The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-03 00:00:00

BORNEO.-THE PIRATES.

Her Majesty's Ship Iris, off the Coast of Borneo,
August 28, 1846.
In my last letter I gave you the history of the late pro-
ceedings of our squadron against the Illanoon pirates, of
their defeat, and of the destruction of their strongholds
in the rivers Tampassook and Pandassin. I will now
present you with a sketch of the subsequent operations
of the Iris against the Sultan's general, Hadgi Samon,
who was still carrying on hostilities, in conjunction with
the pirates, against the native tribes who were friendly
to the English. It was this officer who had commanded
the principal battery which fired upon our squadron, on
the attack of Brutal, in June last.
On the 7th inst. I parted company with the Com-
mander-in-Chief, and, no sooner was the squadron out of
sight than I sent Lieutenant Little away with my boats
and five days' provisions, with orders to cruise that time
along the coast and join me 100 miles to the southward.
The Admiral's orders to me were to carry on the war
against the Illanoon rascals, by sea and land, according
to my discretion, and to look after the Sultan's first
chieftain, Hadgi Samon, who had been the principal
adviser of the Sultan in the hostile measures against us,
and who, it was now reported, had sought refuge some-
where amongst the piratical tribes.
On the 12th I anchored at Ambong, and Lieutenant
Little joined me. He had captured and destroyed one
piratical prahn, and had burnt a large Illanoon village,
after sustaining an attack from a large body of pirates,
who threw spears from the banks at the boats, but were
eventually driven off with the loss of several killed and
wounded. No one injured on our side, though the
spears stuck into the sides of our boats, these fellows
rushing down within ten yards of the pinnace, hurling
their darts, and holding up their large wooden shields,
to protect them from musketry.
On the 14th we anchored off Kimanis, where Mr.
Brooke received information that Hadgi Samon had for-
tified himself in the Mambacoot river, distant only six
miles, and that nine gun-boats which had been sent from
Borneo to attack him, had found his position too strong,
and had, therefore, decided to remain off Kimanis till
the arrival of the frigate. I gave directions, therefore,
to Mr. Little to be ready with all the boats of the
Iris at daylight the following morning, assisted
by the Phlegethon cutters, and to proceed to attack this
noted chief' wherever he might be found. Mr. Brooke
and I commenced business by sending a messenger to
the Dyak chief, desiring him to give up Hadgi Samon,
and enter into friendly communication with us. The
return message was an insolent bit of bravado, desiring
us to come to take him, and that they were not afraid
of our shot, which they would catch in their hands, and
throw back at our boats.

