Read Ebook: Ran away from the Dutch by Perelaer M T H Michael Theophile Hubert Mendes A P Editor Blok Maurice Translator

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Ebook has 1809 lines and 103378 words, and 37 pages

A MILITARY REPORT--FOUR DESERTERS--BABA POETJIENG--A LETTER--A COMPASSIONATE DOCTOR, HIS REFLECTIONS--FIRST INTRODUCTION TO TOMONGGONG--THE TITIH--A CHOLERA FUNERAL--RIFLE SHOT AND CANNON SHOT 1

WHISPERING--LUCULLUS MISTAKEN FOR AN ANIMAL--JOHANNES' PLAN--A GRATEFUL SMUGGLER--JOHANNES A GEOGRAPHER--A MIRACULOUS HAUL OF FISHES--LA CUEILLE'S PROMISE--DRINKING WATER--DEPARTURE 22

A DRUNKEN MAN'S TALK--ON THE SEA--JOHANNES UP A TREE--UP THE KAHAJAN--AN AEOLIAN HARP--THE SOENGEI TROESSAN--IN THE DAHASAN--A WOOD SPECTRE--A MOSQUITO CHARM--FURTHER PLANS--LOOK OUT FOR YOUR HEAD--SUITS OF BLACK 35

ON THE JOURNEY--A PREVENTIVE AGAINST MOSQUITOES--THE SOENGEI BASARANG--THE KAPOEAS--PAST POELOE KANAMIT--THE BOAR'S HEAD--A TRUE DAYAK MEAL--FOUND IN THE WOOD--A PANGARERAN PUTTING OUT FISHING-HOOKS--THE CAPTURE OF A CROCODILE--THE SOENGEI MANTANGEI--FIGHT WITH A BOA CONSTRICTOR--A SKIRMISH--THE JOURNEY RESUMED 59

THE WOUNDED GO TO KWALA KAPOEAS--THE MANTANGEI AND THE MENKATIP--THE COMMANDER IN PURSUIT--AT SEA--PURSUIT OF THE FUGITIVES--THE SCHOONER--THE RETURN--ON THE TRACK AT LAST--DEPARTURE FROM MANTANGEI--WHITE SAIL--FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE HEAD-HUNTERS--LA CUEILLE WOUNDED--A FUNERAL CEREMONY 85

JOURNEY UP THE RIVER--POISONS, HOW THEY ARE MADE--THE SOENGEI MOEROI--THE MEETING WITH BAPA ANDONG--BEE-HUNTING--HEAD-HUNTERS AGAIN--A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE 110

THE RESULTS OF THE FIGHT--DAMBOENG PAPOENDEH'S EXPEDITION--THE MAROETAS--BACK AGAIN TO THE KAPOEAS--NIGHT FIRING--THE BEES TO THE RESCUE--ASSISTANCE IN PERIL--THE SEPARATION--CIVILIZATION AND BARBARISM 123

SOLITUDE--KWALA HIANG--THE ATTACK--RIFLE AND CANNON FIRE--THE GARRISON TAKES FLIGHT--THE PILLAGE--AN ILLUMINATION--THE COMMANDER OF KWALA KAPOEAS IN PURSUIT--HIS SEARCH AT SOENGEI NANING AND SOENGEI MANTANGEI--HIS ARRIVAL AT KWALA HIANG--THE PURSUIT CONTINUED--A GIGANTIC MAP--KOTTA BAROE--OUR TRAVELLERS AGAIN ON THE WAY--THE LEGEND OF THE ELEPHANT--POENANS! POENANS! 136

HARIMAOUNG BOEKIT'S NARRATIVE--EVENTS AT KOTTA BAROE--COUNCIL OF WAR--COALS--ARRIVAL AT KOTTA DJANGKAN--TAKING IN AMMUNITION AND PROVISIONS--A WOMAN CAGED--WIENERSDORF BECOMES DESPERATE--JOHANNES REASONS 160

FURTHER MEANS OF DEFENCE--THE OATH OF ATONEMENT--JOHANNES AN ORATOR--TWO GUN SHOTS--THE ATTACK--WIENERSDORF IN A FAINT--A GRATEFUL POENAN--A DAYAK BEAUTY--AN OFFER OF MARRIAGE--WIENERSDORF IS ENGAGED TO HAMADOE--AN AMBASSADOR FROM THE COLONEL--HE CARRIES BACK HIS MESSAGE 173

