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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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reinforce the garrison already there . On our part , we are Bbipping but slowly . Boats are not readily procured , and the rougfcneas ofi the sea during the last fortnight has nearly cut off all communication with the shipping , the nearest of whicU lies about thres or four miles out .
CHINA AND BORNEO . The Indian mail brings dates from Hong-Kong to March 15 th . Some Europeans on board the steamer Queen , English property , under the Portuguese flaghave been murdered by the Chinese passengers and crew . The steamer , with a valuable cargo , was carried off according to some accounts , while others stato that she was burnt . She had a valuable cargo on board at the time . The attack , which was conducted by some Mandarin soldiers and pirates , who had gone on board apparently for the purpose , was made very suddenly while the captain and passengers were at dinner . Ihe of the chestand they
Chinese had got possession arms , poured a deadly volley into the cabin . One of the passengers , a Mr . Cleverley , valorously resisted for some time with a revolver , with which he wounded some of the enemy ; but his thigh was at length fractured with a ball , and he then got overboard , reached a lorcha , and was taken to Macao . The captain also was wounded , and jumped overboard , followed by the engineer and a European passenger . These have not since been heard of . After this occurrence , it was discovered that the guns on board some of the other steamers had been rendered useless by spiking , or otherwise . lias taken laceThe
Another massacre on board ship p . Gulnare , an English vessel , bound from Swartow to Havannah , was partly manned by Coolies . They made an attempt to take the vessel , and were fired upon . They then set jQre to the shi p * , finding their leaders shot down , they extinguished the flames . Twentyseven were killed or wounded , and the rising was suppressed . The vessel arrived at Hong-Kong on the 14 th of March , and the affair is being inquired into . A demand has been made at Swartow , by the French ship Catinat , for six thousand dollars , in satisfaction of the violence done to the crew of the Anais by Coolies . The Mandarins have politely declined paying the sum , though the town was threatened with bombardment in the event of a refusal . The amount , however , has been made up by parties interested in the Coolie trade .
A third massacre at sea , very similar to that of the Gulnare , is likewise reported . The Chinese Coolies on hoard the Peruvian ship Carmen ro . se in a body against the Europeans , but were driven below , when they set fire to the vessel . The captain , crew , and passengers , escaped in two open boats , in which they were exposed for nine days , without water , and with no other food than two baskets of sweet potatoes which they tuuk with them , and a dolphin which they caught in tho sea , and eagerly devoured raw . "in this pitiably exhausted and wretched state , writes one of the ouioors of tho Carmen , " they were cruelly attacked , when off Pulo Tingi , by a piratical praiiu , manned by throe Malays and a boy , who threw spears * , killing one seaman and
the passenger , Mr . Pedro Pereyru . Others were wounded , but by dint of great exertion , iu their famished and weak condition , they managed to get away , and reached Singapore . The survivors are now in tho Sailors' Home , except two , who , we hoar , have been sent to the hospital to be cured of their wounds . " A desperate attempt has been made by two Chinese to take the American schooner Garland . They attempted to murder the captain and mate , whom they wounded ; but a Chilian sailor , who was himself much hurt in tho struggle , stabbed one of the Chinese to the . heart , ami so alarmed tho other that he leapt overboard , and is supposed to be drowned . Tho Chinese say that they can recognido no distinction between English and American
vessels . Tho small chartered steamer Eaglet , and tho boatsj belonging to tho Honourable Company ' s steamer Auckland , have performed a small service at Toong-Chung . They destroyed four heavily-armed Chinese junks , ami captured n battery of sixteen gtui . s ? The casualties on our aide were one killed , and four wounded . Si . von piratical junks havo also been captured , and a few other minor operations havo taken place , tho details of which possess no interest . Tho Government contractors' storohouaos at IIon # - Kong ( those recently occupied byAllum ) havo been burnt down by incendiaries . Seven hundred barrels of flour havo been destroyed .
