Haji Saman Membakut 1846

BRITISH NORTH BORNEO settle accounts with Haji Saman, the Sultan's late commander in-chief, who had established himself at Membakut, a few miles north of Kimanis. On August 14 Captain Mundy, who had been joined by Rajah Brooke, authored off Kimanis with H.M.S. Iris and the East India Company's steamer Phlegethon. His last action was to dispatch a message to the Dusun headman of Membakut asking him to give up Haji Saman. The Dusuns' only reply, probably actuated by the Haji himself, was that if they wanted the Haji the English could come and take him, and that the Dusuns were not afraid of the white man's shot, which they could catch in their hands and throw back again.

No sooner had this little piece of purple been received than events took an unexpected turn, for thirty war-boats appeared upon the scene, carrying twenty guns and 400 men under their chiefs. These people inhabited districts for twenty miles along the coast; their mission, they said, was a peaceful one and they had no other desire than to pay their respects to the English Rajah and to assure him of their desire for legitimate trade. They offered their assistance against Haji Saman, and the Rajah, after a long talk with the chiefs, decided that there was no fear of treachery and that it would be impolitic to refuse their proffered aid.