There is one place in the world, apparently, where mur-
derous Secret Societies meet with a short-shrift. Thirty years ago the Chinese Secret Societies of Sarawak nearly destroyed Rajah Brooke, and compelled him to appeal to the Dyak population and stamp them out. Since then it has been death to belong to such a Society, and on August 12th twenty- three Chinamen were convicted of the offence. They were patiently tried before a mixed Commission of four Europeans, four Malays, and four Chinese, and were found guilty in. different degrees. The Rajah sentenced the six leaders to be shot on the following morning, and eleven prominent agents to be flogged and imprisoned during pleasure, but pardoned the simple members of the Society. The death-sentences were carried out to the letter, and it is believed that the Asso- ciations will again for some years hide their heads. The Chinese are incurably addicted to these combinations, which in Singapore make life almost impossible for their enemies. Their proceedings there so deeply impressed Lord Dalhousie, the very reverse of a weak ruler, that he declared to the writer his serious doubt whether Christians could govern Chinamen. We succeed more or less in Hong-Kong, but we suspect that we wink at a great deal too much.
Previous page
