Page 274 - Malay sketches

MALAY SKETCHES

The river at Blanja shoals rapidly towards the
left bank, which is bordered by a long and wide
strip of sand. The boats of those who call here
are dragged as close in as possible, and while our
men were engaged in doing this, and still some
a man called Ali
distance from the shore, Haji
waded out to my boat and came on board. We
had noticed the unusual number of people on the
sands not less than two or three hundred and
of boats alongside there were at least but we
fifty,
were hardly prepared for the news that awaited us.
This Haji Ali, a tall, well-made man in the prime
of life, was the genial person of evil reputation
who, with Penglima Prang Semaun, had already
distinguished himself by murdering one of the low-
country chiefs. Notwithstanding this fact the Haji
was always anxious to convey the impression that
he was entirely friendly to me, but I distrusted him
in common with the rest of the Blanja faction.
Haji Ali seated himself in my boat and at once
stated that Mr. Birch had gone to Pasir Salak, that
there he and sixteen of his people had been mur-
dered by the Maharaja Lela, who had then attacked
and captured Bandar Bharu, killing all the Sikhs
who had not saved themselves by flight. This
news was so startling that I could not believe it and
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