66

I need hardly," says Captain Keppel, "remark on the singular courage and disregard of personal safety evinced by my friend on this occasion. At issue with the rajah on points of great temp: tation to him, beset by intrigues, and surrounded by a fierce and lawless people, Mr. Brooke did not hesitate to despatch his vessels and protectors-the one on a mission of pure humanity, and the other in calm pursuance of the objects he had proposed to himself to accomplish, and, with three companions,' place himself at the mercy of such circumstances, regardless of the danger, and relying on the over-ruling Providence in which he trusted, to bring him safely through all his difficulties and perils."-Vol. i. p. 223, n.

In three weeks the Royalist returned, but without the shipwrecked crew, and without being allowed to communicate with them. They brought a letter from the sultan to Mr. Brooke, accounting for this, and for his refusing to release them, on pretence of an agreement which they had entered into with him. The ship was the Sultana, of 700 tons, from Bombay, laden with cotton, which, on the 4th of January, 1841, was struck with lightning off the coast of Palanan. The cotton in the hold, fore and aft, was fired by the electric fluid, and the vessel being all in flames, the crew and passengers, amounting to thirty-six persons, got into the boats, taking with them money, jewels, and some provisions, and made their way to Borneo Proper. They hoped to purchase stores there, and to get on to Singapore, but were compelled to deliver up all their property into the sultan's hands, and were robbed of every article, even to the baby-linen which the captain's wife had prepared for an expected infant. A war steamer, the Diana, happened just at this period to come to Sarawak, which, on Mr. Brooke's suggestion, at once proceeded to Borneo Proper, and soon returned with the liberated crew.

Mr. Brooke had, during the absence of the Royalist, learned something more of Muda Hassim's perplexities. The unsettled state of the country, the intrigues of Macota and of other pangerans, a natural tenacity of power, and much weakness of character, all combined to render him undecided, or unable to act. He felt, however, that his own power was gone, and that, as VOL. XXVII.-No. 160.

he was circumstanced, he could not support himself without the aid and influence of Mr. Brooke, who believed that he was, in truth, the only person he relied on, or for whom he had a regard. An unexpected incident brought these politics to a crisis. A Chinese hadji, a converted Mohammedan, was robbed, and nearly murdered, by some of Macota's followers. Mr. Brooke had the poor man carried to his own house, and endeavoured to find out the perpetrators of the outrage. In this inquiry he learned more of the oppressions of Macota, of whose proceedings he had latterly heard a good deal from other quarters. His exactions were beyond all bounds. In the different Dyak communities he had a spear raised up opposite to the chief's house, as a signal that no one was to buy except from him; and rice, clothes, gongs, &c. were sent to the tribes at a fixed price, which they must take, or else be sure to lose their children. He also sought, by falsehood or violence, to prevent the natives from having any intercourse with Mr. Brooke.

"The Chinese hadji," says Mr. Brooke, "whom I had protected, continued to reside with my servants, till one evening we were alarmed at an attempt to poison my interpreter, a native of the name of Mia. Arsenic had certainly been put into his rice; but as the servants endeavoured to point suspicion on this hadji, and as I learned, at the same time, that they did not agree with the old man, I cleared him in my own mind, and rather leant to the opinion of Mia having placed the arsenic in the plate himself for the express purpose of accusing the hadji. Connecting this event with all Macota's former intrigues, I determined to bring matters to a crisis, and test at once the strength of the respective parties. Accordingly after complaining of the matter previously mentioned to the rajah, I landed a party, fully armed, and loaded the ship's guns with grape and canister, after which I once more proceeded to Muda Hassim, and whilst I protested my kindness towards him, exposed Macota's machinations and crimes, his oppression and deceit, and threatened him with an attack, as neither Muda Hassim nor

myself were safe whilst he continued practising these arts. Muda Hassim was frightened; but how Macota felt I cannot say, as he never moved out of his house, and it was long afterwards

2 E

before he was seen. From my knowledge, however, of his temperament, I can well conceive that he was reduced The Sinito a pitiable state of terror. anans took my part directly; and their chiefs came to me to say, that two hundred men were all ready whenever I pleased to call for them. The Chinese and the rest of the inhabitants took no side; and Macota did not get a single follower besides his immediate slavesAfter perhaps about twenty in number. this demonstration affairs proceeded cheerily to a conclusion. The rajah was active in settling; the agreement was drawn out, sealed, and signed; guns fired, flags waved; and on the 24th September, 1841, I became the governor of Sarawak, with the fullest powers." Vol. i. pp. 250, 251.