Pekin gn / . ettos como down to tho llth of February . They contain reports of some miceotfao . s of the Impuriiil troops over tho iiiHurgauts . From Shanghai , it iti reported that a band of rubola hud burnt llohow , in a great tea district in tho province of ICiang . se . I . 'irtecn chops of congou wore lost . Along tho count , nil wan quiet , It is reported that one of thu luadur . ii of the revolutionary movement at Nankin has cllcctcd hia reconciliation with tho Imperial Government . A collision Iwih occurred between tho Kn . srtian . s of Omsk and tho people of TarbnyiUai , or Tanhtava , a distant portion of tho Chino . so Knipiiv , bordering , on tho Siberian frontier . Tho ail ' iiir arono from mniio qinirml between tho two nation * , caused , as tho Kit .-iiaim nlli' ; j , T , by tho Chinese enming tho ( VuutUtr to dig for gold . Tho rosultH at prcHont soom to bo of n very trivial nature . Tho Chinowo iu Sarawak , Borneo , ro . so on tho 17 t . li of February , and miiHaucrod sovoral Europeans . Sir Jainea
Brooke saved his life by swimming across a creek . One of the Borneo Company ' s steameus subsequently arrived at Sarawak , and , with ' the aid of Sir James , at the head of a body of Malays and Dyaka , avenged the destruction of the settlement by killing 2000 Chinese . A letter from Sir James Brooke , giving a full account of these events , will be found below . I I i i
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THE INSURRECTION AT SARAWAK . [ The subjoined painfully interesting letter from Sir James Brooke , giving an account of the insurrection briefly noticed above under the head of China , has been communicated to the Times by the friend to whom it was addressed ^ : — Balidah , March 15 . I mav now relate more circumstantiall y the events of the last" few weeks . Sarawak was as peaceful as it had ever been , and there was no cause to excite dissatisfaction among the Chinese or raise suspicion in our minds of any hostile designs ; yet a conspiracy had been formed which had its ramifications in Singapore and in China . A follower of Tien-Te , the rebel chief , had arrived in Sarawak , and some criminals , who had been banished the country , secretly returned from Singapore . I had been unwell for some days , and on the night of the 18 th retired early to bed . My servant was sleeping in a room near mine , and Mr . Steel and Nicholets occupied a small bungalow close by . Between twelve and one o ' clock I was awakened by yells and shots , and , seizing my sword and revolver , I opened a window and saw that the house was surrounded . The noise told me it was by Chinese . I opened door hy door in the hope of finding means for escape , but in vain . I told Penty ( his native servant ) that our deaths were at hand , and , as the last hope , went down to the bathing-room , which was under repair . The door was not fastened . I opened it gently , and , seeing the way clear , ran across the lawn to the creek on the right hand of the house , and took th « water close under the bows of the boat which had brought the murderers to their bloody work . I carried my sword and pistol across with me . Glad was I to touch ground on the fir side , though not above thirty yards . 1 struggled through the deep mud , and laj- down exhausted and panting in tho road . Recovering breath , I got to the nearest house , and , launching a canoe , pulled up to the Datoo Bandars kampong . All was in confusion . I was too exhausted to do much , and Hercules himself could not havo restored courage or order to such a panicstricken crowd . Hero Crookshank joined me , bleeding from a severe sword-cut in the arm . lie believed his
wife to bo dead , and we both apprehended that the massacre would be general . Finding all hope of restoring affairs at the Bandars gone , I pulled to the kampongs above , and persuaded the people to secure their women and valuables in prahus , and to cross to the opposite or left bank of the rivor , so as to prevent the assailants from attacking them by laud . My house , ArtluuV , and Middlaton ' s were long before this in flames . \\ e got the women and children across the river , and Arthur , Crookshank , and myself retired to the same side , to the house of Nakoduh Bryak . Here Crynvble joined us with tho intelligence that after an hour ' s defence our fort or palisade had been taken , and \ ifith it all our guns , small arms , ammunition , &c . It had
been defended by Crymble , with four men and two prisoners ; three of the defenders were killed , one or two wounded , and Crymble himself had been grazed by a spear in his aide . Middleton , Stecle , Iiuppell , and Penty dropped in one after after another . The bright fires went out , and tho dull morning broke at length , but only disclosing to us the hopeless state of our affairs . Wo remained quietly at Inkodah Bryaka , doing what wo could to animate the natives , and to prepare for such a defence , as our means allowed , should wo bo attacked . I may here relate tho fate and misfortunes of our followsuftcrcrd . Poor Harry Nicholets was murdered on tho grass , trying to reach my house . Crookshuuk and his wife escaped by their bath-room door . She ran first ,
ami he protected her retreat with a spear in hid hand , but , iu passing tho stable , one of these villaius ruahod from tho opposite wide and out her down . Hor husband jobbed his spear into the miscreant ' s back , but with a twist of his body ho wrenched it out , and , snisdug the shaft , he struggled to got tho spear . Suddenly , hovvevor , lotting go with his right hand , in which ho hold » short sword , ho cut Crooksliuiik across the , fleshy part of tho arm . Both staggered , both let go tho » p « ar , and Crookshank , weak with Iobh of blood , and believing his wife dead , rttugguiml away and rcaehud mo . . Slid , young and beautiful , lay for twelve- hours woltoriug in hor
blood , conscious and calm in this o . \ tiamity . Onu tfoiul hacked at hor head till ho cut off the long treason whioh protected it ; another toro her rings from her lingers ; a third—for tho sake of our common nature let it ho told—gavo her water to driuk . By this time the rcniniudor of the Europeans had been assured of protection ; but whou tho Bishop asked tho leader ' s permlrinion to carry her to his house , ho was told that shu . iliuulil be left , to pericth . At length tho boon wan granted , and she was relieved and tended , ami in now , God bo praised , recovering . MiddloLou ' e huuno wuh attacked at I Ins aumu time itml in tho warno manner a »
iho others . Ilu escaped with dnhculty . llin poor little wife hid iu a bakery till tho burning rafters full ab . < ufc hor , and , from her concealment , saw tho aaaailantf ?
