"No, not yet, my friend," he answered. "I purpose accompanying you to
Cheribon, that I may render you any service in my power. I have a
horse, and will follow immediately."
The officer made a sign of impatience, so I mounted one of the steeds,
and Jack sprang on the back of the other, where he sat very much as a
big monkey would have done, fully resolved, it seemed, to enjoy any fun
which might be forthcoming. As the French soldiers treated him kindly,
and spoke in a good-natured tone to him, though he could not understand
what they said, his fears quickly vanished, and he was speedily "hail
fellow well met" with them all.
The officer I found a very gentlemanly young man. He rode up alongside
me after we had proceeded a little way, and seemed eager enough to talk
about La Belle France and Paris; but when I endeavoured to draw any
information from him respecting the proceedings at the west end of the
island, he closed his mouth, or gave only vague answers. From this I
argued that affairs had not gone with the French in quite as
satisfactory a manner as they wished. I asked him at last whether he
thought that I should be detained or be otherwise inconvenienced by the
commandant at Cheribon.
"We shoot spies," he answered laconically, at the same time shrugging
his shoulders as a Frenchman only can do. "C'est la fortune de la
guerre."
"But, my dear sir, I am no spy," I answered. "The governor, or native
chief, purposed to seize my vessel, and I was left on shore while she
made her escape. I am but a supercargo anxious to sell the goods
entrusted to me."
The young officer gave a smile of incredulity, yet with an air of so
much politeness that I really could not be angry with him; indeed it
would have done me no good if I were. We were in a short time joined by
Mynheer Van Deck, who came galloping up on a much finer horse than any
possessed by the French soldiers. I found from my captor that the
journey would be far longer than I had expected, as we had to make a
considerable _detour_ to visit a native chief, or prince, to whom he had
a message. My belief was that he was beating up for native recruits to
oppose the British force, which, if not arrived, must have been hourly
expected. We had several natives with us, armed with long spears and
daggers, a few only having firelocks. Van Deck told me that we should
soon have to pass a river, rather a dangerous spot, on account of the
number of tigers which came there to drink, and which had already
carried off several natives.
"But surely they would not venture to attack so large a body of men as
this," I remarked.
"Not if we could keep together, unless they happen to be very hungry,"
he answered. "Unfortunately, however, the path in some places is so
narrow that we have to proceed in single file, and as there are fallen
trees and other impediments in the way, travellers are apt to get
separated, when, of course, they are more liable to be picked off. I
always keep my pistol cocked in my hand, that I may have a chance of
shooting my assailant."
"But I came on shore unarmed, and have no pistols," I answered.
"Then keep ahead of me, and if I see a tiger spring at you I will fire
at him, and do my best to save you."
"But the poor boy who is with me--he has a poor chance, I am afraid," I
observed, after I had thanked my friend for his offer.
"Oh, he is safe enough if he keeps close to the soldiers; the clatter of
their arms frightens the beasts."
While the Dutchman was speaking we came in sight of the river. It was
fordable, though rather deep, and as the leading men on their small
horses plunged in the water was up to their saddle-girths. I naturally
looked out on either side for our expected enemies. Three or four large
animals sprang off just as the leading horses reached the opposite bank.
I thought they were tigers.
"Oh, no, they are only wild cats," said Van Deck. "Rather unpleasant to
be caught by one of them asleep, but they are easily frightened."
I thought to myself, If those creatures are Java wild cats, what must
Java tigers be like? We all passed across the stream without any
accident, a small body of half-clad natives bringing up the rear. They
were climbing up the somewhat steep bank, when a fearful shriek,
followed by loud shouts and cries, made me turn my head, and I caught
sight of a monster bounding along the bank, with the writhing,
struggling body of a human being between his huge jaws. The poor
wretch's _sarong_, or plaid, had become loose, and dragged after him.
Already several natives were setting off in chase, while others were
discharging their firearms at the animal, though at the risk of killing
the man. The French officer called out to them to desist, and seizing a
lance from one of the people, gallantly dashed after the tiger. I
naturally wished to join in the chase, but Van Deck entreated me to
stop, telling me that I should very likely, if I went, be picked off by
another tiger on my return. As it would have been folly to disregard
his advice, we pushed on as fast as we could to get out of the narrow
defile. We could for several minutes hear the shouts of the natives
still in pursuit of the tiger. After some time they rejoined us, but
they had not saved the poor man, and had, moreover, lost another of
their number, who had been carried off by a tiger just as the first
leaped over a cliff fifty feet above the valley, with the man still in
its mouth. It was followed triumphantly by its companion.
