RIOTS AT PENANG.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 45, 4 November 1867, Page 271

RIOTS AT PENANG.

Three were riots at Penang on Sept. sth. The residents in the town of Penang were atarmed by the fighting of two hostile classes of Chinese. The military took control of the town, and the crews of the merchant vessels in the harbor, guarded the, barricades and guns, and after four days order was apparently restored, but a series of fierce com bats afterwards occurred, extending over six days. A great n umber -of houses in the Chinese quarter . were sacked and,burned. When the fire engines were sent, to play , on. them,;tho;! mob fired oe the firemen, and several feil vie titns. The estimated number of lives lost is 600. Oh receipt of news at Singapore of a second outbreak, the Governor called a special meeting of the Legislative Council, and a bill was passed for the better preservation, of the peace. t The Governor lias proceeded to Penang in/the colonial steamer,Peiho, accompanied by. H.M.S: .Rifleman, to adopt strenuous measures, to repress the riots. Q.uiet, however, was restored before his Excellency arrived. . -

It has been ascertained , that fighting men were imported .by the. meinbers. of the ..societies at feud with each other. No attack was directed towards the Europeans. ... , , ■ ,

.The expedition of the Nicobars, undertaken with a. view to test the truth of the rumors.that a number of Europeans were there,in bondage, has returned without results, i, On its arrival at the islands, the boats of H.M,s s. Wasp and Satellite were despatched; in .the direction of the villages alWg the shore which were found deserted, the natives haying penetrated in ; the jangle.on.sqeicg the steamers. As it was not .considered prudent to, expose our men to concealed attacks, after burning a few villages the, expedition returned, bringing with them a girl .of apparently European descent. ' ' , The Government of India ha 3 determined to’-cut off 'the Nicobar Islands from all communication with the Burmese coasts;,until the perpetrators of the outrage on." the ship Wallasli: Islem are surrendered. , ; .;