The double murder at Fort Emma
FOR more than a century, one particular story on what transpired before and after the double murders of two of the Rajah’s officials in Kanowit in June 1859 remained untold and concealed within the confines of Fort Emma, the 19thcentury wooden citadel of the Brooke era.
The story finally came to light in an interview the late Jaro Lamit, former chief of Kampung Bedil in Kanowit, gave to Tuton Kaboy in 1963.
The interview was published in the June 1965 edition of the Sarawak Gazette.
Based on Jaro’s account, drawn from the version of the Kanowits, one of the earliest ethnic groups settling along the Kanowit River, many longhouse tribes — Kanowits, Siteng, Tanjong, Rajang, Igan, Kayan, Bukitan, Sekapan, Matu and Segalang — co-existed peacefully in the old days in Kanowit.
In those days, there were more Kanowits than other tribes living in two longhouses at the former site of SMK Sedaya, which has since been relocated across the Batang Rajang, facing Fort Emma.
Back then, the Kanowits were divided into three hierarchical ranks — Raja (aristocrats) who lived in the middle apartments of the longhouse; Panyin (middle class) who lived on either side; and Dipan (slaves) who lived with the families of Raja.
The Panyin and Dipan worked for the aristocrats and everybody lived in peace.
Their most influential leaders at that time were Saweng of Bukitan and Tanjong parentage, and Sakalai, a Melanau from Matu.
Saweng had fallen for Nyalade, a fair maiden, but she spurned his overtures of marriage as he already had a wife and two children.
Nyalade told Saweng, “If you are a brave man and invulnerable, you go and cut off the heads of the two white fowls on the other side of the river. If you can, then you are a brave man.”
With wounded pride, Saweng gathered his men, telling them to pack their belongings and set up refuge and build a stronghold at Kabah River.
Saweng, Sakalai, and two or three others went to the Fort
where two Brooke officials — James Fox and Henry Steele – were staying.
Steele had been stationed in Kanowit since 1851 while Fox, originally posted to Sarikei, was left in Kanowit to support Steele
by the Rajah’s nephew Charles Brooke during the latter’s visit to the area.
Before arriving at the Fort, Saweng told Sakalai and his friends, “When I begin to chew betel nuts, you will kill those
Europeans.”
Saweng did as he said he would on reaching the fort. He started munching betel nuts, and taking the cue from his action as instructed, Sakalai and his friends drew their parang and accounted for the two Europeans.
Saweng and his followers returned home after that.
When the Rajah heard the news, he sent a patrol to Kanowit to capture the group responsible. Some of the patrol members were former followers of Saweng’s. Arriving in Kanowit, the patrol reinforced the Fort into a bastion where they fired their guns and cannons at Saweng’s hideout and destroyed the villages.
Saweng and his followers escaped to their stronghold at Kabah with the patrol in hot pursuit.
In the ensuing battle, Saweng’s stronghold was destroyed and many of his followers killed. Some of them pulled back earlier while those from Matu, Igan, and Mukah returned to their homes.
Saweng escaped up the Batang Rajang to the Iran River in Song where he continued to engage the Rajah’s forces.
Red with blood
The water of the Iran River turned red with the blood of the men killed from both sides. After a long struggle, Saweng and his followers dodged further heavy artillery fire from the Rajah by escaping to the Pelagus River where they made a stand.
Saweng attacked the Rajah’s men with his two ilang (swords) but he and his followers could not hold out for long against guns and cannons with parang and spears.
Saweng escaped to a Kejaman house at Tuju Metahap just above Belaga bazaar and made it his stronghold. He hung a ‘klasah’ mat (made of tree bark and rotan) as a mantle of invincibility in front of the house.
When the Rajah and his men reached the house, they did not storm it but opened fire their from the opposite bank.
According to Jaro, all the bullets could not pass through the mat and just dropped to the floor.
Many of the Sekapans and Kejamans were killed in the protracted battle with neither side prepared to yield any ground. The patrol eventually pulled back after failing to capture Saweng.
End of Saweng’s life
Saweng stayed in Tuju Metahap before proceeding to Anap where he received a letter from the Rajah, telling him his children, Gadap and Metalai, who were left in Kanowit during the battle, had been arrested.
Saweng was deeply saddened and surrendered to the Rajah in Kuching where he was incarcerated.
When the chieftains from Mukah, Oya, Igan, Segalang, and Rajang heard that Saweng had been sentenced to death, they called for a meeting immediately to plead for his life.
According to Jaro, they informed the Rajah of their decision but some of the other tribal leaders objected and persuaded the Rajah to carry out the sentence, saying “If Saweng remains alive, we shall suffer because he is a dangerous man and he might harm the people.”
When the Rajah heard this, he ordered the execution. They tied Saweng’s hands and shot him but could not kill him because he was invulnerable. They tried all sorts of ways but “no weapons could penetrate him”.
In the end, Saweng told the Rajah, “It’s painful to have your men kill me like this and it will be better for me to die quickly.”
As Jaro recounted, Saweng asked the Rajah to kill him, using his (Saweng’s) dagger. The Rajah took hold of the dagger and the saga of Saweng ended there and then.