CO882-(2-3) — Page 717

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PLLCO. 882

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somewhat critical. In the meantime, bír. Robinson with his 20 men had effected a lodgment in the stockade marked C, but it being commanded by the main work, and loosing some of his men, he was obliged to evacuate it. The left flanking party, owing to dense jungle, were unable to effect their object. I made an advance from B a short distance in the direction of the main works, but were pressed back by the heavy fire. Shortly after, the gun which we had previously abandoned as too beavy to bring through the jungle came up. Captain Murray and Mr. Skinner with a few police directed it on the works at point D, the gua having been brought in position on the top of the bank at A. Lieutenant Peyton having volunteered to go back and collect all the men he could, and some of the left flanking having managed to make their way through the jungle and joined us, 1 made another charge, and carried the works at the salient angle marked E. The enemy were now in full retreat up the hill at F, I formed up my men and poured effective volleys into them. We now gave three cheers and burnt the village, this was at 11 o'clock a.m. My whole force were tired from their marching and three hours hard fighting, so I was unable to follow up the enemy.

After burning the stockades we collected the wounded, buried our dead, and then marched back to Rassa, where we arrived at 2 p.m. I regret to say our casualties are as per margin.

10th Regiment, killed, 11 wounded. Araba, Captain De Fontaine slightly wounded, Mr. Robinson slightly wounded,

5 killed, 10 wounded. Police, 4 killed, 5 wounded. Friendly Malays, 2 wounded.

I forwarded the surgeon's report in my former report. Lieutenant Peyton and Captain De Fontaine were the first two men to dash into the stockade.

I wish to bring to the Commandant's notice No. 740, Serjeant F. Owen, for great coolness and bravery while under fire; also No. 1,081, Privates G. Adams, and No. 1,900, Haynes, 10th Regiment, for intrepid conduct, daring, and coolness. These two men certainly deserve to have their former service restored to them.

I was much disappointed with the new rifles; when they get hot the extraction becomes jammed, and eight or ten of my men told me their rifles were useless, so I told them to take wounded men's rifles.

I have, &c.

(Signed) H. C. HINXMAN,

Enclosure 4. in No. 130.

1st Brigade, 10th Regiment.

MR. PLUNKET to SIR W. JERVO18, C.B., K.C.M.G.

DEAR SIR WM. Jervoin,

Malacca, December 17, 1875.

I HAVE just received your note of the 14th instant, and am afraid my report of the action of Paroe on the 7th will be rather stale,

On Wednesday, the 1st, a letter arrived from Captain Murray (copy enclosed) asking for a reinforcement, and at the same time a still more pressing letter was received from Hinxman by Captain Vaughton, commanding the troops.

The same night I started in the steam launch with a reinforcement of 22 men of the 10th Regiment, under Lieut. Peyton.

We arrived off Lookoot early on Thursday morning, camping at Banban for the night, and reached Rassa next morning about 10 a.m.

Here we found a small detachment of the 10th under Captain Hinzman.

From Rassa I went to the Residency, two miles off, and stopped the night with Captain Murray.

Early on Saturday morning we started for Paroe on a reconnoitring party, with about 30 men of the 10th, and sɔme 40 police, and after about five miles' walk along a narrow path, single file, were fired on from a stockade at about 150 yards' distance.

The position was very well chosen, as it was impossible for the troops to show a front of more than 10 men, upon which the whole fire of the stockade was concentrated. The troops, however, returned the fire for about an hour without any apparent effect on the enemy, when, their ammunition running short, the order was given to retire.

It was impossible at the time to form any opinion as to what numbers the Malays were in; but as we retired they came out of their stockade and fired upon us, following us up for a long way.

In the evening a party of 150 or 200 had the audacity to fortify themselves in some deserted buildings within half a mile of the Klana's house on the opposite side of the river, and we were harassed during the night with reports that they were going to attack Raisa.

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They contented themselves, however, with burning down a Chinese house in their vicinity, and Captain Murray next morning, Sunday, the 5th, drove them back to Paroe with the help of a brasa gun he got into position at the Klana's gate.

On Tuesday evening Fontaine arrived with some 80 men, composed of Arabs and Manilla men, and next morning, at 6 a.m., we started for Paroe with a force consisting of two officers and 35 rank and file of the 10 Regiment, Superintendent Bird with 48 police, Fontaine with his second in command, Mr. Robinson, and 84 Arabs, Captain Murray, and myself.

The Klans, with a large following of Malays, met us at his gate, and put himself entirely under my protection.

Here there was some delay getting coolies to carry the brass gun, which Mr. Skinner was in charge of. At last we started again, but before long had to go on without the gun, leaving it to follow at its own pace.

Lieut. Peyton led the advance party, while Mr. Robinson and a party of Arabs made some flank movement I did not understand at the time; and before we reached the little slope, from the top of which we were exposed to the fire of the stockade, we could hear the Malays shouting in numbers.

The moment we did show over the slope a general fire was opened from the stockade, which was returned with interest by the men of the 10th and Arabs, sometimes firing standing up in volleys, sometimes kneeling down and firing independently.

After about an hour's uninterrupted firing, and great numbers being wounded, Lieute nant Peyton, with Captain Hinzman and Fontaine, led a charge with the bayonet, followed by about 20 Europeana and Arabs together.

The fire was so hot, however, and the ground so broken, that instead of getting up to the principal stockade in front, they forced their way into one on the extreme left, leaving several men killed and wounded, and managed to effect this entrance after a hand to hand fight, in which they bayoneted four or five Malays.

Their position now was very critical, none of us who were left behind knew exactly where they were, and I believe they were for some time fired on by Robinson's flanking party on the right as well as by the enemy.

At this moment, what with killed and wounded, flanking parties, &c., there remained only about 20 of us, including Captain Murray and myself, in front of the principal stockade. The fire of the Malays was, however, much weaker by this time, and, in fact, I believe they had already begun to retire.

From where we were we now kept up a fire on the principal stockade, not knowing well what the next move would be, when we saw the coolies coming up with the gun. It was soon got in position, under the immediate superintendence of Captain Murray and Mr. Skinner, and the first shot, directed at the central stockade, brought out a cheer from Peyton's party, which for the first time satisfied us where they were.

After a few more shots, we now saw the Malays running away up the hills as fast as they could at the back of their stockades, but always showing a front of men determined to die at their posts.

After about 10 rounds, however, those who did not run away were killed, and we were in possession of the place.

On the roll being called the loss on our side was Fontaine, slightly wounded, one man of the 10th killed in the assault on the stockade, and 13 wounded; Arab force, 5 killed

and missing, 10 wounded; police force, 4 killed and missing, 6 wounded. ———

Nine Malays were found dead in the stockades.

These stockades were in the nature of a series of cattle pens, backed up with earth inside and showing a semi-circular concave front to us, so that all their shots converged on the small front we could show.

After burning down the Attap huts inside the stockades, we returned with the wounded

to Rassa.

Next day Lieutenant Peyton and myself, with a party of Arabs, went back to the spot to bring in the bodies of two men who had been hastily buried there the day before and completely burned down what was left of the stockades, when Lieutenant Peyton made an accurate sketch of the place.

It was even a stronger position than we had thought, the whole ground in front of the stockades cut up with deep channels and preventing only the one point to be attacked from.

From inquiries made on the spot and since, I am inclined to believe that the Malaya must have mustered from 300 to 500 men, while they admit the loss, killed, 35 men, besides great numbers wounded.

M m

$8587.

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