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EXPEDITION TO BORNEO.
i,
'■>>-
THE
EXPEDITION TO BORNEO
H.M.S. DIDO
THE SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY:
WITH EXTRACTS FROM
THE JOURNAL OF JAMES BROOKE, ESQ.
OF SARAWAK,
(now agent for the BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN BORNEO.)
CAPTAIN THE HON. HENRY KEPPEL, R.N.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
CHAPMAN AND HALL, 186 STRAND.
MDCCCXLVI.
LONDON :
PRINTED BY LEVEY, ROESON, AVD FRAKKLTN,
Great New Street, Fetter Lane.
V.I
TO
THE EARL OF ALBEMARLE.
MY DEAR FATHER,
You could scarcely have anticipated, from
my Profession, the dedication of a Book in testimony of
^ my gratitude and affection ; but, having had the good
fortune to acquire the friendship of Mr. James Brooke,
and to be entrusted by him with a narrative of his ex-
traordinary career in that part of the world where the
services of the ship I commanded were required, I am
not without a hope that the accompanying pages may be
found worthy of your approval, and not altogether unin-
teresting to my country.
I am, my dear Father,
Your affectionate Son,
HENRY KEPPEL.
Droxford, January 1846.
15030'
PREFACE.
The visit of her Majesty's ship Dido to Borneo,
and her services against the pirates, occupy com-
paratively so small a portion of these volumes, that
some excuse may be necessary for their leading
title.
It was only by undertaking to make the ac-
count of them part of the narrative, that I could
prevail upon my friend Mr. Brooke to entrust me
with his Journal for any public object ; and when
I looked at his novel and important position as
a Ruler in Borneo, and was aware how much of
European curiosity was attached to it, I felt it
impossible not to consent to an arrangement which
should enable me to trace the remarkable career
through which he had reached that elevation. I
hope, therefore, to be considered as having con-
quered my owTi disinclination to be the relater of
viii 1'keiacl:.
events in which I was concerned, in order to over-
come the scruples which he entertained against
being the author of the autobiographical sketch,
embracing so singular a portion of his life, which
I have extracted from the rough notes confided
to me.
That his diffidence in this respect was ground-
less will, I trust, be apparent from these pages,
however indifferently I may have executed my un-
usual task, during a long homeward sea- voyage ;
and, from the growing interest which has arisen
throug-hout the countrv for intellig-ence on the
subject of Borneo and the adjacent Archipelago,
I venture also to indulge the belief, that the gene-
ral information will be deemed no unfit adjunct to
the story of personal adventure.
H. K.
Dr ox ford, January 1846.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.
CHAPTER I.
The Chinese War having terminated, Captain Kepi^el in H.M.S.
Dido appointed to command of the Straits station. Meeting
with Mr. Brooke. Sketch of his life. Mr. Brooke's out-
ward voyage in the Royalist, Touch at Singapore. Arri-
val off the coast of Borneo. Land at the island of Talang
Talang. Intercourse with the Bandar . . Page 1
CHAPTER II.
Progress : observations. Description of the coast of Borneo.
Account, &c. of a Pangeran. Arrival at Sarawak. Meet-
ings with Rajah Muda Hassim, and conversations. The
town. Interchange of visits and presents. Excursion to
Dyak tribes. Resources and commercial products . . 22
CHAPTER III.
Second cruise : up the river Lundu. The Sibnowan Dyaks.
Their town of Tungong. Their physical proportions, and
words of their language. Their customs. Skull-trophies.
Religious ceremonies and opinions. Their ornaments. Ap-
pearance of both sexes. Dress and morals. Missionary
prospects of conversion, and elevation in the social scale.
Government, laws, and punishments. Dances. Iron ma-
nufacturing. Chinese settlement. Excursion continued . 50
CHAPTER IV.
Renewed intercourse with the Rajah. Prospects of trade.
Orang-outang, and other animals. The two sorts of mias.
Description of the Rajah, his suite, and Panglimas, &c.
X CONTENTS Ol' VOLUME J.
The character of tlie rjative.<. Leaves Sarawak. Soiigi
Dyaks. Visits Serif!' Sahib. Buyat tongue. Attack by
pirates. Sails for Singapore .... Faye l^Z
CHAPTER V.
Suminary of information obtained during this visit to Borneo.
Geographical and topographical observations. Produce.
Various Dyak tribes. Natural history. Language. Origin
of races. Sails from Singapore. Celebes. Face of the
country. Waterfall ...._.... 94
CHAPTER VL
Dain Matara, the Bugis. Excursions in Celebes. Dispute
with the Rajah's son-in-law. Baboon shot. Appearance
of the country. Visits the Resident. Barometrical obser-
vations. The Bugis. Geography, Coral reefs. Visits the
Rana of Lamatte. Population and products of the country . 114
CHAPTER Vn.
Mr. Brooke's second visit to SaraAvak. The civil war. Re-
ceives a present of a Dyak boy. Excursion to the seat of
war. Notices of rivers, and settlements on their banks.
Deaths and burials. Reasons for and against remaining at
Sarawak. Dyak visitors. Council of war. Why side
with the Rajah. Mode of constructing forts. State of ene-
my's and Rajah's forces. Conduct of the war . . . 137
CHAPTER Vin.
A])pearance of the country. Progress of the rebel war. Cha-
racter of the Sow and Singe Dyaks. Their belief in
augury. Ruinous effects of protracted warfare. Coward-
ice and boasting of the ^Malays. Council of war. Refuse
to attack the enemy's forts. Rebels propose to treat. The
jVlalays op^wse. Set out to attack the rebels, but frustrated
by our allies. Assailed by the rebels. Put them to flight.
Treat with them. They surrender. Intercede with the
Rajah for their lives. Renewed treachery of the Malays . 159
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. XI
CHAPTER IX.
Retrospect of Mr. Brooke's proceedings and prospects. Visit
of a pirate fleet. Intercourse with the chief leaders, and
other characteristic incidents. War-dances. Use of opium.
Story of Si Tundo. Preparations for trading. Conditions
of the cession of Sarawak .... Page 189
CHAPTER X.
01)stacles in coming to a satisfactory conclusion with Muda
Hassim. The law of force and reprisal considered. Capa-
bilities of Sarawak. Account of Sarebus and Sakarran
pirates. Excursion up the river. Visit to the Singe Dyaks.
Description of Mr. Brooke's house at Sarawak. Circum-
stances relating to the wreck off Borneo Proper . .214
CHAPTER Xr.
