The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-09-27
SWEPT AWAY BY CHOLERA.
Details of Disaster Which Befel RaJah Brooke's Sarawak
 Expedition.

London Express.
 Further details of the disaster which be-
 fell the huge army of Rajah Brooke, oi | Sarawak. in June last. when over 1,oN
 men were lost by sudden attack of chol-
 era, have been furnished to Reuter-
 Agency by Her Highness Lady Brooke
 the rance of Sarawak.
 On July The Express reported the dis aster, but it was discredited by other i journals.
 1 In a letter, dated from Kuching, the | capital of Sarawak, on June g, MT. Vyner | Brooke, the heir to the throne, who had | only lately gone out from England, says: T have just returned from the expe- dition against Bantin. It was most dis astrous affair, as cholera broke out. and we lost over 1,000 men in three days-not a bad average among 12.0OO men. Out of over 500 boats forming the expedition only | three were left.
 "The screams of the dying during the nighttime were simply awful, and we were very glad when our boats were turned homeward, although the smell of putrefying bodies on the way back was | fearful"
 The tribe against which the expedition l was sent numbered about 1000 families, or one-fifth of the sea Dyak population, and inhabited, the upper waters of the | Rejeang and Batang Lupar rivers. The whole expeditiopary force was conveyed in S15 war boats, from 4O to 6O feet long, each vessel carved and painted. with btreamers flying and with fgureheads rep resenting bulls snakes and crocodiles, as- sembled at the fort of Simanggang on June g and 10, and~at once proceeded up the river toward the Bantin's stronghold. In supreme command of the operations was MT H. F. Deshon, President of the | Third Division, who has been in Rajah | Rtookes service for over twenty-one years. With him were MT. D. J. S. Bal ley. chief magistrate of the district, sec ond In command, who had been in Sara wax for fifteen years. and MT. c. Vyner Brooke. the Rajah Mudah.
 For three days the fotilla noiselessly and safely proce eded toward its destina- ton. The greatest secrecy was observed. no boat heinz allowed to approach near that occupied by the leader of the eXpe- dition. which was in advance of the long line of armed vessels, except the spy beat. which proceeded short distance ahead of the expedition. All the boats were under way at daylight on June Il, and advanced in compact order as far as Mepi where the night was spent.
 On the following afternoon the final haltng place of the boats, whence the
  hold. was reached. Here there were om- inous rumors of some sort of illness having broken out in the evening among the occupants of the boats. There were many applicants for medical aid. and some deaths were reported. Soon it be- came terribly clear that cholera had broken out and so fearfully did it's rav- ages spread that during the night thirty deaths occurred.
 Tho situation had become so serious that the original plan of landing the force tor the inland march had to be modified. In the evening 1t was reported to the commander that 2OO boats had been att tacked by the scourge. and had started on their way back. Under these circum- stances it was decided to land at once a portion of the force and dispatch 1t over land to the scene of operations. with four days provisions
 During the night, however, the cholera made such fearful strides. there being twentysix deaths and many fresh eases, that this modified plan was abandoned and preparations were at once begun 10 send the whole expedition back. In addi- ton to the panic caused by the cholera the Uyaks dreaded leavisg their heads ln the enemy's country should they fall victims to the disease The force there fore dispersed with all speed.