You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.
– Albert Einstein, German-born theoretical physicist
On June 2, 1857, on the eve of his 27th birthday, Charles Brooke and his army commander Abang Aing advanced on Rentap’s fort at Bukit Sadok.
Leading the way was Brooke’s chief guide Sandom, a sworn enemy of Rentap, who killed his brother by dragging him down a hill, chopped his body and then had his heart torn out.
Five days later on June 7, Brooke’s soldiers comprising lower Skrang and Balau warriors from Lingga stopped at Lintang Batang at the spot when Allan Lee was killed four years earlier on April 29, 1853.
The following day they reached a spur leading to Sadok when they heard Rentap’s ‘Tawak’ gongs warning his followers of the arrival of the Rajah’s troops.
In the meantime, the Rajah’s forces established a base on the footpath leading to Sadok “a very formidable stockade impervious to rifle shots with almost perpendicular declivities on two sides of it” about 400 yards away.
Over the next eight days, the incessant rain caused soldiers to suffer severely from cold as their little shelters became “leaking huts, the earth floors of which were soon converted into pools of mire”.
Charles in his memoir ‘Ten Years Sarawak’ said: “The next day a division of Dayaks and Malays proceeded against Rentap’s allies (living in surrounding longhouses) whom they drove back, and whose houses they plundered and burnt.
When the weather cleared, Charles decided to launch the assault on Rentap’s solid fortress wall comprising massive logs.
At 4pm on June 14, 1857, Abang Aing created a “a movable stockade” by using overturned small boats to cover their heads against enemy spears, rocks and gunfire.
As they inched forward, Aing’s group was within 20 feet of the fort’s outer wall where they placed a pile of firewood.
At 5.30pm, Aing and five men reached the wall which they tried to set the pile of wood on fire but Aing was shot in the shoulder.
Three others were injured by gunshot, and about 40 others following closely behind were hit by rocks and missiles.
Examining Aing’s wound, Charles ordered that the musket shot which was lodged in his back be removed. Aing later wrapped the led metal ball into yellow cloth which became “talisman” for protection.
As there were only three days of provisions left and with Charles soldiers “half-chilled-to-death” during the rain, the expedition was called off.
As darkness set in, Charles’ men returned to their stockade below the hill while Rentap’s men in the fort released triumphant yells.
Charles was soaked as he had not changed his wet clothes for eight days — he never washed and scarcely slept.
He reminisced: “As I lay down to rest at night, after my last sip of brandy, I gave up all thoughts of gaining Rentap’s fortress, but resolved to see what could be done elsewhere.
“When I rose the last morning, the enemies were yelling (in triumph) and my first desire was to get about a hundred of the strongest young fellows together, command myself, and proceed to Attui where there were three longhouses of enemies about six hours’ walk away.
“This I promised to do in three days when I would return here (after burning the longhouses) and march back with the whole force.
“But I could obtain no volunteers; some said they were sick, others out of provisions and I was obliged to bow to circumstances, and at eight o’clock our party began to descend the mountain.” (Brooke I, 1866:258-259)
Even though the first Sadok expedition did not cause serious damage, it raised Rentap’s confidence in the “impregnability of his stronghold.”
“Practically it (the expedition) had been a failure and so it was felt to be among the Malays and Dayaks generally. The unrest in the country became more accentuated and the bravery of the Saribas (Skrang) increased.”
To rejoice, Rentap held a grand and elaborate ‘miring’ celebration to thank the ‘Petara’ deities.
On his arrival on June 15 at the base camp on the river, he discovered to his horror that a violent 12-foot-high flash flood had swept away everything, including their stockade.
Many of the men who were waiting at the landing point were drowned and more than 70 boats were missing.
At least 1,000 of his soldiers who escaped the flood were standing “disconsolately on the bank” and totally demoralised.
“The news was not encouraging, but I at once persuaded the unhappy-looking people to shake down the best way they could for that night, and in the morning, we would do our best; at any rate we would not desert them,” he wrote.
Charles added: “Our fellows I found were not totally dispirited, but seemed to feel God was to be praised that they had arrived safe back so far.” (Brooke I, 1866:260)
A Sarawak gazette report said: “The Raja’s forces camped at Pulau Panyun near Entalau (Nanga Entalau) before they attacked Sadok.
“When Rentap heard that the Raja was moving towards Sadok he prayed to the gods for rain. He beat the Beliong against other solid objects to make it sound. This is the manner of calling for rain. It called Gendang Pampat Puting Beliong.
“Rain came in torrents for two days and a night, flooding the Skrang. The Raja’s camp was destroyed. Many of the Raja’s boats and men were lost. Those that survived abandoned the campaign and returned to Kuching.” (SG, March 31, 1972)
Charles army appeared to be cursed the following April 1858 as they were stricken by cholera on another expedition against the Saribas Dayaks.
“To my great disappointment I found the cholera had followed us; three boat crews had already come alongside asking for medicine; two poor fellows in one boat had the complaint in the acutest form, and were suffering most excruciating pain from cramp.
“I administered as almost never-failing remedy, ‘The Bishop of Labuan’s Pill’ and rubbed the men with Kaya Putih oil; they were better in the morning and so were all those who could take their remedies in time; but alas, many did not and died as the morning sun rose.”
Even as the deities had favoured the rebels, Charles was convinced that he should have heeded the omen bird’s warning; that it was futile to pursue the Skrang chief.
Yet, Charles and his men had arrived safely from Sadok and so after their narrow escape, the Rajah Muda said a prayer of “sincere thankfulness to Him who ordained all things.”
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
