thought they

had ever come

the

satisfactory

was gently made

country, and

answer

asked be

could

to understand that

better find things out for myself.

know about

across.

I

wanted

to

the mangroves which grew in the mud,

and which at high tide stand "knee-deep I wanted to know about those great flood."

in

the

forests

of nipa palms, like gigantic hearse plumes, fringing

the river-banks, and from which

I

had been told

Singapore that sixteen different and

most

products to commerce could be obtained. to

know

I

in

useful

wanted

the names of long, slender palms towering

over the other vegetation farther inland, whose glossy fronds swaying in the morning breeze looked like

green and graceful diadems.

Then

saw great things like logs of wood lying on the mud, and when these moved, and went with a sickening flop into the water, first

I

had

to find out for myself that they

crocodiles of

and mobile between

I

faces

the

my of

acquaintance.

I

were the saw the black

monkeys peering

branches

overhanging

at us

the

from water

SARAWAK AND grimacing like angry old their solitude,

and

to

my

ITS

men

PEOPLE

7

at our intrusion into

inquiry as to what kind of

monkeys they were, the usual indifferent answer was given. I remember trying to make friends with the English eliciting

from Sarawak, with the object of

officer

from him some

facts

about the place, but

questions did not meet with responses, and to

I

soon found out that

make my own

from that moment

I

should have

discoveries about the country, I

my

any very interesting

and

simply panted to understand the

Malay language and make

friends with the people

belonging to the place.

Although here and there we met a few boats coming up the river, some of the reaches were deserted and silent as the grave. I was exceedingly lonely, and felt as though I had fallen into a phantom land, in the midst of a lost and silent world. But even in such out-of-the-way places pfeople have to be fed, and I remember my first meal in Sarawak, brought to me by the Chinese steward. There were captain's biscuits, lumps of tinned butter slipping about the plate like oil, one boiled egg which had seen its best days, and the cup of Chinese tea, innocent of milk, which the Rajah and his friend seemed to enjoy, but which I thought extremely nasty.

The

quiet, matter-of-fact

way

in

which they

participated in this unpalatable meal surprised me,

but

I

thought that perhaps

upon such things as mere At last, after steaming

I,

too,

might

in time look

trifles.

in silence for

about two and

SARAWAK AND

8

PEOPLE

ITS

a half hours up the Sarawak River, ing of guns

—the

—and

on the right-hand bank on a I

hill

saw the

also

Rajah on

rounding the

leading up to Kuching, the capital,

cropped grass.

heard the boom-

salute fired to the

England

return from

I

I

last

his

reach

saw the Fort

covered with closely flagstaff

from which

was flying the Sarawak flag. On the opposite bank to where the Fort was situated stood a bungalow, rather a homely looking house, with gables and green-and-white blinds, the sight of which comforted me. I was told that this was the house of the agent of the Borneo Company, Ltd. This gives me an opportunity of acknowledging, at the outset of

book, the

and at the same time

loyal,

my

civilizing

influence which this group of Scotchmen, ipembers of

the firm, have always exerted in their dealings with

Sarawak and sight,

its

people.

we steamed on

This house once out of

past the Bazaar on the river's

edge, containing the principal shops of the town, and,

a

little

farther on, the

same

side as the Fort,

I

saw

the Astana,^ composed of three long low bungalows, roofed with

wooden

shingles, built

on brick

pillars

with a castellated tower forming the entrance.

On

the steps of the landing-stage at the bottom

many

of the garden a great

These were the

officials,

people were standing.

English and native, and the

principal merchants of the place

Rajah on

was

his return.

told that they 1

I

come

to

saw four Malay

meet the and

chiefs,

were prominent members

Malay word meaning

palace.

in the

ft.

o

Pi

H

<

2 Pi < ffi

or £"]

Over

over

without the dog-tooth stripe so conspicuous

cotton material costly to

all

women wear

satin,

imported

with three huge knobs of gold, and small gold knobs are sewn all up the slashed sleeves. Large round ear-rings, someIt

fastens

in

front

SARAWAK AND

ITS

times very exquisite in design,

PEOPLE shaped

147

open

like

lotus flowers, are thrust through the lobes of their

Their

ears.

devoid of

scarfs are of quiet colours,

Some-

gold thread, but their hats are marvellous. times they are as

much

as a yard across, so that no

two women can walk near one another. They are made of straw, conical in shape, and are ornamented with huge pointed rays of red, black, and yellow, meeting towards

who knew

me

told

centre.

Mr.

de

Crespigny,

to look out for the ladies as they

way up

their

the

of the dresses and habits of these people,

the path leading to

the

wound

Fort,

and

was indeed a curious sight to see two or three hundred of these discs, one after the other, apparently unsupported, winding slowly up the steep ascent. it

When hats

the

women

somewhere—

reached the Fort, they

left

never fathomed where

I

—

their

before

they came into the reception-room.

They

are pleasant-looking people, these Milanoes

of Bintulu, with their square, pale faces and quantities of jet-black hair.

Their ankles and wrists are not

perhaps quite so delicate as are those of the more southern people, for Milanoes are sturdier in build.

They belong of

Muka,

their

same

to the

owing

complexion

well have their

but,

many

is

tribe as the

sago workers

more sedentary habits, Europeans who know them

to their

paler.

interesting stories to relate regarding

superstitions

the case of illness,

and

when

incantations,

particularly

in

the beautiful blossom of the

areca-nut palm plays an important part.

SARAWAK AND

148

On

PEOPLE

ITS

the night of our arrival at the Fort, native

dances were the programme for the evening.

A

few

the far interior were present, and

Kayans from

we

were promised some new and original performances. A large space was cleared in the middle of the

when a

reception-room, dividual, a

Kayan, active as a

brandishing his parang.

and bounded about the

plump

rather

small,

cat,

was ushered

inin,

At first he crouched down room like an animated frog.

After a while he gradually straightened himself, and

bounded from one side of the space to the other, jumping with the most wonderful agility, spinning round on one leg, and screaming out his war-cry. His parang, in his rapid movements, became multiplied and appeared like flashes of lightning. Once or twice he came so near to where we were that

sitting

I

fancied

the blade caused

a draught

over

my

but,

before one could realize what was happening,

three

Kayans squatting on the floor sprang to their and taking hold of the man, led him out of the

feet, hall. it ?

"

We

head.

I

The Rajah he

said.

"

said nothing

and

sat

on unmoved,

pulled his moustache.

Why has the man been

were then informed that

this

a famous dancer, had previously,

in

"

What

taken away

is

" ?

Kayan, who was a country outside

become so excited in his dancing, that he had actually swept the head off one of his interested spectators. The three Kayans who had taken hold of the dancer had witnessed the gruesome scene, and they realized that on this

the Rajah's jurisdiction,

!

SARAWAK AND he

occasion

dances frenzied

was

ITS

becoming

PEOPLE

over-excited.

149

Other

some sedate and slow, others and untamed. The evening ended very

followed,

somewhat late hour the Rajah dismissed his guests and we retired to bed. I thought a good deal about the little dancing man, and came to the conclusion that he must have been

pleasantly,

an

and

artist in his

at a

way

CHAPTER

ONE

morning, as

I

XVII

was watching the

my verandah at Kuching,

the mail-steamer from

noticed the figure of a

I

A

standing on deck.

me

brought

a

Governor's

Jervois,

The Rajah was away,

North.

from

the

introducing

a

Sarawak, whose name was Marianne

to

traveller

European lady a messenger

after,

Singapore

from

Lady

wife,

tall

few moments

letter

arrival of

so

I

sent his Secretary

on board with a pressing invitation to the lady, of

whom

had heard so much, but had not had the Miss North's arrival in pleasure of meeting. I

Sarawak

is

Many

my

and

I

of

a great and happy landmark in

my

life.

English friends were devoted to her,

was delighted at the idea of her coming to stay I watched our small river-boat fetching

with me.

her from the steamer, and went to meet her.

was not delightful.

young

then,

We shook

but

I

thought

hands, and the

she

first

She

looked

words she

me were " How do you know if you will like me well enough to ask me to stay with From that moment began a friendship you?" which lasted until her death. Many people know said to

the great

:

work

of her

life,

and must have seen the

'J

o <

o « W H O g £ w

o g H H H 2;

— SARAWAK AND gallery

of her

Gardens.

151

she gave to

which

pictures

Many

PEOPLE

ITS

Kew

of these pictures were painted in

Sarawak,

The went

evening of her stay in Kuching we

first

row on the

for a

Matang was, as she forests,

and the sunset behind a revelation. That land of

river,

said,

mountains, and water, the wonderful

effect of

sunshine and cloud, the sudden storms, the soft mists at evening, the

and miles of

perfumed

forest

air

brought through miles

by the night

endless source of delight to her.

on our verandah

sat

strange perfume

sweet,

beyond, across the "

The

in the

scent of

an

Sometimes as we

evening after dinner, a

wafted from

river, floated

unknown

breezes, were

forest

lands

through our house

flowers,"

Miss North would

say.

Our boat-boys were for jungle plants,

sent on botanical expeditions

and every morning and evening

a great variety of things arrived at the Astana, of which

I

morning

I

room and

many

had never seen or even heard of. In the would take my work into Miss North's sit

with her whilst she painted, for

I

loved

it was who first made me and delight found in trees, and flowers. But sometimes she was very She would she thought me young and stupid.

her companionship.

She

realize the beauty, solace, plants,

stern

;

look at

me

through her spectacles, very kindly,

I

must say. " Why, you know nothing," she said, "although you are so late from school! " She once asked me where pitcher-plants were to be found.

— 1

SARAWAK AND

52

" Pitcher-plants,"

them. "

But

said

I

ITS

"

;

PEOPLE

have never heard of

I

don't think there are any in the country."

I

this is the land of pitcher-plants,"

"and

replied,

together."

if

you

we

like

will try

sent for the boat-boy,

I

Miss North

and

them remember find

I

she was painting at the time

distinctly the picture

She

a clump of sago palms growing in our garden.

me how I could describe pitcher-plants to the faithful Kong Kong, one of our boat-boys, a Sarawak told

Malay, an odd and uncouth individual, with long

He had been with Oh yes," said Kong

hair flowing over his shoulders.

many years. " know. They grow where

the Rajah for

Kong, I

"

I

earth

can show you where they grow."

Miss North and

I

walked

went a

for

marshy.

One> morning

got up early and crossed the river

Kong Kong

almost before sunrise, and with guide,

is

as our

search of the pitcher- plants.

in

little

way along

the

We

Rock Road, and

turned into a path leading through a kind of moor,

where the

sensitive plant lay like a carpet covering

That curse

the ground. delighted me.

I

felt

of

through the great patches of its

We

agriculturists

always

a certain enjoyment in walking this shrinking stuff

with

myriads of leaves closing at the slightest touch. left

a pathway behind us of apparently dying

two

vegetation, but a minute or

resumed plant.

its

normal shape.

Kong Kong

Our progress

passage

it

Shy " the way over a swamp,

Malays

then led

where logs of wood were the mud.

after our

laid tg

call

it

the "

keep passers-by

across these logs

off

was not an

SARAWAK AND

We

easy matter.

PEOPLE

ITS

153

went through a grove of

suddenly, in a clearing,

we came

trees,

to the spot.

and I do

who has only seen pitcher-plants sedate way they do at Kew can have

not think anyone

growing

in the

any idea of the

madness of their growth Here they were, cups long, round, wide, and narrow, some shaped like Etruscan

when

beautiful

in a wild state.

vases,

others

small earthenware

like

cooking-pots,

the terminations of long, narrow, glossy green leaves.

Their colour, green

was

too,

ground,

perfectly

over

splashed

exquisite

with

rose,

—a

pale

carmine,

and brown, the little" lids to the cups daintily poised just above each pitcher. I suppose there must have been thousands of these plants, twisting, creeping, and flinging themselves over dead trunks yellow,

of trees,

falling

in

cascades of

heads, forming a perfect bower. silently looking

remarked

:

"

at

At

them.

