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How were executions carried out during Brooke’s time in Sarawak?

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Execution of criminals has been used by almost all societies in the world.

If you’ve watched Braveheart you’ll know that there were many painful and cruel methods of carrying out an execution throughout history. One example is keel hauling. This form of execution was carried out on sailors at sea and was usually a torture technique used by pirates as early as 700BC.

They would tie the condemned to a rope line looped beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship. Then they would dragged the poor man under the ship’s keel, either from one side of the ship to the other or the length of the ship from bow to stern.

The persecuted man would die either from drowning or head trauma from colliding against the ship, especially if the vessel was moving.

Death by Malay dagger, the keris

When Sarawak came under the first Rajah, James Brooke in 1841, executions were carried out using a Malay dagger called keris. He also elected a man named Subu as the Public Executioner.

The first Ranee of Sarawak, Margaret Brooke described how executions were first carried out in her book My Life in Sarawak.

“A kris is a curious-looking dagger, straight and flat, the blade double-edged, eighteen inches long, with a sharp point. It is inserted in the cavity of the condemned man’s right shoulder, and thrust diagonally across the body through the heart, causing instantaneous death. “Do they never tremble?” I would ask Subu. “No,” he said, “they do not tremble. They smoke cigarettes while their grave is being dug, and sometimes they eat betel nut and sirih. Then, when I tell them, they sit on the brink of their grave as though they were sitting on the edge of their bed, prepared to take their afternoon sleep. We always parted good friends,” said Subu, “and very often we talked all the way to the place of execution.”

The condemned men never quite knew when their last moment had come, for they sat placidly smoking until Subu approached from behind them, and with one blow of the kris sent them into eternity. “You white people fret too much about trifles, and that makes you frightened of death,” Subu would say. “We take it just as it comes, and consider that Allah has chosen the best moment to end our lives. Many such murderers have I sent to their peace,” he often said to me.

W.J. Chater wrote in the Sarawak Gazette on May 31, 1964 that executions by Subu used to be carried out near the Batu Kinyang rock at the second mile of Rock Road, Kuching.

At that time, the area was still considered to be deep in the jungle.

Execution by shooting

Subu held the post as Sarawak Public Executioner from 1841 until his death in 1873. Then his son Tomah took over the post until 1889. This was the year execution by shooting was first introduced.

Charles Brooke, the second Rajah wrote a letter on Aug 12 that year to Major Irvin Day, the Commandant of Sarawak Rangers, ordering an execution of six prisoners.

Here is the content of the letter:

“I hereby direct that you will take command of a guard of twenty Rangers and proceed at half past six o’clock tomorrow morning to receive at the prison entrance the six prisoners to be shot. Then take them on board the “Young Harry” and proceed to the execution ground, accompanied by Dr Rolph and a guide which Mr Daubeny can furnish.

You will then have these six men shot as mercifully as lays in your power and buried on the spot, and return.”

These six men became the first prisoners to be executed by shooting in Sarawak.

According to Chater, the prison referred in Charles’ letter was at the Pangkalan Batu Police Post.

It was built as a prison in 1879, the same year as Fort Margherita and contained the prisoners’ cells on the ground flood and the Police Officer’s quarters above. Back then, C. W. Daubeny held the post of Inspector of Police and Prison. As for the execution ground, it was located on the riverside somewhere near Santubong.

“Young Harry” was a vessel named after Charles’ youngest son, Harry Keppel Brooke. He was born in 1879 and given the title of Tuan Bunsu or the Youngest Lord.

The Rajahs’ perceptions on death penalty

Chater reported, “The second and third Rajahs held an intense dislike for executions. The third Rajah in particular was definitely against capital punishments; and whenever there was a death penalty to be signed he would usually be conveniently away in an outstation and the senior government officer in Kuching would have to do the signing.”

For this reason, the third Rajah Vyner Brooke was reportedly extremely merciful about the way executions were carried out.

The condemned was always given an injection. In the days when executions were carried out downriver, there was always a bottle of brandy in the boat for the prisoner.

“I have heard it said that sometimes by the time the party reached the execution ground the condemned man was feeling fine and would help to beach the boat before standing up to be shot,” Chater wrote.

Execution by hanging

When Sarawak became a British colony, hanging was introduced for the first time in Sarawak.

As for the keris that was once used by Subu, it had been handed to the Sarawak Museum by Bertram Brooke (Vyner’s brother) in the 1960s with the tip broken. The second White Rajah broke the tip off to prevent it being used again.

How were executions carried out during Brooke's time in Sarawak?
Execution by hanging was only introduced when Sarawak became part of British colony.