"I have a country," says Mr. Brooke, in the next entry in his journal, "but, oh! how beset with difficulties-how ravaged by war, torn by dissensions, and ruined by duplicity, weakness, and intrigue!" His ministers-the Pantingi, the Bandar, and the Tumagong, were all "false and foolish ;" and Macota had already engaged in an artful conspiracy against him. His first act was to release a hundred women and young children, who had been for a year back held in captivity by the rajah. He then made arrangements to place the Dyak communities on a fair and well-regulated footing in regard to revenue; and his next measure was to open a court for the administration of justice. presided himself, assisted by the rajah's brothers, if they pleased to come. We give his first case, as it affords some further insight into the condition of the people :

He

"The first case was a follower of the rajah's, of the name of Sunudeen, and a greater villain could not exist, either in this or any other land. It was as follows:-A man from Samarahan, named Bujong, had undertaken to marry his daughter to a Sarawak man, named Abdullah, but Abdullah proving a dissolute character, and greatly in debt, Bujong broke off the engagement before the proper authorities, and returned the presents which Abdullah, according to custom, had made. Abdullah, it appeared, was indebted a small sum to Metassin, (Mahommed Ossin,) and between Sunudeen and Metassin, they resolved to lay the debt on Bujong's shoulders; in other words, to plunder Bujong under false pretences. Accordingly

Sunudeen, with his comrade, went to Samarahan, and, in his capacity of follower to the rajah, demanded the debt due by Abdullah to Metassin. Bujong having no money, Sunudeen proceeded to seize his nephew, a boy, and a slave Poor belonging to him, as his slaves.

Bujong resisted, and recovered his nephew, but yielded his slave; he appealed, however, to the Orang Kaya de Gadong's sons, and they failing, a nakodak stated the case secretly to me. I investigated it, and ordered the return of the slave in my presence, which was obeyed. This may give an idea of the state of the country, and the power of every petty scoundrel hanging about the rajah to rob and plunder at pleasure."

An

There are few better ways of giving an idea of the state of a country, than by noting its law cases, provided they are ruled, on what Mr. Brooke calls his "simple plan"—that is, hearing the evidence, but keeping the witnesses out of ear-shot of each other. entry dated two years later than the preceding is as follows:-"Justice I have executed with an unflinching hand; and the amount of crime is certainly small-the petty swindling very great."

On the 14th July, 1842, Mr. Brooke sailed in the Royalist from Sarawak for the capital of Borneo, and reached the entrance of the river there on the 21st. His objects in this visit were to obtain the sultan's confirmation of his appointment as rajah of the province of Sarawak, next to negotiate the return of Muda Hassim to the court, and the renewal of his influence with the sultan, with which court intrigues had for a considerable time interfered, and, lastly, to obtain the release of certain Hindostanees belonging to the Sultana, and to another English vessel. He had no doubt as to his personal safety, and not much of complete success, as it became known that he had been corresponding with the English government about having a ship of war sent to Borneo, and that one was coming. We say "not much doubt of success," because the Malay princes are greatly influenced by pride and uncertain vanity, having been so wholly unused to look up to any higher power, and knowing, at that time, hardly any thing of the rank and character of England. On their arrival in the Borneo river, a number of the sultan's pangerans came on board, and,

after many state forms, Mr. Brooke proceeded in his gig, with the long boat in company, to have an interview with the sultan, which, with his first impression of the city, he thus describes :