And you

above our

colour

We

stood

all

length

said yesterday there were

such things in the country

I

no

" !

Miss North remained with us about

and when

still,

Miss North

six weeks,

very sorrowfully accompanied her on

board the steamer on her return to England,

I

felt

new and delightful had come into my had not only introduced me to pitcher-

that something life,

for she

plants,

but

to

orchids,

palms,

other things of whose existence

I

ferns,

and

had never dreamed.

Miss North was the one person who made kind,

me

realize

She was noble, intelligent, and her friendship and the time we spent

the beauties of the world.

and

many

"

SARAWAK AND

154

my

PEOPLE

She paint all day, and, thinking this must be bad I sometimes tried to get her away early in

together are amongst

used

ITS

to

for her,

happiest memories.

the afternoon for excursions, but she would

never

made

paint-

leave her work until waning daylight ing impossible.

remember how she painted a

I

sunset behind Matang,

She

me.

sat

on a

hill

which painting she gave to overlooking the river until

The

the sun went behind the mountain.

and the

dark,

palrfts

in

world grew

the neighbourhood looked

black against the sky as she put her last stroke into

She put up her

the picture.

and was preparing

when

Astana, still,

for

to

palette^ folded her easel,

walk home with

me

to the

some moments she stood

quite

staring at the thread of red light disappearing

behind the shoulder of the mountain. speak beauty

or move,"

she

said.

"

"

I

cannot

am drunk

I

with

!

But there was one thing that Miss North and

I

She did not approve of the view I took of our Dyak and Kayan people. She liked to meet Malay ladies, because, as we all know, did not agree upon.

they have better manners than most Europeans, but

Dyaks

she could not bear the thought of either

Kayans.

I

idea that

or

could never eradicate from her mind the

they

were savages.

interest her in these people, for

I

I

used to try and

longed that she

should accompany us in some of our journeys into the interior, but this she would never do. talk

to

me

of savages," she would say

;

^'

Don't

"I hate

SARAWAK AND them."

"

enough for

PEOPLE

But they are not savages,"

They are just like we made them different." "

listen to

ITS

are, only

"

They

I

iSS

would

reply.

circumstances have take heads

:

that

is

would add severely, and would no defence for that curious custom of theirs,

for me," she

which

I

could find so

many

excuses.

Missing Page

SARAWAK AND

iS8

which generally took place in

our best silks and

we

brocade,

sat together in

Clad

the evening.

in

stiff

with gold

private

room with

and

satins,

the reciter, poorly dressed

PEOPLE

ITS

my

dark cotton clothes,

in

pouring out Wonderful stories of kings, queens, and princesses

;

of royal ga!rdens, monkey-gods, peacocks,

flowers, perfumes,

follow

these

and such-like

stories

things.

could not

I

very well, because these old

Sometimes the voice was low, sometimes very shrill, and when embarrassed for a word, they trilled and quavered, remaining on a very high note until they remembered how the story went, when they gleefully descended the scale, began again, and poured forth further torrents of words. sang every word.

ladies

Sometimes they paused, walked rapidly across the " She is full room, and spat through the window. of understanding," Datu Isa would say after one of " She knows her these journeys to the window. work!" "Her words come from ancient times!" " It

beautiful

is

exceedingly

!

Meanwhile,

"

the

holding her draperies firmly round her,

reciter,

left

the window, and bending double as she passed us as a sign of respect,

took her place once more in

the centre of her admiring circle and began afresh, until

stopped again in the same way,

ejaculatioi>s of

when

admiration came from us

After one of these evening parties, as

were

and her

satellites

room,

suggested that

I

sitting*^

talking to

we should

and write Malay, which language

is

all

the

same

all.

Datu

me

in

Isa

my

learn to read

written in Arabic

;

SARAWAK AND characters.

to work,

PEOPLE

159

asked Datu Isa how we had best

I

for

ITS

I

thought

it

would be good

for

set

the

Malay women and myself to be able to read and " No," said Datu Isa write Malay for ourselves. " that would never do. Writing amongst women is a bad habit, a pernicious custom. Malay girls would be writing love letters to clandestine lovers, and undesirable men might come into contact with the daughters of our house.

Ranee, with the idea, and to pass."

I I

do not agree, Rajah

hope

it

will

never come

This was rather crushing, because Datu

was a tremendous force in our social life in I was not altogether dismayed, and being anxious for this additional pleasure to come Isa

Kuching, but

into

my

friends' lives,

I

pondered on the subject.

A

good many months went by before I could Meanwhile I put my suggestion into execution. began to study on my own account, and sent for Inchi Sawal, a celebrity in the Kuching circles of those days. arts).

He was

He knew

called a

"Guru"

Arabic, was a good

(master of

Malay

scholar,

had taught a great many of the Rajah's ofificers Formerly he had in the intricacies of the language. been Malay writer to the late Rajah. Malay is easy enough to talk ungrammatically, and one can make oneself understood by stringing together nouns and

arid

adjectives, regardless of verbs, prepositions, etc.

The

natives of Sarawak, although learning the language

speak very good Malay, but

by

ear,

in

those' days,

to hear

it

it

was deplorable,

spoken by some of the

SARAWAK AND

i6o

English people residing

however,

is

Malaya, and

one it

is

in

of the

ITS

PEOPLE

Kuching. best

Malay

The

Rajah,

scholars

in

a real pleasure to hear his Malay

speeches to his people.

was a great stickler for grammar. He was a Sumatran Malay, and his face was rounder, his features rather thicker and his complexion darker Inchi Sawal

than our Malays his

;

moreover, his hair was curly, and

whole appearance was cheerful, genial, and kindly.

His functions were numerous.

Muhammadan, and had

He

was, of course, a

friendly relations with all the

Malay chiefs of Kuching, by whom he was looked upon as a cultured man in fact, they considered him the arbiter of Malay literature. He was a butcher, and knew exactly what was required in the killing of bullocks for Muhammadan consumption. He was a wonderful confectioner, and made delicious preserves with little half-ripe oranges growing in orchards round Malay houses in the town. He sent me some of this preserve as a present for New Year's Day, and as I liked it so much, I wanted to know how Accordingly, Inchi Sawal came to the it was made. Astana to give me a lesson. It would take too long to tell of the methods he employed in the preparation of the fruit, but it seemed to me that a good deal of religion was mixed up with the cooking of those small, bobbing green balls, as they simmered in the A number of invocations to Allah boiling syrup. secured a good result to his labours. Inchi Sawal had :

a different appearance during each of his occupations.

SARAWAK AND When

PEOPLE

ITS

cooking oranges, a grave,

seemed de rigueur as he

i6i

religious

aspect

When

leant over the pot.

talking of bullocks, his victims, a devil-me-care ex-

pression spread over his countenance, as though in

the slaughter of each beast he had to wrestle with

a

sanguinary

courtier-like,

When

At

foe.

and mild.

made from

the mid-ribs of palm leaves,

used by most Arabic scholars

I

prove

not

did

I

found

great

sound to the Arabic

in

letter

Europeans to pronounce. characters with him, and

whenever

I

is

to look at a

sound. it

it

I

pupil.

am

My

after him.

said

giving

I

an

adequate

awkward for read Malay in these I annoyed him very much c

(aing),

a vowel pass without pronouncing

let

"The

properly. "

very apt

a

difficulty

Malaya,

in

pronounced a word, which

tutor

Sawal brought

his teachings began, Inchi

with him pens

afraid

became urbane,

lessons he

word

well before

Think over the

letters,

you give Vent

it,

it

will

to its

Tuan, and although

when you

should take a year to master one word,

have mastered

it

beauty of reading," he would say,

give your heart relief and

comfort."

One morning "

usual.

I

Inchi Sawal

was more solemn than

have spoken to the Datu Imaum about

our lessons," he

said, as

he came into the room, "and

he quite agrees that we should together study the Koran.

I

will

cloths, and, if

bring the book wrapped in

you do not

hands before we handle II

its

object,

leaves.

we

We

many

wash our might do a

will

— 1

SARAWAK AND

62

ITS

PEOPLE

Koran before we begin our Malay lessons, which will put us in the proper frame of mind for the things we have to learn. The Datu Imaum also of the

little

approves of

he thinks

women

your learning to read and will

it

as

be a great incentive to the Malay

improve

to

write,

their

minds and strengthen

their

hearts."

Very gravely he unfolded the wrappings in which the Koran lay, and reverently handled the pages of this marvellous book of wisdom, as we read together the

first

chapter

" Praise

most

:

be to God, the Lord of

merciful, the king of the

all

creatures

Direct us in the right way, in the

whom whom

thou hast been gracious

As

assistance.

way of

those to

not of those against

;

thou art incensed, nor of those

astray.

the

Thee

day of judgment.

do we worship, and of thee do we beg

;

who have gone

..." time went on and Datu Isa found

I

could read

and write Malay, she relented so far as to allow her married daughters and daughters-in-law to join me in

my

We

studies.

and, after

some

had great fun over our

time,

lessons,

Daiang Sahada (Datu

Isa's

daughter-in-law) began to write almost better than

She commenced

the great Inchi Sawal himself.

to

describe the history of Sarawak, from the advent of

the

first

white Rajah, in poetry, and played a prominent

part in the education of her sisters.

able house, she and her husband,

the Datu Bandar), helped

me

in

In her comfort-

Abang Kasim (now

my efforts

by

institut-

SARAWAK AND ing a school for

ITS

PEOPLE

women and young

boys.

163

In a short

time the pupils were too numerous for the size of her house, and the Rajah, being interested in this

impetus given to education by the

new

women of Kuching,

where Malay reading and writing were taught, and installed Inchi Sawal as master.^

built a school

One must mention

that even in those days the

Mission schools, organized by the Protestant Bishops of Sarawak, their chaplains, and attained

and were doing good amongst the Rajah's Chinese and

considerable proportions,

immense

Dyak

had

missionaries,

good reasons the Muhammadans were never approached by Christian teachers. subjects, but for very

As the country developed, the Muhammadans (Malays) also longed for educational facilities on their own lines,

so the Rajah instituted a school where Arabic

was taught. Writing of these educational matters

recalls

many /

happy hours

spent in Inchi Sawal's company.

I

regret to say that to his fathers,

I

some years ago he was gathered

and buried

I know so well. women wrapping him in Muhammadan custom. I

cemetery

in the little I

Muhammadan

can fancy his weeping

a sheet, according to the

can also picture the

little

accompanying the canoe

procession

of

which

body was placed covered with a white

his

boats,

in

umbrella, paddling to the shores of his last restingplace, 1

where

his

grave had been dug by members of

This school became known as Abang Kasim's school, and now has

a large attendance.

1

SARAWAK AND

64 Faith

the deep,

— that

allotted

to

ITS

grave about

shallow followers

bosom

the

at the

three

feet

from

Faithful,

bidding of the

good Muhamup and be folded

together with other

Azrail,

madans, Inchi Sawal in

the

of

whence, at the resurrection,

Angel

PEOPLE

of

rise

shall

Allah

—the

Com-

the

Merciful,

passionate.

Another Malay school, on the opposite side of the was founded by Inchi Bakar, the son of old

river,

Inchi Buyong, also a

Sumatran Malay.

succeeded his father as Court- Interpreter, also the

He

perhaps,

is,

Inchi

The

Sawal.

little

his

house

is

visits.

of butcher

fell

oranges of which

I

into is

an

was so

however, a great light in his way, and

a meeting-place for the more educated

Malays of Kuching. culture,

them

think that Inchi Bakar

adept at cooking the is,

often paid

profession I

He

I

more a man of the world than was

other hands, nor do

fond.

