8l6 Miscellaneous* 



that many valuable additions would have been the result of his labours 

 if his hfe had been spared. In March last he despatched a box of 

 specimens for the Leeds Museum, amongst which is a series of the 

 fossils of the Borneo Coal-field, which must prove highly interesting, 

 differing so materially as they do from those of the European Coal- 

 fields : these have not yet arrived. Unfortunately, however, the 

 same mail which brought a cheerful letter from him announcing the 

 transmittal of the above, dated March !24th, in which he stated his 

 first cargo of coals was being shipped for Samarang, brought also 

 the sad intelligence of a revolt of the natives and the massacre of all 

 the Europeans in Kalangan, on May 1st, a detailed account of which 

 occurrence was subsequently transmitted to his father by one of the 

 directors of the Company at Batavia. It was as follows : — 



" Batavia, May 23, 1859. 

 " Dear Sir, — My name is perhaps only slightly known to you ; but 

 in the absence of my friend and co-director, Mr. Tiediman, it becomes 

 my painful duty to communicate to you very sad tidings. I feel 

 almost incompetent to the task, and had rather that another had 

 been the instrument of bearing to a father's heart all the grief and 

 sorrow which this letter will cause. I only trust, as I do earnestly 

 pray, that He who is near to all who call upon Him in faith will 

 afford you strength to receive with resignation the trials with which 

 it has been His will to visit you. The Government steamer Ardgens, 

 which arrived from Banjarmassing two days ago, has brought the 

 fearful tidings of the destruction of our fine establishment of Ka- 

 langan, and the murder of our European employes, not leaving one 

 of them alas ! to tell the tale. The massacre took place on the 

 morning of the 1 st of this month. The people had been paid as usual 

 on that day, and dispersed. Everything was quite quiet to all 

 appearance ; and though the insurgents were in movement about 

 Pengaron and the neighbourhood, and had on the 28th made an 

 unsuccessful attack on that place, no fears were entertained of an 

 outbreak at Kalangan. Between seven and eight in the morning, 

 however, the insurgents, assisted by some of the mine people, set 

 about to do their work of carnage. The first of the establishment 

 attacked, and immediately killed, was Overseer Hupperetz, and next 

 to him Overseer Bovelt, and then your son, who, on the first 

 report of disturbances, had left his house unarmed, and proceeded 

 the length of the bridge, when, after a struggle of some duration, he 

 was overcome by numbers, and fell an early victim. Mr. Wymalen 

 was able to retire to his house, and defended himself and family for 

 nearly three hours, when the house was set on fire, and four children 

 were barbarously butchered. Mr. Van Heecheren, Mr. Eisager, and 

 Dr. Huisaigen shared the same fate. Of Mrs. Motley and her three 

 children it is also reported that they have not escaped ; and in fact 

 Mr. Ouddabye writes positively from Banjermassing to this effect ; 

 but, as this report is not confirmed in all its details, there may still 

 remain a faint hope, but noting more, that this excellent lady and 

 her children, by the aid of servants, may have effected a temporary 

 concealment, and escaped through the country. I would fain give 