Neither Mr. Brooke nor myself had intended to
take any active part in the expedition, but the un-
looked for, and, I may add, extraordinary circum-
stance, of the sudden arrival of thirty war prihns, carry-
ing twenty guns, and about 400 men, under their
chiefs, inhabiting districts for twenty miles round,
for the purpose of paying their respects to the English
Raja, and to assure him of their anxiety for legitimate
commerce, and their wish to be friends of England, en-
tirely altered the position of affairs. Mr. Brooke, with
his accustomed decision, after a lengthened discussion
with their chieftains, declared it to be his belief that
they were honest men, and that it would be very impo-
litic on our part to refuse the offer of their aid, and that
he should wish to accompany them. Of course, I ac-
quiesced immediately, and it was arranged that we
should go together in the gig, thus putting implicit con-
fidence in their faith, whilst Lieutenant Little could
always keep his force compactly together, ready to act
on the first semblance of treachery.
At five a.m., on the 18th, the boats were in move-
ment. At eight I crossed the bar in a beautiful new
gig the admiral gave me, the principal Pangeran of our
new allies showing the channel. Lieutenant Little's
force came next, and about a quarter of a mile in the
rear the large fleet of prahus. It was a pictnresque
scene, boat after boat dashing through the surf with their
gaudy flags and long streamers, and then shooting into
the unraled stream beyond, and taking up their assigned
positions, which were well under command of my guns
and rockets. Our force now commenced pulling up
against a strong ebb, and, after three good hours at the
oars, the first attempt to oppose our progress appeared
in large rafts floating down, and soon after wards the
report of guns in the distance was heard. On pulling
swiftly round a point to clear one of the rafts, the gig
being then about 50 yards ahead of the main division,
we came suddenly upon a long line of thick bamboo
stakes fixed across the stream, with an immense
boom attached to them, but which, owing to freshes,
had swung athwart. Facing these defences, only
thirty yards distant, a fort had been erected, which, as
soon as our boats came into view, opened fire. Before
the enemy could reload I fell back upon the gunboats,
and ordered Mr. Little to give way and "At them."
He was soon followed by the barge and cutter, and the
action became general—shot, rockets, and musketry ;
but owing to the strength of the tide it was ten minutes
before my first lieutenant could get over the short dis-
tance ' • and when he finally captured the fort he found
it had been armed with small swivel guns only, which
the defenders had managed to carry into the jungle.
One of our native allies recognised Hadgi Samon and
his Bornean sub-officers in the battery. Having de-
molished the fort and destroyed the magazines, ammu-
nition, &c., we pushed on without losing time ; and ob-
serving, as we passed a narrow creek, a prahn endeavour-
ing to escape, we dashed at her and captured her, the
crew, who escaped, leaving behind their spears, krises,
and sumpetans, i. e., quivers of poisoned arrows. The
country was now extremely beautiful. The interiors of
the houses were extremely neat—mats, threshing and
knitting machines, culinary implements, and other fur-
niture, in capital order; and had it not been for the
numerous human skulls suspended from the ceiling in
regular festoons, with the thigheind arm bones occupy-
ing the intervening spaces, and other ornaments pecu-
liar to the wildest class of Dyaks, I should have fancied
myself in a civilised land.
At three P.M., on coming to a turn of the river, a
magnificent mansion presented itself to our view, the ve-
randah of which gave a frontage of 200 feet by 20 in
breadth. It was close to the river, and par-
tially concealed by cocoa-nut trees. One of these had
been cut down, and of it a kind of abattis was made,
from behind which, as our boats advanced, a
masked battery was opened. These guns were quickly
silenced, and I was not long in jumping on terra firma,
rifle in hand. The enemy were driven into the interior,
carrying off their killed and wounded. The house was
soon in flames; and amongst the internal decorations
consumed were 50 human skulls and as many packages
of human bones, many of them evidently the latest gifts
of the Dyak gentlemen to their lady loves; for you must
know that no aristocratic youth dare venture to pay his
addresses to the fair one unless he throws at the blush-
ing maiden's feet a net full of skulls at the same time
that he offers his hand and heart.
At four ir.x. we bivouacked for the night, and early in
the morning of the 17th a deserter from Hadgi Samon
swam across the river to our camp, and informed us that
his chief had retreated in despair to the houses at the head
of the river. At early dawn, therefore we were on his
track, and in half an hour a cheer from the head most
boats signaled that the last refuge of the enemy was
sight. A few strokes more and our guns and rockets
were in play, and after a vain endeavour of the resolute
chief by musketry and stunpets to oppose our steady ad-
vance, he was compelled to abandon his fortress and
retreat into the wilderness. Having burnt all the
buildings of those inhabitants who had taken an setive
part against us, we returned down the river, and was on
board the ship by sunset. Our loss was one seaman of
the Iris killed, and four wounded; two of the Phlege-
thon's, and eight of our native alies wounded.

