Account of the Country of Haru.
THE raja of the country of Haru, was Maha Raja di Raja, the
son of Sultan Sejak, who came down from the famous rock which always appeared
to be up the water, if one was descending the stream, and to be down the
stream, if one was ascending the water.
The Prince Maha Raja di Raja sent an embassy to Pasei, and
the name of the ambassador was Raja Pahlawan. When he reached Pasei, the letter
of Haru was brought with due ceremony to the hall of audience, and a bentara
presented it to the public reader, who opened and read it in the following
terms."
The elder brother sends his homage (simbah) to his younger
brother ;" whereas it was written in the letter, "the elder brother
sends his greeting (salam)." The ambassador, Raja Pahlawan immediately
interrupted him, saying, "You read differently from the letter.'' The
reader commenced anew, and read as before. Then said Raja Pahlawan, "Why
do you read so, it is different from the letter?" Again he read it as
before.
Then said Raja Pahlawan, "Never shall I return to die
in Haru, 1 will lose my life here in the land of Pasei. There is not a dog of
Pasei but comprehends the force of that word much more than you folks."
Again he read it as before. Then rage came on Raja Pahlawan, and he ran amok,
and what a multitude of men fell by his hand ! and a dreadful hubbub arose ;
but being assailed by numbers, he perished, with almost all his attendants; and
those who survived, escaped to Haru, and related what had happened to the raja
of Haru. Then the Prince Maha Raja di Raja was furiously enraged, and invaded
Pasei, but could not subdue it. How long after that did the contest continue
between Haru and Pasei?
At last the Maha Raja di Raja sent a champion, named Sri
Indra, to lay waste the domains of Malaca. At that time, from Tanjung Tuan to
Jugara, there was an uninterrupted succession of houses, all of which were laid
waste by the Haru men. As soon as Sultan Alla ed din heard of this ravage, he
ordered Paduca Tuan, the son of the bandahara Paduca Raja, with the laksamana, and
Sri Bija di Raja, to guard the seas.
The fleet of Haru consisted of a hundred vessels, while that
of Paduca Tuan was much inferior, scarcely being one to four or five vessels;
but as soon as he reached Pulu Arang Arang, he fell in with the fleet, and
immediately engaged it; and the sound of their weapons roared like the terrors
of the day of judgment, on both sides. But so sharp was the assault of the Haru
men, that all Paduca Tuan's men threw themselves into the water.
At this time, Tun Isuf Besacah was in the vessel of Sri Bija
di Raja, all the crew of which had thrown themselves into the water; and the
Haru men boarded it at the prow. Sri Bija di Raja and Tun Isuf halted on the
stern. "Lordinge," said Tun Isuf, "come let us amok it."
"Stop" said the other, "till they reach the main mast."
The Haru men reached the main mast. "Come on now, Lordinge," said
Tun Isuf. "It is not yet time," said Sri Bija di Raja. The Haru men
had now nearly reached the curung, or cuddeh. "Why stop longer,
Lordinge," said Tun Isuf. Sri Bija di Raja then sprung into the cuddeh.
Tun Isuf said, "Fy! Lordinge, I took you for a brave man, or else I had
gone with the laksamana." Then Sri Bija di Raja came out and said, "Come
on then, gentle inchi! let us amok, now is the time."
Then these two amoked on the Haru men, and breaking their
order, drove them into the water, to swim to their prahus. Thither also they
followed them to the bark of Haru, and drove them like porpoises into the water
again. Then all Sri Bija di Raja's men who had fled at first, returned to their
vessel, and drew near the Haru fleet, and breaking their array, put them to
flight, while a part of their fleet was taken by the Malaca men.
Then the Haru fleet fled back to Haru, and informed the Maha
Raja di Raja of the event of their expedition, and he was excessively irritated
because a great part of the fleet was taken by the Malaca men, and in his wrath
he swore that had he been there with his elephant Binodum, that all Malaca,
with its fort and Malaca men, had perished entirely; and in the same terms he
spoke of Pasei, how he would have wasted and destroyed it, and trampled it down
with his elephant.
Immediately he ordered the champions to go forth and destroy
the Malaca men. The champions went forth accordingly, but they had no occasion
to go farther out to sea than the mouth of the river. As for the Malaca men
they had returned to Malaca, and presented the captured ships to the Sultan.
Then Sultan Alla ed din fitted out a larger fleet, and ordered them to go
immediately and attack the land of Haru.
The fleet of Malaca sailed away, and halted at Dungan, where
the crews landed to amuse themselves, and shake off their weariness. Among the
rest, there was one Mia Ruzul, a Surat man, who went on shore, and he fell in
with a tall goat, which had greatly the appearance of an old man. The goat
wanted to get at him, but he being frightened, fled scrambling off, and rushed
into the middle of the crowd, and the whole crowd were alarmed at the hurry and
confusion of Mia Ruzul, as he was stumbling along. They cried, "What is
the matter you are flying so fast, Mia
Ruzul." "I have met an old Haru," said he, "and
when I approached, he fled, but when I fled he followed." When they heard
this, they all took to their arms, and faced round to the attack, when they saw
nothing but a tall goat, and nobody ; and they all returned laughing and joking
at Mia Ruzul, saying in his dialect, "kita hudup, dea zoyhol, kita zoyhol, dea
hudup," "when I followed he
fled, and when I fled he followed."
On the morrow the fleet of Haru advanced to meet the Malaca
fleet, and the battle began, and the Malaca closed with them, and threw
sharpened stakes, and stones. The Haru men could not stand this terrible
shower, to which they were entirely unaccustomed, and they gave way, and
retreated up the river.
Then Maha Raja di Raja proposed peace, and Paduca Tuan agreed to it. Then the Haru men erected
a great hall at the landing place of Dungan, and all the nobles and great men
having met in it, Paduca Tuan and the Malaca chiefs landed and held a
conference, during which the hall fell down, and every one flew to arms. Sri
Bija di Raja however did not flinch from his place, but only rubbed the hilt of
his creese. The great men of Haru were greatly astonished at the constancy of
spirit exhibited by Sri Bija di Raja, and said "he is small in size it
is true, but he is true Pedir
pepper."
Then Maha Raja di Raja dispatched a letter to Malaca by
Paduca Tuan, and Paduca Tuan took leave and returned to Malaca, where he
informed the Sultan of all that had happened in the expedition, at which the
Prince was greatly delighted, and
rewarded him and his associates according to their deserts. In a short time
after Sri Bija di Raja returned to God's mercy, leaving three children, two
sons and a daughter. The eldest of these
succeeded him, with the title of Sri Bija di Raja, the other had the name of
Tun Bija di Raja, who was the father of Sang Satia.