He and his family are

Head of the Customs.

great friends of mine, and

Bakar and was

Inchi

Whilst retaining his Arabic

one can talk to him almost on any subject,

he reads and writes English as well as most He was partial to Chinese society, for Englishmen.

for

amongst the Chinese merchants of Kuching are to be Many a found enlightened and cultured gentlemen. time

I

have

sat

on the broad and comfortable verandah

of Inchi Bakar's house and witnessed Chinese plays

enacted on narrow wooden tables, with their feast of colour, curious costumes,

of cymbals.

Chinese music, and clashing

Although the stage was narrow and there

o £ o

P H <

O w p <

o 2;

p

SARAWAK AND

ITS

PEOPLE

165

was no scenery beyond curtains of scarlet and gold, on which were embroidered rampant dragons, we could understand the intricacies of the drama

from the

fact that so

much was

left to

better, perhaps,

our imagination.

Chinese players often came to Sarawak, and are now permanently established in the Chinese Bazaar, but as

is

it

not customary for Malay

women

to mingle

with a crowd, private parties, at which these dramas

were acted

for their benefit,

were frequent amongst

the aristocrats in Kuching.

am happy

I

and

I

to say that Inchi

often hear from him.

Bakar

is still living,

Although he and

I

may

be parted, sometimes for years together, the friendship that exists between us

is

as strong as

early days of our acquaintance,

lad visiting

me

grandmother.

at the

Malays

from that

though I

I

in the

his

mother and

are faithful friends, nor

fact,

sort of home-sickness

was

when he was a young

Astana with

absence blunt their friendship. solation

it

I

does

derive great con-

when, as often happens, a

comes over me, and

I

feel as

must take the next ship back to the land

love so well, never, never to leave

it

again.

In those days Inchi Bakar's wife was also included

She was a relation of Datu Isa, and she and Daiang Sahada were friends. to draw special attejition to the part I should like played by these two Malay ladies in the education of the women in Kuching, who were much impressed by their kind interest and sympathy. Those were in

our edtjcational group.

pleasant days for us

all,

groping about the

letters

1

SARAWAK AND

66

ITS

PEOPLE

of the Arabic alphabet, and trying to obtain

hours of hard

necessary, so that

into the

Those walks

honeysuckle,

the

the roses, the jasmine,

many

and

tuberoses^

which grew

tropical plants

mown

our garden were a great

in

They loved

delight to them.

recreation

in order to " eat the air," as

Astana garden

they said.

the

we thought

considered our

was on most days, as it got cooler and sink behind Matang, we would go

work,

the sun began to

we

After what

graphic perfection.

calli-

other

beds on the closely

in

They

lawns round our house.

often asked

permission to take some of the flowers home, and their

methods of picking the flowers were so refined, gentle, and economical, that they might pick as many as they liked without any devastation being noticeable

beds after their passage.

in the

flowers with their stems

Malays never pick

they only take the heads

;

of flowers which they set floating in

They used

with water.

to

saucer^

filled

ask me why we ordered

our gardeners to break off great branches of blossoms to put in

so high

water

up,"

in

our drawing-room.

basins

full

So

that in

my

Besides

rooms

I

ideas,

are

it

destroys

always had great

of sweet-smelling stemless flowers floating

on the surface of the water to please If only

They

they would say, "their perfume can

never be thoroughly enjoyed. the plant."

"

we could we must

imagine that

must dec6rate

in it

free ourselves realize

order to

it

is

my

friends.

from the conventional entirely erroneous to

make a room

beautiful

we

with long stems of flowers and buds.

DAIANG LEHUT—DAIANG SAHADA'S DAUGHTER

SARAWAK AND I

think

much

Malays have

matters, because last just as

PEOPLE

ITS

better

flowers smell quite

167

taste

as

such

in

sweet and

long under the methods they employ of

perfuming their houses.

Our evening

through the Astana grounds

strolls

reminded fny friends of the legends related by the "

old lady reciters.

Here we

are," they often ex-

claimed, " in the Rajah's gardens, playing, smelling

sweet perfumes, and looking at ponds over which floats the lotus

—just

Beyond

like the old stories."

and miles of forest land stretching to the north between Kuching and the sea, the mountain of Santubong could be seen from our garden towering on the horizon. Viewed from Kuching, the outline the miles

of the mountain as

it

lies

appearance of a human

against the sky, has the

profile,

ordinary resemblance to the

Sarawak. the

The Malays

women have

bearing an extra-

first

white Rajah of

are aware of this

"

me

and

we stood The gods knew what

frequently said to

looking at the mountain,

fact,

as

they were about, they fashioned Santubong so that the image of the

first

white Rajah should never fade

from the country."

Another source of joy on these occasions was the presence of a peahen we kept roaming about at

The naked feet of up and down the paths was,

liberty in our garden.

the

women

for

some

more than the bird could The appearance of my Malay friends was the

stand.

pattering

mysterious reason,

for

it

to single

signal

from out the group one unfortunate

1

SARAWAK AND

68

member, when

would rush

it

PEOPLE

ITS

at her toes

and follow

The

her in and out the bushes on the lawn.

victim,

half-amused and half-frightened at the pecks, would

move

quicker than

is

Malay

customary amongst

Sometimes the bird got so violent in its attacks, that I had to call the sentry on guard at the door of the Astana. The sentry (either a Malay or aristocrats.

a Dyak), in his white uniform with black facings,

musket

appeared very courageously at

in hand,

woman from

to protect the

her feathered persecutor,

the peahen turned her attention to

until

whereupon

his

and

figure of the sentry rushing hither

much merriment. and

my Malay

his toes,

musket was dropped, and the

frantic attempts to escape

first

little

thither in his

from the bird caused us

This was a frequent occurrence,

friends called

it

"playing with the

do not

peahen

"

think

I

should have enjoyed the bird's antics quite so

much

as they did.

!

I

was glad

I

wore shoes,

for

I

Sometimes the party stayed until 6 p.m., when, on fine evenings, more punctual than any clock,

we heard a

shrill

trumpeting noise issuing

from the woods near the Astana.

I

believe

came from a kind of cricket. "It is the fly telling us to go home," they said, and, sound of

this musical alarum,

my

this

six o'clock

friends

at the

first

bade

me

good-night, stepped into their boats, and were paddled to their

homes.

I

often watched

them as they went

away in their covered boats, the paddles churning up the golden or flame-coloured waters of

the

river

SARAWAK AND tinted

by the

ITS

sunset, ar^d thought

different coloured skins should

PEOPLE how absurd

169 it is

that

be a bar to friendship

between white and dark people, seeing that kindness and sympathy are not confined to any region of the earth, or to any race of men.

CHAPTER XIX

MALAY age,

people have a great reverence for

and Datu

endeared her

still

generation at Kuching.

and

were delighted

I,

Isa's

many

years apparently

more

to

the younger

Her children, grandchildren, when she would tell us

about her early life, and also about the superstitions and legends of her country. Her conversation was

always

interesting,

and

impression of her manner

When

I

wish

when

I

could

give an

relating these tales.

sixteen years of age, she, together with several

Malay women of Kuching, had been liberated from captivity by the menacing guns of James Brooke's yacht, turned on to the Palace of her captor. Rajah Muda Hassim, who had intended to carry her off to

Brunei for the Sultan's harem.

This personal

reminiscence invariably served as the prelude to other interesting tales.

The

story of the Pontianak ghost,

was the one which perhaps thrilled us most. Malays almost sing as they talk, and their voices quaver, become loud or soft, or die off in a whisper, the words being interspersed with funny

for instance,

little

nasal noises, together with frowns, sighs, or smiles.

When

about to relate a dramatid incident, Datu Isa

became

silent for

a moment, looked at us with knitted

SARAWAK AND

PEOPLE

ITS

brows, although she did not see

171

so intent

us,

was

she on her story.

This

baby under

about

is

the

to

flooring

be

born,

of

his

He

chuckle behind him.

woman

When

Pontianak.

the story of the

is

the

walking

father

house

a

hears

low

a

turns round, and sees a

looking at him.

Her

face

is

like

the moon, her eyes are like stars, her mouth

is

like

beautiful

a half-open pomegranate, her complexion her

hair

intensely

round her

She

red.

wears

is

a

white,

sarong

and no jacket covers her shoulders.

waist,

Should the husband have neglected to

bunch of onions, tuba

roots,

set fire to the

and other

ingredients,

smoke of which keeps evil spirits away, the woman stands there for some moments without

the

uttering a

sound.

Then she opens her mouth, By this time the

giving vent to peals of laughter.

husband spell

is

so frightened

by which

to

a while, her feet

and as she behind her

flies

that

combat her

rise

he can think of no

evil intentions.

After

an inch or two from the ground,

swiftly past him, her hair flows straight

like a comet's tail,

when he

sees between

her shoulder blades the large gaping wound, signifying that she there

is

is

no hope

a Pontianak. for the

woman

be born, they are doomed to is

After this apparition, or the babe about to

die, so that the

Pontianak

one of the most dreaded ghosts haunting Malay

houses.

As Datu all

Isa finished

clamoured for more.

the

The

Pontianak

story,

we

old lady loved to see

"

SARAWAK AND

172

our

interest,

superstitions

:

PEOPLE

ITS

and went on telling us many other Unless you cover the heads of sleep-

ing children with black cloth, and put a torn fishing net on the top of their mosquito curtains, the birds,

Geruda, Dogan, and Konieh (supposed to be eagles),

come

will

You

them and cause convulsions.

close to

must put knives or pinang cutters near your babies,

and when walking out with them you must take these instruments with you, until your babies can walk alone. Then turning to me, Datu Isa would say "I hope you will never see the sun set under the fragment :

of a rainbow.

Rajah Ranee,

portent that the

rainbows if

is

a certain

Rajah's wife must die,

although

sky do not matter

in other portions of the

When my children

you know how to address them.

and grandchildren are out

bow more

in the

gaily coloured flowers

children's heads,

and say

we have come

out

garden, and a rain-

we pluck

arches over the sky,

to

:

'

that

for

the heads off the

and place them on the Hail,

King

meet you

of the Sky,

our

in

finest

clothes.' It

is

unlucky for a child to

kick up

its legs, this

mother

will

fall

lie

on

its

and

face

being a sure sign the father or

sick.

When

a

woman

expects a

baby, the roof of her house must not be mended, nor

must her husband cut his hair or his nails. During this time a guest must not be entertained for one they must stay two. When a woman night only ;

dies in

childbirth,

during the fasting month of the

Muhammadans, she becomes an

" orang

alim

"

(a

:

SARAWAK AND good

and

spirit),

173

may have committed

the sins she

all

PEOPLE

ITS

are forgiven her.

Datu

made

had great

Isa

of a

Sarawak

and she was anxious

coast,

It

it.

possessed,

my

on the

should take

I

was given me

years of

first

I

black seaweed found

kind of

care not to break

During the

a bangle

faith in

in this

way

stay in Sarawak, an old

gardener employed at the Palace, having

in

some

way misbehaved afterwards,

I

himself, was dismissed. Shortly met the old man in a state of great

my walks the other side of begged me to use my influence with

depression during one of the river, and he

the Rajah and get

him taken back again, promising in the future. He was a

he would behave better lazy old man, but as

the Rajah to give

I

sorry for him,

felt

him another

agreed, and the

in

garden

often

in his

asked

The Rajah

trial.

man resumed work own desultory way. I

I

the Astana

used to

watch him pulling up the weeds from the paths

would

sit

on

some minutes'

after

he

and take

his haunches, stare at the river, rest

;

every weed he extracted.

Notwithstanding these drawbacks, he was a grateful

and on the morning of Rajah's gardeners he

soul,

the

made I

had

man

difficulty in getting it

and, after

harm

brought

of this black seaweed.

put

hand,

his reinstalment

it

It

over

into boiling water to

some

little

trouble,

it

" Lightning, snake bites,

me

amongst

a bangle

was very small and

my

hand, so the old

make

it

more

elastic,

was forced over

my

and antus can never

you," he said, "as long as you keep the bangle

SARAWAK AND

174

round your

wrist, but should

bring you bad luck

now, and

I

dread

The

!