Return of the Royalist from Borneo Proi)er, with intelligence
of the sufferers from the wreck of the Sultana. Effect of
the arrival of the Diana on the negotiations for their re-
lease. Outrage and oppression of Macota. Fate of the
Sultana and her crew. Mr. Brooke made Rajah of Sa-
rawak. Liberation of rebel prisoners. State of Dyak
tribes. Court of justice opened. Dyak burials, and re-
spect for the dead. Malay cunning and treachery . . 240
CHAPTER XII.
Reflections ou the new year. The plundered village, and other
wrongs. Means for their suppression. Tlie new govern-
ment proceeds to act. The constitution. Preparation for
an expedition against the Sea-Dyaks. Form of a treaty.
Wreck of the Viscount Melbourne. Administration of
justice. Ditticulties and dangers. Dyak troubles. Views
and arrangements of the Chinese. Judicial forms. Wrongs
and sufferings of the Lundus . . . . . .2(51
CHAPTER XIII.
Ascent of the left-hand river to the Stabad. Remarkable cave
in the Tubbang. Diamond-works at Suntah. Return.
XII CONTENTS Or VOLUMi: I.
Infested by Dyak pirates. A meeting of pralius, and
fight. Seriff Sahib's treatment oftheSuntah Dyaks. Ex-
pedition against the Singe. Their invasion of tlie Sigos,
and taking heads. The triunii)h over these tropliies. Arms
and modes of war. Hot and cold council-houses. Cere-
monies on the installation of the Orang Kaya Steer Rajah.
Meeting of various Dyak tribes. Hostile plans of Seriff
Sahib, and their issue. Resolves to proceed to Borneo
Proper ........ Page 290
CHAPTER XIV.
Visit of Captain Elliott. Mr. Brooke sails for Borneo Proper.
Arrival. Visited by leading men. Condition of the coun-
try. Reception by the Sultan. Objects in view. The dif-
ferent chiefs, and communications with them. The Sultan
and his Pangerans. Objects of the visit accomplished.
Return to Sarawak. Ceremonies of the cession. Sails for
Singapore . . . . . . . . .316
APPENDIX.
I. Natural History. Mr. Brooke's report on the Mias . i
II. Philology ....... . xii
III. Epistle of LaiJutongei, Rajah of Waju, and Consort, to
Mr. James Brooke, and to the company of Merchants at
Singapore ....... . xxvii
ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOLUME I.
H.M.S. Dido at Sarawak
Jungle near Santobong
The Rajah Muda Hassim
Night-attack on the Panglima's prnhii
Map of JIalayan Archipelago
Province of Sarawak
to fare the Title
. 20
. 29
. 90
cit end ofrfol.
ditto
ERRATA.
30
line 9
for Burni read
Bninl
35
„ 23
,, 90 „
59"
37
3
„ 100
3000
119
6
„ Batang „
Balong
121
3
„ idem „
idem
123
„ 15
„ idem ,,
idem
125
1
„ claim „
climb
161
,. 12
„ cannonades „
carronades
209
„ 7
„ his „
this
211
„ 20
„ in the law „
i. e. the written law
233
„ 16
„ Sika
Situ
275
„ 22
„ Laconia „
Luconia
276
„ 26
,, of
off
281
„ 26
„ of a Chinaman „
to a Chinaman
283
„ 13
,, Montrado „
those of Montrado
332
„ 20
„ bought by „
brought from
VISIT TO BORNEO.
CHAPTER I.
The Chinese War having terminated, Captain Keppel in H.M.S.
Dido appointed to command of the Straits station. Meeting
with Mr. Broolce. Sketch of his Ufe. Mr. Brooke's outward
voyage in the Royalist. Touch at Singapore. Arrival oiF
the coast of Borneo. Land at the Island of Talang Talang.
Intercourse with the Bandar.
At the conclusion of the Chinese war, the com-
mander-in-chief, Vice- Admiral Sir William Parker,
ordered the Dido to the Malacca Straits, a station
in which was included the island of Borneo ; our
principal duties being the protection of trade, and
suppression of piracy.
In the month of March 1843, while at Pinang,
I received intimation from the governor of various
daring acts of piracy having been committed near
the Borneon coast on some native vessels tradino- to
Singapore. I proceeded to that port ; and, while
VOL. I. B
2 VOYAGE OF THE UIDO.
undergoing a partial refit, made the acquaintance
of Mr. Brooke, who accepted my invitation to re-
turn to Sarawak in the Dido ; and I could not
have visited Borneo with a more agreeable or intel-
ligent companion.
The objects of Mr. Brooke in leaving England,
the reasons which induced him to settle at Sara-
wak, and the circumstances which have led him to
take so deep an interest in promoting the civilisa-
tion and improving the condition of the singular
people whom he has adopted, form indeed a story
very unlike the common course of events in modern
times.
But before illustrating- these circumstances from
his own journals, it may be acceptable to say a few
words respecting the individual himself, and of his
extraordinary career. I am indebted to a mutual
friend, acquainted with him from early years, for
the followino- brief but interesting outline of his
life ; and have only to mention in the first instance,
that Mr. Brooke is the lineal representative of Sir
Eobert Vyner, Baronet, and Lord Mayor of London
in the reign of Charles II. ; Sir Robert had but
one child, a son. Sir George Vyner, who died
childless, and his estate passed to his heir-at-law,
Edith, the eldest sister of his father, whose lineal
descendant is our friend. Sir Bobert was re-
nowned for his loyalty to his sovereign, to whom
he devoted his wealth, and to whose memory he
raised a monument.