The native chiefs rendezvoused at the Phler7ethon,
where we entertained them till a late hour, each of them
swearinc, to protect the persons and property of all
shipwrecked or distressed Europeans who might be
driven upon their iron-bound coast; and I really hope
we have made a commencement in the good work of
rendering these seas secure for the peaceful trader.
The wonderful effect of our Congreve rockets gave them
an idea of our power, whilst our uniform kindness to all
the uapiratical tribes plainly bespoke our anxiety to be
friendly with the good.
(Signed)

G. RODNEY MU.NDY.

A SOLDIER. FOUND NEARLY DEAD.—Tuesday
morning a soldier was discovered lying in the trench at
the east end of the fortifications surrounding
theggornrisotno
at Chatham lines by some of the workmen
work, and they gave information of the circumstancge to
some soldiers on duty at the guard-room. Assistance
was promptly rendered, and, with the aid of a ladder,
the soldier was got up, and he appeared to be lifeless ;
he was, therefore, without loss of time, conveyed to the
military hospital, where his person was examined. One
knee was found broken, and also a leg, besides being
otherwise seriously injured about the body. This
soldier was attached to the Invalid Depot, and had been
at Brompton the night before, drinking with some of his
comrades, and on returning to his quarters at the Case-
mate-barracks he must have mistaken the path leading
thereto, and accidentally walked into the trench,'a depth
of thirty to forty feet, and there remained in the greatest
suffering until the morning, when he was found as
described. The name of the soldier is George Foley,
of the 50th Regiment, and has recently returned from
India to he pensioned off, after a servitude of some
years. It is but a few
abled soldiers of lobe 31 weeks
severely hurt. To st.ranar
night
31st fell into the trench, and was
ago that one of the dis-
dangerous, particularly hthese trenches are most
to prevent persons walking i&ot,ttrd there is no guard
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF A then,
s
CAPTA
d the death of
ofe,t7wehb
It gives us great pain to have to ';7-1 11
anish brig,
c? committed
Captain Boy Dirckson, the master
Balticum, now lying in Sutton Pool
suicide on Sunday morning last, by dischar
tents of a large pistol into his mouth, by whfcTghtet egon.
fully shattered the whole of his features and instantane-
ouslylht-
put a termination to his existence. The deceased
was a man of the most sober habits, of excellent temper,se
and a good master, but since he left Hayti, in December
last, h had been the victim of a number of accidents
and misfortunes which at last proved too heavy for him
to bear up with, and under the depression caused by
these misfortunes, the unfortunate deceased was led to
commit the rash act which has deprived society of a most
worthy member.—Plymouth Journal.
A curious literary question was decided, on Tues-
day, by the Correctional Tribunal of Paris, after hearing
very lengthened arguments. It appeared that in 1828,
M. Frayssinous, Bishop of liermopolis, ceded the copy-
right of some of his works to Messrs. Leclerc and Co. A
translation of these works into Spanish was made at
Madrid, and at later periods this Spanish translation was
twice reprinted at Paris. The question then arose
whether it was piracy to print in France a translation of
a French work. The Tribunal declared that it was, and
condemned the defendants, Messrs. Lecointo and Las-
serre, to 100 f. fine, to 2,000 f. damages, and to the conGs-
ertio., of all the remaining copies of the two editions of
te-1" the translation,