"This is not the country I should choose to travel in, still less to
live in," I said.
"It cannot be helped," observed the Dutchman. "I am well off here, a
great man among small people. I should be a beggar elsewhere. This is
not, however, the country in which a man of education and mind would
choose to pitch his tent."
Torches were lit for the latter part of our journey. It will be
remembered that so nearly under the equator as we were the days and
nights are of equal length all the year round; we therefore did not
enjoy the delightful twilight of a northern clime.
Notice had been given of our proposed visit to the chief, or prince, who
was, I was told, of Malay descent. Preparations were therefore made for
our reception, and very handsome they were. Though a prisoner, I was
treated like the rest of the guests. The house was much in the style of
those I have before described. But I was not prepared to find a table
elegantly set out and spread with fine linen and beautiful silver plate.
It was lighted by four large wax flambeaux in massive silver
candlesticks. The provisions were dressed in the Malay fashion, many of
the dishes being very palatable, and toasts were drunk with three times
three, the Malays of inferior rank, who sat round the room on the ground
against the walls to the number of thirty, joining in the huzzas. It
was altogether a curious scene of barbaric splendour. The prince
escorted us to our rooms, where we found capital beds, beautiful linen,
and very fine mosquito-nets, ornamented with fringe. The Malay servants
slept under the beds on mats, or in the corners of the rooms, to be in
readiness if required. Breakfast was prepared at daybreak, that we
might continue our journey in the cool of the morning.
We rested under the shade of some trees during the day, the soldiers
keeping up a fearful din to scare away any wild beast who might chance
to be prowling about in search of a dinner. The young officer had
fortunately a French cook among his men, who very soon contrived to
place before us a capital dinner, though of what it was composed I could
not discover. I rather think that hashed monkey formed one of the
dishes. As, towards night, we approached Cheribon, my kind Dutch friend
did his best to keep up my spirits, assuring me that he would spare no
pains to prove that I was not a spy. He was not quite sure that the
accounts received of the defeat of the English were correct; and the
French commandant would scarcely venture to hang me without very strong
proofs of my guilt, and with the possibility of being made a prisoner
himself by my countrymen ere long, should they have been victorious.
Still it was with no very pleasant feelings that I was formally
conducted into the fort as a prisoner.
The forts of Cheribon had been allowed to fall into decay by the Dutch,
but since the French occupation of the island had been repaired and
considerably strengthened. I was told that the commandant boasted that
he could hold out against any force likely to be sent against him, even
should my countrymen gain the day. I was taken at once before him and
examined, but though he had no evidence to prove me guilty, as I was
accused of being a spy he would not take my parole. I was by his orders
accordingly locked up in a cell with iron bars to the windows, a
three-legged stool, and a heap of straw in a corner for a bed. Mr Van
Deck had not entered the fort. In a little time Jack was thrust into
the cell with very little ceremony. He brought me a message from my
Dutch friend, saying that there had been a battle, and he suspected that
the French had been defeated. I heartily hoped that he was correct. I
had reason to believe that my prison, bad as it was, was the best in the
fort, for Jack told me that he had seen guards going round with messes
of food which they had put into wretched dark holes, and in one, as he
was led along, he saw a miserable gaunt man, with long matted hair, put
out a lean yellow hand to take the food. This information made me hope
more than ever than Van Deck was right in his suspicions, for I had no
fancy to be shut up in a dark cell for months in such a climate, with
the possibility of being taken out and shot as a spy. Had I been a
naval or military man I should not have been thus treated. Several very
unpleasant days and nights passed by, a scanty allowance of coarse food
only being brought to me and my young companion.
At length, one day the sergeant threw open my prison door, and Van Deck
appearing, took me by the hand and led me out of my noisome dungeon,
followed by Jack, who gave a shout of joy as he found himself in the
open air.
"I sent to Batavia, where your ship has arrived, and where your
statement was fully corroborated, and the commandant had therefore no
further excuse for keeping you a prisoner," said my friend. "But there
is another reason why he would not venture to do so much longer. Look
there!"