MEMOIR OF MR. BROOKE. D
" Mr. Brooke was the second, and is now the
only surviving son of the late Thomas Brooke, Esq.,
of the civil service of the East India Company ; was
bom on the 29th April, 1803 ; went out to India
as a cadet, where he held advantageous situations,
and distinguished himself by his gallantry in the
Burmese war. He was shot through the body in
an action with the Burmese, received the thanks of
the government, and returned to England for the
recovery of his prostrated strength. He resumed
his station, but shortly afterwards relinquished the
service, and in search of health and amusement
left Calcutta for China in 1830. In this voyage,
while going up the China seas, he saw for the first
time the islands of the Asiatic Archipelago —
islands of vast importance and unparalleled beauty
— lying neglected and almost unknown. He in-
quired and read, and became convinced that Bor-
neo and the Eastern Isles afforded an open field
for enterprise and research. To carry to the
Malay races, so long the terror of the European
merchant-vessel, the blessings of civilisation, to
suppress piracy and extirpate the slave-trade, be-
came his humane and generous objects ; and from
that hour the energies of his powerful mind were
devoted to this one pursuit. Often foiled — often
disappointed, with a perseverance and enthusiasm
which defied all obstacle, he was not until 1838
enabled to set sail from England on his darlino:
project. The intervening years had been devoted
4 MEMOIR OF MR. RROOKE.
to preparation and inquiry — a year spent in the
Mediterranean had tested his vessel, the Royalist,
and his crew — and so completely had he studied
his subject and calculated on contingencies, that
the least santjuine of his friends felt as he left the
shore, hazardous and unusual as the enterprise
appeared to be, that he had omitted nothing to
insure a successful issue. ' I go,' said he, ' to
awake the spirit of slumbering philanthropy with
regard to these islands ; to carry Sir Stamford
Raffles' views in Java over the whole Archipelago.
Fortune and life I give freely ; and if I fail in the
attempt, I shall not have lived wholly in vain.'
" In the admiration I feel for him, I may far-
ther be permitted to add, that if any man ever
possessed in himself the resources and means by
which such noble designs were to be achieved, that
man w^as James Brooke ! Of the most enlarged
view^s ; truthful and generous ; quick to acquire
and appreciate ; excelling in every manly sport
and exercise ; elegant and accomplished ; ever ac-
cessible ; and above all, prompt and determined to
redress injury and relieve misfortune, — he was of
all others the best qualified to impress the native
mind with the highest opinion of English charac-
ter. How he has succeeded, the influence he has
acquired, and the benefits he has conferred, his
own uncoloured narrative contained in the follow-
ing pages best declares, and impresses on the world
a lasting lesson of the good that attends individual
HIS JOURNAL. O
enterprise, when well directed, of which every Eng-
lishman may feel justly proud."
Such is the sketch of Mr. Brooke hy one well
competent to judge of that to which he bears
witness. In pursuance of the mission he has
so eloquently and truly described, that gentleman
left his native shores, in his yacht the Koyalist
schooner, of 142 tons, belonging to the Royal Yacht
Squadron, with a crew of upwards of twenty men,
in the year 1838. His general views were distinct
and certain ; but the details into which they shaped
themselves have been so entirely guided by unfore-
seen occurrences, that it is necessary to look to his
first visit to Borneo for their explanation ; and in
order to do so, I must refer to his private journal,
which he kindly confided to me, after my having
in vain tried to persuade him to publish it him-
self, as it contains much new and interesting intel-
ligence.
EXTRACTS FROM MR. BROOKE's JOURNAL.
" I had for some years turned my mind to the
geography of the Indian Archipelago, and cherish-
ed an ardent desire to become better acquainted with
a country combining the richest natural produc-
tions with an unrivalled degree of luxuriant beauty.
Circumstances for a time prevented my entering on
this field for enterprise and research ; and when
the barriers were removed, I had many prepara-
tions to make and some difficulties to overcome.
6 MR. buooke's journal.
" In an expedition conducted by government,
the line of discipline is so distinctly understood,
and its infringement so strictly punished, that small
hazard is incurred of any inconvenience arising
from such a source. With an individual, however,
there is no such assurance, for he cannot appeal to
the articles of war ; and the ordinary legal enact-
ments for the protection of the mariner will not
enable him to effect objects so far removed beyond
the scope of the laws. I was fully aware that
many would go, but that few might stay ; for
whilst a voyage of discovery hi prospectu possesses
great attractions for the imagination, the hardship,
danger, and thousand other rude realities, soon
dissipate the illusion, and leave the aspirant long-
ing for that home he should never have quitted.
In like manner, seamen can be procured in abund-
ance, but cannot be kept from desertion whenever
any matter goes wrong ; and the total previous
ignorance of their characters and dispositions ren-
ders this more likely, as the admission of one
* black sheep' goes far to taint the entire crew.
" These considerations fully convinced me that
it was necessary to form meii to my purpose, and
by a line of steady and kind conduct, to raise up
a personal regard for myself and attachment for
the vessel, which could not be expected in ordinary
cases. In pursuance of this object, I was nearly
three years in preparing a crew to my mind, and
gradually moulding them to consider the hardest
SAILING OF THE ROYALIST YACHT. 7
fate or misfortune under my command as better
than the ordinary service in a merchant-vessel.
How far I have succeeded remains yet to be
proved ; but I cannot help hoping that I have
raised the character of many, and have rendered
all happy and contented since they have been with
me ; and certain am I that no men can do their
duty more cheerfully or willingly than the crew of
the Royalist.
" I may pass over in silence my motives for
undertaking so long and arduous a voyage ; and it
will be sufficient to say, that I have been firmly
convinced of its beneficial tendency in adding to
knowledge, increasing trade, and spreading Chris-
tianity. The prospectus of the undertaking was
published in the Geographical Journal, vol. viii.
part iii. of 1838, when my preparations for sea
were nearly complete. I had previously avoided
making any public mention of my intentions, for
praise before performance is disgusting ; and I
knew I should be exposed to prying curiosity, de-
sirous of knowing what I did not know myself.
" On the 27th October, 1838, the Royalist left
the river ; and, after a succession of heavy gales,
finally quitted the land on the l6th December.
I may here state some farther particulars, to
enable my readers to become better acquainted
with her and her equipment. The Royalist, as
already noticed, belonged to the Royal Yacht
Squadron, which in foreign ports admits her to the
8 AT RIO JANKIRO.
same privilef^es as a man-of-war, and ena1)les her
to carry a white ensign. She sails fast, is conve-
niently fitted up, is armed with six six-pounders,
a number of swivels, and small arms of all sorts,
carries four boats, and provisions for four months.
Her principal defect is being too sharp in the
floor, which, in case of taking the ground, greatly
increases the risk ; but I comfort myself with the
reflection, that a knowledge of this will lead to
redoubled precaution to prevent such a disaster.
She is withal a good sea-boat, and as well cal-
culated for the service as could be desired.
" Most of her hands had been with me for
three years or upwards, and the rest were highly
recommended. They are, almost without excep-
tion, young, able-bodied, and active, fit in all re-
spects for enduring hardship and privation, or the
more dangerous reverse of self-indulgence, and
willing to follow the fortunes of the Royalist and
her commander through all the various shades of
good or evil fortune which may betide. A fine,
though slow, passage took us to Rio Janeiro, which
presents features of natural beauty rarely equalled.
