n umbrella over her head,
another offered her some tobacco, but they would not let any of our
people touch her until an order came from the kunsi. We had sent our
eldest school-boy to reassure her, and he stood beside her until our
servants could bring her away safely. As soon as the Bishop had dressed
the wounded in the town, he came home for some breakfast. When I saw him
I called out, for his pith hat was covered with blood. "It is only
fowl's blood," said he, "don't be frightened: they killed a chicken over
my head as a sign of friend ship." The Middletons' servants came to us
early in the morning, and said that they did not know what had become of
their mistress, but the two little boys were killed by the Chinese,
their heads cut off, and their bodies thrown into the burning. Later on,
we heard that Mrs. Middleton, after seeing Mr. Wellington killed in
trying to defend her, had escaped into the bath-room and hidden herself
in one of the big water-jars; but, the door being open, she had seen her
children murdered, and then had got out of the jar and run into the
jungle, where she concealed herself in a little pool of water, much
hidden by overhanging boughs. There this poor mother remained for some
hours, until a Chinaman from the town came to the spring, carrying a
drawn sword in his hand. "Oh, sir, pray don't kill me!" she called out.
"Oh no!" answered the man, "I am a friend of Mr. Peter" (her husband),
"and will take care of you." So he took her to his house, and dressed
her in Chinese clothes. It was almost a wonder to me that this poor
young woman lived through that dreadful time. As the day wore on, Mr.
Ruppell, the banker of the place, and a great friend of the Chinese,
came and took up his abode with us. Then he, the Bishop, and Mr. Helms,
the manager of the English Merchant Company, were ordered to meet the
kunsi at the court-house; also the Datu Bandar, the chief Malay
magistrate. There a very trying scene took place. The kunsi sat in the
seats of the magistrates, smoking, their principal in the Rajah's own
chair. They stated that they did not wish to make war with the English,
or the Malays, only with the Rajah's government, and they desired those
present to assist them in the government of the country. This they had
drawn up in writing, and desired the English and Datu Bandar to sign.
The Bishop pointed out to them that the best thing they could do would
be to return to Bau and defend their town; that the