He pointed seaward where several large ships were seen approaching the
land. He handed me a glass. I examined them eagerly; they were
frigates, with the flag of Old England flying at their peaks. Jack,
when he heard this, gave a loud huzza, and threw up his cap with
delight, jumping and clapping his hands, and committing other
extravagances, till I ordered him to be quiet lest the French soldiers
should put a sudden stop to the exhibition of his feelings.
The frigates approached till they had got just within long gunshot range
of the fort, when after some time a boat put off from one of them and
approached the fort, bearing a flag of truce. That was, at all events,
pleasant. There was a chance of a battle being avoided, yet the
commandant had so loudly sworn that nothing should make him yield to the
English that I was afraid he might be obstinate and insist on holding
out. We were on the point of hurrying down to meet the boat, when a
sergeant with a guard stopped us and told us politely enough that we
must stay where we were, or that Jack and I must go back to prison.
"We must obey orders," observed Van Deck. "The fact is, that the
commandant is aware that you are acquainted with the weak points of the
fort, that the gun-carriages are rotten, and many of the guns are
themselves honeycombed or dismounted."
We were conducted out of the way when the officer with the flag of truce
entered the fort. Looking from the ramparts, however, we could see the
boat and the people in her through Van Deck's glass, and a young middy
was amusing himself, so it appeared to me, by daring some little Dutch,
or rather native boys to come off and fight him, which they seemed in no
way disposed to do, for whenever he held up his fists they ran off at a
great rate. Of one thing I was very sure, that if the French commandant
did not yield with a good grace he would be very soon compelled to do
so. That squadron of frigates had not come merely to give a civil
message and to sail away again. We walked up and down, impatiently
waiting to hear what was to be done.
At length, after an hour's delay, the officer who had brought the
message--Captain Warren, of the _President_--issued from the
commandant's house with his coxswain bearing a flag under his arm. Down
came the tricolour of France, and up went the glorious flag of England.
Jack was beside himself on seeing this, and I could scarcely refrain
from joining in his "Hurra! hurra!" as I hurried forward to meet the
English captain, whose acquaintance I had made at the Mauritius. The
French commandant intimated, on this, that I was at liberty; but as I
felt it would be ungrateful to leave my friend Van Deck abruptly, I
resolved to remain on shore for the present with him.
In a very short time the marines came on shore to secure the thus easily
acquired possession, but scarcely had they formed on the beach than it
was ascertained that a large body of the enemy had entered the town.
The order was given to charge through them, and, taken by surprise, the
French and Dutchmen threw down their arms, and several officers and
others were taken prisoners. Among them was General Jumel, second in
command to General Janssen, and Colonel Knotzer, aide-de-camp to the
latter, who with others were at once carried off to the ships.
Cheribon I found to be a much larger place than I at first supposed; the
streets are narrow but numerous, and in the outskirts especially the
houses of the natives are so completely surrounded by trees and bushes
that it is impossible to calculate their number. I heard that the
_Phoebe_ was one of the squadron, and soon had the satisfaction of
shaking hands with my brother William, Toby Trundle, and other officers
belonging to her. From them I heard a full account of the engagement
which had given the greater part of the magnificent island of Java to
the English. I was the more interested as my military brother had taken
part in it, and distinguished himself. I hoped to meet him when I got
to Batavia.
The army which was commanded by Sir Samuel Auchmuty, consisting of
11,000 men, half being Europeans, disembarked on the evening of the 5th
of August at the village of Chillingchin, twelve miles north of Batavia.
Colonel Gillespie advanced on the city of Batavia, of which he took
possession, and beat off the enemy, who attempted to retake it. A
general engagement took place on the 10th at Welteureden, when the
French were defeated and compelled to retire to the strongly entrenched
camp of Cornells. It was supposed to contain 250 pieces of cannon.
Here General Janssen commanded in person, with General Jumel, a
Frenchman, under him, with an army of 13,000 men. Notwithstanding this,
the forts were stormed and taken, and the greater number of the officers
captured. The commander-in-chief, with General Jumel, escaped--the
latter, as I have mentioned, to fall very soon afterwards into our
hands.
