Omani Sayf/Saif

[Orang Lama]

Hi, I found the quote in question:

Lt. Col. S. B. Miles, H.M. acting consul general at Zanzibar, regarding the fate of Capt. C. J. Brownrigg, senior British naval officer at Zanzibar, when he attempted to detain and inspect a dhow suspected of containing slaves, although it was flying the French flag, in 1881: “The vessels were hardly together, and Captain Brownrigg had not had time to look at the papers, when the captain of the dhow gave an order; and her crew, who had been lying down concealed, suddenly rose up, poured a volley into the pinnace, and then boarded her. Yates, the coxswain, who was forward, with one foot on the dhow, was fired at, but missed; he struck one Arab down with his hook, and then struggled with another until they both fell overboard. Little or no resistance was made by the sailors; four were wounded by the volley; and the rest, being unarmed and taken completely by surprise, were speedily driven overboard. These saved themselves by swimming, though repeatedly fired at in the water by the Arabs. One man only, named Monckley, was killed at this time; and his body was not recovered. “Captain Brownrigg, immediately on seeing the hostile attitude of the Arabs, had shouted out to the chief stoker, ‘Full speed ahead’; but this order, unfortunately, was not obeyed [because the stoker was wounded]; and he was now left alone to stand the brunt and to defend himself as he best could against the Arabs, whose whole attention was now directed towards him. He had his sword, and had seized a rifle, and was standing in the stern-sheets abaft the awning or canopy. Three or four Arabs had jumped on the top of this canopy, and having the advantage, were able to slash and hack at him freely with their long double-edged Omani swords. Captain Brownrigg shot two of the Arabs with his rifle, and then laid about him with the butt end; but he was soon blinded by a deep cut across his face just above the eyes, and his head and limbs were chopped and gashed in every part. [“He was cut across the hands, the finger s being severed from the left and partially so from the right one; and badly wounded in both elbows, he could no longer hold the rifle.” (G. A. Henty, Our Sailors , 1906.)] The Arabs were so securely placed as to be almost beyond his reach; and he was consequently at a great disadvantage, despite of which he stood his ground for some time, making a most gallant and desperate defence quite alone and unaided; and he even succeeded in dispatching another Arab by a blow of his telescope before he sank down exhausted under his wounds, when he was shot by the Arabs through the heart and then through the head, and fell dead on the body of his native servant, Tellis [who was slightly wounded and pretending to be dead]. 346 were promoted to the rank of commander, and the other survivors were “favourably noticed”. Lt. Col. S. B. Miles, H.M. acting consul general at Zanzibar, regarding the fate of Capt. C. J. Brownrigg, senior British naval officer at Zanzibar, when he attempted to detain and inspect a dhow suspected of containing slav es, although it was flying the French flag, in 1881: “The vessels were hardly together, and Captain Brownrigg had not had time to look at the papers, when the captain of the dhow gave an order; and her crew, who had been lying down concealed, suddenly rose up, poured a volley into the pinnace, and then boarded her. Yates, the coxswain, who was forward, with one foot on the dhow, was fired at, but missed; he struck one Arab down with his hook, and then struggled with another until they both fell overboard. Little or no resistance was made by the sailors; four were wounded by the volley; and the rest, being unarmed and taken completely by surprise, were speedily driven overboard. These saved themselves by swimming, though repeatedly fired at in the water by the Arabs. One man only, named Monckley, was killed at this time; and his body was not recovered. “Captain Brownrigg, immediately on seeing the hostile attitude of the Arabs, had shouted out to the chief stoker, ‘Full speed ahead’; but this order, unfortunately, was not obeyed [because the stoker was wounded]; and he was now left alone to stand the brunt and to defend himself as he best could against the Arabs, whose whole attention was now directed towards him. He had his sword, and had seized a rifle, and was standing in the stern-sheets abaft the awning or canopy. Three or four Arabs had jumped on the top of this canopy, and having the advantage, were able to slash and hack at him freely with their long double-edged Omani swords. Captain Brownrigg shot two of the Arabs with his rifle, and then laid about him with the butt end; but he was soon blinded by a deep cut across his face just above the eyes, and his head and limbs were chopped and gashed in every part. [“He was cut across the hands, the fingers being severed from the left and partially so from the right one; and badly wounded in both elbows, he could no longer hold the rifle.” (G. A. Henty, Our Sailors , 1906.)] The Arabs were so securely placed as to be almost beyond his reach; and he was consequently at a great disadvantage, despite of which he stood his ground for some time, making a most gallant and desperate defence quite alone and unaided; and he even succeeded in dispatching another Arab by a blow of his telescope before he sank down exhausted under his wounds, when he was shot by the Arabs through the heart and then through the head, and fell dead on the body of his native servant, Tellis [who was slightly wounded and pretending to be dead] Captain Brownrigg was a very broad and powerful man, and would, I have no doubt, have been able to hold his own and repulse the Arabs, had it been possible for his men to give him the least assistance. That he received more than 20 wounds before he succumbed testifies to the stubborn and vigorous defence he made against his antagonists.”( British and Foreign State Papers, 1880-1881 , 1888.)