Before the founding of Singapore (1819), the British had actually established a harbour in an area north of Mersing in 1790. They named it ‘Blair’s Harbour’ in honour of its founder, Lieutenant Archibald Blair (1752–1815).
On 12.6.1789 a meeting of the British governor-general in Council took place in Calcutta at which Lieutenant Archibald Blair was present (See: Archibald Blair - Wikipedia). The British decided to colonize the Andaman islands in order to gain a safe harbour from which to check the activities of Malayan pirates, to serve as a refuge for shipwrecked people, a watering station, a shelter from storms for all shipping and a naval base in case of hostilities with other powers. See 18th century Malayan pirate ship:-
A survey of the Andaman Islands was initially conducted by Archibald Blair around 1788 to 1789. Port Blair of the Andaman Islands was in fact named after Archibald Blair being its founder. See Port Blair’s 1885 map:-
Around 1790, few months before the annexation of Penang, Blair found his second safe harbour to counter the threats of Malayan pirates. This second safe harbour is located at the east coast of Malaya and was named Blair's Harbour. See Plan of Blair's Harbour (published in 1793):-
Source: National Library Board, Singapore.
Blair’s Harbour is described in the said Plan as follows:-
"It is very secure being screened from both monsoons, and is easy of access the bottom a stiff clay. The water is good and may be had in abundance by making wells 5 feet deep 20 or 30 yards from high water mark.
Thereafter, “Blair’s Harbour” or “Blair Harbour” appears on British Admiralty maps and often identified as the area between the south of Keban Island or Akban (Now Pulau Aceh), Tanjung Penyabong and Teluk Sari, north of the district of Mersing, Johor. See map:-
Source: National Library Board, Singapore.
In August 1937, HMS Herald surveyed the area wherein Lt Cdr K St B Collins produced a sketch of the general view of Blair's Harbour. See his Admiralty chart titled "Selat Penyabong, View A-Malaya-East Coast-Johore".
Source: National Archives, UK.
Since time immemorial, this area is known to sailors to provide protection from strong wind and high waves during the monsoons. There is an earlier account of the area found in the Sejarah Melayu (Sulalatus Salatin). Around 1492, when the Sultan of Pahang learned that his fiancée Tun Teja had been spirited away by Hang Nadim (according to Sejarah Melayu) or Hang Tuah (according to Hikayat Hang Tuah). See clip from the movie ‘Hang Tuah’ (1956) which is based from ‘Hikayat Hang Tuah’:
Also see clip from the movie ‘Tuah’ (1988) which is based on the story of a time travelling Hang Tuah:
According to Sejarah Melayu, about 10 of Sultan's boats gave chase, and caught up with the captors south of Pulau Keban / Akban (now Pulau Aceh). Due to the captor's archery skill, the Sultan's men were defeated and gave up the chase. Thus Tun Teja was brought to Malacca and was married to Sultan Mahmud. See Artist’s impression of Tun Teja:-
Calm seas within the natural harbour became a strategic place for Hang Nadim / Hang Tuah to launch a counter attack against the Sultan's men. According to folklore, Teluk Sari (which later became part of Blair’s Harbour) derived its name from Hang Tuah's kris 'Taming Sari'. The word 'Sari' (SAH-ree) means 'shield'. It is named "Teluk Sari" to honour the area which protected Hang Tuah from strong wind and high waves which enabled him to fend off his foe. See: Mersing - Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu, ensiklopedia bebas
See aerial view of Blair’s Harbour. Untouched by development, it probably looked the same as it did during the 1492 Battle of Keban and when the British first set foot on its shores in 1790:-
From the 'Hikayat Hang Tuah', this is the second time Hang Tuah sailed the waters of Mersing. His earlier trip was made when he was a teenager where pursued a pirate vessel into Pulau Tinggi. To this very day, the battle site still stood among old graves that by the island's folklore was the gravesite of the fallen pirates.
