CHAPTER XXXII
_DIDO_
[Sidenote: 1844. Sarawak, Aug. 5.]
This being the morning fixed for the departure of our small expedition against the Sekarrans, the _Phlegethon_ weighed at eight and proceeded down the river to await the collection of force.
Among those who accompanied us was the Pangeran Budrudeen, the intelligent brother of the Rajah already noticed. This was an unusual event in the Royal Family, and the departure from the Rajah’s wharf was imposing. The barge of state was decked with banners and canopies. All the chiefs attended, with the Arab priest Mudlana at their head, and the barge pushed off amid the firing of cannon and a general shout to invoke the blessing of Mahomet.
Having seen the last boat off, Brooke and I took our departure in the gig, when another salute was fired from the wharf. Three hours brought us to the steamer. Here we heard that a small boat from the pirate country had, under pretence of trading, been spying into our force, but decamped on our appearance. We now got fairly away, the smaller boats keeping near the shoals in-shore, while the steamer was obliged to make an offing some miles from the coast. From the masthead we distinctly made out the small boat that had left the mouth of the river before, pulling and sailing in the direction of Batang Lupar, up which the Sekarran country lies; and it being desirable that they should not get information of our approach, at dusk, being well in advance, our auxiliary force following, we despatched Brooke’s sampan and one of _Dido’s_ cutters in chase.
[Sidenote: Aug. 6.]
With the flood-tide arrived the well-appointed little fleet, and with it the cutter and sampan with two out of the three men belonging to the boat of which they had been in chase, the third having been speared by Seboo on showing a strong inclination to run amuck in his own boat. From these men we learned that Seriff Sahib was fully prepared for defence--his harem had been removed--and that he would fight to the last.
We anchored in the afternoon at the mouth of the Linga, and sent a messenger to caution the chief, Seriff Jaffer, against giving any countenance to either Seriff. The Batang Lupar, thus far, is a magnificent river, from three to four miles wide, and in most parts from 5 to 7 fathoms deep.
[Sidenote: Aug. 7.]
Weighed at daylight. Shortly after eleven, with a tide sweeping us up, we came in sight of the fortifications of Patusen. There were five forts. Getting suddenly into 6 feet of water, we anchored. We were well within musket range, but not so formidable a berth as we might have taken up had we been aware of the increasing depth of water nearer the shore; but we approached so rapidly there was no time to ascertain.
The _Dido_ and _Phlegethon’s_ boats were not long in forming alongside. They consisted of the following:--
Pinnace: Lieutenant C. F. Wade; R. Beith, assistant-surgeon; 13 seamen; 5 marines.
_Jolly Bachelor_: Lieutenant E. W. Turnour; Mr. C. Johnson, midshipman; 21 seamen; 7 marines.
First cutter: Mr. E. H. H. D’Aeth, mate; 8 seamen; 8 marines.
Second cutter: Mr. Robert Jenkins, acting-mate; 8 seamen; 2 marines.
Second gig: Mr. R. C. Allen, Master; 6 seamen.
_Phlegethon’s_ first cutter: Mr. S. Caverley, first officer; 15 men.
Second cutter: Mr. Simpson, second officer; Mr. A. Barton, midshipman; 15 seamen.
Third cutter: Mr. H. Comber, acting-mate of _Dido_; 12 seamen.
Fourth cutter: Mr. G. S. Darby, fourth officer; 12 seamen.
In all, 13 officers; 108 seamen; 16 marines.
We had no steam, and to direct a fleet of boats how to attack a succession of half a dozen forts was beyond me. They were off, and they were there! From the _Phlegethon_ we had no difficulty in setting fire to the thatched roofs of the forts. Reinforcements came across the extensive shelter of Patusen Harbour. These we might easily have sunk with _Phlegethon’s_ guns, but there was excitement for them on landing! They never once checked in their advance, but the moment they touched the shore the crews rushed up, entering the forts at the embrasures, while the pirates fled at the rear. In this sharp and short affair we had but one man killed, poor John Ellis, a fine young man, and captain of the maintop in the _Dido_. He was cut in two by a round-shot while in the act of ramming home a cartridge in the bow-gun of the _Jolly Bachelor_, of which Lieutenant Edward Turnour was in command. This, and two others badly wounded, were the only casualties on our side.
Our native allies were not long in following our men on shore. The killed and wounded on the part of the pirates must have been considerable. Our native followers got many heads. There were no less than sixty-four brass guns of different sizes, besides many iron, found in and about the forts. The town was extensive, and after being well looted made a glorious blaze. Our Sarawak followers, both Malays and Dyaks, behaved with gallantry, and with our lads dashed in under the fire of the forts. In fact, like their country, anything might be made of them under a good Government.
After our men had dined, and had a short rest during the heat of the day, we landed our force in two divisions to attack a town situated about two miles up, on the left bank of a small river called the Grahan, the entrance to which had been guarded by the forts, and immediately after their capture the tide had fallen too low for our boats to get up. Facing the stream, too, was a long stockade, so that we determined on attacking the place in the rear, which, had the pirates waited to receive them, would have caused an interesting skirmish. Brooke was away independently in the gig. They, however, decamped, leaving everything behind them.
In this town we found Seriff Sahib’s residence, and among other things his curious and extensive wardrobe. It was ridiculous to see our Dyaks dressed out in all the finery and plunder of this noted pirate, whose very name a few days ago would have made them tremble.
[Sidenote: Aug. 6, 7.]
We likewise found a magazine in the rear of Sahib’s house, containing about 2 tons of gunpowder, which I ordered to be thrown into the river.