"On approaching the town, before the ebb had run long, it appeared to be a very Venice of hovels, a river Cybele rising from the water. For those who like it, the locality is not ill chosen. The hills recede from the river, and form an amphitheatre; and several other rivers or streams flowing in, cause a muddy deposit, on which the houses are built. At high-water they are surrounded, at low-water stand on a sheet of mud. On nearing it we were encompassed by boats, which preceded and followed us; and we passed the floating market, where women, wearing immense hats of palm-leaves, sell all sorts of edibles, balanced in their little canoes, now giving a paddle, now making a bargain, and dropping down with the tide, and again regaining their place when the bargain is finished. The first impression of the town is miserable.

The

houses are crowded and numerous, and, arriving at the palace, does not present a more captivating aspect, for, though large, it is as incommodious as the worst. Our presentation was exactly similar to that of our first meeting with Muda Hassim at Sarawak, only the crowd was much greater. We had been seated but a few minutes when Pangeran Usop arrived, and directly afterwards the sul tan. He gave us tea, leaf cigars, and sirik, and, in short, showed us every attention, and, what was best of all, did not keep us very long. Our apartment was partitioned off from the public hall, a dark-looking place, but furnished with a table brought by us, and three ricketty chairs, beside mattresses and plenty of mats. We were kept up nearly all night, which, after the fatigues of the day, was hard upon us."-Vol. i. pp. 321, 322.

He estimated the population at ten thousand. The locality of the town is bad-fit only for frogs or natives; but near it is a dry place, well suited for an European settlement, and across the river some swelling ground, affording

fine sites for houses. The sultan is described as short, puffy, and about fifty years of age, with an expression of imbecility, which a further acquaintance with him confirmed. He is, however, good-tempered, good-natured, by no means cruel; and though rapacious in the extreme, not ungene

rous.

He had a few words of Portuguese and Spanish, which he was proud of using, always calling Mr. Brooke his amigo. How he made that acquisition it is hard to say-possibly from some European slave. In two of his objects Mr. Brooke at once succeeded. The sultan appeared really happy at the prospect of having his uncle, Muda Hassim, back; and the pangerans, who had been the means of keeping him out of favour, were, at the moment, in such a state of bitter hostility to each other, that they all probably felt the renewal of his more just, and milder influence desirable. He is, moreover, the next in succession to the throne. The Hindostanees, twenty-three in number, who had been sold as slaves, were released and put on board the Royalist. Some of them asserted that, where they were, there was an European woman a long time in bondage, and, on inquiry, Mr. Brooke had reason to believe it true. In an American work, detailing a visit to Borneo, in 1837, and which is not as well known in this country as it ought to be, one of the party, while in conversation with a chief, "the proudest if not the most talented of the nobles," caught sight of a woman and child, whose form and complexion seemed to be European, and their hair of a flaxen colour." There must be, we fear, many Europeans in slavery in the islands of the Eastern Archipelago; and this, in addition to all that Captain Keppel's work discloses, will, we trust, stimulate public feeling in England to call for the adoption of measures to complete the extinction of piracy there-measures which, as that able officer, and, we must add, accomplished writer, shews, are at this moment easily in our power

They might also be so shaped as, in all probability, to prevent its recurrence; the respective European governments interested in the subject being, and appearing likely to continue, on the most friendly terms. As to Mr. Brooke's remaining object-the ratification of his appointment-there was some apof difficulty and more delay. pearance At length, however, on the 5th of August, 1845, it was resolved, in a conclave of pangerans, to grant him the country of Sarawak, as rajah; and the instrument of appointment being duly signed by the sultan, sealed, and witnessed, he returned with it to the Royalist, and sailed for Sarawak, now his home. We transcribe his own account of the scene of his installation:

