267
APPENDIX—MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE MALAY EXPEDITION.
15. After a difficult march through forest-covered hills, Sri Menanti (the beautiful valley)
was reached, and the Malays were found to have abandoned their positions. Christmas day
was spent in bivouac. On 26th the force divided; 120 men, with 1 gun, under Captain
Rankin, went on to Jompole—a small State some 25 miles further to the eastward; and the
remainder returned to Terachee. I accompanied the force to Jompole, as a determined resist
- a n c e w a s e x p e c t e d t h e r e . T h e r o u t e w a s t h r o u g h a c o u n t r y v e r y s i m i l a r t o t h a t a l r e a d y
described. The Moar river and several smaller streams were forded, all flowing to the east
-ward, the hill range, in which was the Bukit Putus post, being the watershed of this part
of the Peninsula. This march was a very severe one, as there had been no rain for two days,
and the sky was clear; the heat was very great, and both officers and men were a good deal
distressed. Qualla Jompole was found to be deserted, and was burned; and the troops returned
to Terachee.
16. On the day of our arrival, violent arterial hœmorrhage took place from the wound in
the neck of the sepoy already referred to. I cut down upon, and secured, the bleeding vessel.
This proved to be the occipital artery, which had been injured, but not divided by the bullet.
The man had lost so much blood that he wás very much exhausted; and in spite of stimulants,
he died eight hours afterwards.
SriMenanti.
Division of
force.
Death of a
sepoy from
secondary
hœmorrhage.
17. The force now returned by the same route to Rassa. There were still but few men so
sick as to require carriage. A detachment of 150 men being left at Rassa, under Lieutenant-
Colonel Hill, the remainder proceeded in boats down the Linghy river to Malacca. Surgeon
Bomford remained in medical charge of the Rassa detachment.
The course of the Linghy is through the densest forest. The trees are, many of them,
of enormous size, the foliage often meeting overhead. The navigation is much impeded by
fallen trunks. The tide flows about 6 miles up the river, for which distance the banks are
thickly wooded with mangrove. On leaving the mouth of the river, which is there nearly a
quarter of a mile wide, the small steamer grounded and the boats had to be cast off. The
wind rising, the hospital boat was blown on shore, and was got off with difficulty but without
serious damage.
Return of
force to
Rassa.
18. Malacca was reached on 6th January. This is one of the oldest European settlements
in the East, having been taking by the Portuguese in the 16th century. In the ruined church
are tombstones of 1578. This place is very healthy for the tropics, and fevers are rare. The
climate is moist and equable, but relaxing. The heat is tempered by frequent showers and by
the sea breeze. The maximum temperature during the month of January was 87° F. and the
minimum 73° F. The daily range was from 6 to 8 degrees. The soil in the neighbourhood is
alluvial, and much of it swampy. There are several low hills of laterite formation close by.
During our stay here, the health of officers and men was good.
19. On 23rd January, the 1st Goorkha Regiment was ordered to join the force under
Brigadier General Ross, C. B., on the Perak river, and was embarked on board the transport
Arabia next day. The mouth of the Larut river was reached on the 25th; and the regi-
ment was taken in a small steamer some three miles up the stream to Mattang, the port of
Larut. This place is built in a mangrove swamp, and is but a few inches above the level of
high tides. In order to consolidate the ground sufficiently for roads and building purposes,
the mud is dug up in the neighbourhood and heaped upon the spot to be raised. The frame
-work of the houses is of poles or bamboo, and the walls and roof of thatch (atap). The
Malay houses are built on poles six feet above the ground; those of the Chinese are not so,
but they have raised bed-places three or four feet high. Even the Chinese pig-styes are built
on posts three or four feet above the ground.
Goorkha regiment joined the
force under
Brigadier General Ross,
C. B.
Arrival at
Malacca.
Description.
of Malacca.
20. The excavations above referred to, which are full of stagnant water, receive all the
filth of Mattang, until a high tide carries part of it away. The situation is one which, accord
- i n g t o t h e o r y , s h o u l d b e p e s t i l e n t i a l ; b u t t h e r e i s n o t m u c h s i c k n e s s , a n d m a l a r i o u s f e v e r s a r e
comparatively rare. The weather had now become hotter, as there had been no rain for more
than a week, and marching even in the morning was trying. The country was not very
different to that near Malacca, but was rather more hilly. The mangrove swamps of the coast
were succeeded by forest, and the mud by stiff clay. The low hills were most of them of
laterite, and the higher ones of granitic formation; all were covered with forest.
Insanitary
condition.
21. Qualla Kangsa (mouth of the Kangsa), the head-quarters of the Larut Field Force,
was reached in two marches, the latter of which was very trying. Five men fell out with
symptoms of heat apoplexy; three of them, however, were well in a day or two, and all even
-tually recovered. This place is at the confluence of the Kangsa and the Perak, and is about
20 feet above the level of the rivers. The neighbouring country is hilly, well wooded, and
picturesque. The Perak is here about 200 yards wide, and only fordable when very low.
Officers and men were quartered in atap huts, which afforded good shelter; but the escort
duty, which was severe, and which involved considerable exposure, soon told upon the health
of the men, and dysentery became very prevalent
.
22. A short time before the arrival of the regiment at Qualla Kangsa, an action had
taken place at Kota Lama, in which were engaged the Buffs, Naval Brigade, and a party of
1st Goorkhas, from Lieutenant-Colonel Story's detachment, under Captain Young. Here
Major Hawkins, Brigade-Major to the force, two sailors and one sepoy were killed and two
sepoys wounded. On February 4th, a force of 150 men, 1st Goorkhas, under Lieutenant-
Colonel Hill, was ordered out to destroy the villages of Ingha and Prek, on the opposite bank
of the river, in which the people of Kota Lama bad taken shelter. A party of the Buffs, with
a half battery of artillery, marched up the right bank, and a portion of the Naval Brigade,
Fight at Kota
Lama, and
casualties there.
Description of
Qualla Kang
- sa.