A Piratical Cruise and Malay account of the destruction of the Pirate fleet by HMS Rainbow in 1861 the Sarawak Gazette 1 April 1861
Below is the translation of a paper written by Nakoda Amzah and found among his effects after his death. He, his grandson and another were killed by Bukit rebels last August. (1880) He was a Kampar Malay and had lived in Sibu for many years. The below statement relates to his last capture.
Nakoda Amzah who with a crew of 12 men was on his way to Simarang was attacked off the mouth of Jali by 12 pirate prahus. The attack was sudden but having fought for about an hour. Nakoda Amzah’s men, who sustained a wound from a Lanun musket in the head, resulted in three crew killed. Nakoda Amzah surrendered and was captured by the pirates and their prahu was destroyed. Afterwards, six pirate prahus went along the coast of Borneo while six proceed to Banka.
The pirates then at once sailed from the mouth of the Jali river and went to Pulo Kenlam where they beached their prahus and dragged them up into the jungle out of sight, there being a Dutch war steamer from Banjarmasin who steamed around the island without success. They stayed on the island for three days when they sailed northwards from the island. They again saw the Dutch steamer and made for the island of Jempodi. They stayed for six days and then sailed as far as Pakar. Between Pakar and Haiong, they captured a small sampan with five men and a woman. In two more days, they reached the mouth of the Ketapang and Kandang Krabu . Here they made a raid and captured two fishermen.
After a lapse of three days, they reached and attacked Pulo Kumbang but the people ran away and they made no captures. The next day they attacked Sati Point where they enslaved three Malays and three Chinese. They sailed for two more days, and reached Mas Tiga, but failed to capture anyone.
Two days afterwards, they fell in with a Dutch kruis(?) from Pontianak commanded by one Captain Kasop. They engaged the kruis but had to withdraw because of a westerly wind which was blowing at the time. After four days, between Karamata and Datu Island, they met a prahu owned by Haji Bakir, a Sambas man. They attacked and captured the boat with five men. She was from Biltong loaded with dried fish, preserved pisangs(bananas) sago and etc. The whole of the next day they were chased by a war steamer but escaped owing to night falling and by running close to Datu island where there was a shoal.
After stopping here for a day, they reached Pulo Pengitek, from there they sailed for four days to Baiong Cape where they fell in with Nakoda Daud’s prahu from Sambas but they did not molest her. Two more days of sailing brought them to Manis Bay at Datu Cape and the next day they reached Serabang Bay. It was a Friday and they read the “Ruah Selamat and rested for two days.
From here, a three-day sail brought them to Cape Sirik. Before arriving at Cape Sirik they attacked two prahus but were beaten off. They then attacked a small boat but its crew succeeded in running away inshore. The next night they reached Bruit and here they killed two Melanaus and captured two men and two women. Two nights afterwards, off the mouth of the Oya river they captured four Melanau women and two men. At Muka, which they reached the next night they captured four Chinese and two Mekanus. They brought up off of Bintulu the next night.
The following day, the steamer, Rainbow, came out of Bintulu accompanied by a pinnace, The Jolly Bachelor. There was a pirate prahu lying close to shore and the steamer immediately fired twice. The prahu immediately ran for shallow water where she was followed and attacked by the Jolly BacheloHer crew immediately ran away inland but were all killed by Bintulu and men from the Meri who were awaiting them when they came ashore. The steamer then attacked another prahu and after firing two shots charged and sank her, her crew were all killed drowned or or captured and the captives escaped on the steamer. A similar fate overtook the third prahu, all of her crew perishing and 25 captives being rescued by the steamer. The steamer then gave chase to the three other prahus and overtook them. These three prahus were lashed together but separated when fired upon. A short engagement ensued which resulted in all three prahus being sunk, and their crews being killed or captured. Thus were the pirates destroyed off of Bintulu by the Rajah of Sarawak’s steamer, the Rainbow.