CONSULTATION--THE "BLAKO ONTONG"--A SALVO OF GUNS--THE OFFERING--A NATIONAL DANCE--DOWN WITH THE TURBAN--A CONFERENCE DISTURBED BY TWO RIFLE SHOTS--A FLOATING ISLAND--AN ATTEMPT AT SURPRISE--A FATAL SHOT--THE SIEGE RAISED--THE EPISODE OF THE CROCODILE--JOHANNES SPEAKS--A NEW CHIEF 199

PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY--AN EMIGRATION--THE FISHING--A DAYAK TRIBUNAL--THE FINGER TEST--THE PROOF WITH THE LANCE--WIENERSDORF FINDS HAMADOE A TREASURE--LA CUEILLE DISCOVERS A COAL BED--A MISUNDERSTANDING--THE GOLD FEVER 225

A DAYAK IRON-FOUNDRY--A PAIR OF NATIVE BELLOWS--HARIMAOUNG BOEKIT DOWN WITH FEVER--WIENERSDORF BECOMES A PHYSICIAN--JOHANNES A MAGICIAN--NEWS FROM KWALA KAPOEAS--ONCE MORE EN ROUTE--THE WIDOW'S STONE--KIHAM HOERAS AND ITS PASSAGE--HALAMANTEK 247

A DAYAK BREAKFAST--THE HALT ON THE ISLAND--THE BOEHIES--A NEW KIND OF SOUP--THE THUNDER-STORM AND ITS RESULTS--RUMORS OF WAR--A NIGHT ATTACK--THE PARABOH--KOTTA HAMIAK BESIEGED--THE BESIEGERS ROUTED 269

CREMATION--THE SLAUGHTER OF PRISONERS OF WAR--A PRISONER OF WAR SAVED--COUNCIL OF WAR--SCARCITY OF WATER--HAMADOE THIRSTY--WIENERSDORF ATTACKED BY AN ORANG OUTANG--ON THE KAHAJAN--A BLOODY BATTLE--SCHLICKEISEN LOST 295

PURSUIT--A BAND OF DOESSONESE SURPRISED--ON THE TRACK OF SCHLICKEISEN--HE IS SAVED--HARIMAOUNG BOEKIT MAKES A DISCOVERY--THE JOURNEY RENEWED--GOLD HUNTING--LA CUEILLE MAKES A FIND--BARTER WITH THE OLO OTTS 318

TRAVELLING APPOINTMENTS--THE DIAMOND OF THE SULTAN OF MATAM--DIAMOND FIELDS--GEORGE MULLER'S DIARY AND SKULL--MARRIAGE CEREMONIES--AGAIN ON THE ROAD--A NOVEL BURIAL-PLACE--ON THE EQUATOR--AN INKY LAKE--THE ASCENT OF BATANG LOEPAR 343

DESCENT OF THE BATANG LOEPAR--A BORNEAN WATERFALL--THE FRONTIER PASSED--SIMANGANG--PARTING--ON BOARD THE FIREFLY--A SARAWAK FORT-- AT KOETSHIN--ON BOARD THE RAINBOW--AT SINGAPORE--DEPARTURE FOR EUROPE 361

RAN AWAY FROM THE DUTCH; OR, BORNEO FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.

A MILITARY REPORT--FOUR DESERTERS--BABA POETJIENG--A LETTER--A COMPASSIONATE DOCTOR, HIS REFLECTIONS--FIRST INTRODUCTION TO TOMONGGONG--THE TITIH--A CHOLERA FUNERAL--RIFLE SHOT AND CANNON SHOT.

"If you please, Colonel, four men have not answered to their names at roll-call."

"Who are they?"

"Schlickeisen, Wienersdorf, La Cueille and Johannes."

"Two Swiss, a Belgian and a native," muttered the Colonel. "And has it been ascertained how late they were seen at the military kampong?"

"Impossible, Colonel, the gates close at six and after that hour may not be reopened without your permission."

"Let a corporal and three men be immediately despatched to enquire after them. Then close the gates and double the guard so that means may be at hand to send out aid if required."

"Right, Colonel."