5 kicking about the head of her eldest ; child . The ' . mother was paralyzed ; she wished , she said ^ to rush out , but could not move . The youngest child was murdered and thrown into the flames , wherepoor Wellington ' s remains were likewise consumed , his bead borne off in triumph alone attesting his previous murder- The day broke , as I said , and shortly after I heard 4 hat the Chinese had assured the survivors of safety ; that they had communicated with the Bishop , and sent for Helms and f tuppell . I then , hopeless of doing good , started for the Siole , a small stream which has its outlet far below the town ; it was a wild walk ; we swam the stream , washed out every track of our footsteps in the mud , and took refuge in a mangrove swamp as dark came on . By eight o ' clock two small boats came to carry us away , and in an hour afterwards I was in Abong Buyong ' s prahu , manned by forty men , with six smaller boats in company . Our party consisted of Arthur Crookshank , Crymble , Middleton , and Penty , and , after the trials and fatigues of the twenty-four hours , we slept as though misfortune had not overtaken , us . On the morning following , I landed at Sabong , and I wish I could explain to you the tender care , the generous S 5 'nipathy showered upon us . Here we received information that the Chinese , after forcing the Europeans and Datoos into oaths of fealty , had agreed to retire up the river . It was dearly their intention , having , as they thought , disposed of myself and Arthur , to take the country into their own hands , to be friendly with the Malays and Dyaks , to patronise the Europeans , and to encourage them to trade in order to the supply of their own wants . There were two parties requisite to the success of this notable project . My intention wa « to proceed to Sakarran , to collect as large a force as I could , and with it to retake the town , or to command a base of operations in its vicinity . I awaited , however , the intelligence , and on Sunday , having heard of the retirement of the Chinese , I was again entering the town , when down they came a second time , before we were in any manner prepared to receive them properly . The consequence was , they gained the to % vn before I could even land , and I again retired with all the Europeans , with the firm intention of proceeding to Sakarran . This was the only evening I felt the depression o £ spirits attendant on ill fortune , but I did not show it . There we were , outcasts—women and children and helpless fugitives to be provided for—the town in flames , and my people without firearms and ammunition , panic stricken , and fleeing with their families .- A force from Sakarran was our only hope , and with a base for operations we might rally the people , re-arm and act against the enemy . The next morning I was on my way to Linga , when the steamer hove in sight . I boarded her . Skinner was most zealous and active . Here was the very base for our operations we wanted . We drove the miscreants out of the town , found the Datoo in a cluster of prahus , and heard that he had recaptured nine sampans and one of our prahus containing stores of powder , some guns , &c , of which we were in great want . This was the first blow struck at the Chinese . I felt assured that each day would improve our resources and diminish those of our enemies . Their body of meu was nearly annihilated , for taking the jungle behind tho town or making off by the road , as they had no boats to carry them away , they were cut off by the Dyaks or starved . My next measure was to let the laud Dyaks loose upon them , and within a circuit of thirty miles from Siniawou , Bau , and Bula they wore driven into their defeucos with great loss of life , and all communication between Bau and Siniawan prevented , excepting hy means of large parties of armed mon , Night and day they wore harassed by alarms ; evory stvagglor was cut down . Ln short , it was a guerilla warfare of the most harassing character , and , quite shut the enemy up iu their two places of strength , Ban and Siniawan . The want of food was sure to do the rest , and it was a more question of time how long they could holdout . Bimovorand Bank were each covered , tho former by tho fort of Balidah , the latter by its lauding-plaoc , but early in the month the Chinese again came forth iu five prahua and began ravaging tho banks of tho river . I waa collecting my people and reassuring thoni after their pauic . Tho Datoo Bandar , on tho 9 th , was in a . dingle Malay praiia on the look-out at JLiudu . Turak whou thin Chinese party canw there . They ' declined au engagement on tho water , but landed and throw up a flibockade , which , they defended with four guns a . ud maimed with about two hundred and fifty men , anned with wuskets mad rifles . Tho Datoo came dawn himaolf iu u . ainaJl boiii , mid by one o ' clock on tho 10 th wo got oil' two more largo pralnis , some thirty Dyak btuigkongH ua a reserve ; other prahuH wore preparing , and uoaufi followed the same evoning , but too late . TIiobo tLu-flo pralius ranged themselves in lino and dunned at the Chinc » o stockade , landed sword in hand , and curried it , without a chock . The Dyaks cut tho Chinese to piocos ) in the jungle , and the halt-hour boforo sunset cost our enemies from one hundred to ono hundred und twenty nion . Again tho remnant rra ^ dibtxcsBud in tho junglo . Our party returned ; had it ascended thu rivor , no man , woman , or child of our enemies would havo escaped death oi" capture . Thia defeatod party ooiiHistcd of their picked man , and their two great leaders woro ltillwl iu the atocluuk' . A panic now noifcod them . On tho night , of tho llth 1 heard that Balidah and tfimovnr had boon abandoned , and , hurrying up tho following mom-
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Mat 2 , 1857 . ] THE I , B A P fl E . 411
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Leader (1850-1860), May 2, 1857, page 411, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2191/page/3/
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