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Government . The Malays stated that , when they found this monster in a hole which had been dug to catch him , they threw quicklime into his eyes ; and the unfortunate beast , while suffering intense agony from this cruel appliance , drowned himself in some water which was at the bottom of the pit , though not more than a ioot deep . " The annual loss of human life from tigers , chiefly among the Chinese settlers , is perfectly tearful , averaging no fewer than 360 , or one per diem . Great exertions are still making for the destruction of these animals , which is effected , by pitfalls cages baited with a dog , goat , monkey , or other restless animal , and by sundry cunning contrivances . Not many years ago the existence of a tiger in the island 1 3 5 »
was disbelieved ; and they must have been very scarce indeed , for even the natives did not know of any . It is the opinion of Dr . Oxley ( no mean authority at bmcapore ) , that one may have been accidentally carried by the tide across the narrow straits which separate the island from the main land / and another may have instinctively followed : finding abundance of food they have multiplied . This is a more rational mode of accounting for their being here , than to suppose that they chased their . prey over ; as it is contrary to the nature of the beast to follow in pursuit , after the first attempt proves unsuccessful . Now , at Sincapore , as in the days of Alfred with the wolves in England , it is necessary to offer a reward for their destruction . " ' ¦ 1 ¦
THE WATER BUFFALO . " The water-buffalo is an animal much in use at Sincapore for purposes of draught . It is a dull , heavy-looking animal—slow at work , and I think disgusting in appearance ; but remarkable for sagacity and attachment to its native keepers . It has , however , a particular antipathy to a European , and will immediately detect him in a crowd . Its dislike to , and its courage in attacking the tiger , is well known all over India . " Not long ago , as a Malayan boy , who was employed by his parents in herding some water-buffaloes , was drivin g his charge home by the borders of the jungle , a tiger made a sudden spring , and seizing the lad by the thigh , was dragging him '
off , when two old bull buffaloes , hearing the shriek of distress from the well-known voice of their little attendant , turned round and charged with their usual rapidity . The tiger , thus closely pressed , was obliged to drop his prey to defend himseif . "While one buffalo fought and successfully drove the tiger away , the other kept guard over the wounded boy . Later in the evening , when the anxious father , alarmed , came out with attendants to seek his child , he found that the whole herd , with the exception of the two old buffaloes , had dispersed themselves to feed , but that they were still there—one standing over the bleeding body of their little friend , while the other kept watch on the edge of the jungle for the return of the tiger . "
That " magnetism , " which , admits of transmission in the shape of blessing or of curse , which gives to " consecrated wafers" their virtue , and to " holy-water" its holiness , finds believers in the Dyaks , as we read here"On the Rajah's visiting some poor Dyaks in November , 1850 , located on the Quop branch of the Sarawak river , so strongly impressed were they with the idea that sagacity and intelligence might be instilled into the human frame through the channel of the throat , that , at a feast given to celebrate his visit , the eldeis of both sexes , taking from a , cauldron a handful of rice , which some of the party were cooking in the centre of the apartment , brought it to the ' Tuan Bestir' ( Great Sir ) , to spit on , and the mixture thus made they swallowed with peculiar gustothe younger branches applying to the Rajah ' s European attendants for a similar relish to their meal . " : ; ;
Jjet us now take a peep into THE COITKT OF JUSTICE . " Lounging into the court during the progress of an interesting trial , I was struck ut the same time by the absence' of ceremony , and the great interest exhibited by the spectators . Opposite to the entrance was placed a round table , at the further part of which were seated , first the Rajah , and on either side of him the individuals , native and European , six or eight in number , whom—for want of an exactly appropriate designation—I may call the judges ; and they mriy be said to
constitute the jury likewise . In front of this table , seated on a mat-covered floor , was the prisoner ; and on one side was a witness giving his evidence . Around the whole court were benches on which Malays , Dyaks , Chinese , were seated indiscriminately ; iind those who could find no place on the raised seats were content to listen cross-legged on the floor , or to si and at the large open windows of the verandah surrounding the building . I was honoured with a seat amongst the indues but understood little or nothing of the proceedings , which were conducted in the Malayan language . " One judge or another examined witness after witness , each of whom was introduced by my old acquaintance Subti , who lias been long a faithful follower of the Rajah , and now tills several places of minor importance about the court , — among tho rest- that of public executioner , which , however is almost a sinecure . " The ease for the prosecution having closed , the prisoner , an interesting-looking young Malay , was called upon for his defence . lie fold his * story in a quiet ; but not inanimate way ; called his witnesses ; and one or two of bis friends in the court pleaded for him on particular points . When this bad lusted nearly an hour , there was a consultation amongst the judges ; and my old friend Pafingue ( Japour ( one of the judges ) read u l <> "g argument to the court . lie was followed by the ; Handar ( another jiulge ) who made a few remarks ; then , after an observation or two from the other judges , the Kajali summed up , and pronounced the acquittal of the prisoner , whom I understood to have been tried for being found in another man ' s dwelling-house at night . The trial having been concluded , u general conversation ensued- iiiul the court broke up with the same absence of ceremony as had marked
its ' assembling . ' _ " The proceedings exhibited a quiet decorum , and owed none ot their dignity to outward o . stentufion , either in respect , of dress or otherwise . " It may not be uninteresting to my readers , if I introduce a lew east's extracted from tho Court Keeonls kept on the spot . "Xtkamnci iii < : k-iiivi :: ! . " ' Qiio / f Ih / uks v . llumliak Dtfals . « « Tlie Orang Kaya of the Quop complains of the Itoinbak D . yaks for stealing his bee-hives from the Taping frees . " ' . Judgment for the complainants . " " 1 'ho ISonibuk Dyuku to P » i . y thirty eutfies of wax , or thirty passes ot padi . " N U Whon about to tuko tho wax from tho trees , tho Jtyuk , before climbing
up , lights a fire , which attracts the bees . The Dyak says the bees mistake the fire for gold , and come down to possess themselves of the treasure .
