}
59
No. 43.
Governor Sir H. St. George Ord to the Earl of Kimberley.—(Received October 29.) (No. 288.) My Lord,'
Government House, Singapore, September 27, 1873. REFERRING to my telegraphic despatch of the 17th September, and my despatch No. 271 of 19th September,† I have the honour to forward to your Lordship copy of a report which I have received from the Lieutenant-Governor of Penang, addressed to him by Commander Grant, of Her Majesty's ship "Midge," containing an account of his proceedings in the Laroot River on the occasion of his boats being fired into by pirates.
2. I have also since received a private letter from Colonel Anson, covering copy of a private letter addressed to him by Captain Woollcombe, R.N., Her Majesty's ship "Thalia," dated off Laroot the 22nd instant, stating that he had gone two miles above the town of Laroot, carrying two stockades and three junks which opposed him, and with only one man badly hit. At Larmot 4,000 Chinamen surrendered saying they saw they had been very foolish men.
3. By a telegram dated the 26th September Colonel Anson informs me that Her Majesty's ship "Thalia" and "Midge" had returned from Laroot, and that the latter would leave for Singapore on the 28th instant, that the wounded officers were better, but that the sailor would probably not recover.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 43.
H. ST. GEORGE ORD.
.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
To b b k k k
C.O.
Reference :-
882
2
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
Sir,
“Midge,” Penang, September 17, 1873. I HAVE the honour to inform you that, in pursuance of orders from the Senior Naval Officer of the Straits division, dated the 3rd September, 1873, I again left Penang on the 12th instant, and arrived off Laroot at 1 A.M on the 13th. Shortly after weighing at daylight I saw a suspicious junk which I proceeded to examine. She was flying the Laroot colours, but her port clearance specified five guns, whereas she had seven guns mounted and four in the hold, and no papers from the Orang Kaya Mantri to show that she was employed by him. I therefore detained her until I could communicate with him on the subject.
I
2. At 7 P.M. the Orang Kaya Mantri came out of Laroot in his steamer. communicated with him, and he informed me that he was not aware of any junk being in his service, but would inquire into it the next morning.
On the afternoon of the 14th Orang Kaya Mantri visited me, and having examined the principal Chinese belonging to the junk, he said that she was in his employ, but that there had been errors as regards her papers. Under these circumstances I released the junk. 4. I then arranged with the Mantri to visit the Laroot river and creeks with his steamer and my boats on the following day, if the weather would permit, which had been very unsettled all day with a nasty sea on.
5. The weather, however, was so bad the next day, having rain and squall, that I decided on not taking the boats in until it had changed. The Mantri then left in his steamer for Penang, where he had important business to transact, leaving me a small schooner fitted to pull and sail, which, in the absence of a steam launch, I thought would be desirable for the protection of the crew in bad weather.
6. At 5 F.M., the weather having cleared, I left the ship with this schooner and my gig. manned with 3 officers, 12 seamen, and 2 marines, and anchored shortly after dark off the entrance of the Laroot river.
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7. In the morning of the 16th I proceeded up the river, and the only thing I saw near the entrance was a sampan with four men in which I boarded, and found in her the headman of the Selensing village, this being the village mentioned in my letter of proceedings, 11th instant, as having fired on me; he told me he was going to visit his friends in Laroot. I, therefore, ordered him out of the river, and also told him that I was going to seize all boats having any provisions in them which had not passes from the Orang Kaya Mantri (the same being in accordance with the proclamation of the Governor in Council on the 3rd September, 1873.)
8. We then proceeded slowly up the river with our ensigns and pendants flying, and, on arriving within 2,500 yards of the stockade, two large row-boats with about 50 to 60 men in each came out of a creek and pulled fast towards us. I immediately prepared to receive them, and attempted with my boat to try and drive them to seaward; they then
↑ No. 47.
• No. 29.