J A V A. 



635 



cnditP*- 



tanbwg. 





Jaw the British anus, and having given publicity to the me- 

 ^-y-^ rit of the army in the records of government, returned 

 to Calcutta, and erected a monument, at his own ex- 

 pence, to the officers who fell in the service of their 

 country. Sir Samuel Achmuty, having left a force 

 deemed sufficient for the protection of the new con- 

 quest, also returned with the rest of his troops to Ma- 

 dras. 



Dutch eolo- We shall now call the attention of our readers from 

 the affairs of Java to the neighbouring island of Sumatra, 

 an act of singular atrocity having occurred at Palim- 

 bang, in the massacre of the peaceable Dutch colonists 

 by the command of the sultan of Palimbang. To punish 

 tin. flagitious proceeding, an expedition was dispatched 

 under the command of Colonel Gillespie. Perhaps an 

 account of this expedition might be introduced more 

 properly in the article of SUMATRA itself; but at the 

 tame time, regarded as an operation of part of the army 

 of Java, we wish to present our readers, at one view, 

 with a connected account of the military transactions 

 of the period in this quarter. The enterprise about to 

 be related, is of that daring character which places its 

 author in the list of those who have signalised them- 

 elves by acts of personal intrepidity. 



The sultan of Palimbang, taking advantage of the 

 distracted state of Java, adopted the sanguinary re- 

 solution of cutting off at one blow the Dutch settle- 

 ment in his dominions by a general massacre. It 

 was rumoured that this hatred of the Dutch colonists 

 originated in the libidinous habits of the eldest son of 

 the sultan, who, in one of bis nocturnal ramble*, had 

 been thwarted in hi* criminal dengns upon the wife of 

 a native by the Dutch patrole, brought to her reseat 

 by her scream*. The guard, ignorant of the rank of 

 the culprit, pressed him so bard in pursuit, that he 

 was compelled to seek safety in his boat, which he 

 reached with difficulty, by plunging into the river. 

 A (hint of revenge took full pnasearion of the breast of 

 the prince, who vowed to extirpate the colony in lan- 

 guage load enough to be heard by all his attendants. 

 It appear* that the sultan wa* soon prompted to se- 

 cond the barbarous resolution of hi* son, as two day* 

 only after the occurrence, and soon after the news of 

 the succe** of the British in Java had reached Palim- 

 bang, a message from the former arrived to the Dutch 

 resident, desiring him to come to the palace at Palim- 

 bang, an invitation which, contrary to the advice of 

 hUfriemls, the resident impradentry accepted. Armed 

 Malays, under various pretences, intruded themselves 

 one by one into the fort, w ho overpowering tbe guards, 

 bound tbe European* and native* of the garrison, and 

 tearing them from their weeping families, hurried them 

 on board prows, prepared for their conveyance down 

 the river, at the mouth of which they were all mur- 

 dered. They were put to death under the most hor- 

 rible cruelties, and the prows which contained them 

 were afterward* *et on fire and consumed. The un- 

 fortunate victim*, it is said, amounted to 2* Euro- 

 pean* and 63 native soldiers. Bat the instigator of 

 this horrible proceeding wa* doomed to experience 

 speedy vengeance. Tbe armament destined for Pa. 

 limbing, sailed on the 80th of March 1812, from 

 Batavia, but unhappily, from detention by contrary 

 winds and current* in the (traits, ample time waa 

 afforded the guilty sultan for flight or resistance. The 

 former measure he had resolved to adopt, having re- 

 moved his women and treasure into the interior of 

 hi* country, while both he and his ministers endea- 



vourecl to amuse the British commander with declara- 

 tions of respect, and messages requesting to be in- 

 formed of the object of the armament. Appropriate an- 

 swers were returned, with the assurance that the views 

 of the British government would only be confided by 

 the commander of the forces to the royal ear. But the 

 insidious policy of the sultan began fully to develope 

 itself. A message arrived, importing that the sul- 

 tan would be happy to see his friend the British com- 

 mander at Palimbang, with a few attendants only, as 

 the presence of so large a force might occasion serious 

 alarm to his subjects. Formidable batteries in appear- 

 ance, though badly constructed, were placed at Borang, 

 40 miles from the sea, to guard the approach to the 

 capital. Unmolested passage up the river being de- 

 manded of the messenger by Colonel Gillespie, this 

 was granted, and also the occupation of the batteries, 

 which was promised as a pledge of sincerity, a person 

 styled their commandant being left to conduct the 

 British to the spot. The next day, the British ad- 

 vance, with its guns, making its appearance within 

 half gun-shot, the batteries which the sultan had or- 

 dered his troops to defend were abandoned by the 

 enemy. Their cannon, amounting to 102 pieces, ready 

 loaded and primed, were taken possession of. A scene 

 of desultory and savage hostility soon spread around. 

 Fires in all directions were kindled, and burning raft* 

 were prepared, for the destruction of the shipping ; 

 happily the incendiary Malays were dispersed by shot 

 the boats of the Cornelia, before a conflagration en- 

 swed. On the morning of the 23d of April, informa- 

 tion wa* received that the sultan had fled from Palim- 

 bang on learning that the batteries of Borang were 

 seized, and that the utmost confusion prevailed in the 

 capital, many parts of which were a prey to rapine and 

 HMsination. To put a stop to thin horrible state of 

 thiniis, and to prevent the massacre of the wealthy 

 Chinese, which it was rumoured the sultan's adherents 

 meant to perpetrate on the ensuing night, and whose 

 property was to become the prize of the assassins, Co- 

 lon*! Gillespie meant to interpose a prompt relief. For 

 this object, a resolute body guard was selected, con- 

 sisting of 17 grenadiers of the Syth regiment, accom- 

 panied by Captain Bowen and Lieutenant Monday of 

 the navy, Major Butler, Major Thorn, and Lieutenant 

 Forrest. At their head wa* Colonel Gillespie. The 

 rest of tbe troops was ordered to follow with all expe- 

 dition. It wa* night before they reached old Palim- 

 bang. The canoe which contained its leader ouUtript 

 in Bailing the other two boats, and the report of a signal 

 gun, fired by the enemy, increased the anxiety for their 

 coming up, as the apprehension of some treacherous 

 design was entertained. Horrid ye IN and shrieks in 

 all directions broke around, whila a conflagration illu- 

 minated a tract of country, stretching for upwards of 

 seven miles on both sides of the river. By the exertions 

 of the crews, the other two boats were brought up to 

 the support of their friends. A scene of horror now 

 wa* displayed, which would have subdued the courage 

 of ordinary men, but called forth the characteristic pre- 

 senceof mind of Colonel Gillespie. To use Major Thorn's 

 own words, " Romance never described any thing half 

 so hideous, nor has the invention of the imagination ever 

 given representations equally appalling with what here 

 struck us in reality." Undaunted by hosts of armed men, 

 Colonel Gillespie boldly stepped on shore, at the head 

 of his devoted band, and marched with a firm step, 

 through a multitude of Arab* and ferocious Malays, 



Java. 



Batteries at 



Borang 



seized. 



ConCutioa 

 at Palim- 

 bang. 



A small 

 band select- 

 ed for its re- 

 lief. 