"

ITS

PEOPLE

it

ever break,

bangle

is

on

would

it

my

wrist

anything should happen to

lest

it,

should

feel just as

nervous of the result as would any of

my Malay

for should

it

ever get broken,

women friends. Some of the Malays

I

Sarawak use somewhat disconcerting methods to frighten away evil spirits on the occasion of very bad storms. After a frightful gale, accompanied by incessant lightning and thunder, that occurred in Kuching, two or three owners of plantations in the suburbs of the town came to the Rajah and complained that some of their Malay neighbours had cut down all their fruit trees during the hurricane, in

Nowa-

in order to propitiate the spirit of the storm.

days these drastic measures to other people's property are seldom heard

because the Rajah has his

of,

own

methods of dealing with such superstitious and undesirable proceedings.

It

took some time to eradicate

these curious and unneighbourly customs, but

they are I

now a

must

tell

amongst Malays.

more

one

curious

Just before

Malay woman from one of our

me fruit

I

believe

thing of the past.

a cocoa-nut, very

much

of the Archipelago,

I

I

belief

left for

existing

England, a

out-stations brought

larger than the ordinary

believe these

huge cocoa-

nuts are only to be found growing in the Seychelles Islands,

them "cocoa de mer." me she had brought me this fruit on

and the natives

The woman

told

account of the luck

it

call

brought

its

possessor; at the

INCHI BAKAR— SCHOOL MASTER, KUCHING

SARAWAK AND same time assuring me asked her to that, as is

me

tell

175

came from fairyland. I story, when she informed me it

its

every one knows,

a place called

spot,

PEOPLE

ITS

"The

in the

middle of the world

navel of the sea."

guarded by two dragons,

a tree

is

known

In this

on which

Pau Jinggeh. The dragons feed on the fruit, and when they have partaken too freely of it, have fits of indigestion, causing them to be sea-sick thus the fruit finds its way into the ocean, and is borne by the current into These enormous nuts are all parts of the world. occasionally met with by passing vessels, and in this manner some are brought to the different settlements in the Malayan Archipelago. The fruit brought for my acceptance had been given to the woman by a captain of a Malay schooner, who had rescued it as it was bobbing up and down in the water under the keel of " I thought you would like to have it, his boat. these large cocoa-nuts grow,

as

;

Rajah

Ranee," she

bought

for love

" because

said,

nor money."

The

fruit

it

cannot be

now

occupies

a prominent position in our drawing-room at Kuching,

and

is

a source of great interest to the natives.

With our

ideas of

European wisdom, we may be

inclined to smile superciliously at these beliefs,

we

should not forget that a great

like seeing one table,

we

magpie,

many

but

of us, do not

we avoid dining thirteen at new moon through glass,

hate to see the

we never walk under a

ladder, or

sit in

a room where

and how about people one meets who assure us they have heard the scream three candles are burning

;

i;6

SARAWAK AND

ITS

PEOPLE

of a Banshee, foretelling the death of some

human

being?

do not

Putting

superstition

all

these things together,

I

Dyaks show much more than we Europeans do after all, we are

think either

Malays or

;

not so very superior to primitive races, although

we imagine that on account of our we are fit to govern the world.

superior culture

CHAPTER XX

DURING

my

residence

Sarawak,

ia

I

witnessed several epidemics of cholera, and to

advent

is

any who have nervous temperaments, its alarming. On one of its visitations, some

curious incidents occurred, on account of the superstitious practices of the

Chinese residing

much

In order to allay panic as

Rajah and

I

in

Kuching.

as possible, the

drove or rode every morning through

the Bazaar, where cholera was

rife

and where the

atmosphere was impregnated with the smell of incense and joss-sticks, set burning by the Chinese in order to mitigate the plague.

to

Many

devices were resorted

by these people, superstitious and otherwise.

remember one magnificent

I

junk, built regardless of

expense, the Chinese merchants and their humbler

and poorer brethren giving ungrudgingly to

make

their dollars

and cents

this vessel glorious, as

to stay the ravages of the infuriated god.

a sop

The junk

was placed on wheels and dragged for three miles down a bad road to a place called Finding, where it was launched on the waters of the river, to be borne by the tide it was hoped to the sea. The procession accompanying this vessel was extremely Great banners, scarlet, green, and blue. picturesque.

—

—

SARAWAK AND

178

PEOPLE

ITS

on which were embroidered golden dragons, were

carried

by Chinamen, and

cymbals made a most

Nor was

clashing of

frightful noise.

this the only procession organized whilst

the cholera was at I

the

etc.,

its

height.

One

morning, after

had been riding round the settlement, and had got

off

my

river,

pony

saw

I

along

the

at the

in the distance

road,

a crowd of people coming clashing

shouting,

something

bearing

coming

door of our stables across the

This

aloft.

cymbals,

and

"something," on

nearer, turned out to be a

man

seated on a

formed entirely

chair looking like an arm-chair, but

of swords, their sharp edges forming the back, the

and the arms.

seat,

The man was

naked, with the ex-

ception of a loincloth and a head-handkerchief.

head

rolled

from side to

side, his

His

tongue protruded, and

only the whites of his eyes could be seen.

I

thought

mad or in a ^t, but one of our Syces told me the man was trying to allay the cholera. The mob following him was screeching, yelling, boundhe must be

ing about, beating gongs, and making a

As

it

swept close to where

no one

I

stood,

I

terrific noise.

could see that

crowd took notice of anybody or anytheir way. The procession went round the

in the

thing in

Chinese quarters of the town, and, meanwhile, the

man Our

was apparently immune from wounds. English doctor subsequently examined the chair,

in the chair

and having realized

for himself the sharpness of its

blades, he could not understand how the

have escaped cutting himself to

pieces.

man

could

SARAWAK AND

PEOPLE

ITS

179

This gruesome procession took place morning and evening during the

first

weeks of the epidemic, but

instead of allaying the scourge effect of increasing

appeared to have the

it

Moreover, the minds of the

it.

people were in danger of becoming unhinged by this daily spectacle,

and the man who

sat in the chair

was

beginning to exercise an undesirable influence over

This senseless proceeding

the people in the Bazaar. also

became a serious obstacle

to the

fore ordered the procession to

day

more

intelligent

The Rajah

there-

be suppressed.

The

attempts to stamp out the disease.

after the order -was given, the

Rajah and

I

were

when we met more numerous

driving in one of the roads near the town,

the forbidden procession with a

still

Chinamen than hitherto. The Rajah said the time, but when we reached the Palace

following of

nothing at

he sent a force of police under an English officer to arrest the sword-chair man and imprison him. The following morning, before daylight, a band of China-

men

encircled the gaol, and

ate the fanatic.

The

somehow managed to

liber-

Rajah, hearing of this matter,

sent for the principal shopkeepers in the Bazaar,

informed them that

if

the

man was

and\

not restored to the

prison before six o'clock that evening he would turn the

guns of the Aline on

to their houses in the Bazaar,

and them down over their heads. It was an excitng time. I remember seeing the Aline heave anchor and slowly take its position immediately in front of batter

the Bazaar. of

At

five o'clock that

Chinamen asked

evening a deputation

to see the Rajah.

"The man

is

SARAWAK AND

i8o

back

they said

in gaol,"

;

The Rajah

any more."

"

he

ITS

PEOPLE

will

not trouble the town

smiled genially at the news,

shook hands with each member of the deputation,

and

realized again, as in so

I

many

other cases, the

The man

Rajah's wisdom in dealing with his people.

who was

the cause of the trouble

was subsequently

sent out of the country.

There are many mysteries regarding these curious Europeans are not able

to

Another practice of the Chinese, when

in

Eastern people which fathom.

any

when about

straits or

commercial

enterprise,

to

is

embark on some new

down

to -lay

burning

charcoal for the space of several yards, over which

two or three barefooted.

initiated individuals are paid to

scathed, which

always the

am

I

result,

given to understand

the

enterprise

nearly

is

considered a

is

This practice was once resorted to

favourable one. in

walk

they come through the ordeal un-

If

Kuching, when a company of Chinese merchants,

anxious to open up pepper and gambler gardens in

Sarawak, set certain Chinamen to gambol up and

down

the

fiery

path unscathed.

The

pepper and

gambler gardens were established, and proved a great success.

One

people's bare

and

can only wonder

how

it

is

that these

skins appear to be impervious to

fire

to sharp instruments.

The outbreak entirely to the

of cholera did not confine

Chinese quarter.

out victims here and there, and the friends,

Datu

Isa

and her

It

began picking

Kampong

relations,

itself

also

of

my

suffered

SARAWAK AND

ITS

PEOPLE

i8i

Every morning, notwithstanding, my Malay friends found their way to the Astana, and during one of these visits, whilst we were talking quite happily and severely.

trying to keep our minds free from the all-absorbing topic of the sickness that

was laying so many low

mourning to so many houses in saw the Datu Tumanggong's wife, a buxom lady of forty years, fat and jolly in appear-

and

bringing

Kuching,

I

ance, suddenly turn the ashy-green colour that reveals

sickness amongst these people.

She rubbed her chest

round and round, and then exclaimed feel

vexy

ill.

Good heavens

"

seized with cholera.

Datu

perhaps the sickness

!

methods. water,

I

"

I

thought, she

spirit

I

had recourse

to

heroic

some hot

gave the poor lady a strong

(which certainly, being a

madan, she had never tasted

before),

Muham-

mixed with

about twenty drops of chlorodyne. The mixture half a tumbler,

and

I

I is

Isa said to me, " Wallahi,

sent for a bottle of brandy,

and chlorodyne.

dose of the

I

!

" Wallahi,

:

told her to drink

it

filled

and she

She was trembling and demur for one instant, and frightened, but did not swallowed the draught, making an extraordinary gulp She gave me back the tumbler, and in her throat. immediately sank back on the floor and lay inanimate on the rugs in my room. For one moment I thought killed her, and looked at Datu Isa and my I had would

feel

all

right.

other friends to see

how

they would take

have cured her, Rajah Ranee," they said. go home and leave her to finish her

it.

"

You

We

will

sleep."

I

"

1

SARAWAK AND

82

pretended to

feel

PEOPLE

ITS

no anxiety, although

must say

I

I

did not feel very comfortable.

we two stayed in the room await developments. The lady lay like a log, and I

to

sent for Ima, and

her pulse beat very

fast.

After some time,

I

saw

her colour becoming restored, and in the space of

two hours she well "

"

again.

You do

up and appeared to be perfectly Wallah, Rajah Ranee," she said.

sat

You

understand.

secrets that no, one else can

have

people

white

know."

Personally,

I

was not so sure, but I was delighted when I realized she was none the worse, and saw her escorted down the path to her boat by Ima and the boat-boys. Her attack and my remedy did not appear to do her any harm, for, from that day, she always came to me for help in any ailment. The Rajah was called away from Kuching during the epidemic, and I was alone with the children at the Astana.

very

well,

One morning, a chief, whom paid me a friendly call. We

talked on the verandah,

and

full

as

I

was

Talip came to

Mohammed's

About eleven

garden.

getting up after

my room and

what flowers they like.

Mohammed was

I

said

But

and

as on that

o'clock

we shook

That same

my

afternoon nap,

asked whether Datu

some

wife could have

" Certainly,"

sat

life

of

hands, and he went back to his house. day,

knew

thought he had never

I

been so talkative or seemed so particular morning.

I

;

I

flowers from our

" tell

them

did not

having a feast to-day."

to

pick

know Datu "

He is

not,"

SARAWAK AND

PEOPLE

ITS

183

Talip replied; "he died of cholera at three o'clock."

This was said with a smile,

for

Malays, whenever

they have sorrowful or tragic news to impart, always smile, in order,

The

I

suppose, to

mask

death of a favourite cat would

their

elicit

feelings.

sighs

and

groans, but in any sorrow they hide their tru6 feelings,

even from their nearest

Some

of the Malays

to

combat the

in

Kampong

disease.

relations.

had curious methods in trying There was an old lady living

Grisek, called

Daiang Kho, who was

beloved by the Malays of Kuching on account of her blameless duties,

her rigorous

life,

and above

all,

the great pilgrimage to

brought with

her

from

attention

to

religious

because she had

achieved

Mecca.