Folklore also has it that the clear skies between Teluk Sari and Pulau Tinggi bear witness to Tun Teja's final plea and declaration of her undying love for Hang Tuah. It is said that the skies between Teluk Sari and Pulau Tinggi remained the same to this day allowing clear view of the stars and constellations. It is currently a popular site for stargazers, astrophotographers and amateur astronomers who flocks the area from May till August each year. See photographs of the Milky-way taken above north of Mersing:
Perang Saudara Amerika (1861–1865) merupakan peperangan utama di antara pihak Kesatuan (Union) yang diketuai Abraham Lincoln dengan sebelas negeri di selatan yang mengisytiharkan bahawa mereka berhak keluar dan menubuhkan Negeri-Negeri Gabungan Amerika (Confederate States), yang diketuai Jefferson Davis. Medan peperangan "American Civil War" ini tidak terhad di Amerika sahaja, malah ianya sampai ke Nusantara apabila kapal-kapal dagang Union diserang kapal Confederate States.
Dalam diam, Confederate States disokong orang-orang kelas atasan British. Terdapat litograf (Gambar 1) dan gambar (Gambar 2) yang membuktikan sebuah kapal Confederate States yang dibenarkan berlabuh di Singapura yang ketika itu dikuasai British East India Company.
Gambar 1 - CSS Alabama di Singapura, 1863
Gambar 2 - Fotograf CSS Alabama di Singapura, Disember 1863
Jika dikaji, Confederate States sebenarnya telah dibantu British dengan pembinaan 5 buah kapal perang di United Kingdom. Ia terdiri dari CSS Florida, CSS Shenandoah, CSS Tallahassee, CSS Lark, dan CSS Alabama. Pelbagai helah dan penyamaran dibuat untuk membantu melengkapkan kapal-kapal ini dengan senjata yang diperlukan.
Hasilnya, satu dari kapal tersebut iaitu CSS Alabama berjaya membuat 7 pelayaran serangan serata dunia selama 534 hari di mana ia berjaya menawan 450 kapal, mengalahkan dan membakar 65 kapal Union, dan menahan lebih dari 2,000 anak kapal dan penumpang kapal-kapal Union.
Direkodkan bahawa pelayaran ke-7 dan ekspedisi serangan terakhir CSS Alabama terhadap kapal-kapal dagang Union berlaku di Selat Melaka pada sekitar Disember 1863 iaitu sebelum ia belayar ke Eropah untuk kerja-kerja pembaikian. Direkodkan 3 kapal dagang Union telah diserang dan dibakar oleh CSS Alabama di Selat Sunda sekitar November 1863, dan 3 kapal dagang Union menerima nasib yang sama di Selat Melaka sekitar akhir Disember 1863. CSS Alabama akhirnya ditewaskan oleh kapal perang Union iaitu USS Kearsarge di pelabuhan Perancis pada bulan Jun 1864. (Gambar 3).
Gambar 3 - USS Kearsarge vs CSS Alabama, Antonio Jacobsen (1914)
Setelah tamat perang saudara, melalui suatu kes tribunal antarabangsa (Alabama Claims), British telah diperintahkan untuk membayar US$15.5 juta (US$295 juta pada kadar semasa) sebagai pampasan terhadap kapal-kapal yang dimusnahkan oleh CSS Alabama.
Gambar Hiasan - Poster Filem "Melanchong Ka Tokyo" (1964).
Pada tahun 2002 sebilah keris 9 lok telah dijumpai ditanam di dalam tembikar bersama artifak-artifak lain di Jepun (Gambar 1).
Gambar 1
Ia dipercayai digunakan sebagai suatu persembahan dalam suatu upacara pemujaan di kuil Engaku-ji iaitu di bahagian utara kompleks Istana Shuri di Okinawa (dulu Ryukyu) (Gambar 2).
Gambar 2
Professor Kurayoshi Takara dari University of the Ryukyus secara peribadi berpendapat bahawa keris tersebut mungkin berasal dari Melaka kerana menurut catatan Rekidai Hōan orang-orang Ryukyu telah berlayar sebanyak 10 kali pelayaran ke Melaka dari 1463-1511.
Istana Shuri (Gambar 3) adalah istana bagi Kerajaan Ryukyu yang diasaskan oleh Raja Shō Hashi yang telah mengabungkan 3 wilayah utama Ryukyu iaitu Chūzan, Hokuzan, dan Nanzan.
