Atrocities in the Malay Archipelago.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 404, 16 January 1890, Page 3

Atrocities in the Malay Archipelago.

The Singapore papers have frequently of late contained reports of the atrocities committed by Arab slave owners in the island of Lombok, which lies between the two Dutch possessions of Java and Sumbawa, and ia under Dutch protection. Il is oue of the comparatively few places where the slave trade flourishes unchecked ; people are bought and gold in the open market, and the Oiuelties that are from time to time perpetrated on the defenceless people by the Arab slave owners are ahno.t incredible.

The last story of this nature which has reached the outside world tells how four young slaves, two men and two women, tried to escape from the cruellies of a notorious Arab, Sayid Abdulla. They put out to sea to a little boat with a view at getting to Java or Sumbawa, but unhappily were driven by contrary winds on the shore of a small island where the son of Abdulla is following his father’s example. The fugitives were sent back heavily chained to Ampenao, in Lombok, where Abdulla imprisoned them in part of bis own bouse, and exhausted almost every device in torturing them. Two American gentlemen, who knew what was going on, implored Abdulla to accept a large sum of money and liberate the unfortunate creatures. They endeavored in every possible way to induce the man to abstain from bis fiendish cruelty, but in vain. The two young men, who were aged respectively 16 and 20, were led out to the beach and stabbed, a aword beirg run through the heart and stomach. One nf the women, who is said to have beeh enceinte, was lashed with rattans until-sfie was blue, and after various other tortures, her hands were fastened to her back, and she was hung frotq a tree, bead downwards. The second girl, after being subjected to numerous indescribable tortures, bad her ears cut off and her nose wrenched out by a pair of pincers, The wounds were then smeared with a maddening composition of chillies, lime and tamarind, The writer avows that Abdulla and other member, of his family have been guilty of other atrocities to their slaves, especially the women, which he dare not attempt to describe in print. An official repo< tof these circum stances ia raid to have been sent to Batavia ; and the European residents are trying to have Abdulla punished and the whole slave system stopped In the island. These are not by any menu, the first statement, that have been published on the subject, nor ajj they the worst, and it is earnestly' to be hoped that the Netherlands Government will in. •lat on their authorltie, in Java putting a atop to the fiendish outrage, nf these Arab miscreants in Lombok and Karaug Asam. There are only 90 Arab, in Ampenan, the trading capital of the island, the population being composed of Chinese, Malays and natives, These Arabs are mostly fugitives from the ports of Java, Abdulla having absconded from Batavia about 25 years ago. and having become subsequently secretary and adviser to the BM ah Lombok. The latter is not himself cruel to his slaves, but be does not interfere with the orqeUies of the Arab,. It is said to be the custom of rhe Htter when a eUve gets clear away to murder all the members of bi, family,