The weather during our stay was hot in the ex-
treme, and very wet, which marred, in some degree,
the satisfaction I should otherwise have enjoyed
in wandering about this picturesque country. I
passed ten days, however, very agreeably, and de-
parted with some regret from this brief \'isit to
America and from my friends (if they will so allow
BRAZIL. 9
me to call them) on board H. M.S. Calliope. I
must not omit to mention that, during my stay,
I visited a slaver, three of which (prizes to our
men-of-war) lay in the harbour. It is a most
loathsome and disgusting sight. Men, women, and
children — the aged and the infant — crowded into
a space as confined as the pens in Smithfield ; not,
however, to be released by death at the close of
the day, but to linger, diseased and festering, for
weeks or months, and then to be discharged into
perpetual and hopeless slavery. I wish I could
say that our measures tended toward the abolition
of this detestable traffic ; but from all that I could
learn and observe, I am forced to confess that the
exertions made to abolish slavery are of no avail
in this country, and never will be till harsher
means are resorted to.
" There are points of view in which this traffic
wears a more cheering aspect ; for any one com-
paring the puny Portuguese or the bastard Brazi-
lian with the athletic negro, cannot but allow that
the ordinary changes and chances of time wall
place this fine country in the hands of the latter
race. The negro will be fit to cultivate the soil,
and will thrive beneath the tropical sun of the
Brazils. The enfeebled white man grows more
enfeebled and more degenerate with each succeed-
ing generation, and languishes in a clime which
nature never designed him to inhabit. The time
will come when the debased and sufiering ne-
10 ONWAIll) VOYAGE.
groes shall possess this fertile land, and when some
share of justice shall be awarded to their cheerful
tempers and ardent minds.
" Quitting Rio on the 9th, we cruised for a day
or two with H.M.S. Calliope and Grecian ; and on
the 11th, parting company, prosecuted our voyage
for the Cape of Good Hope."
The next notice runs thus : — "The aspect of
Tristan d'Acunha is bold even to grandeur. The
peak, towering upwards of eight thousand feet
above the sea, is inferior only to Teneriffe, and
the precipitous cliffs overhanging the beach are
a fitting base for such a mountain. I regretted
not being able to examine this island on many
accounts, but principally, perhaps, on account of
the birds of the South Atlantic I had hoped to
collect there, many of which are so often seen by
voyagers, yet so little known and so vaguely de-
scribed.
" On the 29th March, after being detained a
fortnight [at the Cape of Good Hope] by such
weather as no one could regret, we sailed again in
a south-easter, and after a passage of six weeks
reached Java Head.
" I had been suffering for some time under a
severe indisposition, and I consequently hailed the
termination of our voyage wdth double satisfaction,
for I greatly required rest and quiet — two things
impossible to be had on ship-board. From Java
Head we glided slowly through Prince's Strait,
ANJER ROADS. 11
and, coasting along the island, dropped our anchor
in Anjer Roads. The scenery of this coast is ex-
tremely lovely, and comprises every feature which
can heighten the picturesque : noble mountains,
a lake -like sea, and deeply indented coast -line,
rocks, islets, and, above all, a vegetation so luxu-
riant that the eye never wearies with gazing on
its matchless tints. Anjer combines all these
beauties, and possesses the incalculable advantage
of beinof within a moderate ride of the refreshinsf
coolness of the hills. We here procured water
and provisions in abundance, being daily visited
by crowds of canoes filled with necessaries or cu-
riosities. Fowls, eggs, yams, cocoa-nuts, and sweet
potatoes, were mixed with monkeys of various sorts,
paroquets, squirrels, shells, and similar temptations
on the stranger's purse or wardrobe. Great was
the bartering for old clothes, handkerchiefs, and
hats ; and great the number of useless and noisy
animals we received in exchange. Great, too, was
the merriment aboard, and the excitement when
the canoes first came. The transition from the
monotony of a sea-life to the loquacious bustle
of barter with a half-civilised people is so sudden,
that the mind at once feels in a strange land, and
the commonest productions proclaim the luxuri-
ant climes of the tropics. Until this impression
is made, we hardly know why we have been sailing
onward for four months past, so quiet and unvary-
ing is the daily tenor of a life aboard ship.
12 SINGAPORE.
** 1^/ June, Si/igapore. — On reaching Singapore
I was most hospitably received by the kind inha-
bitants, and took up my abode with Mr. Scott.
The quiet and repose of my present life, the gentle
ride in the cool of the mornin"', and the evening-,
drive after an early dinner, are already restoring
my shattered strength, and I trust soon to be en-
abled to prosecute my farther undertaking. In
the mean time the Royalist is undergoing a refit
after her passage, and, like her owner, is daily im-
proving in good looks. .
" I coidd say much of Singapore, for it is the
pivot of the liberal system in the Archipelago, and
owes its prosperity to the enlightened measures of
Sir Stamford Raffles. The situation is happily
chosen, the climate healthy, the commerce un-
shackled, and taxation light ; and these advan-
taoes have attracted the vessels of all the neigh-
bouring nations to bring their produce to this
market in order to exchange it for the manufac-
tures of England.
" The extent of the island is about 27 miles by
I I broad. The town of Singapore stands on the
south side, facing the shores of Battam, and is
intersected by a salt-water stream, which separates
the native town from the pleasant residences of the
European inhabitants ; the latter stretch along
the beach, and cover a space which extends to the
foot of a slight eminence, on which stands the
governor's house. Off the town lie the shipping
THE CHINA SEA : PHENOMENON. 13
of various countries, presenting a most picturesque
and striking- appearance. The man-of-war, the
steamer, and the merchant- vessels of the civilised
world, contrast with the huge, misshapen, and he-
dizened arks of China ! The awkward prahus of
the Bugis are surrounded by the light boats of the
island. The semi -civilised Cochin Chinese, with
their vessels of antiquated European construction,
deserve attention from this important step towards
improvement ; and the rude prahus of some parts
of Borneo claim it from their exhibiting the early
dawn of maritime adventure.
" 27^/^ July. — After various causes of delay I
sailed on this day from Singapore. When I con-
trast my state of health at my arrival with what it
now is, I may well be thankful for the improve-
ment. Every kindness and hospitality has been
shewn me.
" On Saturday at noon we got under weigh
with a light breeze, and stood down the Strait on
our way to Borneo.