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What you need to know about the first Sarawak Chamber of Commerce

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What you need to know about the first Sarawak Chamber of Commerce

This is part of Sarawak that no longer exists, which is the first Sarawak Chamber of Commerce:

After 30 years of Brooke rule in Sarawak, the end of 1871 saw how vastly the import and export trade of the country had increased.

The previous 10 years showcased a steady rise of $100,000 a year until it reached $1,680,000.

Trivia: Did you know the Sarawak Dollar (1858-1953), symbolised by $, was on par with the Straits Dollar? It was used by the Straits Settlements which included a number of territories including Singapore.

In October 1872, the second Rajah of Sarawak proposed to the Supreme Council to have a Mercantile Committee to deal with the increase in trade.

The committee consisted of leading merchants who worked as a consultative body. They met once a quarter year (once every four months) to discuss commercial affairs.

Additionally, they discussed if there were any reforms, improvements or suggestions for the government.

From Mercantile Committee to Sarawak Chamber of Commerce

In February 1873, the Rajah had already completed his plans and drawn up rules to set up the organisation. He eventually called it the Sarawak Chamber of Commerce.

Back in those days, the chamber was made up of European, Chinese, Indian and Malay merchants.

How did these merchants earn their wealth? They mostly owned large vessels that enabled them to trade in Brunei, Labuan, Sabah and even the Philippines.

The Dayaks at that time had not yet earned enough to enable them to join as a member.

In order to join, one had to have land, house or other property amounting up to $2000. If it was a company, the entity must be worth at least $10,000.

According to historian W.J. Chater, the chamber had several functions. “The objects of the Chamber, then laid down by the Rajah, were to facilitate all operations of trade, monetary transactions, traffic, freights, suggesting town and thoroughfare improvements from a commercial point of view; also in settling weights and measures and in giving opinions in matters relating to the Creditors and Debtors’ Court.”

The discussions took place in Malay but the records were kept in English.

The first meeting of Sarawak Chamber of Commerce

Sarawak Chamber of Commerce’s very first meeting was held on May 1, 1873 in a meeting room in the Government Offices.

The first major issue that the Chamber had to deal with was the fact that there were no vessels other than Government steamers to carry freights between Sarawak and Singapore.

Therefore, the Rajah urged members of the Chamber to persuade the leading businessmen to form a shipping company.

In order to avoid unfair competition, he even offered to sell the government steamer, Royalist.

Subsequently, the Singapore and Sarawak Steamship Co. was formed in July 1975. The company then changed its name to Sarawak Steamship Co., Limited. It first operated using the Royalist and a new steamer was built in England called the Rajah Brooke.

Chater stated, “Although the Chamber was expected to meet once a quarter, this was at first unnecessary and for some years they met only once in six months, when their main duty was to decide the value to be placed on rattans; apparently a very valuable item of export in those days.”

Later, the Chamber decided the value and export duty to be levied on other important exports of the time such as sago, gambier, birds’ nests and pepper.

Overall, there were little records of activities of Sarawak Chamber of Commerce.

The end of Sarawak Chamber of Commerce

According to Chater, the Sarawak Chamber of Commerce was shut down in January 1900 without any given reason.

Eventually, most of the chamber’s duties were taken over Kuching Municipal Office in 1906 as well as Chinese Chamber of Commerce a few years later.

What you need to know about the first Sarawak Chamber of Commerce
Chinese History Museum now which was used to be Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

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The Brooke battle against the Iban from Gaat river at Nanga Pila in 1916

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About a century ago, the Iban from Gaat river, a tributary of the Baleh river, had been a cause of serious concern for the Brooke government.

They caused mayhem in the area with their headhunting attacks on their neighbouring tribes living upstream of Kapit.

What’s more, this group of Iban headhunters were often helped by their fellow Dayaks of Emperan from the Dutch border (Kalimantan).

In 1915, the government issued a warning to the surrounding longhouses especially at Baleh and Mujong rivers not to go to above Kapit unless in large parties.

Unfortunately, these warnings were not always heeded and the Iban headhunters from Gaat and Emperan continued to cause trouble.

In November that year, the Iban Gaat killed two Tanjung people near the mouth of the Baleh river.

A month later, they attacked a group of Ukits, killing three people. But the Ukits put up a good fight and caused considerable amount of losses on the Iban Gaat.