An expedition, consisting of marines and bluejackets, was now organised
to meet a body of the fugitive army said to be marching from Cornells.
As William was of the party, I got leave to accompany it. That we might
move the faster, horses had been obtained, and both marines and
bluejackets were mounted--that is to say, they had horses given them to
ride, but as the animals, though small, were frisky and untrained, they
were sent very frequently sprawling into the dust, and were much oftener
on their feet than in their saddles. Our force, as we advanced,
certainly presented a very unmilitary appearance, though we made clatter
enough for a dozen regiments of dragoons. We were in search of the
military chest said to be with the fugitives. We fell in with a large
party, who, however, having had fighting enough, sent forward a flag of
truce and capitulated. We got possession, however, of some waggon-loads
of ingots, but they were ingots of copper, and were said to be of so
little value in the country as to have been fired as grape-shot from
Cornells. The moon shone brightly forth for the first part of the
march, but no sooner did it become obscured than a considerable number
of the marines were seized with a temporary defective vision very common
within the tropics, called, "Nyctalopia," or night blindness. The
attack was sudden; the vision seldom became totally obscured, but so
indistinct that the shape of objects could not be distinguished. While
in this state the sufferers had to be led by their comrades. With some
it lasted more than an hour, with others not more than twenty minutes,
and on the approach of day all traces of it had disappeared.
On our march, during the heat of the day, we passed through a wood,
every tree in which seemed to have been blasted by lightning. Not a
branch nor leaf remained to afford us shelter from the scorching rays of
the sun. Had I not known that the story of the noxious effects produced
by the upas-tree was a fiction, I might have supposed that the
destruction had been caused by a blast passing amid the boughs of one of
those so-called death-dealing trees in the neighbourhood. Probably the
forest had been destroyed partly by lightning and partly by the
conflagration it had caused.
On returning to Cheribon, I found that my friend Van Deck was anxious to
proceed to Batavia, and I was fortunate in being able to procure him a
passage on board the _Phoebe_, which was going there at once.
"Well, Braithwaite, I shall never despair of your turning up safe!"
exclaimed Captain Hassall, shaking my hand warmly as I stepped on the
deck of the _Barbara_. "You saved the ship and cargo by your
promptness, for had I not got your message by young Jack there I should
have been captured to a certainty. Garrard, Janrin and Company have
reason to be grateful to you, and I have no doubt that they will be so."
Everybody knows that Batavia is a large Dutch town built in the
tropics--that is to say, it has broad streets, with rows of trees in
them, and canals in the centre of stagnant water, full of filth, and
surrounded by miasma-exuding marshes. But the neighbourhood is healthy,
and the merchants and officials mostly only come into the town in the
daytime, and return to their country houses at night. Some seasons are
worse than others, nobody knows why. Captain Cook was there on his
first voyage round the world during a very bad one, and, in spite of all
his care, lost a number of people. We were more fortunate, but did not
escape without some sickness.
Captain Hassall had disposed of most of that portion of our cargo suited
for the Batavian market, so that I soon got rid of the rest. I then
made arrangements for the purchase of sugar, tea, coffee, spices, and
several other commodities which I believed would sell well at Sydney, to
which place we proposed to proceed, touching at a few other points
perhaps on our way.
The articles had, however, first to be collected, as the army had
consumed the greater portion in store at Batavia. Part of the purchase
I made from a brother of my friend Van Deck. He was on the point of
sailing in a brig he owned along the coast to collect produce, and
invited me to accompany him. I gladly accepted his offer, as the
_Barbara_ could not sail till his return.
In those days, as well, indeed, as from the memory of man, these seas
swarmed with pirates, many of whom had their headquarters on the coast
of Borneo. Among them was a chief, or rajah, named Raga, notorious for
the boldness and success of his undertakings. We, however, believed
that with so many British men-of-war about he would seek some more
distant field for his operations. The harbour was full of native craft
of all sorts. Of the native prahus alone there are many varieties, some
built after European models, and carrying sails similar to those of our
English luggers. Others are of native construction, with lateen sails;
and many, built with high stems and sterns, have the square mat-sail,
such as impels the Batavian fishing prahus. Of course, among so many
craft a pirate chief could easily find spies ready to give him
information of all that was going forward. However, we troubled our
heads very little about the pirates.