" '■ZSth. — In the morninof we were well out
in the China Sea, running six knots per hour,
N. f E. Lines of discoloured water were seen about
us, and about 11 a.m. we entered a field some two
miles long and 400 yards wide. The consistence
of this dirty mass was that of pea-soup, which it
likewise resembled in colour ; and I doubt not
the white water of the China Sea (vide N. Maga-
zine^ is referable to this appearance seen in the
14 MR. Brooke's objects.
night, as may the report of rocks, &e. The Ma-
lays on board called it ' sara,' and declared it to
come from the rivers. On examination it ap-
peared, when magnified, somewhat like a grain of
barley or corn. The particles were extremely mi-
nute, soft, and, rubbed between the fingers, emit-
ted a strong smell like paint-oil ; a potent odour
arose whilst passing through the thick patch.
" It may not be superfluous to recount here the
preparations I have made for this trip to Borneo,
or my intentions when I get there. Borneo Proper,
once the seat of piracy, which few vessels could
approach with safety, is now under the sway of
the Bajah Muda Hassim. The character given
this rajah by many persons who know and have
traded with him is so good, and he is spoken of
as generous and humane, and greatly inclined to
the EnMish. These reasons have induced me to
abandon my intention of proceeding direct to Mal-
ludu Bay, and during the season of the south-
west monsoon to confine myself principally to the
north-west coast. Muda Hassim being at present
reported to be at Sarawak, I propose, after taking
a running sketch of the coast from Tanjong Api,
to enter the river of that name, and proceed as
far as the town.
" I believe I have availed myself of every means
within my reach to render my visit agreeable to
the rajah. I carry with me many presents which
are reported to be to his liking — gaudy silks of
IN REGARD TO BORNEO. 15
Surat, scarlet cloth, stamped velvet, gunpowder,
&c., besides a large quantity of confectionery and
sweets, such as preserved ginger, jams, dates,
syrups, and, to wind up all, a huge box of China
toys for his children ! I have likewise taken
coarse nankeen to the amount of 100/. value, as
the best circulating medium in the country. Be-
sides the above-mentioned preparations, I carry
letters from the government of Singapore, to state,
as far as can be done, the objects of my voyage,
and to caution the rajah to take every care of
my safety and that of my men. The Board of
Commerce have at the same time entrusted me
with a letter and present to him, to thank him
for his humanity to a crew of an English vessel
wrecked on his coast. The story, as I had it from
the parties shipwTecked, is highly creditable to his
humanity. The vessel, called the Napoleon, was
wrecked on the bar of Sarawak river in the north-
east monsoon. The people were saved with diffi-
culty, and remained in the jungle, where they were
after a time discovered by some Malays. Muda
Hassim, on receiving intelligence of this, sent down
and brought them to his town, collected all that
he could recover from the wreck, clothed them
handsomely, and fed them well for several months,
and, on an opportunity arriving, sent them back
to Singapore free of expense.
" At the same time, however, that I have pre-
pared to meet the natives as friends, I have not
l6 ARRIVAL OFF THE COAST.
neglected to streng-tlicn my crew, in case I should
find them hostile. Eight stout men of the Orang
Laut, or men of the sea (Malays), have been added
to the force. They are an athletic race, cheerful
and willing ; and though not seamen in our sense
of the term, yet well calculated for this expedition.
They pull a good oar, and are invaluable in saving
the Europeans the exposure consequent to wood-
ing and watering. They possess, likewise, the
knowledge of the jungle and its resources, and two
of them have before been to Sarawak and along
the coast. Besides these, a young gentleman
named Williamson accompanies me as intei'preter ;
and I have fortunatelv met with a medical aentle-
man, Mr. Westermann, a Dane, who is surgeon
for this voyage, Mr. Williams having left me at
Singapore. With these arrangements I look ^nth-
out apprehension to the power of the Malays ; but,
without relaxing in measures of the strictest vigfil-
ance, I shall never sleep less soundly when it comes
to my turn so to do.
" August Isf. — I am, then, at length, anchored
off the coast of Borneo ! not under ver}^ pleasant
circumstances, for the night is pitchy dark, ^-ith
thunder, lightning, rain, and squalls of wind.
*' Qd. — Squally bad night. This morning, the
clouds clearing awav, was delightful , and offered
for our view the majestic scenery of Borneo. At
nine got under way, and ran in on an east-by-
soutli course 42 or 5 miles towards Tanjong Api.
VOYAGE CONTINUED. 17
Came to an anchor about 5 miles from the land,
and despatched the boat to take sights ashore,
in order to form a base-line for triangulation.
The scenery may really be called majestic. The
low and wooded coast about Tanjong Api is
backed bv a mountain called Gunono-^ Palo, some
2000 feet in height, which slopes down behind the
point and terminates in a number of hummocks,
shewing from a distance like islands.
" The coast, unknown, and represented to
abound in shoals and reefs, is the harbour for
pirates of every description. Here every man's
hand is raised against his brother-man ; and here
sometimes the climate wars upon the excitable
European, and lays many a white face and gallant
heart low on the distant strand.
*' Sd. — Beating between Points Api and Datu.
The bay, as far as we have seen, is free from dan-
ger ; the beach is lined by a feathery row of
beautiful casuarinas, and behind is a tangled jungle,
without fine timber ; game is plentiful, from the
traces we saw on the sand ; hogs in great numbers,
troops of monkeys, and the print of an animal with
cleft hoofs, either a large deer, tapir, or cow.
We saw no game save a tribe of monkeys, one of
which, a female, I shot, and another quite young,
which we managed to capture alive. The captive,
though the young of the black monkey, is greyish,
' Gunong, a mountain, part of a chain.
VOL. I. C
18 MONKEY LEAP.
with the exception of his extremities, and a stripe
of black down his back and tail. Though very
young, he has already taken food, and we have
some hope of preserving his life.
" We witnessed at the same time an extraordi-
nary and fatal leap made by one of these monkeys.
Alarmed by our approach, he sprang from the
summit of a high tree at the branch of one lower,,
and at some distance. He leaped short, and came
clattering down some 60 or 70 feet amid the
jungle. We were unable to penetrate to the spot
on account of a deep swamp, to ascertain his fate.
'* A rivulet flows into the sea not far from where
we landed — the water is sweet, and of that clear
brown colour so common in Ireland. This coast
is evidently the haunt of native prahus, whether
piratical or other. Prints of men's feet were nu-
merous and fresh, and traces of huts, fires, and
parts of boots, some of them ornamented after
their rude fashion. A long pull of five miles
closed the day.