Charles Brooke’s intervention

The Brooke battle against the Iban from Gaat river at Nanga Pila in 1916
According to S. Baring-Gould and C.A. Bampfylde in their book “A History of Sarawak under its Two White Rajahs”, the Sarawak Rangers battalion pictured here was composed of some 275 Iban, 100 Sepoys, 50 Malays, 25 Javanese, and 20 Philippine bandsmen, under an English Commandant and an Instructor. The force was established in 1846 under a native officer of the Ceylon Rifles. Photo credit: Lambert and Co.

The second White Rajah of Sarawak Charles Brooke decided to step in. In January 1916, he ordered an extra guard of Sarawak Rangers to be posted at Kapit.

He himself even visited in March that year to discuss the problem with people from Baleh and Mujong rivers.

These people had moved downstream of Kapit due to the conflict. Charles decided that they should remain below Kapit for three years until 1919 before he would allow them to farm on the land above Kapit. This was only, however, provided that the Iban Gaat ceased to cause trouble.

In the same month, news came that the Ibans Gaat had attacked the Punan Bunuts and taken 14 heads, although they had lost four of their own men.

Toward the end of March, the then resident of Kapit G.M. Gifford received information that a party of Iban Gaat and Emperan was about to attack the Punan Bah. The force was reportedly to be 400 strong.

Gifford immediately went to Sibu to recruit 50 well-armed Malays and some Sarawak rangers. To make up his 200-man force, he also recruited the Kayans to help him in his mission.

The resident was planning either to give warning to the Punan Bahs or to meet the enemy party on its way back.

The Battle of Nanga Pila

The Iban from Gaat and Emperan had an ill-fated encounter with the Brooke force which was led by Gifford on April 1 at Nanga Pila, a tributary of Rajang river.

The government force destroyed many of their boats. The battle continued on the next day where the Ibans Gaat and Emperan tried to ambush the government party.

The attempt failed with large numbers of them shot down. Those who tried to escape were killed in the water or drowned.

All of their 15 war boats were taken by the Brooke force and it was estimated 200 of them died.

Meanwhile, the government reportedly only suffered one injury, a Kapit fortman named Impin who was wounded in the arm.

The aftermath of Nanga Pila battle

Even though the Iban from Gaat river suffered a tremendous loss during their battle with the Brooke government at Nanga Pila that fateful day, it somehow made them even more resilient.

They continued to attack their neighbouring tribes over the next few years.

So in 1919, the Brooke government sent out a punitive expedition against the Ibans from Gaat once again led by Gifford.

He was joined by Bertram Brooke, Charles’ son and the brother of third Rajah Vyner.

The Gaat expedition was one of last few punitive expeditions which took place before the peacekeeping ceremony on Nov 16, 1924 at Fort Sylvia, Kapit.

The Brooke battle against the Iban from Gaat river at Nanga Pila in 1916
A memorial stone to commemorate the 1924 peace-making ceremony.

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Legend of tau tepang, the Iban concept of the evil eye

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The evil eye is a curse or legend believed to be cast by a malevolent glare. Many cultures across the world believe that receiving the evil eye will cause misfortune or injury. Those who can cast the curse were also called “evil eyes”.

Here in Sarawak, the Iban community also have their belief in the evil eye and it is called “tau tepang”.

Legend of tau tepang, the Iban concept of the evil eye
Do you have the evil eye? Credits: Pixabay
The legend of tau tepang

In the olden days, there was a man who went to the forest with his blowpipe to shoot birds.

He managed to shoot an Argus pheasant or in Iban Burong Ruai. After he killed the bird, he brought it back to the longhouse.

On his arrival, the man placed the dead bird in a winnowing basket (chapan) on his communal veranda.

The children rushed to look closely at the bird. As they stood near it, the bird suddenly gave a strange low sound known as “ngembau” in Iban.

Some of the children laughed at the sound while the rest of them ran to tell their mothers.

Upon hearing this from the children, the women came out. Some of them opened the bird’s mouth and noticed a tiny thing like a knife stuck in its throat.

One of them voiced out, “It must be a knife given to us by Kumang and Lulong, the goddesses of Gelong and Panggau Libau, so that we can become experts in weaving pua kumbu and other clothes.”

Eating the Argus pheasant

After that, the man dressed the bird for cooking. He took the knife out from its throat and gave it to his wife.

He also divided the meat among those who wanted to eat it. However, only few of them ate it. On the same night, one of the women dreamed she met a spirit who told her that all those who had eaten the bird must become evil eyes.

The next morning, the woman told her dream to the people of the longhouse. They were frightened knowing that the curse would not only affect them but their descendants as well.

Right after the event, the people of the longhouse separated themselves from those who had eaten the bird.

They refused to farm on the same land nor approve the marriage of their children with those from the evil eyes lineage.