It was evident we attacked Patusen at the right moment: the preparations for its defence were nearly completed, and a delay of a week would have resulted in considerable loss of life. It was the key to this extensive river, the resort of the worst of pirates, and each chief had contributed his share of guns and ammunition towards its defence.
We returned to our boats and evening meal rather fatigued, but much pleased with our work, after ascending near seventy miles from the mouth of the river. The habitations of 5000 pirates had been burnt to the ground, five strong forts destroyed, together with several hundred boats, upwards of sixty brass guns captured, and about a fourth of that number of iron ones spiked and thrown into the river, besides vast quantities of other arms and ammunition, and the powerful Sahib, the great pirate patron for the last twenty years, ruined past recovery, and driven to hide his diminished head in the jungle.
[Sidenote: Aug. 8, 9.]
The 8th and 9th were spent in burning and destroying the remains of the staggering town and a variety of smaller boats.
[Sidenote: Aug. 10.]
As soon as the tide had risen sufficiently to take us over the shoals, we weighed in the steamer for the country of the Sekarran Dyaks, having sent the boats on before with the first of the flood.
About fifteen miles above Patusen is the branch of the river called the Undop. Up this river I sent Lieutenant Turnour, with Mr. Comber, in the _Jolly Bachelor_ and a division of our native boats, while we proceeded to where the river again branches off to the right and left, as on the tongue of land so formed we understood we should find a strong fort; besides, it was the highest point to which we could attempt to take the steamer. We found the place deserted and houses empty.
We now divided the force into three divisions--the one already mentioned, under Lieutenant Turnour, up the Undop; another, under Mr. D’Aeth, up the Lupar; while Lieutenant Wade, accompanied by Brooke, ascended the Sekarran. I had not calculated on the disturbed and excited state in which I found the country: two wounded men having been sent back from the Undop branch, brought accounts of pirates, chiefly Malays, collected in great numbers both before and in the rear of our small force.
An attempt had been made to cut off the bearer of this information, Nakodah Bahar, who had had a narrow escape, and had no idea of being the bearer of an answer unless attended by a European force. I had some difficulty in mustering another crew from the steamer, and left my friend Captain Scott with only the idlers, rather critically situated. I deemed it advisable to re-collect our whole force, and before proceeding to the punishment of the Sekarrans to destroy the power and influence of Seriff Muller, whose town was situated about twenty miles up, said to contain a population of 1500 Malays, without reckoning the Dyak tribes.
Having despatched boats with directions to Lieutenant Wade and Mr. D’Aeth to join us in the Undop, a tributary of the Batang Lupar, proceeded to the scene of action; leaving the _Phlegethon_ to maintain as strict a blockade of the Sekarran and Lupar branches as, with her reduced force, she was capable of.
On my joining Lieutenant Turnour, I found him just returned from a very spirited attack which he had made, assisted by Mr. Comber, on a stockade situated on the summit of a steep hill, Mr. Allen, the Master, being still absent on a similar service on the opposite side of the river.
The gallant old chief Patingi Ali was likewise absent in pursuit of the enemy that had been driven from the stockades, with whom he had had a hand-to-hand fight, the whole of which, being on the rising ground, was witnessed by our boats’ crews, who could not resist hailing his return from his gallant achievement with three hearty cheers.
We had now to unite in cutting our way through a barrier across the river similar to that described in the attack on the Sarebas, which having passed we brought up for the night close to a still more serious obstacle in a number of huge trees felled, the branches of which, meeting midway in the river, formed apparently an insurmountable obstacle. But “patience and perseverance” overcame all obstacles. By night only three of the trees remained to be cleared away. On the right bank, about 50 yards in advance of the barrier, stood a farm building, which we considered it prudent to occupy for the night.
Having collected fifty volunteers (Brooke and Wade had then not rejoined), I took Brooke’s schoolfellow Steward, Williamson, and with me Comber, a corporal and four marines, my gig’s crew, and, of course, my trusty John Eager, the sound of whose bugle meant mischief. The remainder composed of a medley of picked Malays and Dyaks.
The house being 100 yards in advance of our party, and 80 from the river, it was difficult of approach, especially at night. The ground swampy, with logs of trees, over which I stumbled, and was up to my arms in mud and water. Nevertheless, there was no noise. It was a roomy building. In one corner I found an enclosure, forming a square of about 8 feet; of this I took possession, and while in the place--it was pitch dark--I quietly divested me of my wet trousers.
“Tiga” (three) was the watchword, in case of a stranger finding his way in. I was contemplating whether my duck trousers were sufficiently dry for me to get into, when every one was disturbed by a most diabolical war-yell. In a moment every man was on his legs--swords, spears, and krisses dimly glittered over our heads. It is impossible to describe the excitement and confusion of the succeeding ten minutes; one and all believed we had been surrounded by the enemy and cut off from our main party.
I had already thrust the muzzle of my pistol close to the heads of several natives, whom in the confusion I had mistaken for Sekarrans; and as each in his turn called out “Tiga!” I withdrew my weapon to apply it to somebody else, until at last we found we were _all_ “Tigas.” I had prevented Eager more than once from sounding the alarm, which from the first he had not ceased to press for permission to do.
The Dyak yell had, however, succeeded in throwing the whole force afloat into a similar confusion, who, not hearing the signal, concluded they, and not we, were the party attacked. The real cause we afterwards ascertained to have arisen from the alarm of a Dyak, who dreamt, or imagined, he felt a spear thrust upwards through the bamboo flooring of our building, and immediately gave his diabolical yell. The confusion was ten times as much as it would have been had the enemy really been there. So ended the adventures of the night in the wild jungle of Borneo.