** Sunday, 4
. ■-'rjJ:rX,-J^2i:' J^
THE RAJAH. 29
side of the ruler, who occupied the head seat.
Our party were placed on one hand ; on the other
sat his brother Mahammed, and Macota and some
others of his principal chiefs ; whilst immediately
behind him his twelve younger brothers were
seated.
" The dress of Muda Hassim was simple, but of
rich material, and most of the principal men were
well, and even superbly, dressed. His countenance
is plain, but intelligent and highly pleasing, and
his manners perfectly elegant and easy. His re-
ception was kind, and, I am given to understand,
highly flattering. We sat, however, trammelled
with the formality of state, and our conversation
did not extend beyond kind inquiries and profes-
sions of friendship. We were presented with to-
bacco rolled up in a leaf, each about a foot long,
and tea was served by attendants on their knees.
A band of music played wild and not unmusical
airs during the intel^view, and the crowd of attend-
ants who surrounded us were seated around in re-
spectful silence. After a visit of half an hour, we
rose and took our leave.
" Sarawak is but an occasional residence of the
Rajah Muda Hassim, and he is now detained here
by a rebellion in the interior. On my inquiring
whether ilie zoar proceeded favourably, he replied
that there was ?w zoar, but merely some child's plat/
among his subjects. From what I hear, however,
from other quarters, it is more serious than he re-
so SARAWAK.
presents it ; and hints have been thrown out that
the rajah wishes me to stay here as a demonstra-
tion to intimidate the rebels. We shall see.
" The town consists of a collection of mud huts,
erected on piles, and may contain about 1500 per-
sons. The residences of the rajah and his four-
teen brothers occupy the greater part, and their
followers are the great majority of the population.
When they depart for Borneo (or Burni), the re-
mainder must be a very small population, and ap-
parently very poor. The river aifords a few fish ;
but there is little sign of cultivation either of rice
or other grain. Fowls and goats seem the only
other means of subsistence of these people. The
geological features of the country are easily de-
scribed. Vast masses of granite rock are scat-
tered along the coast ; for instance, Gunong Poe,
Gading, Santobong, &c. &c., which have evidently
at some former period been detached islands. The
spaces between these granite itiasses is now filled
in with alluvial soil, intersected in every direction
with rivers and streams, and on the low alluvial
bank of the Sarawak river stands this little
town. The distance from the sea is about twenty-
five miles, through banks of mangrove, and the
Nepa palm, until approaching the town, where
some jungle -trees first appear. The breadth is
about 100 yards, and the depth six fathoms at low
water spring-tides in mid river opposite the rajah's
residence. In some places below, the river is
COJ«)VERSATION WITH THE RAJAH. 31
narrower and the depths considerable, varying from
three to seven fathoms. The prominent points,
however, are shallow, and the rocks below the town
lay on the starboard hand coming up just as the
first houses appear in sight. The larboard hand
should then be kept close aboard. Some other
rocks are likewise reported ; and in ascending the
stream, though it be generally clear, a vessel zvith
or without a pilot should have a boat a-head sound-
ing. In the evening I went ashore suddenly to
pay a visit to the rajah, in order, if possible, to
break through the bonds of formality. The great
man soon made his appearance, and received us
very well. We talked much of the state of his
country and of ours ; but he was very guarded
when I spoke of the Dutch. " He had no dealings
whatever (he said) with them, and never allowed
their vessels to come here, and therefore could not
say what they were like." We sat in easy and
unreserved converse, out of hearing of the rest
of the circle. He expressed great kindness to the
English nation ; and begged me to tell him really
which was the most powerful nation, England or
Holland, or, as he significantly expressed, which
is the " cat and which the rat ?" I assured him
that England was the mouser, though in this coun-
try Holland had most territory. We took our
leave after he had intimated his intention of visit-
inof us to-morrow mominof.
<< l6r/«. — We were ready to receive the rajah
32 VISITED I5Y MUDA IIASSIM.
after breakfast : ])ut these affairs of state are not
so easily managed. There came two diplomatists
on board to know, in the first place, how many
guns we intended to salute with, and, in the
second, whether I would go ashore in my gig, in
order to fetch the chief and his brother off. The
latter request I might have refused, and in a di-
plomatic light it was inadmissible ; but I readily
conceded it, because, in the first place, it was
less troublesome than a refusal ; and in the next,
I cared not to bandy paltry etiquettes with a semi-
savage ; and whatever pride might whisper, I could
not, as an individual traveller, refuse an acknow-
ledging of the supremacy of a native prince. I
went accordingly. The great man came on board,
and we treated him with every distinction and
respect. Much barbaric state was maintained
as he quitted his own residence. His sword of
state, with a gold scabbard, his war -shield, jewel-
hilted kris, and flowing horse-taih, were separate-
ly carried by the grand officers of state. Bursts
of wild music announced his exit. His fourteen
brothers and principal Pangerans surrounded him,
and a number (formidable on the deck of a ves-
sel) covered the rear. He stayed two hours and
a half; ate and drank, and talked with great fa-
miliarity, till the oppressive heat of the crowded
cabin caused me to wish them all to another
place. However, he departed at last, under a
salute of twenty-one guns, and the fatigues of the
VISITS. PRESENTS. 33
day were satisfactorily brought to a close. I after-
wards sent the rajah the presents I had brought
for him, consisting of a silk sarong, some yards of
red cloth and velvet, a pocket-pistol, scissors and
knives, with tea, biscuits, sweetmeats, China play-
things, &c. &c. A person coming here should
be provided with a few articles of small importance
to satisfy the crowd of inferior chiefs. Soap, small
parcels of tea, lucifers, writing-paper, a large stock
of cigars, biscuits, and knives, are the best ; for,
without being great beggars, they seem greatly
to value these trifles, even in the smallest quantity.
The higher class inquired frequently for scents ;
and for the great men I know no present which
would be more acceptable than a small pier-glass.
All ranks seemed greatly pleased with those a-
board ; and some of the lower orders, quite ignorant
of the reflection, laughing, moving, sitting, and
rising, to observe the corresponding eflect.
