28 
NOBTH BOKNEO. 
stores were ordered to be put back in the bouse of the Datu of the village, and the men of 
the Constabulary were ‘ dismissed.’ 
“ The Europeans and the officers of the Constabulary w^re standing about under a tree 
in a large plain near the village, when two men came up with muskets in their hands and 
entered into an apparently friendly conversation with Dr. Fraser. Without any warning 
one of the men suddenly discharged his musket, killing the Doctor instantaneously; an 
alarm was occasioned. Seven Bajows, friends of the two men alluded to, and including 
Orang Kaya Awang and the two cattle-thieves above mentioned, at once ‘ amoked,’ and 
speared fatally Jemadhar Asa Singh, Sergeant-Major Narain Singh, and Private Jendah 
Singh; they then endeavoured to escape by rushing across the plain towards the jungle, 
when Captain de Fontaine in the most plucky manner pursued them. All this happened in 
the space of a few minutes only, and no one had time to support Captain de Fontaine before 
he tripped up and fell on the ground, when the Bajows turned on him and inflicted no less 
than nine spear wounds on different parts of his body, three of his assailants falling, however, 
to his revolver. By this time the Sikhs, who were at some little distance off, had seized 
their rifles and opened fire, killing three others of the Bajows and wounding the remaining 
two, who succeeded in making good their escape to the jungle.None of the Bajow 
villagers took part in the disturbance, with the exception of the nine amokers, and conse¬ 
quently no punishment was inflicted on the village; but the chief, Datu Dullah, accompanied 
the Resident to Gaya. It was found that eight privates were wounded, some of them 
severely. Until further intelligence is received, it is impossible to say whether the 
treacherous attack was premeditated, or whether, as some think, the first gun went off 
by accident, giving rise to the panic which had such sad results; under the circumstances, 
therefore, we deem it right to refrain from comment.” 
Later news settled all doubts as to the premeditation of this “ amok.” The Bajows, 
whether seven or nine in number, prepared the day before with their Hadjis (or Mohammedans 
who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca) for almost certain death; and though dreadful 
were the consequences of their sudden and to our ideas most treacherous attack, one 
cannot but feel that these men were little less than heroes. I must say I always view such 
deeds from the natives’ side as well as that of the European, and that I cannot help regard¬ 
ing these seven Bajows, who attacked, after their mode of warfare, no less than eighty men 
better armed than they were, as “ braves ” indeed. Whether aborigines, when they attack 
Europeans by such sudden and to our minds such treacherous modes, are justified or not, 
the reader must decide for himself; but when the civilizing (?) white man goes into countries 
to which he has not the least right in the world, armed with weapons of the most improved 
pattern and other Christian-like inventions for the improvement of his dark-skinned 
brethren, I will ask, What other mode of fighting is left to them ? No doubt these Bajows 
imagined that this expedition had intentions on their lives and property, so they attacked 
it in the only way left open to them with the least chance of success, and that chance 
slight indeed. 
The steam-launches now neared the opposite coast, but it was not until late in the 
afternoon that the dead and wounded were brought from the shore in canoes. Seeing 
the fearful plight poor De Fontaine was in, I offered my services to the Resident to nurse 