This taboo is still continued in some places even to this day.

A person with the evil eyes is believed to never have a good effect on anything. If they were to pass a fruit tree and say how plentiful the fruits were, the fruit would suddenly drop and become rotten.

Again, if they were to pass a hen with many chicks and remark how plentiful they were, that same hen would never produce as many chicks as before.

This is why people believed that tau tepang people will always remain poor.

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Sarawak’s forgotten source of entertainment, Band Day

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The current generation should be grateful that entertainment is so easily available nowadays. Imagine living in Sarawak in the late 19th century with no smartphone, internet or TV… how did people entertain themselves?

Like most parts of the world in those days, people turned to music.

For the-then Kingdom of Sarawak, having a ruler who was real fan of music did play an influence on Sarawakians’ exposure to music as entertainment.

According to historian W.J. Chater, the second White Rajah Charles Brooke was passionately fond of music.

Rumour had it that was probably the reason he married Ranee Margaret, who, under her maiden name of Lady de Windt was for some time during the 1860s regarded as the finest amateur pianist in France.

‘The Band’ in the olden days

If you hit a club or bar in Kuching, Miri or Bintulu, there’s a chance that the band playing comes from the Philippines.

Apparently, Sarawak has been inviting Filipino bands to play music here since the 19th century.

“There had always been a band of sorts in Kuching, but the Rajah decided that he wanted somethinng better; so in early 1888 he made a special visit to Manila to engage a Filipino band and although he had only little real knowledge of music insisted on auditioning and selecting the bandsmen himself,” Chater wrote.

Charles was shocked at first when the bandmaster whom he had engaged was enticed away for higher pay.

However, everything went well when the band duly arrived in Kuching in May that year, accompanied by a new bandmaster named Polycarpo.

Charles was hands on with his band. He even insisted that all programs were carefully selected. If the music failed to be up to standard, the bandmaster would receive a stern rebuke at the end of the performance.

The birth of Padang Merdeka

The first thing Charles did after employing his band was to find a location for the band to play at. He wanted it to be somewhere in town so that the public could watch the band’s performance.

So in 1889, the Rajah transformed what was once a swamp into what became known as the Esplanade (later Central Padang and now the Padang Merdeka).

Back then, the site was an ornamental garden with a bandstand in the centre.

The first public performance given there was a great event for Kuchingites. To mark the special occasion, the bandmaster composed a special tune called “The Sarawak Waltz”.

Sarawak’s forgotten source of entertainment, Band Day
The first band that came to play in Sarawak was from the Philippines. Credits: Pixabay.
Was Sarawak’s band days a hit or a miss?

While the Rajah’s support for music and artists was undeniable, Chater shared that the opening of the Esplanade brought band days which were unanimously recorded as the most unpopular social functions ever introduced by the Rajah.

When he was in his 70s (with one deaf ear and only little hearing in the other), he still insisted that band day should be held twice a week. Additionally, he ordered all his European officers to attend.

“One these occasions, he used to like to surround himself with the prettiest ladies of all communities and once the band had started nobody even dared to whisper without receiving his icy stare,” Chater wrote.

The Rajah even did something that would be considered against our present day lawbour laws. Since in those days, there was no such thing as annual increment in salaries, the Europeans officers only received their increment when the Rajah remembered them. Thus, it became a matter of “no band, no rise in salary.”

Ranee Sylvia’s thought of Sarawak band day

When Ranee Sylvia Brooke was still the Ranee Muda, she disliked band days so much that she wrote about in her book The Three White Rajahs.

“There was an extremely undesirable ceremony called ‘Band Day’, when twice a week everyone would dress up in their best clothes and congregate round the Rajah upon a stretch of grass where the band would play classical music, or would respectfully listen to the discordant sounds issuing from the Filipino band, which fortunately for him (the Rajah) was unable to hear. ‘Ah’, he would say, tapping his stick upon the ground, ‘Mozart… very lovely’, although the actual melody they had been playing at the moment was Chopin. None of us dared contradict him,” Sylvia wrote.

Nonetheless, the Ranee still found delight from watching some of the officers, who having put in an appearance and been seen by the Rajah, would then try to slip away for a drink at the Sarawak Club.

Only a few managed to escape as reportedly the Rajah’s eagle eye would usually draw them back.

Sylvia also shared that at the end when the Sarawak Anthem was being played and everyone stood to attention, a sigh of relief would ripple through the crowd.

The end of Sarawak Band Day

Eventually, Charles himself could not stand the band. On May 22, 1910, he wrote a letter to the Commandant of Sarawak Rangers to whom the band was attached to.