<' 18^//. — In the morning I intimated my in-
tention of paying a visit to the Pangeran Muda
Mahammed ; and being apprised of his readiness
to see us, I went ashore to his house. He was
not, however, in the room to receive us ; nor, in-
deed, was I much surprised at this slight, for he
is a sulky-looking, ill-favoured savage, with a de-
bauched appearance, and wanting in the intelli-
gence of his brother the rajah. I seated myself,
however, and remained some time ; but the delay
exceeding what I considered the utmost limit of
VOL. I. D
,'ll< ETIQUETTE.
my forbearance, I expressed to the Pangeran Ma-
cota my regret that his compeer was not ready to
receive me, adding that, as I was not accustomed
to be kept waiting, I would return to my vessel.
I spoke in the quietest tone imaginable, rose from
my seat, and moved away ; but the assembled Pan-
gcrans, rising likewise, assured me it was a mis-
take, that he was not yet dressed, and would
greatly regret it himself. I repeated, that when
I visited the rajah, he received me in the hall.
Whilst this brief discussion passed, the culprit
Muda Mahammed appeared, and apologised for
his remissness, assuring me that the error was
his attendants*, who told him I was not coming for
an hour. The excuse, of course, passed current,
though false, as excuses generally are. I vindi-
cated my independence, not until it was necessary ;
and I am well aware that any endeavour of a na-
tive to commit an indirect rudeness, if met with
firmness and gentleness, always recoils on his ovmi
head. The routine of the visit resembled our last
— tea, cigars, complimentary conversation, and
departure. The Pangeran afterwards sent me a
present of fowls and goats, and I was right glad
to have it over. Muda Mahammed is the *own*
brother to Muda Hassim, and next in rank here.
As yet I had not made any request to the rajah to
allow me to visit various parts of his country ; but
thinking the time was arrived (the ceremonial of
arrival being past) to do so, I sent Mr. William-
EXCURSION AMONG THE DYAKS. 35
son, my interpreter, to express my wish to travel
to some of the Malay towns and into the country
of the Dyaks. The latter request, I fully expected,
would be evaded, and was therefore the more pleased
when an answer came giving a cheerful consent
to my going amongst the Dyaks of Lundu, and
visiting the towns of Sadung, Samarahan, &c. At
the same time the rajah informed me, that if I went
up the river, he could not be answerable for my
safety, as the rebels were not far distant, and con-
stantly on the watch. Sarebus, another large Dyak
town, he advised me not to visit, as they were
inimical to his government, and a skirmish had
lately taken place between them and some of his
subjects.
" 18^/^, Sunday. — Performed service. In the
evening walked ashore, but the jungle was wet
after rain. Every day or night since arriving it
has rained, sometimes in torrents, at others in
showers, and the sky has been so obscured that
no observations can be obtained. The thermo-
meter never ranges above 81°, and sometimes stands
at 9\
" At 12 at night we were surprised by a boat
sent from the rajah, to say he was taken ill, and
wanted some physic. We despatched our surgeon,
but it was found impossible to admit him into the
sacred precincts of the seraglio, and he returned
with the information that the rajah was asleep.
" 21.9/ Our fleet were in readiness before dav-
3() EXCURSION.
lioht, and by 5 o'clock we left Kuchin^r,' and drop-
})ed down the river. The Pangeran Illudeen and
the ranglima, both in pralius, accompanied us, and
with our long-boat (the Skimalong) formed quite a
gay procession. The prahu of the Pangeran pulled
twelve paddles, mounted two brass swivels, and in
all had a crew of about twenty men. The Pan-
glima's boat likewise carried a gun, and had about
ten men ; whilst the Skimalong mounted an iron
swivel, and carried six Englishmen and one of
our Singapore Malays. With this equipment we
might be pronounced far superior to any force of
the rajah's enemies we were likely to meet.
" We passed from the Sarawak river into the
Morotaba. At the junction of the two streams the
Morotaba is narrow ; but at no great distance,
where it meets the Quop, it becomes wdder, and
in some places more than half a mile across.
" The river Quop is a fine stream, fully, as far
as I could see, as broad as the Morotaba or Sara-
wak. Beyond the junction of the Quop and Mo-
rotaba the latter river di\ddes into two branches
— the left-hand one, running to the sea, retains
the name of Morotaba, whilst the right is called
Riam.
" The Riam is a fine stream ; at its junction
with the Morotaba it takes that name, as the
Morotaba does that of Sarawak where they join.
Low mangrove or Nepa palm banks characterise
' The old name for the town of Sarawak.
EXCURSION. 37
these streams ; and occasionally slight eminences,
with timber, are to be seen. The highest hill is
about 100 feet high, called Matang, and is at the
point of junction between the Morotaba and Riam.
" The next river on the starboard hand is the
Tanjan, a small stream ; and some distance from
it, the Kulluong, or Parwheet river, more properly
the continuation of the Riam. On the port hand
is a smaller river, running N. 35° E. We pursued
this stream, called Ugong Passer ; and after a
hard pull against a strong tide, emerged into the
larger river of Samarahan. The tide was so strong
against us that we brought up for a couple of
hours till it slacked, and between 4 and 5 got
under weigh again, with the expectation of sht>rtly
arriving at our place of destination. Hour after
hour passed, however ; the sun set ; the glorious
moon rose upon our progress as we toiled slowly
but cheerfully onward. Silence was around, save
when broken by the wild song of the Malay boat-
men, responded to by the song of our tars to the
tune of * Bonnie laddie. Highland laddie.'
*' It was such a situation as an excitable mind
might envy. The reflection that we were proceed-
ing up a Borneon river hitherto unknown, sailing
where no European ever sailed before ; the deep
solitude, the brilliant night, the dark fringe of
retired jungle, the lighter foliage of the river bank,
with here and there a tree flashing and shining
with fireflies, nature's tiny lamps glancing and
450304
Sa SAMARAHAN. RIVERS.
flitting in countless numbers and incredible brilli-
ancy ! At eleven at night we reached Samarahan,
having been eighteen hours in the boat, and fifteen
at the oars, chiefly against tide. The men were
tired, but cheerful. Indeed, I can give them no
praise beyond their merits for conduct spirited,
endurin"-, and vet so orderlv as never to off*end
the native inhabitants, or infringe upon their pre-
judices. A glass of grog with our supper, and we
all soon closed our eyes in comfortable sleep, such
as fatigue alone can bring.
" 22cl. — The village of Samarahan consists of a
few houses, built, as usual, upon posts, and stand-
ing close to the brink of the river. It contains
fronf sixty to eighty inhabitants in all, and there
is nothing in its site different from the rest of the
country. Whilst here, a boat, with a Dyak family,
came alongside, consisting of a father, his son, and
two daughters. They belonged to Sibnowan tribe,
and had a ' ladang,' or farm, on the Samarahan,
towards the sea. The women were good-looking ;
one, indeed, handsome, plump, and intelligent.
