PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
42
I am indebted to Lieutenant North, R.E. for the sketch, who, together with Lieu. tenant Hare, R.E., assisted me greatly by taking charge of parties of Goorkhas.
I have, &c.
(Signed) ROWLEY SALe Hill,
Lieut.-Colonel 1st Goorkha, L.I.
COPY of a LETTER, No. 38/76, dated Qualla Kangsa, February 7, 1876, from the Principal Medical Officer, Larut Field Force, to the Brigade Major, Larut Field Force.
SIB,
I HAVE the honour to report, for the information of the Brigadier-General Com. manding, the following casualty in connection with the operations of the Larut Field Force up the River Perak on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th instant :
3/5 R.A., nil.
1/3 the Buffs, nil. Naval Brigade, nil.
1st Goorkha, L.I., Lieutenant-Colonel R. S. Hill, gunshot wound of leg (slight), sus- tained on the morning of the 5th February at the attack on the village of Prek."
SIR,
I have, &c.
(Signed)
G. S. DAVIE, Surgeon-Major P.M.O.,
Larut Field Force.
Camp, Qualla Kangsa.
February 6, 1876.
I HAVE the honour to forward for the information of his Excellency the Governor the following report regarding the recent operations against Enggar and Prek, the head- quarters of the Kota Lama Malays, who have for some time been giving trouble in this neighbourhood.
My last communication forwarding the statement of Si Udah, dated January 27th, will have put the Government in possession of recent information concerning the attitude of the enemy who were driven out of Kota Lama on the 20th January.
On the 2nd instant a party of the Raja Muda's men, headed by his son Raja Mahomed, were stopped on the river on their way to Chigar Gala (whither they were proceeding at my request, to co-operate with a force intended to be sent subsequently from Qualla Kangsa to Enggar and Prek) by a party of Malays assembled on the bank of the river at Permatang Kulim (north of Kota Lama left bank),
The latter who are stated to have been 70 or 80 in number under several notorious leaders threatened to attack the boats if Raja Mahomed persisted in pushing on up the river.
He returned to me that night for orders, and went on again up the river next morning, some of his men marching up the right bank. His orders from me are to support the friendly villagers of Chigar Gala, and to endeavour to intercept any fugitives belonging to the enemy's party who have been recently in arms against us.
Early on the morning of the 3rd instant, I was informed that Datoli Sri Lela Paduka with 40 armed followers had come down to Sayong, and had sent a message to the Raja Muda offering to surrender.
The latter sent to me for instructions, stating at the same time his doubt of the pacific intentions of Sri Lela whose men were fully armed. I informed Brigadier-General Ross of the circumstances, and sent instructions to the Raja Muda to receive Sri Lela and his party into Sayong, only if they laid down their arms.
In the afternoon the Raja Muda sent to say, that he was about to attack Sri Lela (who had retired to some little distance), and begged that he might be supported by troops.
Accordingly as soon as firing was heard from the other side of the river, the Brigadier- General despatched 50 men, 1st Ghoorkas, under Captain Barnett, to Kota Lama to the assistance of the Raja Muda's force. I accompanied the party.
One of Rajah Muda's men, who acted in the capacity of guide, said, that he knew the position of the enemy, and that Raja Muda's followers were well away on the right flank. After proceeding some little distance a body of Malays were perceived in a paddy field on the left flank, and a fire was opened upon them before it was discovered that they were Raja Muda's followers who had moved across our front. I regret to say two Malays were killed and two wounded.
43
I explained the circumstances of the case to the Raja Muda, who admitted that he was in fault for not having sent out scouts to inform our troops of his movement, and that no blame was to be attached to the troops. The wounded men have been attended by the surgeons of the Buffs, and I have promised that the widows and families of those killed shall be provided for.
The enemy who had twice engaged the Raja Muda's people before our arrival, opened fire on the troops from behind the fence of a plantation at Kota Lama.
From this and from several other enclosures they were successively driven, and they finally retired in a northerly direction, when it was too late to pursue them any further.
Beyond the name of one man who was killed, I have not been able to obtain any accurate information regarding the loss of the enemy. There was no casualty among the party sent from here.
80 men, the
Buffs, Detach- ment R.A.,
On the 4th inst. the village of Enggar, on the left bank of the river considerably above Kota Lama, was taken and destroyed by a detachment of the 1st Goorkhas under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, Ist Goorkhas Light Infantry, after the enemy occupying it, (who commenced hostilities by firing on our boats) had been dispersed with shells and rockets by a party under Brigadier-General Ross who took up a position on the right bank of the river.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hill's party crossed the river before daylight, and marched up 1 gun, with 1 through Kota Lama at some distance from the river bank without meeting with any su od opposition. It had been intended that a portion of the detachment should have marched on river. on Prek, while another went direct to Enggar; but this plan had to be altered at the N., with last moment, as my guide professed ignorance of any direct route from Kota Lama to gun and i Prek, not passing Enggar, though one had been previously described to me.
From the mosque at Kota Lama, Colonel Hill's detachment marched by a path along the bank of the river to Enggar. This path for some distance skirts the slope of Bukit Berjuntee which rests on the river. It was not defended. A supposed stockade, as to the existence of which I had been warned, turned out to be only a rough abattis of felled trees.
Enggar was occupied and burned as soon as the Artillery fire from the right bank ceased. Colonel Hill's detachment encamped there for the night. The rest of the
troops returned to Qualla Kangsa.
At daylight on the 5th instant I accompanied Colonel Hill's detachment to Prek, taking with me two guides, and six of my Malays.. Prek which is about two miles from Enggar was reached in about an hour. The path runs through secondary jungle for some distance and was blocked up in several places by felled trees, &c. At one place where it approaches the foot of Bukit Berjuntee, the detachment was fired on from the jungle both in front and rear. Fortunately no damage was done, though Colonel Hill, who was hit on the leg by a spent shot, and a Goorkha, who received a bullet in his cartridge pouch, narrowly escaped injury. The jungle was cleared at once, the enemy retreating with such percipitation, that several of their spears fell into the hands of the troops who followed them up.
A short stand was made by a few Malays at the principal house at Prek, but they fled before the skirmishers, before the main body of our party came up. The houses of the headmen and those immediately around them were then burned, and the detach ment returned to Enggar.
From Enggar we crossed the river, and returned to camp at Qualla Kangsa, by a good road which has been cleared by the villagers of Jumuwan and Kota Lama (right bank) at my request.
It was necessary, in order to provide for the safety of our communications with Larut, that the enemy should be deprived of the convenient shelters which the villages of Enggar and Prek afforded. The people of Enggar have made common cause with the Kota Lama men from the commencement. It was Syed Mat Ali, of Enggar, who led the attack on the working party on the south side of the camp on the 14th January, when a private of "the Buffs" (since dead) was wounded. The statements of native informers, which I have forwarded from time to time (Mat Annim, 22-1.76, Seah Ali Kwee, 23-1-76, Si Udah, 27-1-76, and Syed Laludin, 28-1-76) will have shown how far the people of Enggar have been implicated in disturbing the peace of this part of the country. At Prek, a fine district with paddy and sugar-cane fields, besides tin mines, Tob Sri Lela and Kadir (who was killed at Kota Lama on the 4th January) had houses and property.
It was here, in a comparatively secluded situation, that the women and children were collected during the advance of the majority of the men on marauding expeditions.
F 2
rocket trough
Detachment
rocket trough.