"Let me also have a full report of the search in the kampong and its results."

"Right, Colonel! Any further orders?"

A negative being indicated by a shake of the head, the sergeant saluted and quitted the apartment.

The Colonel rose from his rocking-chair. A sudden anxiety seemed to possess him. But a few moments before his face had seemed to be cast in bronze. Not a muscle had moved. Now, however, he had become restless and perturbed. He turned up the flame of his lamp and going to a safe took down a large volume. This he placed on the table and began to read attentively. The book contained extracts from the army register, that wonderful description of the whole of the Dutch Indian force which is kept posted with the most laudable exactitude at the war office in Batavia.

"Schlickeisen," read the Colonel; "a Swiss born at Steinbach, in the canton of Glarus, twenty-one years old. Father a priest." He turned over another leaf.

"Wienersdorf, also a Swiss; born at Winterth?r, in the canton of Z?rich, twenty-three years old. Father a professor of natural philosophy.

"La Cueille, a Belgian, born at Cheratte, in the province of Liege, twenty-six years old. Father a miner in the coal mines of Jupille.

"Johannes, born at Padang, island of Sumatra; about thirty years old. Father unknown. Mother the Niasian woman, Ma Troeni."

The Colonel closed the book; he could obtain from it no further information.

"A curious affair," he muttered, "and one that will cause endless trouble unless it should prove to be only a drunken brawl."

Taking another large folio from his collection of books, he turned over a few pages and read:

"Schlickeisen and Wienersdorf were recommended at the registry to be educated as officers. They were subsequently dismissed from the college for taking part in the insurrection of the Swiss at Samarang. The one was a candidate for the bar, the other had finished his curriculum at the Realschule and had received his diploma as teacher of natural philosophy and chemistry. Both had studied at Z?rich. Nothing seems to be known of La Cueille. He has said that he was once assistant to a gun-maker at Meester Cornelis, but had been dismissed for drunkenness. And Johannes, another of those Indian products of animal passion, whose birth is almost a misfortune to him."

Thus far had the Colonel read and commented when a knock was heard and the sergeant again appeared. In correct military attitude he waited until his superior officer should interrogate him.

"Well, are they found?"

"No, Colonel, we have scoured the whole of the military kampong. It is quite deserted. All we have found is this letter, addressed to you by Johannes and left by him in his hut."

The Colonel received the letter with an air of indifference, opened it and just glanced at the signature. Then dropping it carelessly on the table, he asked,

"Have you discovered whether the missing men had procured any drink?"

"Not any, Colonel."

"Who commands the guard?"

"Corporal Greenwood."

"Ahem; also an old drunkard. Ascertain from him and from the sentries whether Baba Poetjieng has been in the batang." The sergeant withdrew.

Baba and Kee are used to designate the Chinese in the Dutch Indies. The former is the more complimentary. Kee is humiliating and almost a nickname.

Baba Poetjieng was a sly Chinaman who had managed to make himself indispensable to the garrison by the sale of such merchandise as tobacco, needles, thread, beer, canned meats and vegetables, paper, pens and ink, etc., all of the first quality and unmistakably cheap. His prices, compared with those of the European merchants of Bandjermasin and even of Java, could not possibly have yielded him the smallest profit. It rather seemed as if he actually lost by his transactions. This he swore by the coffin of his father and grandfather was really the case; alleging that it was a real pleasure to him to serve his good friends the Hollanders. One day the Colonel happened to pick up outside of the fort an empty sardine box, and upon examining it became struck by its peculiar trade-mark and by an extraordinary smell which seemed to cling to it. Finding a second box on a subsequent occasion, he again detected the same odor, and the idea struck him that the boxes had contained opium. He also noticed that among both the Indian and the European soldiers of the garrison there was a certain amount of excitement whenever Baba Poetjieng was at the pier with his wares. But all efforts to entrap the sly Chinaman had proved unavailing. His tins when opened for examination were always found to contain the finest sardines or California fruits; and with a satisfied grin our Baba asked the Colonel whether he had enjoyed his purchases. He had "most carefully selected his wares for the toean." The reader will now perceive why the Colonel had expressed a wish to know whether Baba Poetjieng had been seen at the pier.

The sergeant returned with a report that nobody had seen the Chinaman that day.

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