Mecca

Daiang Kho had a

Muhammadan

was made great use of in cases of The rosary was placed in a illness in Kuching. tumbler of cold water over night, and the liquid rosary,

and

this

poured into various bottles the next morning, to be

Daiang Kho informed me that the cures performed by the rosary were wonderful, but, as we all know, in some cases mind triumphs over the body, and I was not therefore surprised at hearing that this innocuous drink had sometimes been successful in curing sufferers when attacked by the first symptoms of disease. used as medicine,

CHAPTER XXI my one DURING youngest son Harry was of

Tuan Bungsu title

visits to

England our

born.

He

(the youngest of a family), a

Rajahs of

given to the youngest son of the

As

Sarawak.

called

is

time went on and our

boys were

became incumbent on me, for obvious reasons, to spend more time away from our country. I had to make my home in England, on account of the education of our sons, but, whenever possible, I hurried over to pay visits to what is, after all, my

growing up,

own of

land.

my

it

I

life

think

one of the happiest periods Bertram went

occurred just before

Cambridge, when he accompanied

We

me

to

to Sarawak.

then stayed there some months, part of which

time the Rajah was obliged to be in England.

Bertram and

I

gave many receptions to our

Malay friends, and it did not take us long to pick up again the threads of our life in Sarawak. I should like to give an account of some journeys

which Bertram and stations. visit

the

For

I

took

instance,

Rejang

I

district

agreeing with these plans,

to

some

of the

out-

was anxious we should together, and the Rajah, gave us his yacht for our

journeys. 184

SARAWAK AND *

ITS

PEOPLE

185

We started one morning from Kuching, accompanied

by our great

friend Mr. C. A. Bampfylde, then ad-

Government in the Rajah's absence, and Dr. Langmore, who had come with us from Europe, for a round of visits to our Dyak and Kayan friends. ministering the

We

stayed a day or two at the Httle village

of Santubong, at the mouth of the Sarawak River,

where the Rajah had of Europeans

The

built

a bungalow for the use

change of

requiring

chief of this village

is

a kindly, well-educated

Malay, named Hadji Ahmad.

been to Mecca, and

This gentleman has.

thought a great deal of both

At any of these small the Rajah's country, Malay gentlemen

by Europeans and settlements in

is

to the sea.

air

natives.

of the standing of Hadji

Ahmad

occupy the

of magistrate, and are entitled to inquire try, all

the petty cases that

may

office

into,

and

occur even in such

simple out-of-the-way and almost sinless communities.

As

I

think

I

have remarked

before, the

criminal cases are under the control

and

When we

serious

of the

Rajah

Kuching.

his Council at

Heidji

more

arrived at the bungalow,

Ahmad's

wife,

sisters,

aunts,

we found

and

female

cousins sitting on the floor arrayed in silks and satins

with gold bangles, waiting for

us.

Hadji

Ahmad

was anxious we should be amused during our

stay,

and, being an enthusiastic fisherman, he was eager to

show us a good

a fishing-shed for

day's sport.

us,

He

offered to erect

with as thick a roof as possible,

to protect us from the sun,

on the shallow, shelving

1

SARAWAK AND

86

ITS

PEOPLE

bank of sand which at low tide lies uncovered for When the hut was miles on the Santubong shore. built,

some twenty fathoms from the

Ahmad

Hadji

asked permission to bring his family to join

in the expedition.

long,

shore,

We

covered with white awnings.

narrow canoe,

The Malay

ladies

started off at ebbtide in a

had taken

their position

in

the

boat for about an hour and a half before our arrival,

and as

I

stepped into the canoe they almost sent

overboard

us

me down

in

in

the

their

tender

attempts

to

most comfortable corner.

settle

Hadji

Ahmad's wife was a buxom dame of thirty years. She and her five companions talked incessantly, and one of the elder women kept us amused and the Malay women in a perpetual giggle, at the manner in which she chaffed her brother, who was She was most personal in her our helmsman. remarks, drawing attention to his swarthy complexion,

beard and moustache that sparsely covered his

his

chin and lips (Malay

men

are seldom adorned with

either beard or moustache), but he took his sister's

witticisms good-humouredly.

The

fishing-hut looked like a bathing machine,

standing on It

stilts

in

the middle of the

had been decorated with the

of the areca-nut palm,

draperies

risen tide.

beautiful blossom

and mats and

all

kinds of

village)

work of the were hung round the

made our way up

the wide- rung ladder,

embroidered

Malay women of the

in

gold

(the

hut.

We

some

ten feet high, through which the water shone

SARAWAK AND and glistened

in the

PEOPLE

ITS

most alarming manner.

we

of Chinese crackers were let off as hut, causing great delight to

my

highly approved of the din.

The

A

salvo

entered the

who

female escort,

hut groaned and

creaked as our party, some fourteen their seats

187

in

number, took

on a small platform jutting out from

it

The construction of these sheds was very ingenious. They were erected upon a series over the

sea.

of stout timber poles 'disposed at the back of the leaf building

number

in

the

shape of a boat's

keel.

A

of canoes, which had conveyed ten or fifteen

of the rhost experienced fishermen in the village, were

Four great poles, acting as

tied to these poles.

swung

twenty feet

As

levers,

horizontally each side of the hut, jutting out in front,

between which the nets were hung.

came in, the excitement of the party grew intense, and the fishermen sang a dirge-like melody, inviting the fish into the net, telling them the Rajah's wife and son were expecting their arrival, and that, therefore, it would only be good manners and loyalty on their part to pay their respects by being caught and eaten by them When sufficient time had elapsed, according to Hadji Ahmad's idea, for the net to be full of fish, the fishermen hung on to the poles the tide

[

at the

back of the

hut,

their

weight swinging the

ends on which the nets were tied out of the water,

when we saw a number of meshes. Amongst the fish

fish

wriggling in their

were

two

or

three

octopuses, those poisonous masses of white, jelly-like

substances which

all

fishermen in the Straits dread

1

SARAWAK AND

88

like the evil

stings

PEOPLE

one himself, on account of

when

these,

;

ITS

their poisonous

captured, were tossed back again

into the sea.

After an enjoyable day,

house for

and started

tea,

we went back

off again

to

the

in the cool of

the evening to visit a creek in the neighbourhood,

where

a great boulder of sandstone, upon which

lies

the figure of a

we

travelled

woman

in

is

carved.

On

this occasion,

one of the Aline' s boats, our crew

having provided themselves with paddles

make

their

abounds

way through

in

in order to

the aquatic vegetation which

the small streams.

Bertram took

his

place at the helm, and, without asking any questions,

proceeded to steer us through a maze of nipa palms

and mangroves, twisting channels for an hour or thinking the

way

in

and out of these numerous

so.

Dr.

Langmore and

I,

rather long, at last inquired whether

when Hadji Ahmad we were drifting in quite the wrong direction. " But why did you not say so ? " "We could not set the I said to Hadji Ahmad. we were on

the right track,

informed

that

us

Rajah's son right until he asked us to do so," he

we not inquired the way, I suppose we might even now be wandering about the maze of water, with Bertram at the helm. The replied.

Therefore, had

and Bertram was as amused as we were at the extreme politeness of our Malay entourage. At length the stone was reached, and it was indeed a curious object. One Hadji

had

soon

put

us right,

better explain that at the foot of this mountain

SARAWAK AND

PEOPLE

ITS

189

of Santubong, in the alluvial soil washed

down by

the frequent rain of those tropical countries, traces of a former settlement, in the shape of beads, golden

pottery have

ornaments, and broken

been

found

lying here and there with the pebbles, gravel, and

mud,

rolled

have visited

down from

Experts who

the mountain.

this spot are confident that a considerable

number of people once lived here, and, owing to some unknown cause, deserted the spot. Amongst some of the debris, the

remains of a glass factory and

golden ornaments of Hindoo workmanship have been discovered. pletely

of

com-

This race of people has faded

from the memory of the present inhabitants

Santubong.

The

sandstone

boulder

with

its

was only discovered during quite late years by a gardener who was clearing the soil in preparaeffigy

tion for a vegetable garden.

We

landed in the midst of

Narrow planks of wood,

mud and

raised

through a morass to the

on

figure.

fallen trees.

led us

trestles,

It

rests

under a

roof of iron-wood shingles, erected by the Rajah's

orders to protect the carving from the effects of the

weather.

The

carved figure

apparently represents a

is

about

life-size,

and

naked woman flung face

downwards, with arms and legs extended, clinging to the surface of the rock

;

a knot of hair stands some

inches from her head, and

stone

is

all

round the figure the

weather-beaten and worn.

Lower down, on

the right of the larger carving, Bertram

and

I

dis-

covered the outline of a smaller figure in the same

SARAWAK AND

I90 position.

A

upper

is

bar,

PEOPLE

ITS

on

triangular mark, with three loops

its

be seen near by on the stone, look-

to

The

ing like the head of an animal rudely scratched.

natives of Santubong have turned the place into a

that the

men and women

me

told

of his village imagine the

have been that of a

figure to

Ahmad

Hadji

sort of shrine for pilgrimage,

real

woman, given and turned

torturing animals for her amusement,

The

stone by an avenging Deity. at least all those with

whom

to

people of Sarawak,

have come

I

to

in contact,

are under the impression that anyone guilty of injurto

be

turned into stone by an offended god, and nearly

all

ing, ill-treating, or

laughing at animals

the stones or rocks to be fivers,

met with

is liable

in

the beds of

and elsewhere, are thought by the people to

be the remnants of a human crimes.

They

of curses),

became so

call

but

race,

these stones Batu

how

guilty of such

Kudi

these legends took

firmly implanted in the

(the stones

root

and

minds of Sarawak

people remains a mystery to this day.

This mysterious Santubong figure puzzles and interests

me

greatly.

There

is

no one nowadays

Kuching capable of fashioning such a thing. over, the tops of carved pillars, and other

in

Morefretted

fragments of stone, have been found in these gravel beds, so that

I

imagine somewhere on the mountain

must be hidden more vestiges of a long-departed

and maybe of other one remembers Angkor Wat and

people, in the shape of temples buildings.

When

the manner in which that stupendous work of men's

SARAWAK AND hands lay buried leaves,

PEOPLE

ITS

under

for centuries,

191

shroud of

its

which more completely than desert sand ob-

the works of humanity for a long while, one can almost be certain that Santubong and its literated

mysteries will be unveiled some day.

could live long enough to see

I

only wish

Musing over

it.

I

the

past history of semi-deserted countries, such as these,

Under the shade

entrances and terrifies one.

numerable generations of

trees,

come and gone, struggled altars

and temples

of in-

men and women have

to live their lives, raised

to their gods, with perhaps the

quietude of endless previous centuries lulling them into factitious security.

Then

that " something

"

happens,

when, helpless as thistledown blown about by puffs of wind, such people are destroyed, driven forth or killed,

when

the relentless growth of the tropics takes posses-

and the trace of their existence is blotted out by leaves. Those great forests of the tropics must hold many secrets, and when stay* sion of their deserted homes,

ing near the Santubong mountain,

its

mystery weighed

on me, and I longed to know the fate of those who had gone before. For reasons such as these, it is a pity that

with

some of the Europeans who come natives

should

do

all

Ahmad was

—yarns

touch

they can to wipe out

from their minds legends and origin of their race

into

tales bearing

on the

them.

Hadji

they

call

a proof of the manner in which these

was anxious to know what was thought by the Santubong people about this stone. The Hadji said some obvious things, but when I methods

affected him.