LJ

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_

THE FOX HUNTING SEASON IN
SCOTLAND.
The severity of the weather during the winter months
has been particularly unpropitious and has caused as
numerous interruptions to the chase with the different
packs of hounds in the north, as all accounts agree
that it has occasioned to the sports in the south. Not-
withstanding,
whichin the
enabled
w e a-
t h er, there have been
hounds to hunt and men to ride with safety, and on
several of those occasions the sport has been most ex-
cellent.
The Duke of Buccleuch's hounds have had their full
share of good runs, which have given general satisfac-
tion to the sportsmen who usually hunt with that old.
established pack, and also to the landlords and farmers,
as the Duke, after several years of absence, passed this
season on his own noble domains, and enjoyed many of
the good days' sport which the hounds afforded. The
presence of the Duke with his own hounds, in place of,
as Lord John Scott observed at a public dinner last
year, " his Grace hunting with Sir Robert Peel's scratch
pack in Whitehall-gardens," is an event which has
indeed been hailed with great joy and satisfaction ; and
long may we see the noble "master" able to participate
in the pleasures of the field, and in good health to ride,
as he always has done, and is well entitled to do, in the
" first rank." Williamson and the hounds never
appeared in better condition and in greater force than
they did when they made their first public appearance
this year at Craigmillar Castle, and all have admitted
that throughout the season this well known and most
favourite huntsman, who has hunted the county
upwards of forty years, never exhibited more practical
science, and more daring, determined, front rank riding.
Many instances may be mentioned of really good sport.
The dogs in the county of Roxburgh, from Riddell and
from Ormiston Wood, had all runs of a brillint de-
scription, which, considering the almost unprecedented
extent of country, it is wonderful how foxes that are
necessarily so very seldom disturbed should afford such
extraordinary runs.
Lord Elcho's hounds, comparing the sport that they
have had this with former seasons, it has disappointed
the numerous sportsmen congregated in and about Cold-
stream, for excepting a few good things in October,
these hounds have bad decided bad luck, which those
who ought to be best able to judge attribute to various
causes. Like the Duke, Lord Elcho has far too great
an extent of country to be well and properly hunted by
only four days in the week, and though, when he un-
dertook the management of the hounds, it was agreed
they should hunt five days, yet at the same time there
is decidedly country enough for not lees than six.
Other causes of the bad sport of those hounds are attri-
buted to many of the old foxes having been killed at
the beginning of the season, and there have also been
many blank days, caused by the foxes not being suffi-
ciently preserved. Besides, a failure in the sport has
in several instances arisen from foxes being " chopped,"
an accident which requires great care to avio3, espe-
cially in the small gorse coverts with which Northum-
berland abounds. On several occasions, too, foxes
have got into earths from sufficient attention not hay*
been paid to have them duly stopped. These circum-
stance are the more to be regretted, because in all
other respects the hounds, the country, and the game
are all of very high quality, and as in former seasons
they have shown such superior sport, we hope that
whatever the cause of this year's failure may have been,
in that which is forthcoming they will be all removed,
and that the very essential benefits which the inhabitants
of Coldstream end adjoining districts have derived from
the sportsmen, and families which have domesticated
themselves there for the sole purpose of enjoying the
chase, will be continued, and not be injured by the mis-
fortunes of this season.

The Linlithgowshire Hounds have had no less to
complain of on the score of weather than their neigh-
bours; for so much snow has not fallen in the districts
of that country where they hunt, and the frost has
more frequently "given" for a day or two at a time,
so that they have been able to catch more hunting days
than the hounds that hunted in the higher districts.
Uncertain as such a tract of weather may be, still on
hunting days it usually is very favourable to sport, the
scent being often good ; and in proof of this, the
number of excellent runs which Mr. Ramsay's hounds
boast of may be attributed. With the disadvantage of
some of their country being very rough, and
the en-
closures small, there has scarcely been a day in which
the sport has not been satisfactory, for the foxes are
wild, and being plenty of them, there has not been a
single " blank day." The hounds and horses are con-
sidered to be more effective, and in all respects the
establishment more complete than the oldest sportsman
remembers it to have been in that country. Mr. Ram-
say having relinquished the "affairs of state" for those
of the field, has become a regular and accomplished fox-
hunter, and the eye of the " master" may be easily per-
ceived, every part of the establishment being well ar-
ranged, and on a most liberal scale. Amongst the best
of the day's sport with these hounds may be quoted the
run from Polmont, from Cockleroi, and from Houston
Wood ; and in East Lothian from Coulston and Pres-
manon, the latter being a hill run, which, in length and
pace, has seldom occurred in the annals of fox-hunting.
The Fife-hounds, with all the disadvantages of a
small "subscription," have got on wonderfully well this
season ; their huntsman is universally allowed to be a
first-rate man, both in the kennel and in the field, but
he is not mounted as he ought to be, which may be ac-
counted for by his " farming" the whole concern at a
low price, and thus too eager to part with a good horse
at a profit—Kelso Mail.