He wrote, “The band was somewhat worse last evening and the programme very badly chosen. I can’t stand this and longer and I now direct you to inform the Bandmaster Julian de Vera, that he is to do no more duty and he will retire on pension $6 per month as from today. Put the other man (Pedro Salosa) in his place, and I will see to the band when I return. It is much better to have none at all than a bad one. Be good enough to carry out these orders to the letter.”

Hence that was how de Vera’s 21 years of service as bandmaster abruptly came to an end. After that Pedro Salosa replaced him as bandmaster and he continued to serve until 1932. It was when the band was disbanded along with Sarawak Rangers.

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Sarawak once exported over 60 tonnes of pangolin scales in the 1950s

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Did you know that it was legal to export pangolin scales in Sarawak back in the 1950s?

Pangolin (Manis javanica) was hunted for its scales and then exported through Kuching.

This unique animal has large, protective scales covering their skin. It is the only know mammal to have this feature.

They live in hollow trees or burrows. Pangolins are nocturnal and tend to be solitary. They only meet to mate. Their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues.

According to a report by Tom Harrisson and Loh Chee Yin, from 1958 to 1964 Sarawak exported more than 60 tonnes of pangolin scales.

Harrisson and Loh found in their study that each pangolin’s exportable scales average about 3 catty (1.8kg).

Here comes the sad part; since the maturity of the animals does not effect the value of their scales, so the traders back then even exported scales from younger pangolins.

The researchers calculated based on the weight of the pangolin scales that there over 50,000 pangolins were hunted for their scales in just seven years!

Where did these pangolin scales came from

Harrisson and Loh wrote, “Ninety-nine per cent of the scales exported from Sarawak came from Indonesian Borneo.

“They were being smuggled over mainly to the border towns of Krokong in the First Division and Lubok Antu in the Second Divison, while shops in Tebakang, Serian and Simanggang also bought any amount offered to them for sale by local people or by Indonesians, in quantities ranging from 50 to 500 katis.”

The pangolin scales that came to the dealers in pieces packed in gunny sacks.

For scales that came in with the skin attached usually fetched a poorer prices. This is because they need to boil them first to extract the scales.

“As they reach the shops, they are checked to make sure they are dry, and genuine and then repacked for export to Singapore or Hong Kong, where they are probably cleaned and sorted for re-export to mainlain China,” Harrisson and Loh stated.

The purpose of pangolin scales trades

Pangolin scales were wanted for their so-called medicinal values. They believed it had anti-septic values, stimulated blood veins and sped up the chemical reaction of any medicine.

There were two methods of application.

Firstly, raw pieces of scales were used for scratching itchy skin. It was believed that this would prevent further infection which usually follows if the affected part is scratched by fingernails.

Secondly, pangolin scales were ground into powder and then mixed in with other herbs boiled in water for the patient to drink.

Back then, dealers paid from $200 to $300 per picul or 100 kati for scales or $70 to $90 per pikul for scales still attached to the skin.

These prices also depended on the demand from China.

Sarawak once exported over 60 tonnes of pangolin scales in the 1950s
The price of pangolin scales depended on demand from China. Credits: Pixabay.
Protecting the pangolin in present day Sarawak

In October 2019, Sarawak Forestry Corporation announced its plan to have the pangolin upgraded to the “totally protected” category.

Totally protected species in Sarawak may not be kept as pets, hunted, captured, killed, sold, imported or exported or disturbed in any way, nor may anyone be in possession of any recognizable part of these animals.

To this day, the pangolin population is still threatened by deforestation and poaching for its flesh and scales.

According to World Conservation Society, pangolin scales are made of keratin which is the same thing that makes our human fingernails and hair.

Hence, eating pangolin scales has no medicinal value whatsoever as it is like eating your own fingernails or hair.

Read more:

Sarawakians were once encouraged to catch shark commercially

How the Bornean Rhinoceros was hunted into extinction in Sarawak

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How news was spread in Sarawak before there was the Sarawak Gazette

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The Sarawak Gazette was a pet project by the second White Rajah Charles Brooke.

Printed by the Government Printing Office, the first issue was published on Aug 26, 1870 featuring a summary of Reuter’s telegrams on the Franco-Prussian War in a three-page leaflet.

It mostly featured information on commodity prices, agricultural information, anthropology and archaeology and history.

Sarawak (or the province of Kuching) was recognised as an independent kingdom in 1841, but the Sarawak Gazette only came to existence in 1870.

So how did news or information get passed around before 1870?