I

SARAWAK AND

192

PEOPLE

ITS

me not to do so, for he Sarawak might accuse him he preferred to keep what he

pressed him further, he begged

was

afraid

Englishmen

of telHng Hes

;

in

therefore

thought about the stone to himself.

made by Europeans

such criticisms

too often that

cannot repeat

I

to imaginative Eastern peoples

amongst

whom

they

live are helping to suppress secrets which, if unveiled,

might prove of inestimable value to science. Before closing this chapter, conversation the

friends

Rejang.

It

must recount a

I

had with one of

I

my

Santubong

evening before

our

was a

moonlight night, and

beautiful

departure

the

to

the mountain of Santubong looked black against the

Within a few yards of the house a grove of

sky.

casuarina trees were swaying in the evening breeze.

The murmur sound

of their

on the verandah, to

frail

branches

in the stillness of the

go out by

my Malay

yourself,

made an exquisite As we stood

night.

friend said

:

"If you

like

Rajah Ranee, and stand under

those trees at midnight,

you

will

hear

voices

of

unknown people telling you the secrets of the earth." I wish now I had gone out and listened, for I am foolish enough to believe that the secrets told by branches

musical

those

might

have

been worth

listening to, but afraid of the night, of the solitude,

and,

above

friends,

I

all,

clusion that

I

have

experience which "

I

my European have since come to the con-

of the criticisms of

refrained.

I

lost

a wonderful and beautiful

may never

occur again.

know a story about the mountain

of Santubong.

SARAWAK AND Would Rajah Ranee as we stood looking replied

"

;

I

like to

hear

it ?

" said

193

my

friend,

"

Say on," I "In the days a holy man, whose name

at the mountain.

should well like to hear."

of long ago," she began, "

was Hassan,

lived

He

mountain.

PEOPLE

ITS

a house at the foot of

in

was a

Haji, for he

had been

to

this

Mecca,

and wore a green turban and long flowing robes. He read the Koran day and night, his prayers were incessant,

and the name of Allah was ever on

his lips.

His soul was white and exceedingly clean, and whenever he cut himself with his parang whilst hewing

down

the trees to

make

into canoes, the blood flowed

from the wound white as visited his

He

milk.^

occasionally

brothers and sisters living in

Kuching,

taking about half a day to accomplish the journey,

home by

but he was never away from his solitary

He

sea-shore for very long. beautiful

lady,

the

Spirit

the

never suspected that a

of

daughter of the moon, lived on

Santubong its

and the

highest peak, and

from thence had watched him admiringly on account One day she flew down into of his blameless life. the valley, entered his house, and

made

Their intercourse ripened into

him.

friends with

love, they

were

moon wafted her home beyond the clouds.

married, and the daughter of the

husband to

Haji

her

Haji Hassan and his spirit-wife lived for some years lofty region.

in this

that ^

it

An

those

They were such good people

seemed as though nothing could ever happen idea entertained

who lead holy 13

by some Sarawak Malays

lives is

white instead of red.

that the blood of

SARAWAK AND

194

ITS

PEOPLE

mar their happiness. But as time went on, the good man grew weary of this unalloyed happiness, and sighed for a change. From his home on the mountain-top he could see the roof of his little palmthatched house, where he had lived alone for so many years, and he could see the lights of the village near to

it

twinkling in the darkness of nights.

of his brothers and sisters

in

He

thought

Kuching, and of his

other friends living there, and a great longing

over him to return,

came

only for a short space of time,

if

to the grosser pleasures of earth.

" '

One day he spoke

for

what

to see

a

these words to his wife

:

my life and light of my eyes, forgive me am about to say. I want to go to Kuching

Delight of I

my

while.'

brothers and sisters, and to stay with

A

great

moon

sickness

of

them

heart seized the

him go, pledging him to return to her when a month had gone by. She called her servants and ordered them to prepare a boat to carry her husband to Kuching. So the Haji departed, and the days seemed long to the daughter of the moon. At length the Haji's time had expired, but week after week went by and his wife sat alone on her mountain peak, longing for his daughter of the

;

nevertheless, she let

return.

" Meanwhile, Haji

with his friends at deal of

;

Hassan was enjoying himself Kuching. He was made a great

bullocks were killed for his consumption at

great banquets in the houses of his friends, where he

was the honoured

guest,

and always the one chosen

to

SARAWAK AND admonish

his friends

PEOPLE

ITS

and give them lessons

conduct before the meal began. lionized

that he

195

forgot

In

good

he was so

waiting for him

wife

his

fact,

in

amongst the clouds at the top of Santubong. " Some months had elapsed, when one morning, as the Haji was returning from the river-bank where he had bathed and prayed before beginning the day, he looked towards the north and saw a great black cloud forming over the peak of the mountain then he suddenly remembered his wife. He hastily summoned his servants, and, when the boat was made ready, the tide and strenuous paddling of his crew bore him ;

He

speedily to the foot of Santubong.

steep sides and reached his

clambered

—only

home

to find

its it

empty and desolate, for the daughter of the moon had flown. At this the Haji's heart grew sick and he shed bitter tears. He went back to his relations at Kuching, and there became gloomy and silent, constantly sighing for the presence of his wife. "

the

One

evening,

Haji's

staring

at

called out,

Mount

a

man

landing-place,

the river.

'

in

a canoe passed by

where

he

Eh, Tuan

was

sitting,

Haji,' the

man

'your wife has been seen on the top of

Sipang,'

and quickly paddled

off.

The Haji

sprang into his canoe tied to the landing-place, unloosed of

its

moorings, and paddled himself to the foot

Mount Sipang.

He

rushed up to

but his wife was not there.

its

highest peak,

Subsequently he heard

news of her on Mount Serapi, the highest peak of the Matang range, but on reaching the mountain-top

SARAWAK AND

196'

ITS

PEOPLE

he was again disappointed.

Thus from mountain

peak

disconsolate

mountain peak

to

sought his wife the

all

the

husband

over Borneo, but the daughter of

moon had vanished

out of his

went back to Kuching, and soon

life

for ever.

after died of

He

a broken

heart."

This was the end of the

on

to explain that

mountain

is

story, but

my

friend

went

whenever the peak of the Santubong

bathed in moonlight the people imagine

the daughter of the

moon

is

revisiting her old

home.

was almost midnight. " I ask your leave to " I go. Rajah Ranee," my Malay companion said. hope you will sleep well." She walked away in the It

went

to

home

and I bed and dreamed about the Haji and his

moonlight to her

in the village below,

moonshine, whilst the talking trees outside told their secrets to the stars.

CHAPTER XXII

ONE

of

my places of predilection

called

is

Lundu.

It differs

in the

country

from most of the

other settlements in Sarawak by the fact that

a good deal of agriculture goes on in the neigh-

and that the country is flat near the Government Bungalow, We embarked for this place in the Aline, and although the water is shallow on bourhood,

the bar

when

we managed

the nine

to time our arrival at high tide,

necessary to

feet

float

our yacht

enabled us to steer our way comfortably into the river,

banks of which are sandy

the

Groves of talking

tufts of coarse grass

we proceeded nipa

palm

grew

were dotted over the sands.

As

the

soil

appeared.

became muddy and

We

mountain of Poe, three thousand towering inland.

mouth.

and

farther

forests

at the

close to the sea,

trees

It

is

could feet

in

see

the

height,

one of the frontiers between

the Dutch country and Sarawak, so that the Rajah and the Dutch Government each possess half of this

mountain.

It is

not so precipitous as

is

Santubong,

growing thickly right up to

and has

forest trees

the top.

Fishing stakes were sti-etched across some

of the sandbanks soul

was

at

to be seen

the

mouth, but not a living

on the sea-shore.

We steamed

SARAWAK AND

198

ITS

PEOPLE

through a broad morass, crossed in every direction

by

little

streams travelling

Farther on

we

down

to the

main

river.

noticed, about twenty or thirty yards

from the banks, a tree

full

a flaming torch

green gloom of the jungle.

No I

one could

in the

tell

me what

was deeply disappointed some of

the tree and obtain

of yellow blossoms, like

these blossoms were, and at

our inability to reach

its

branches, which might

unknown to science. It would have taken our sailors many hours to hew their way to it, so we contented ourselves with looking through opera as yet be

glasses, across a jungle of vegetation, at the

gorgeous

blossoms, although that did not help us to discover

what the

tree was.^

built near the river,

A

little

farther

on were huts

and we could see men

sitting

on

the rungs of ladders leading from their open doors to the water.

When we

arrived

at

Lundu, our friend

Mr.

Bloomfield Douglas, Resident of the place and living

Government bungalow situated a few yards from the river, came to meet us at the wharf, accompanied by a number of Dyaks. A Dyak chief styled the Orang Kaya Stia Rajah, with his wife and relations, came on board with Mr. Douglas in the comfortable

^ This tree, which no one could tell me the name of at the time, was the only one of its kind I had seen ; therefore, it was not strange I formed the idea it might be unknown to science. Its leafy image persisted in my mind, and the thought of it haunted me. I have now been informed that it is not unknown, and is a creeper, called Bauhinea, and not a tree

at

all.

Seen

at

a distance, its appearance is like that of a tree in completely covers and perhaps smothers the tree

blossom, for

it

upon which

fastens

it

—

itself.

—

SARAWAK AND

made

the conical hats of the country,

A

straw.

199

Both men and women wore

on shore.

to take us

PEOPLE

ITS

wood

piece of light

of the finest

delicately carved to

a point ornamented their tops, which were made

My

splendid with bright colours.

Dyak women, were

affectionate

my hand, by my side

took hold of gently back followed

sniffed ;

some

and at

They

kind.

it,

and

laid

it

Dyak men

of the

These people never

suit.

old friends, the

European

kiss in

fashion, but smell at the object of their affection or

reverence.

two

little

On

always

I

felt

on such occasions as though

holes were placed on the back of

my

hand.

the day of our arrival, the sun was blazing

it was fearfully hot. Our shadows were very short as we moved along, and the people

overhead and lined the

had

way

up

to the Resident's door.

We

everybody individually as we marched

to touch

along, even

right

babies in arms had their

little

hands

These greetings took the overpowering heat of midday, and

held out to touch our fingers.

some time in it was a great

relief

when

Douglas's pretty room,

at

last

we reached Mr.

which he had been wise

The enough to leave unpainted and unpapered. walls were made of the brown wood of the country, and were decorated with hanging baskets of orchids in full flower, vandalowis, philaenopsis, etc.

of brown, yellow, pink, white, and

hanging

in

fragile

and

of ferns

were

mauve blooms,

delicate cascades of colour

against the dark background.

pots

—a mass

placed

Rare and wonderful in my bedroom, and

SARAWAK AND

200

ITS

PEOPLE

quantities of roses, gardenias, jasmine,

and chimpakas

scented the whole place.

In the evening

we took a walk round

the settle-

The many plantations of Liberian coffee trees looked beautiful weighed down with green and scarlet ment.

some branches

berries,

The

blossoms.

still

and

contrast of berries

fields

in the landscape.

ful things,

red grapes.

These

latter are grace-

green bunches

like miniature clusters

of green and

In every corner or twist of the road

groups of

little

They

up

poles, with small

trained

hanging down

men and women

we

waiting for us.

stood in the ditches by the side of the paths

we came up

until

We went through

planted with tapioca and sugar-cane, and across

plantations of pepper vines.

met

flowers, with

made them a

the glossy dark green of the leaves,

charming picture

snowy

retaining their

to them,

when they jumped

out,

the backs of our hands, and more to the ditches without saying a word. During the night I heard the Argus pheasant

rushed at

us, sniffed at

retired once

crying in the woods, in response to distant thunder.

roam about the hill of Gading, by the bungalow and thickly covered with virgin forest. The sound they make is uncanny

These

beautiful birds

which

is

and

close

sorrowful, like the cry of lost souls

the sombre wilderness of innumerable to fathom the secrets of

wandering trees,

seeking

an implacable world.

sudden loud sound, as of a dead tree

an echo of terror from these

birds.

