Baram Tales : Cannons of Marudi

 During the Brooke period of Sarawak history, the cannon was a symbol of power. When one or two were strategically positioned on a hill, or in front of a fort, pointing towards the river mouth, the enemies could easily be frightened off.

Chinese migrants arrived in the Baram fairly early in the 1880's. The Baram was ceded to the Brooke Rajah in 1883 after the English Rajah (or White Rajah) managed to negotiate with the Brunei Sultant that he could pay him $4500 per year (the amount the Sultan expected to collect from his Baram subjects).

With the offing of a fairly peaceful government, more Chinese traders came and they eventually settled down.\

By 1901, two cannons were installed at the front of the Fort Hose, built on a hill on the left bank of the Baram River.

Early photo of Chinese in the Marudi Bazaar - wooden and attap buildings
in the 1950's.

Brooke's Cannon at Fort Hose (Built in 1901)  in Marudi. This photo was taken in 2018.

The word cannon is derived from several languages. Originally the word meant tube, cane or reed.

Cannons were mentioned by the French in the 14th century but they were more often documented and popular during the European wars e.g. Napoleonic Wars.

However earlier mention of cannons could be found in Chinese history as they were already used during the Song Dynasty in the 12th century.

 Marudi was a Brooke administrative centre set up by the first Resident of the Baram,to control the river valley. The Brooke Government was very lucky then as "people could be easily controlled by symbolic tokens" like a flag, a sword, a tongkat etc But nevertheless, the natives of the Baram were subdued by their firearms. A cannon was definitely a huge monstrous weapon or artillery then.

 In 1901, Fort Hose was actually its "government" or Administrative building. Almost all government affairs were conducted from there. And when the Chinese arrived, a bazaar was built next to the river below the Fort. The Chinese traders were only too happy with some kind of rule of law and of course, protection of two cannons and a fort.

So it was the Brooke style to place Two CANNONS in front of a fort, pointing to the river mouth. "And any enemy coming up from the river could be easily sighted and repelled."

Like many other Brooke forts in Sarawak, Fort Hose had two cannons pointing towards the mouth of the Baram. 

Were the Fort Hose Cannons ever fired on invading enemies? No one had ever written about the incidents.

Note : Only the cannon in Fort Margerita was fired regularly at 8 p.m to announce that all guests must leave the Astana and the family of the Rajah would be having dinner. The practice was stopped at