By-the-bye, I have not said anything about the alligators of Java, which
are, I believe, larger than in any other part of the world. The
Government will not allow those in the harbour of Batavia to be
disturbed, as they act the part of scavengers by eating up the garbage
which floats on the water, and might otherwise produce a pestilence. I
often passed them floating on the surface, and snapping at the morsels
which came in their way, quite indifferent to the boats going to and fro
close to them. Captain Beaver, of the _Nisus_ frigate, described to me
one he saw in another part of the island when on an exploring
expedition. It was first discovered basking on a mud-bank, and neither
he nor the officers with him would believe that it was an animal, but
thought at first that it was the huge trunk of a tree. At the lowest
computation it was forty feet in length. The circumference of the
thickest part of the body seemed nearly that of a bullock, and this
continued for about double the length. The extent of the jaws was
calculated to be at least eight feet. The eyes glistened like two large
emeralds, but with a lustre which nothing inanimate could express. The
officers examined it through their glasses, and came to the conclusion
that it was asleep, but the native guides assured them that it was not.
To prove this, one of them fearlessly leaped on shore and approached the
creature, when it glided into the water, creating a commotion like that
produced by the launch of a small vessel.
I bade farewell to William and my friends of the _Phoebe_, not without
some sadness at my heart. In those time of active warfare it might be
we should never meet again. Of my soldier brother I got but a hurried
glimpse before he embarked on an expedition which was sent to capture
Sourabaya, at the other end of the island. A few words of greeting, and
inquiries and remarks, a warm long grasp of hands, and we parted.
Directly I stepped on board Van Deck's brig the _Theodora_, the anchor
was weighed, and we stood out of the harbour with a strong land breeze.
The easterly monsoon which prevailed was in our teeth, so that we were
only able to progress by taking advantage of the land and sea-breezes.
The land breeze commenced about midnight, and as it blew directly from
the shore, we were able to steer our course the greater part of the
night; but after sunrise the wind always drew round to the eastward, and
we were consequently forced off the shore. The anchor was then dropped
till towards noon, when the sea-breeze set in. Again we weighed, and
stood towards the shore, as near as possible to which we anchored, and
waited for the land breeze at night.
We had thus slowly proceeded for three or four days, having called off
two estates for cargo, when, as we lay at anchor, a fleet of five or six
prahus was seen standing towards us with the sea-breeze, which had not
yet filled our sails. Van Deck, after examining them through his glass,
said that he did not at all like their appearance, and that he feared
they intended us no good. On they came, still directly for us. We got
up all the arms on deck and distributed them to the crew, who, to the
number of thirty, promised to fight to the last. Then we weighed anchor
and made sail, ready for the breeze. It came at last, but not till the
prahus were close up to us. Under sail we were more likely to beat them
off than at anchor. They soon swarmed round us, but their courage was
damped by the sight of our muskets and guns. Of their character,
however, we had not a shadow of doubt. After a short time of most
painful suspense to us they lowered their sails and allowed us to sail
on towards the shore. Here we anchored, as usual, to wait for the land
breeze. Had there been a harbour, we would gladly have taken shelter
within it, for the merchant, the elder Van Deck, said that he knew the
pirates too well, and that they might still be waiting for an
opportunity to attack us. There was, however, no harbour, and so we had
to wait in our exposed situation, in the full belief that the pirates
were still in the offing, and might any moment pounce down upon us. The
Van Decks agreed that we might beat them off, but that if they should
gain the upper hand they would murder every one on board the vessel.
"We might abandon the vessel and so escape any risk," observed the
merchant--not in a tone as if he intended to do so. "You, at all
events, Mr Braithwaite, can be landed, and you can easily get back to
Batavia." Against this proposal of course my manhood rebelled, though I
had a presentiment, if I may use the expression, that we should be
attacked. "No, no! I will stay by you and share your fate, whatever
that may be," I replied. Night came on, and darkness hid all distant
objects from view.
We were in the handsome, well-fitted-up cabin, enjoying our evening
meal, when the mate, a Javanese, put his head down the skylight and said
some words in his native tongue, which made the Dutchmen start from
their seats, and, seizing their pistols and swords, rush on deck. I had
no difficulty, when I followed them, in interpreting what had been said.
The pirate prahus were close upon us.