R.Pringle in The Sarawak Gazette on June 30, 1965 wrote, “It may be assumed that the tiny handful of Europeans who inhabited the Rajah’s domain depended (like everyone else) on word of mouth -on a highly sensitive jungle grapevine which could spread news almost as fast, if not perhaps so accurately, as Reuters.”

But even during the 19th century, it was not wise to depend on word of mouth for information.

Sarawak informal news bulletins

According to Pringle, there were records in London that the Sarawak government had published informal news bulletins as early as 1859.

“That was the year of the so-called Great Malay Plot, a particularly nervous time in the history of the early Brooke state. The Rajah, James, was away in England. Following the assassination of two officers at Kanowit on June 25, the Tuan Muda Charles Anthoni Johnson, later to be the Second Rajah, Charles Brooke, concluded that Sheriff Masahor of Sarikei, described in the history books as a ‘half-breed Arab’ was in league with other Malay chiefs in plot to overthrow the Brooke regime”, Pringle wrote.

When the news of Fox and Steele murders reached Kuching, Charles immediately went to the Rajang area to punish the killers.

To prove and to inform others especially European officers that he took action on the matter, he sent out a news bulletin.

Printed on a sheet of paper about 5 by 7 inches, he sent out the news about his countermeasures on the double homicide.

This news bulletin (dated on Aug 5, 1859) was believed to be kept in the archives of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in London.

Here was what was written in the news:

BY AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNMENT

Despatches from the Rejang were received last night by the Government giving news up to the 28th July.

Mr Johnson (Charles Brooke), with his squadron of gunboats, arrived at Rejang on the 25th, and on the following day proceeded up to Siriki (Sarikei), taking with him Tani, who appears to have been the prime mover in the Kanowit murders.

On the 26th the Head Malays of Siriki tried and executed Si Tani, Si Deraman and six other Kanowit Malays who were in league with the Kanowits Si Kalai and Sawing.

Si Abi, one of the murderers of Mr Steele, had previously been put to death, Si Talip, his other murderer, is reported to have fled to Muka (Mukah), but there is every reason to believe that he will be delivered up to justice. The actual murderer of Mr Fox was killed on the spot by Sayong. The conduct of this fortman, who alone stood to his duty, is worthy of the highest praise.

On the following day the Datus and Head Malays of Sarawak who accompanied the expedition, convicted and executed Haji Mohammed and fiver fortmen who had basely deserted their posts and surrendered Kanowit Fort into the hands of the rebels.

Si Kalai and Sawing have located themselves at the mouth of the Amah, between Kanowit and Katibas and the Dyaks are only waiting Mr Johnson’s arrival to attack in force.

Most of the arms of the fort have been recovered. Mr Johnson, with a large force of Dyaks and Malays, was about to go up to Kanowit immediately.

As false reports arise, it is requested that no reliance be placed in news that is not published by Authority.

Then at the bottom of the bulletin, the words printed were ‘Sarawak Mission Press’.

Before Sarawak Gazette came into the picture, Pringle believed the Brooke government may have published some kind of newspaper or proto-newspaper from time to time, just like how they informed the punitive expedition against Fox and Steele murderers.

How news was spread in Sarawak before there was the Sarawak Gazette
Do you have information on Sarawak Mission Press? Let us know in the comment box.

Read more about Fox and Steele murders here:

The local version of Fox and Steele murder

The 1859 Murders of Fox and Steel in Kanowit

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That one time James Brooke almost died of smallpox

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In May 1853, the first White Rajah of Sarawak James Brooke contracted the smallpox disease.

It was so severe that he almost died. At that time, he had just arrived in Sarawak from a visit to England.

Unfortunately for him, there was no doctor in Sarawak. The only man with some medical knowledge – Bishop Francis McDougall – was in England.

Brooke knew the disease was contagious, so he insisted on everyone who had never had the disease to keep out of his room.

He trusted an Arab man named Sheriff Moksain who knew some local treatment to take care of him.

There were also Captain John Brooke (James’ nephew) and his three loyal Malay servants as well as Arthur Crookshank and Reverend Andrew Horsburgh at his attendance.

That one time James Brooke almost died of smallpox
James Brooke
This was what Horsburgh about the event:

“Having heard that the Rajah would not allow any of his relations to attend upon him from fear of their taking the disease, I wrote to Captain Brooke and offered to nurse him. Captain Brooke first thought I had better not, as I might introduce the disease into the mission school; but early next morning I received a note from him asking me to go over and see the Rajah.

I found him in the height of the disease, and I need not describe the unsightly appearance, but at the same time I could not help being struck with the sharpness of his clear blue eye.