Any

falling or the

rumble of thunder, however remote, apparently forth

in

calls

MALAY STRIKING FIRE FROM DRY TINDER

SARAWAK AND The

ITS

PEOPLE

201

next evening the chief of the village invited

us to a reception at his house, situated a short distance from the bungalow.

It

was a

starlight

fine

and we walked there after dinner. The house was built much in the same way as are other Sea

night,

Dyak

houses, the flooring being propped on innumer-

able poles

about thirty feet from the ground.

A

broad verandah led into the living-rooms, but, as usual,

we had to climb a slender pole with notches all the way up, leaning at a steep angle against the verandah. The chief, with an air of pomp and majesty, helped me up the narrow way as though it were the stairway of a palace. magnificent.

with gold,

His manner was courtly and

his

costume

His jacket and trousers were braided

and the sarong round

his

waist

was

fastened with a belt of beaten gold.

The house was

Dyaks who had Chinamen resident in the Malays from over the Dutch border, and even a

come from place,

far

and

of people

full

:

near.

few Hindoos, or Klings, were to be seen.

The

chief

took us to the place prepared for us at the end of the verandah, where was hung a canopy of golden

embroideries and

brocades.

stiff

Branches of sugar-

canes and the fronds of betel-nut palms decorated the poles of the verandah,

lamps hung from the

I

sat

great

many

lighted

and the floor was covered Bertram, Mr. Douglas, Dr,

roof,

with fine white mats.

Langmore, and

A

on

chairs, whilst the rest of the

guests squatted on mats laid on the

The women and young

floor.

girls sat

near me, one of

SARAWAK AND

202 the

latter,

PEOPLE

ITS

whose name was Madu (meaning honey), Hfer petticoat of coarse

being very pretty indeed.

was narrow and hardly reached her knees, and over this she wore a dark blue cotton

dark cotton

neck with gold buttons as big Her eyes were dark, beautiful and

jacket, fastened at the

as small saucers.

and her straight eyebrows drooped

keenly

intelligent,

a

at the outer corners.

little

characteristic of her race,

The high

gave

cheek-bones,

her a certain air of

refinement and delicacy, in spite of her nose being flat,

her nostrils broad, and her

what

thick.

Her

hair

lips

was pulled

wide and some-

tightly off her fore-

head, and lay in a coil at the nape of her neck

;

it

and as she carried her head very high, the great mass looked as though it dragged it backwards. Her hair, however, had one peculiarity

seemed too heavy

(a peculiarity

I

for her,

had never seen

in

Sarawak before)

;

it

was streaked with red, and this made Madu unhappy, for Malays and Dyaks do not like the slightest appearance of red hair, some of the tribes shaving their children's

heads from early infancy until they

are seven years old, in order to avoid the possibility of such an occurrence.

The

little

creature looked

pathetic, as she sat nursing her sister's baby,

whose

wrist

was

small cannon-ball. old,

and appeared

tied

a black wooden

rattle,

around like

a

The baby was about two months to

be healthy, but a sudden kick

removed a piece of calico, its only article of clothing, when I saw that the child's stomach had on

its

part

been rubbed over with turmeric, to prevent

it

from

SARAWAK AND being seized by the his

demon

PEOPLE

ITS

The

of disease.

daughter to leave the child to

203

its

very old lady rushed forward and took

chief told

nurse, it

away.

We had

Refreshments were then handed round. glasses

of cocoa-nut milk,

cocoa-nut and of rice

cakes

made

much

right

diluted with water, were

and

down

handed

after refreshments a place

There

Glasses of to the

male

was cleared

the room, the chief's native friends sitting

on mats on the

The

grated

in quarters, together

with oranges, bananas, and mangosteens.

guests,

of

flour, intensely sweet.

were large trays of pumeloes, cut gin,

when a

floor,

leaning against the walls.

orchestra was placed on one side of the

seven or eight

hall.

a set of gongs, called the Kromang,

It consisted of

in

number, decreasing

in size, fixed in

a wooden frame, each gong sounding a different note

—a

scale, in fact.

individual,

These gongs are beaten by one

and when

running water.

skilfully

played they sound like

Other members of the orchestra

played gongs hung singly on poles, and there were

drums beaten at both ends with the musician's fingers. These instruments played in concert and with remarkable rhythm were pleasant to listen to. When the band had finished the overture, two young men got up after an immense amount of persuasion, and walked shyly to the middle of the cleared space. trousers, They were dressed in Malay clothes jackets, and sarongs and smoking-caps, ornamented with tassels, were placed on one side of their heads. also

—

—

They

fell

down suddenly

in front of us, their

hands

SARAWAK AND

204

cksped

above their heads,

foreheads touched slowly, looked at

and bowed

their

till

Then they got up

floor.

one another, giggled, and walked

The master

away.

the

PEOPLE

ITS

of the house explained that they

were shy, and thought

their

conduct quite natural.

was evidently the thing to do, for several other At last couples went through this same pantomime. back, when couple come the first were induced to their shyness vanished, and the performance began. One of the dancers held two flat pieces of wood in each hand, clicking them together like castanets. It

The

other

man danced

with china saucers held in each

hand, keeping time to the orchestra by hitting the saucers with rings of gold which he wore on each

He

forefinger.

was as

skilful as

seen, for he twisted the saucers

rings hitting against

them

wonderful accuracy.

The

I

had

round and round, his

time to the music with

dancers were never

still

for

Their arms waved about, their bodies

a second.

swayed

in

any juggler

on one knee with the other leg outstretched before them, then on the to

and

fro,

they knelt

sometimes bending

other,

the floor-

— the

ful,

and

stiff",

their bodies in a line with

castanets and the saucers being kept

Although the movements

going the whole time. looked

first

for them to be ungracenew pose they managed to fall into arrangement of lines. The dances were

it

was impossible

at every

a delightful

evidently inspired by

Malay

artists,

formed by Dyaks, for they were

Other dances followed,

all

full

although per-

of restraint.

interesting

and

pretty.

SARAWAK AND Sometimes empty cocoa-nut placed in patterns on the

up one

in

PEOPLE

ITS

205

were

shells, cut in two,

The

floor.

dancers picked

each hand, clashing them together like

cymbals, whilst hopping in and out of the other cocoanuts, this

performance being called by the people " the

mouse-deer dance,"

made by

for they

imagine that the noise

clashing the cocoa-nut shells resembles the

cry of plandoks (mouse-deer) in the forests.

After the

men had

These wore

came.

finished,

stiff

hanging from

under

almost to the

floor,

the women's turn

petticoats of gold brocade,

armpits and

their

reaching

under which were dark blue

The

Madu,

cotton draperies hiding their

feet.

with the red-streaked

headed a procession of

about thirty young

hair,

women and

pretty

who emerged

girls,

from the open doorway at the other end of the room, in single

file.

They

stretched out their arms in a line

with their shoulders, and waved their hands slowly

from the

wrists.

Their sleeves were open and hung

from the elbow weighted with rows upon rows of golden knobs.

With

their eyes cast

down, they looked as though they

heads on one side and

their

were

crucified against invisible crosses,

down

the middle of the

us,

hall.

,

When

and wafted

they approached

they swayed their bodies to right and

extended their arms, beating the hands, keeping exactly in

line,

air gently

Madu

and

with their

and followed Madu's

gestures so accurately that from where

only see

left

I

stood

as she headed the dancers.

I

It

could

would

be interesting to know the origin of such dances.

I

SARAWAK AND

2o6

imagine the

How

ITS

PEOPLE

Hindoo element pervades them

all.

surprised these so-called savages would be

they were present at some

and short

stiff

skirts,

ballet,

with

women

if

in tights

kicking their legs about, or

pirouetting on one toe, for these natives are innately artistic, if

kept away from the influence of European

and its execrable taste. Each time a movement more graceful than the last was accomplished by these young women, the men evinced their approbation by

art

opening their mouths and

yelling,

without showing any

other signs of excitement on their immovable faces.

The dances went on

for

some

time, after which

wrestling matches took place between

boys of

little

When

the tribe, about eleven or twelve years of age.

one of these small wrestlers was defeated he never

showed bad temper or appeared maliciously disposed towards his conqueror.

We we

all

enjoyed ourselves, and

left this

hospitable house.

was

it

The

late

chief

when

and

daughters offered us more cocoa-nut milk,

his

cakes,

and bananas, and the leave-taking took some time.

One

old

Sea Dyak, who had been very conspicuous

during the evening, for he had bounded about and joined in the dances, took

my hand

the han6 of a friend of

his,

another Sea Dyak,

he particularly vvished

me to notice. my friends are

friends," I

hope

I

he

said,

"for

and put

it

into

whom

"You make your friends."

responded sympathetically, and after a while

we managed to drag ourselves away. Our hosts escorted us back to Mr. Douglas's

SARAWAK AND bungalow.

ITS

PEOPLE

207

hand with the chief, and Bertram followed, hand in hand with the chiefs son, who kept assuring Bertram that he felt very happy, because they had become brothers, for was not Rajah Ranee, his mother, walking home hand in hand with his father, and as he was doing the same with her son, that quite settled the relationship.

The

I

hand

led the way,

in

way home, and

orchestra followed us the whole

the people sang choruses to impromptu words, com-

posed in our honour by the poet of the

me

chief told its

the song was

words were

A

in

as

manah

had

as

the night fine and the

left

we went through avenues

palms and over carpets of lemon spikes beaten

The

tribe.

" (beautiful),

honour of Bertram and me.

recent shower

air cool,

"

grass,

by the

over the path

delightful

fragrance crushed by so

crossed a

little

of betel-nut

whose long gave a

rain

many

feet.

We

bridge over a bubbling stream, and

passed by Chinese houses, whose inhabitants opened their

windows

When we

to

look at our midnight procession.

reached the bungalow, the arbor

night- flowering jasmine

was

in

bloom

tristis

or

over the

all

garden, and white moon-flower bells hung wide open

Half an hour

over the verandah. out of the window of

my

bedroom,

the people singing on their

The

trees in the

later, I

way back

garden were

full

of

as

could

I

leaned

still

hear

to the village. fireflies

looking

like stars entangled in the branches.

We

left

Lundu

the

next day with regret.

were sorry to say good-bye to our kind

host,

We Mr.

2o8

SARAWAK AND

ITS

PEOPLE

Douglas, and to the Dyaks of the place, and as

steamed away I

may be

I felt

almost inclined to cry.

Although

accused of being unduly emotional,

not ashamed to

own

Sarawak settlements heart behind.

that after a visit in I

always

left

we

I

am

any of the

a piece of

my

;

CHAPTER

WHEN

XXIII

Bertram and

the things

had

I

my

early days of

was delighted

my

regions

these

this

later

Haji

who had

Rejang

the

to

tell

in

The

him about Sibu.

were lived over again, and

I

see the interest he took in the

to

smallest details of in

life

way up

he was much interested

to Kanowit, all

stopped at Sibu for

I

a few days on our

so

first

many

years

Bampfylde

Mr.

visit,

and most

interesting stay

During

before.

told

me

of

a

experienced an interesting and some-

what alarming adventure with a wished to hear the

from the

tale

sea-serpent. ijian's

own

As

lips,

I

Mr.

him the next morning. Haji Matahim was a typical Malay from Sambas. He

Bampfylde sent for lived

at

Sibu with his

relations.

He

possessed a

schooner

of about 200 tons, and Dutch Settlements, to Rhio, and to Singapore. His face was round and short he had a receding chin and a protruding upper lip, shaded by a black and bristly moustache. He was flat between the eyes, and his complexion was rather darker than most Malays, being tanned by exposure

trading

small

made voyages

and sea

He 14

to the

air.

told

me

that

about two or three months

SARAWAK AND

210

before the time of which

ITS

PEOPLE

write he

I

was

from

sailing

Pontianak, a place in Dutch Borneo, with a cargo for

Singapore.

an island

One day he was becalmed not far from called Rhio, when his ship was suddenly

by an extraordinary shoal of fishes. As the fish swarmed round the ship, the crew managed to haul them up with buckets and baskets, capturing them in enormous quantities. Having no surrounded

salt

on board, with which to preserve the

crew,

eight

in

number,

cleaned them

there

then on the vessel's deck, and threw the the sea.