" BIGHT TO TREES . " * Dispute between the people of Samarahan and the Dyahs of Sibuyow about the right to certain Tappang Trees in Samarahan . " ' It appears that the Dyaks of Sibuyow settled in the Samarahan River several generations ago ; and both parties have since been in the habit of taking the comb from the trees . At first each party collected what they could , without jealousy or disputes ; but at length arose a competition between them , and each endeavoured to get the lion ' s share . either by stealth or force . ! " * During the prevalence of bad government , neither party cared much for the Tappangs , as the parties who got the wax were obliged to give the greater part of it to Seriff Sahibie , and incurred great risk of being fined by him on suspicion of ! concealment . " ' The property having become valuable , the parties now appealed to the court for a settlement of the question . " ' The people of Samarahan we re doubtless originally proprietors of the trees ; but their ancestors , of free-will , gave the Sibuyows a settlement and a right , which have existed for probably a hundred years . It is confessed by both parties that the Sibuyows paid something for the settlement , but what rights were to be included in consideration of the payment cannot now be shown . " The decision was , that the Sibuyows shall be the possessors of the Tappang trees below the junction , thus giving the original inhabitants nearly two-thirds of the ground and of the trees . ' RUNAWAY SLAVES . " ' Slaves belonging to the serail of Millanao run away to Lundu . Feb . 25 th , 1846 . " ' The slaves were sixteen in number . " Si Bugin , wife Si Klangote , and two children . " Sajar , wife Rubin , and two children . " Marali , wife Sili . ' Si Gajit , wife Rubin , and three children . " Si Rajah woman . " ' These slaves were valued by the court at 397 reals—the value paid by the Rajah , and the slaves declared free . ' " ' The court also gave notice , that in future all slaves running away from any other country to Sarawak should be declared free . ' " ANOTHER SLATE QUESTION . " ' Si Sain , a Kanoivit woman , claimed as a slave by Summut , a Serebas man . " ' The court said it was proved in evidence that Si Bain was made captive by the Serebas Dyaks in her youth ; that , after passing through several hands , some ten years ago she was sold to Summut , ran away from him , resided eight years as a free woman in Scriki , and thence of her own will removed to Sarawak with her husband . * " ' It would be easy to decide this case , had it not a reference to the institution of slavery , which holds in native states . " * The woman was a free woman by birth , captured by pirates , and wrongfully reduced to slavery , and as a slave sold and re-sold . " ' It is clear that a person wrongfully reduced to the condition of a slave , can never be considered a slave , though by force detained in that state . What is originally wrong can never become right ; and a free person seized and sold into captivity by pirates , can under no circumstances whatever be considered a slave . This woman is therefore free , and even under the worst institution of slavery could not be regarded as a slave ; but in her case , her supposed owner or claimant and herself both seek refuge and safety in Sarawak ; and such a claim cannot by any native law be raised by Sumniut , who at the time of the occurrence was a , pirate himself , and living in a hostile community . " ' The court therefore decided Si Bain to be a free woman in the fullest sense ; and Summut must bear his loss ; and consider himself a fortunate man in escaping the consequences of his former errors . " ' The court considered all persons under its protection who sought refuge ; in Sarawak ; but it made no distinction between the escaped . slave and the fugitive pirate . ' * ' Si Bain is now placed on the records as a free woman . ' " ASSAULT . " ' aSV Lamma , a woman , v . I he M'if- <> J' ( hop , and other women , for an assault . " ' The circumstances of this case of an assault of an aggravated nature are simple and clear , and allowed by Si Usop the lui . sbaiul of the defendant , in whose house it occurred . " ' The court need not , enter into the feelings of jealousy which gave rise to tho assault . The assault itself is sufficient . ; as Si Sunmia was decoyed into Usop \ s house , and ( here set upon by 11 sop ' s wife , and beaten and abused . The ollcnee is not truly against , Si Summa , but a breach of the pence , and calculated to promote a serious riot . Had men interfered , weapons in all probability would have been drawn , and blood shed . * ' ' The court must repeat on every occasion must impress it on the mind of every one that , no private individual can lake the law info his or her hands . Justice is daily administered ; and no angry passions ( ind their way within these walls . The woman Si Summa has been misused , and the public peace broken ; therefore the defendants are condemned to pay tint usuul line of thirty reals and three sukus , or , in common parlance , thirty and three . ' " These decisions , and there are others given in thin volume , aro extremely interesting , m affording an accurate indication <>/ the amount ot civilization in actual force . Tu . nin- from Law to Love lot us learn what v \ o can ot A WKDIUNtl AT . NAKAWAK . " The bride was a niece of my old ae . p . ainlance Minn , fl . e Datu l ' afingue ' s wife ; the bride-room was young Kassan , who was residing with the Datu Handai :. Tho event erealed , from the rank of ( he parties , a great sensat . on ut , Sarawak . " For a whole ) month previous to the actual ceremony , linng of cannon and display of ( lags , feasting and merry-making , had been going on at tin- houses of the respective parents . . , -The ceremony took place at Miim'rt new residence . A large square space win , ; ,,,, ! „ ,, „ , one Corner of the room , and handsomely decorated : hero were placed the bridal couches , the two lasl , covered with handsome mats ; mul at the bead of each there was a pile of pillow * whiHi nearly reached to the coiling . The , coucbea were surrounded by ono or two wttf of eurlmuH , raidy to bo let down ut plouauro ;
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January-1 , 1853 . ] THE L E A D E R . 19
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 1, 1853, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1967/page/19/
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