Tom’s Note: The writer of this essay concentrated on the two white men, Rajah James and Frances McDougall. He relegated the Sarawakians to mere mentions in this conflict. For example, “they attempted to organize a force to attack the Chinese failed because the Malay women refused to let the menfolk go”p.379. One envisions the Malay men cowering behind the sarongs of the women. From my study of adat, this is an outrageous lie. There are a few truths in the narrative. James Brooke ruled with the consent and collaboration of the Malay leadership in Kuching. p.377 true. The Malay men escorted the female white women to safety. p.379 true. “While the Malays were panic-stricken.” a lie because in the next sentence he states the Malays led by Abang Puteh attacked retreating Chinese and captured a boat. p.379. How could they be “panic-stricken” one minute and then led by Abang Puteh the next? There was confusion and panic among the Europeans although the Malays under Datu Bandar were resisting the Chinese from boats anchored in the middle of the river. True. His (Brookes) failure to rally the Malays…p. 380 The Malays were already rallied by Datuk Bandar. “All night we went from house to house with a party of Malays p. 385 true. Some hours later, after Charles Johnson told them not to, they (the Malays) attacked the Chinese.p.385 True. The Malays were making a stand from their boats in the river p. 388. True. It is my opinion that it was the Malays who held back the Chinese, rescued white women and chased the Chinese back to Bau. The Dyaks came in to massacre the Chinese for their heads at a later time. St John states the Malays had seized ten of the largest Chinese warships and had secured them to a large trading prahu anchored in the middle of the river p. 388. All of this occurred while the white leaders had fled downriver. It seems to me the Malays did most of the fighting to rescue the white cowards.
The Rajah and the Bishop
There were two men on each side of the Sarawak River. One was a strong English Anglican minister. The other was the self-appointed Rajah of the Kuching. The Rajah brought the minister here to set up schools and to preach the word of god to all peoples except the Malays. They had their religion governed by Allah. The minister was not happy with this restriction but accepted it.
The Rajah enjoyed free-flowing conversations about God and the existence of man. He was a Unitarian-leaning fellow. This meant he believed in one god but not the trinity. Jesus was simply a man and not the son of God.
The minister accepted his faith without question. His philosophy was “God said it, I believe it that settles it.”He was impatient, irascible, outspoken, bombastic and ridiculous. Physically, he was large, buff, hearty, with a swarthy complexion. He was regarded as a good sailor, skilled physician and a man of energy. It was said his wife smoothed his blunter personality traits. She was more liked than he was.
In 1848, Spencer St. John arrived as the Rajahs personal secretary. He was malicious and clever, a strong follower of the Unitarian philosophy and a great debater. McDougall, the minister, was not. As a small European settlement, they got along reasonably well. Spencer St. John was appointed British Counsel General to Brunei in 1856.
Also In 1856, the Borneo Company Ltd appeared on the Sarawak scene. Registered in May of that year, it was formed to develop Sarawak’s resources. Its manager was Ludvig Verner Helms a Dane. The company also had the armed steamer, Sir James Brooke. Unknown to Helms, he and the streamer would play a pivotal role in the events of 1857.
The gold mines at Bau were worked by the Hakka Chinese, They formed their own government called the Kongsi. Brooke believed they were under his control and imposed taxes and restrictions upon them which they resisted. This resentment was sharpened by the British sentiment which occurred in Canton in 1856. The feelings had spread to Singapore and then to Bau.
Bishop McDougall had warned Rajah Brooke of an attack. He was closely associated with the Chinese because of his missionary work and was well aware of the dangers. In December while the Rajah was absent, Crookshank had strengthened the Rajahs defences. Charles Johnson had come in from Lingga because of fears of what the Chinese were plotting.
Rajah James Brooke was aware of the simmering hostilities but believed the Chinese would never attack. Brooks’s policy was to disregard the danger to create the impression of confidence and moral superiority that would overawe opponents.
When he was away in December of 1856, his officers had increased Kuching preparedness and fortifications. When he returned, he cancelled the defences. Kuching was left undefended.
On the night of 18 February 1857, the attack came. Under the leadership of Liew Shan Pang, the Hakka Chinese attacked and burnt the houses of the Rajah and other government Europeans on the left bank of the Kuching River. The Rajah had escaped by swimming under the boats moored at a creek near his house.
The Europeans of the right bank were awakened by the firings and yells of the attackers. Bishop McDougall had assembled his people, the Christian Chinese, at the mission. He had armed himself and others to cover the retreat. However, the Chinese leaders had sent word that the teachers would not be harmed. McDougall disarmed his men and hid the Chinese who had worked for the Rajah. McDougall was summoned to help the wounded.