The fever was very high, his mind was so continually wandering that it was difficult to make him understand anything; yet he could generally be recalled to a subject by a direct address, and he could then express himself clearly upon it.

As I entered the room he saw me and called out, ‘Don’t come here! Have you had smallpox? Have you had it? Have you had it?’ to which I bluntly answered ‘Yes.’ I told Captain Brooke after leaving the room that I thought the Rajah very ill, but that I had seen as ill recover.

I had been reading in some medical publications that it was now the custom to treat fevers with wine and brandy, and I explained to Captain Brooke what I thought, and showed him the authorities on which I formed my opinion, for Mr. McDougall, who was then in England, had a medical library which we missionaries all studied.

I accordingly proposed that he should have some brandy, and Captain Brooke assenting, I mixed some with water and put in some things to make it taste like medicine, and brought it to him.”

The Rajah refused to take the ‘medicine’ for his smallpox

He resolutely refused to take or even to look at it. ‘For God’s sake, Rajah,’ said Captain Brooke, ‘do take it’, and he pleaded earnestly that he should.

He at last was so far moved as to what it was, so I told him that was quinine in it.

‘Anything else?’ I fenced with the brandy as long as possible, but before his eager and half angry questioning I was obliged at last to confess it.

This was enough, he turned his face to the ceiling, help up his hands, and exclaimed, ‘Whoever heard of brandy in smallpox!’

In the afternoon he seemed to be getting weaker, and I made up a stimulating prescription, which was given in one of the medical books, told Captain Brooke of it, and begged him to use his influence to get the Rajah to take it.

At Captain Brooke’s entreaty he took it, and it soothed him and gave him a little rest.

I continued to give the Rajah food and stimulants, but he did not like my pressing medicine on him and from the hands of Mr Crookshank especially he would not take what he would not from me.

James Brooke’s first letter after his sickness

It was not sure how long Brooke was sick in his bed. Nonetheless, the first letter he wrote to his friend John Templer in England dated on June 28, 1853.

He wrote, “For fifteen days I lay raging with fever, or shivering with the cold water, which they threw over me in my bed – my mind wandering, and without sleep, lingering between life and death. My constitution triumphed over disease, and after a prolonged sleep, brought on by a dose of opium, given me by Crookshank, I woke sensible to the loathsome state to which I was reduced; literally from head to foot I was seemed with this frightful disorder; and feeble as an infant, I strove to reconcile myself to the will of God, who had afflicted me.”

While the rajah was able to survive the disease, his face was scarred for life. In the same letter he sent to Templer, he stated “Since then I have been improving, and am now clear of the disgusting part of the disease, though I fear, my friends must learn to know me under a different face to any I have yet worn towards them.”

Even though the vaccination against smallpox had already been discovered in 1798 by British doctor Edward Jenner, it is odd that Brooke did not have himself vaccinated.

Vaccination against smallpox was finally introduced in Sarawak in the 1860s.

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The first dragon boats to join Sarawak Regatta

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While the Sarawak Regatta was started a long time ago during Brooke reign, the dragon boats only made their debut on the Sarawak river in 1952.

Originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China’s southern Guangdong province, the dragon boat dates back 2,000 years.

Every dragon boat has a drummer who leads the paddlers with their rhythmic drum beats.

The first dragon boats to join Sarawak Regatta
Dragon boat

According To Kao Lun-wei, there were two dragon boats that rode the waves of the Sarawak river during the 1952 Kuching regatta; one was green while the other one was red.

They provided a colourful spectacle for the crowd and served to introduce the local Chinese into water sports.

“Properly used, the dragon boat races are run on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar, corresponding this year to the 28th May; but it was agreed by the promoters that it would be an excellent thing to join in with the rest of the paddlers,” Kao stated.

Explaining about the legend behind dragon boats, Kao wrote, “The great beasts of China, heraldic, mythical and potent are tigers, dragons, kilins and lions. Dragons are the incarnation of the spirit of the waters, of the clouds, seas and rivers. It is the emblem of the power of the emperor (having five claws in place of the usual four). The tiger is the king of beasts (having the character wang meaning king on his forehead) and presumably being a land animal is not a good term with the dragon.

“As the dragon is the king of the waters, it is not surprising that he should be taken for the shape of a ritual boat”.

The dragon boats at the then Kuching Regatta

According to Kao, time was kept by the beating of a drum and gong in each boat. The drums for the Kuching Regatta in 1952 were brought especially from Singapore.

As for the gongs, Kao said they were unable to buy the correct type of gong in time, and hoped to get some from Hong Kong later.