Haji Matahim was standing

looking at this extraordinary capture, the rudder chain snapped. the way,

for

mended with a

it

fish,

the

and

offal into

in the

bows

when suddenly

This was nothing out of

had previously been broken and

piece of wire.

The Haji and

his

crew

were busily discussing how best they could remedy the accident, when a man in the stern saw a floating mass of " something," striped white and green, lying

motionless under the clear surface of the water.

He

rushed up to the Haji and told him what he had seen,

whereupon the Haji ordered the lead to be thrown over which this unlooked-for object

to ascertain the depth at

The lead gave only six fathoms, whereas that particular region the it is well known that in Then the Haji saw sea is about fifty fathoms deep. was

a

lying.

flat,

monstrous head rising out of the water, some

ten or twelve yards from the vessel, the schooner's

The head was bows floating between its eyes. Hke that of a fish, and, according to the Haji's

:

SARAWAK AND

PEOPLE

ITS

211

account, the eyes looked like two round balls stuck at the

end of

time

the

spikes,

seven or eight inches long

was

observation

for

monster remained motionless

The Haji and speak,

his

crew were too time

but after a

as

sufficient,

the

about half an hour.

for

terrified to

move

or

they collected their Wits

together sufficiently to procure some tuba and garlic

(stowed on board for cases of emergency), which they

hung over

the side of the ship, whereupon the beast

slowly sank and disappeared.

I

could not find out

from the Haji how much the water was troubled when the monstrous head plunged back again into the sea, for if

the beast had bpen of such extraordinary dimensions,

it

must have caused some motion

ever slowly

it

to their vessel,

The Haji was and he told me at

went under.

coherent on the subject,

how-

not very the time

up trading voyages for the Subsequently he changed his mind

that he intended giving rest of his

life.

and continued his trading excursions schooner for some years afterwards. Personally

whatever

it

I

am

in

the

same

inclined to think that the creature,

was, could not very well have remained

motionless for the length of time as stated by the Haji, but lips.

I

give his tale as

Mr. Bampfylde told

trouble to question separately,

and the

every respect with

me

from his

own

members

of the crew

by the Haji tallied in have related this story

am

not pre-

whether

it

struck

me

I

it

that he had taken the

of the

tale told theirs.

took

to enter into the old controversy as to

because

pared

some

I

as interesting, but

SARAWAK AND

212

the sea-serpent exists or not.

even the

It

is

It

has been said that

now keeping an open mind on

scientists are

the question.

PEOPLE

ITS

Well,

I

am

going to do the same.

perhaps necessary to say that garlic plays a

great part in the superstitious rites of

and

I

some Malays,

was firmly convinced

believe the Haji

that the

make

tuba and garlic together were quite sufficient to the monster disappear.

A

day or two afterwards we embarked on the

Lucille,

a small steamer of forty tons kept

for

the

use of the Rajah's officers at Sibu, and started in the

As we

cold mists of morning for Kapit.

way round

a

somewhat

difficult point,

down by a

of driftwood borne

rains during the night, our vessel

heeled over a snag.

forced our

through a mass

freshet, after

bumped

heavy

against and

Great trunks of trees swirled

and eddied round the ship at this spot, and the Malay at the wheel changed from one leg to the other, cleared his throat perpetually, frowned, and stared

vacantly ahead until the corner was rounded, the

mass of driftwood passed, and the danger

over.

Although the steersman handled the ropes very gently, as though fearful of breaking them, he got over

the

with

little

incident,

difficulties

waste

of

with

the

energy.

we went on our

greatest

After

solitary

ease

this

and

trifling

way, our steam-

launch the only living thing in this wilderness of wood and water. Farther up the river the years that

had passed by since

my

first

had brought peace, comfort,

visit

trade,

to

the district

and commerce

SARAWAK AND the

to

and

river-side,

ments.

It

was

one

interesting

that the beneficent

efforts

PEOPLE

ITS or to

new

two

notice

of our

missionaries were bearing splendid

213 settle-

Kanowit

at

Roman

Catholic

The

fruit.

mis-

sionary fathers have built there a substantial and

handsome church

their school, also,

;

A

group of nuns have which

by,

good

is

remarkable

is

Dyak and Chinese

for the efficiency of their

scholars.

up a school for girls, near attended and productive of

set

being well

The

results in the civilization of the people.

Roman

Catholic methods of teaching these native

children are excellent.

It

would take too long to

them in full, but the blameless lives of these men and women, who have cast away all thoughts of comfort in the world and elected to throw in their lots for ever amongst the aborigines, cannot fail to impress the people amongst whom they live. Spiritually and materially their beneficent influence describe

is felt

throughout the land, and when

we

are gathered

to our

ancestors and the tales of these rivers are

told,

believe

I

it

will

be known that one of the

advancement of Sarawork of Roman Catholic

principal factors in the spiritual

wak

is

largely due to the

missionaries.

Farther up the

river,

we passed another

small

settlement of recent growth, called Song, where a small Fort stands on the top of one of the

shelving into the river.

Along the

little hills

road, lining the

bank, stood a row of Chinese houses, and a footpath,

made

of

wooden planks and supported on

poles,

was

SARAWAK AND

214

ITS

PEOPLE The banks were

crowded with Dyaks and Chinamen.

covered with bundles of rattans, brought from the Mats, baskets, cordage for ships, flooring

interior.

for houses,

are usually

etc.,

made

of rattans.

The

Tanjong people are about the best basket-makers of the country, and the wild Punans make the best mats. At this spot, where the trade in rattans is active, we saw up-river Dyaks hurrying up the steep banks with loads of rattan and gutta-percha, on their way to sell them to Chinamen, A great many boats, full

of produce, were anchored to the banks, waiting

their turn to

be unloaded.

The

crowded with almost naked people,

wore

Even

waistcloths.

pigtails twisted

Bazaar was

little

for

they only

the Chinamen,

with their

round their heads, had nothing on

No women

but cotton drawers.

men looked

and the jumping or clambering

Having passed

like in

were

to

be seen,

long brown-legged spiders,

and out of the water.

this spot of activity in

a desert of

leaves and water, reach after reach was rounded, where

we met

company but that of hawks flying rather low overhead, of brown moths so large that I mistook them for birds, and of butterflies, blue, yellow, and white, appearing here and there over the mud-banks in clusters of delicate colours. About six in the evening we reached Kapit. The Fort stands on a hill, and steps cut out in the sharp, steep banks lead up to its front door. It stands some with no other

forty feet

above the

rainy season,

level of ordinary tides, but in the

when heavier

freshets than those in the

SARAWAK AND season collect up

fine

to reach several feet

As

river,

ITS

PEOPLE

215

the water has been

known

above the flooring of the Fort.

was dropped near the wooden wharf, a crowd of Chinamen, Dyaks, Tanjongs, and Kayans, rushed from the Bazaar and helped to carry our luggage. We had brought our Chinese cook with us, and he struggled up the bank with cages full of cocks and hens which he had brought from Sibu. Some of the people carried my dressing-bag and rugs, Mr. Bampfylde's, Dr. Langmore's, and Bertram's portmanteaux were seized and borne to the Fort by Kayans with their hair streaming over their the anchor

All these people talked at once, ordered

shoulders.

one another about, exclaiming, screaming, and hustling

most good-humoured and merry fashion. Suddenly the crowd fell back, as a rather

in the

dark,

meet "

stout,

man came down the path to This was F. Domingo de Rosario (called by his friends), Commandant of Kapit Fort.

middle-aged us.

Mingo "

His father was

Mingo had come

a Portuguese from Malacca, and

Sarawak during the reign of the first Rajah Brooke, to whom he was butler. Mingo was born in Sarawak, and was educated at the Protestant Mission at Kuching, and when old enough to join the Rajah's service he was sent to the Rejang district, where he has remained ever since. Mingo is well acquainted with the wild inhabitants in his

them.

With

to

district,

and

is

much beloved by

his burly figure, his dark, kindly face,

his utter disregard to personal danger, and,

above

all,

SARAWAK AND

216

PEOPLE

ITS

way he has of looking at life as a huge joke, Dyaks often compare him to " Simpurei," one of

for the

the

their jolly war-gods,

Mingo has been through strange adventures, fought many battles, and on one occasion, many years ago, was attacked in a place called Ngmah, where a Fort had been erected, but which has long since l?een pulled down and dismantled. In these quieter days, when life on the banks of the Rejang is comparatively free

from danger, Mingo

sometimes heard to regret

is

the fine old times

when

petual excitement.

Notwithstanding these drawbacks,

was spent

his time

in per-

He

he takes the change philosophically enough.

who

married to a Tanjong woman, of him,

takes great care

and they have a daughter named Madu

(meaning honey), to

We

is

whom

he

is

much

down comfortably

settled

A

the days passed quickly by.

in

attached.

Kapit Fort, and

constant stream of

Dyaks and Kayans came from the countryside to see us, for Mr. Bampfylde had made them aware of our intention to visit Bdaga, a place some three weeks' journey by boat, situated at the head-waters of the

Rejang

— Belaga

our journey up this

wish to

visit

all

being the real object of

Knowing my

river.

the places

I

possibly

intense

could,

Mr.

Bampfylde had suggested this trip to Bertram and myself. The great charm of the undertaking lay

in

the

fact

that

to

get to

Belaga innumer-

able rapids had to be surmounted, and

go through an

interesting

we had

to

stretch of country lying

SARAWAK AND between Kapit and ally the land of

PEOPLE

this distant Fort, for

Kayan

along the banks of

Rejang are

ITS

people,

those

217

it is

essenti-

and here and there

higher reaches of

the

be seen interesting and wonderful

to

monuments of Kayan industry, in the shape of tombs carved by the people containing the remains of their most

famous

chiefs.

On

such

expeditions,

it

is

customary for the people of the country to paddle the boats in which the Rajah or his family

up these

difficult

and sometimes dangerous

like giant stairways,

Many

make

of the

excursions cataracts,

which lead into the interior.

chiefs

and people who came

to

Kapit were old friends of mine, whilst others were strangers, for only the year before a head-hunting

craze

had broken out

one of the most smiling

the

neighbourhood, and

chiefs,

named Rawieng, who

in

came to greet us on this occasion, had been attacked by the Government, his house burned down, and his possessions taken from him, owing to members of his tribe taking heads of innocent people living

well, for

Rawieng took his punishment he bore no malice, and stretched his hand

out to us

all

in the

remote

interior.

with the utmost cordiality.

Although the greetings

I

received at the hands

of these chiefs were usually hearty and affectionate, I

thought on this occasion their manner was more

and the reason came out before long. Having been summoned by Mr. Bampfylde to paddle my boat and accompany me to Belaga, they imagined I intended going on the warpath. friendly than usual,

SARAWAK AND

2i8

ITS

PEOPLE

This idea pleased them much, and great was their disappointment when Mr. Bampfylde informed them that

my

journey was quite a peaceful one.

But our cherished plans were doomed

When

all

voyage,

to failure.

preparations were completed for our great

the

weather

behaved

manner

for that time of the

July, at

which period,

heavy storms of after our arrival

year

in the

in ;

for

for

we were then

in

ordinary course of things,

However, the day nights, heavy

rain are rare.

and

an unexpected

many days and

storms of rain thundered on the roof of the Fort,

and the water of the river almost flooded the banks on which it stood. Tree-trunks, leafy branches, fruits, berries, and even blossoms, were torn from the banks

and swept along in the angry stream, and it seemed as though the bad weather would never come to an end. The rapids in the neighbourhood were insurmountable, and day after day the chiefs, Mr. Bampfylde, and ourselves discussed the situation, Mingo, wondering whether or no it would be safe to face such The Sea Dyaks, who thickly populate this torrents. vo.

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