Gambar 3
Istana Shuri ini digunakan sebagai tempat kediaman dan juga pusat pentadbiran bagi Dinasti Shô pertama dari tahun 1429 hingga 1469, dan kemudian bagi Dinasti Shô kedua dari tahun 1470 sehingga 1879. Kuil Engaku-ji pula adalah kuil keluarga Dinasti Shô kedua yang dibina pada tahun 1492 oleh Raja Shō Shin (1465–1527) (Gambar 4).
Gambar 4
Struktur asal kuil Engaku-ji dan Istana Shuri sebenarnya telah musnah semasa perang dunia kedua dalam 'Battle of Okinawa' sekitar tahun 1945. Kedua-dua bangunan ini telah dibina semula berdasarkan rekod-rekod dan gambar lama. Istana Shuri telah dijadikan kampus bagi Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts dan kemudian diangkat sebagai 'World Heritage Site' oleh UNESCO. Manakala kuil Engaku-ji masih didalam proses restorasi.
Dari rekod Portugis, apabila mereka tiba di Melaka sekitar awal abad ke-16, mereka dapat menyaksikan orang-orang Ryukyu yang digelar "Gores" yang menjalankan urusan perdagangan di pelabuhan Melaka. Portugis amat kagum dengan disiplin dan kejujuran orang Ryukyu. Cara mereka berpakaian juga dicatat dan sama seperti yang direkod dalam Gambar 5 yang diambil sekitar era Meiji.
Gambar 5 - Lima orang lelaki Ryukyu zaman Meiji
Dicatat juga ketika itu Ryukyu menghantar 2 hingga 3 kapal setiap tahun. Kapal-kapal Ryukyu akan bertolak pada setiap bulan Januari, dan pulang ke Ryukyu pada bulan Ogos ke September. Barang dagangan yang dibawa mereka adalah terdiri dari jagung, kain sutera, tenunan emas, porselin, tawas, tembaga, ketulan emas, serbuk emas dan perak.
Melalui catatan Ryukyu pula, orang-orang Melaka juga telah sampai ke Ryukyu. Ini dibuktikan catatan dalam Rekidai Hōan seperti berikut:-
a) Mac 1480 : Seorang "Lo-Hsi-Ma-Na" (Laksamana) Melaka telah menulis sepucuk surat bagi pihak Sultan Melaka (Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah? yang berumur 6 tahun) kepada Raja Shō Shin pada Mac 1480. (Tahun Cina: 16/2/?). Lihat catatan berkait.
b) April 1480 : "Lo-Hsi-Ma-Na" (Laksamana) Melaka berada di Ryukyu di mana beliau telah menulis surat bagi pihak Sultan Melaka kepada Raja Shō Shin pada 11.4.1480. (Tahun Cina: 16/3/2). Juga ditulis tentang risikan Melaka berkenaan sebuah kapal Ryukyu yang terdampar di utara Annam dan kemudian diserang oleh tentera Annam di mana 2 orang sahaja yang terselamat.
c) April 1481 - "Lo-Hsi-Ma-Na" (Laksamana) Melaka berada di Ryukyu di mana beliau telah menulis surat bagi pihak Sultan Melaka kepada Raja Ryukyu pada April 1481. (Tahun Cina: 17/3/?)
Menurut rekod Dinasti Ming (Ming Shi-lu) pula, Laksamana Melaka berada di Istana Ming dari bulan Ogos - September 1481 untuk menghantar ufti, membuat aduan terhadap Annam dan mendapat perintah kebenaran melengkap & melatih bala tentera dan membalas jika diserang Annam. Lihat: Peranan 'Hang Tuah' Dalam Kes Pertikaian Melaka - Annam
Nota: Sebelum artikel ini siap ditulis, malangnya Istana Shuri telah musnah dalam satu kebakaran pada awal pagi 31.10.2019.
Rujukan:
1. The Ming Shi-lu (veritable records of the Ming Dynasty) as a source for Southeast Asian history, 14th to 17th centuries, Geoffrey Wade (1994).
2. Ryukyuan Relations with Korea and South Seas Countries: An Annotated Translation of Documents in the Rekidai Hōan. Kobata, Atsushi and Mitsugu Matsuda (1969)
3. Comentários de Afonso de Albuquerque, (1557), t. A Bailo, Combra (1923).
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