The dragon boats were launched at Pengkalan Batu with an eye-dotting ceremony just like how it has been done in these recent years.

Instead of the chief minister like today, the ceremony was carried out by a Chinese priest.

Kao pointed out the launching ceremony was not done like in the olden days. “One reasons for not performing the ceremony was that it would have cost the Dragon Boat Society about $400 in sacrificial pig, incense, crackers and priest’s fees.”

Present-day dragon boat races

However, it was not mentioned if the two dragon boats had won any race during the Kuching Regatta in 1952.

Fast forward to the 21st century, the dragon boat race in Kuching has gone a lot bigger with participants coming from all over the world.

For 2019, there were 14 countries participating in The Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta including United Arab Emirates and United States of America.

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Looking back at a ‘pusau anak’ ceremony at Long San in 1962

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From April 29-30, 1962, a huge pusau anak celebration and the opening of a new longhouse were held at Long San.

It was a big occasion with many from throughout the Baram area being invited. The VIPs in the past included Marudi District Officer Malcolm McSporran, Kuching Municipal former president William Tan and Chinese Kapitan Ch’ng Teng Seng.

“’Pusau’ really means to name a child or children. This is the old custom, which nowadays merely means to name a child,” Stewart Ngau Ding wrote in his Sarawak Gazette article published on June 30, 1962.

“There is no time fixed between one pusau anak and another. It is celebrated when a house has a lot of children, after a good harvest, etc. The children to be pusau vary in ages from one month to 10 years.”

Furthermore, it was expensive to pusau one or two children. Most people waited until they had a lot of children so that every door of a longhouse may pusau their children at the same time.

This pusau anak celebration in 1962 at Long San was interwoven with Christianity. Hence, it was not carried out in its purely traditional form.

How Long San’s pusau anak celebration went down

On the first day of the celebration, people started to gather in the ruai. The late Bishop Anthony Galvin conducted a service to bless the new house.

After the service ended, the men brought out 64 jars of burak (rice wine) to the verandah, placing them in a line.

Then the mothers and helpers brought out their children to be pusau and sat them down in two lines behind the jars of burak. Each jar represented every child, and each door was decorated with items to indicate the sex of the child.

Looking back at a 'pusau anak' ceremony at Long San in 1962

It was not necessary to sit near one’s own jars or burak. Stewart stated, “It is impossible to distinguish the sex of a child to be pusau from the jars of burak. But it can be easily distinguished from the hanging up of sarong, hornbills, houses, parangs or shields, decorated with rolled-up local tobacco.”

Additionally, the number of sarongs, hornbills, or houses or parang or shields at every door signified the number of boys and girls in that bilik. They were hung outside every door where the children were to be pusau. The hornbills, shields or parangs signified boys and sarongs or houses, girls.

Speaking to the crowd, the bishop stressed religion and added that it was necessary to practice good adat lama, or old customs such as this one. He hoped that the young generation would not forget the good adat of their ancestors although now they embraced Christianity. Then he said a short prayer and went around to touch every child on the forehead and call it by its new name.

Attending to the guests

Stewart then went on to describe about how they treated their guests during the ceremony.

“The guests were sitting in two long rows. Then a woman led the way from downstairs, wearing the traditional dress of a man going to war. She was followed by other women but in ordinary traditional dress. There were about six other women dressed like the first one. They came in line. It was very impressive sight.”

He stated, “The first woman took a slice of a fat from the second girl who carried the fat in a large container. Then she pushed the fat into guests’ mouths and then she usually smeared the face by her oily hand. The guests could return the compliment if he wished by taking the fat given and smearing her face with it. There was no compulsion to eat the fat and guests were supplied with leaves or a container in which to put it. A guest could not take too much fat. Then the third girl holding a handkerchief took a spoonful of ayer lia (ginger water) from the fourth girl which was carried in a container. After she had served the guests, she usually cleaned their mouths with her handkerchief. The next group followed on the same routine.”

According to Stewart, when the women served the guest, they were not allowed to talk or to smile. They were supposed to be absolutely solemn. There were two sets of these groups representing one child of maran rank (higher rank). For those of lower birth, one group would be enough.

This marked the end of the pusau anak ceremony. As Stewart put it, it was the most exciting and impressive part of it.

Then in the afternoon the celebration continued with fun and games. Meanwhile at night, they drank and ate till their hearts drank contentedly.

The children who had their pusau anak ceremony during this event must be in their 60s or 70s now. Do you know anybody who might be one of these children? Plus, do you know the significant of giving the guests fat and ginger water? Let us know in the comment box.

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