"On the evening of the 18th, the Sultan's letters were produced in all the state which could possibly be attained. On their arrival they were received and brought up amid large wax torches; and the person who was to read them was stationed on a raised platform. Standing below him was the rajah, with a sword in his hand; in front of the rajah was his brother, Panjeran Jaffee, with a tremendous kempilan drawn; and around were the other brothers and myself all standing-the rest of the company being seated. The letters were then read; the last one appointing me to hold the government of Sarawak. After this the rajah descended, and said aloud, If any one present disowns or contests the sultan's appointment, let him now declare.' All were silent. next turned to the Patingis, and asked them; they were obedient to the will of the sultan. Then came the other pangerans. Is there any pangeran, or any young rajah that contests the question? Pangeran der Macota, what do you say? Macota expressed his willingness to obey. One or two other obnoxious pangerans who had always opposed themselves to me, were each in turn challenged, and forced to promise obedience. The rajah then waved his sword, and with a loud voice exclaimed,

He

whoever he is that disobeys the sultan's mandate now received, I will separate his skull;' at the moment some ten of his brothers jumped from the verandah, and drawing their long krises, began to flourish and dance about, thrusting close to Macota, striking the pillar above his head, pointing their weapons at his breast. This amusement, the violence of motion, the freedom from restraint, this explosion

of a long pent-up animosity, roused all their passions; and had Macota, through an excess of fear, or an excess of bravery, started up, he would have been slain, and other blood have been spilt. But he was quiet, with his face pale and subdued, and as shortly as decency would permit, after the riot had subsided, took his leave. This scene is a custom with them, the only exception to which was, that it was pointed so directly at Macota."-Vol. i. pp. 333, 334.

We may close this dramatic tale of more than chivalrous adventure by ascribing to each character in the "The Son scene an appropriate fate.

of Europe," as the natives call Mr. Brooke, becomes rajah, prince, and feudal proprietor of Sarawak; Muda Hassim, relieved from difficulties with which he was unable to contend, is restored to the sultan's favour, and made the efficient ruler of his kingdom; and Macota, all his wiles unavailing and exposed, is banished the province, retires to a residence near the capital, where he lives for a time, in disgrace, but ultimately, his house being burned. as a punishment for his misdeeds, he flies, impoverished and despised.— Thus, too, may we point the moral, that truth and enduring courage are, in the end, nearly sure to vanquish all the arts of falsehood and guile.

We must not, however, conclude by viewing the realities of Mr. Brooke's adventure in the light of a mere tale. Its practical results are already great beyond what could have been anticipated from the exertions of any individual. The English government has seen the wisdom of forwarding his views, and his benignant influence being thus immeasurably increased, we may look for the rapid realization of his hopes. Piracy has been quelled in Borneo, and will, no doubt, be soon suppressed in every region of these seas. Mr. Brooke has been appointed agent for Great Britain, in that his adopted home, being thus, as Captain Keppel says, "armed with the moral and physical power of his country." The island of Labuan, at the mouth of the Borneo river, has been ceded to the British crown, and is likely to become a great commercial depôt, and a thriving settlement; and Mr. Brooke may yet enjoy his only rich reward— the deep happiness of having served

his country, by doing honour to its character and extending its trade, as well as millions of his fellow-creatures, in being the means of giving them peace, liberty, and, we hope, religion.

The novelty of Mr. Brooke's undertaking and its elevated objects, have so engaged us, as to leave us no room to notice that smaller portion of the work which is devoted to the voyage of the Dido. Captain Keppel has been obviously anxious to give prominence to such parts of his narrative as relate directly to Mr. Brooke, as well as to

the extracts from his journal; and yet there are other topics in his volumes of exceeding interest. We, however, contemplate resuming the consideration of them in a future paper on the subject of the Eastern Archipelago. In parting, for the present, from Captain Keppel, we are bound to thank him for the high gratification which his work has afforded us. It combines, with a mass of solid information, so many of the elements of pleasing, that we hold it no venture to predict its immediate and permanent popularity.

What Lord Shrewsbury got for his money, and how he and it were soon parted.

Of the prices of some commodities not mentioned in M'Culloch's Dictionary of Commerce, or Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations; and of the Pope of Rome, and how he wanted to raise the wind.

Of Lord Shrewsbury's swearing

like a trooper, and

"I'll pay no more,