Later in the morning, the Bishop, Helms the head of the Borneo Company, a merchant named Ruppel and Datu Bandar the leader of the Kuching Malays were called to the courthouse. They were told Kuching was under the Kongsi but they did not want to govern. They prefered the group assembled before them to lead. McDougall reminded them that he could not vouch for Charles Johnson who commanded a group of Dyaks.
Meanwhile, the Rajah with Crookshank, Middleton and Pentry had crossed the river to Datu Bandars house where they were joined by Steele and Crymble. They then said the Malays refused to join the attack because the Malay women refused to let their husbands go and fight. (This last statement is preposterous because in the next paragraph he states the Malays, led by Abang Puteh the son of the Datuk Temmenggong, attack the Chinese and captured a boat)
After plundering the town, the Chinese left back up the Sarawak River to Bau. McDougall organized the Christian Chinese and patrolled the town to protect life and property. They also looked for Helms who hid in the jungle. When the Chinese left being chased by the Malays, McDougall hustled his family onto Ruppel’s schooner to get them to Singapore. The boat was so overloaded with refugees they only made it to Jemang near the mouth of the river where they spent an uncomfortable night. McDougall then went to the mouth of the Quop river where Rajah James Brooke was hiding. He persuaded James Brooke to return to Kuching and found three boats to evacuate the rest of the Christians and Rajah Brookes people. The Chinese attacked again but at the same time, Rajah Brooke arrived in Kuching. He fled again back down the Sarawak River.
The Rajah and his party set forth for Lingga but was intercepted by the ship Sir James Brooke. At about the same time, the Dyak prahus sent by Charles Johnson arrived from Skrang. The combined force, in what was a bloody massacre, sent the Chinese out of Bau and onto Dutch Borneo. Bishop McDougall spent several weeks in Lingga isolated by James Brooke. While occupying McDougall’s house, he informed London of the attack.
The Rajahs account of the attack reached London and was a wild success. He said the attack was treacherous and ruthlessly punished by a just and firm ruler and his loyal subjects. A letter from Miss Wooley stated the Rajah lost everything and that he now wore the native dress, and lives in a fort, which has been strengthened. He is, indeed, a nobleman, so unselfish, so kindly and thoughtful for all and so energetic in all his plans.
The Sun newspaper declared “Honor to the Brave Rajah of Sarawak “. The Times said, “amid the marauding of humanitarianism and foppery of professional generalship it is reassuring to meet a man who recalls the old days of British enterprise and personal heroism in the east”. The Daily News compared him favourably with the British at Hong Kong while the Illustrated London News said “Happily for humanity, Sir James Brooke is no longer a peacemaker”.
McDougall had other impressions of the Rajah. He said he long feared an attack from Bau but the Rajah and others made light of his reports and symptoms which alarmed me, so we were unprepared when the danger came. In December, for example in the Rajahs absence, Crookshank had strengthened the garrisons at the forts while Charles Johnson had come in from Lingga because there were fears of what the Chinese were plotting. All of these precautions were taken down when the Rajah returned in early February.
In his letter to Hawkins, McDougall clearly implied the Rajah failed to provide the leadership required by a ruler. He said he (McDougall) had remained in Kuching, dealt with the Kongsi, treated the wounded, given protection to those who sought it, got his family away to safety, patrolled the town and maintained law and order when the Rajah was nowhere to be seen. He said he met the Rajah at Quop and urged him the return to Kuching to put heart into the Malays, and when the Chinese returned, the Rajah fled back downriver. In another letter, he said,” I could not help grinding my teeth with rage and shame when I saw the Rajah flying (fleeing?) without making one good fight for it before the rag-a-muffin undisciplined Chinese”.
Spencer St John in his book of 1862 and an apologist for Rajah Brooke attempted to portray the Rajah as a brave and decisive leader whose actions were based on sound judgement and wisdom, whereas others (meaning the Bishop) whose role is played down, were rash and foolish. There is no doubt how the Rajah had come to view the episode himself, and there some truth to it.
Baring-Gould and Bampfylde in their 1909 book, A History of Sarawak under the Two White Rajahs present an account sympathetic to the Rajah drawing on St. Johns earlier account. The Bishops role is reduced to attending the Chinese wounded. Emily Hahn, James Brooke of Sarawak while giving a more detailed account of the Bishops role in her 1953 book, but concludes that McDougall “belonged to that numerous race of men who grow irritable at moments of stress.” She nevertheless concludes that the Rajah abandoned his charge. Robert Payne, The White Rajahs of Sarawak stated of Brooke “It was a horrible and unpleasant exhibition of unalloyed fear.”
The rift between Rajah James Brooke and Bishop McDougall would rapidly increase and widen. For a while, there was renewed harmony, but it was short-lived. The Chinese attack on Kuching was a watershed in the relations between Church and State in Sarawak.
From: The Bau Chinese Attack on Kuching, February 1857: A Different Perspective by Graham Saunders in the Sarawak Museum Journal December 1991
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