They were naked to the waist, and ornamented
with several cinctures of brass and coloured rattans
scraped very thin.
" About 10 we quitted Samarahan and proceeded
up the river, stopping only to take a set of sights,
and about seven in the evening reached Sibnow,
having previously passed the villages of Rembas
and Siniawan. Siniawan and Sibnow arc not above
THE SIBNOWAN DYAKS. 39
half a mile from each other, and Rembas not far
distant. They are all about the same size, con-
sisting each of eight or ten houses, and containing
sixty or eighty inhabitants. The river, during its
course so far, is characterised by the same clay-
mud bank, evidently an alluvial deposit, without
one rock to be seen. The banks are low, and for
the most part cleared a quarter of a mile or more
on either side, but the jungle is rarely disturbed
beyond that distance. Occasionally, however, the
scene is varied by the rich foliage of this jungle,
which here and there kisses the tide as it flows
by, and in some spots on the cleared ground arise
clumps of trees that would be the pride of any
park in Europe. Monkeys in great numbers
frisked among the branches ; and though unable
to shoot them, they amused us often by their gro-
tesque attitudes and the tremendous leaps they
made. On one occasion we saw as many as twenty
throw themselves, one after the other, from the
branch of a high tree into a thick bush full forty
feet below, and not one missed his distance or
hold ! On our way to Sibnow the Pangeran had
collected a number of men for a deer-hunt. The
nets used for this purpose are formed of rattans
strongly wove together, which, being stretched
along the jungle, have nooses of the same material,
at three feet apart, attached to this ridge -rope.
Beaters and dogs then hunt from the opposite
(quarter, and the deer, in escaping them, is caught
40 I'HK DYAKS
in this trap. Several hundred fathoms is stretched
at once, each separate part of thirty or forty fa-
thoms being joined on as required ; and I was told
that in this way many deer were taken.
" A heavy rain came on directly after we had
brought up, and quickly dispelled all our prepara-
ticms for supper, by putting out our fire, cooling
our hot water, and soaking our half-broiled fowls.
To a hungry man such an event is very disastrous ;
but nothing could exceed the kindness of our Ma-
lay friends. They took us to the best house in the
village, prepared our supper, and pro\dded us with
comfortable mats and pillows to sleep on. Some
of our party preferred a bad supper and wet bed
to these accommodations ; and to consummate
their discomfort, they were kept awake a great
part of the night by sandflies. Our lot in the
house was more fortunate. We heard the rattling
of the pitiless rain, and pitied those whose choice
or distrust kept them in the boat. I obtained by
this means an excellent opportunity of seeing a
Malay mhiage in its primitive simplicity. Women,
children, and all their domestic arrangements, were
exposed to ^aew. Nothing appeared to be con-
cealed, nor could anything exceed the simple kind-
hearted hospitality of the inhabitants. The women
gazed upon us freely ; and their children, with the
shyness natural to their age, yet took a glance at
the strangers. Never having seen a white man,
their curiosity was naturally excited, ]>ut it was
AND MALAYS. 41
never offensive. Our supper consisted of an ex-
cellent curry and cold venison broiled on a stick,
flavoured with a glass of sherry, and concluded by
a cigar. We retired to a dry bed, laying our head
on the pillow with as entire a feeling of security
as though reposing in England.
" A description of this Malay dwelling, situated
so far up this hitherto unkno\Mi river, may be
interesting. Built, like other Malay houses, on
posts, floored with split bamboo, and covered with
the leaf of the Nepa palm, it presents the very beaii
ideal of fragility, but affords, at the same time,
many advantages, and with a little improvement
might be rendered admirably calculated for a new
settler in any warm country. It is built at very
small expense, is remarkably roomy, free from
damp, and weather-proof. The interior of the house
consists of four rooms ; the centre one large and
commodious, the front narrower, but thirty-six
feet in length, a family sleeping - apartment on one
side, and a kitchen at the back. These apartments
are divided one from the other by partitions made
of the Nepa ; the floors w^ere nicely spread with
strong mats of Dyak manufacture, and on our
arrival finer white mats were laid over these. The
entrance of the house is approached by a steep
ladder, which in case of attack is easily removed.
The river Samarahan is admirably calculated for
trade ; and, indeed, the same may be said of the
whole country, from the great facility it offers of
4J^ CULTIVATION OF THE COUNTRY,
inland communication. There is no impediment
for small vessels of 200 or 300 tons navigating as
far as Sibnow, the stream being deep and clear of
danger. The tides in the river are strong, but
not dangerously so ; and sounding occasionally in
every reach we never found less water than three
fathoms. The distant mountains, called Bukar
(and some other name), are inhabited by Dyaks,
and offer many valuable articles of trade, and we
may presume this true from the riches whence
the Sarawak river takes its rise. It is highly pro-
bable, indeed, that both these rivers, as well as
the Quop and others, have their source in the
same range, and will be found to afford the same
mineral productions. Tin, the natives confidently
assert, can be procured, and birds' nests in very
considerable quantities. The latter article, I have
heretofore understood, was found only in the vi-
cinity of the sea, whence the material of which
they are composed is gathered ; but both here and
at Sarawak the best-informed and most intelligent
Malays assure me it likewise is found in the inte-
rior, and brought by the Dyaks from the moun-
tains. The alluvial soil is a rich clay loam. The
principal production at present is rice, of which
considerable quantities are grown on the banks of
the river, which accounts for the clearing- of so
many miles of the jungle. The mode of cultiva-
tion is similar to what is pursued in Sumatra, and
so well described by Marsden. A small spot is
AND RESOURCES. 43
cleared of jungle, and when the soil is exhausted
of its primeval richness, is deserted for another,
which again in turn is neglected, and returns to
its wild state. The rice produced is of excellent
quality, and of a smaller grain than the Java rice
we have with us. It is very white, and of excel-
lent flavour ; and I am inclined to think is the
' Padi ladang,' or rice grown on dry ground. (For
rice, cultivation of, &c. &c., vide Marsden's Siima-
tra, p. 65.)
" Besides rice, rattans are found in great quan-
tities, and likewise Malacca canes, but whether of
good quality I am not able to say. On my ex-
pressing a wish to see one, a man was despatched
into the jungle, and returned with one in a few
minutes. Bees-wax is another article to be pro-
cured here at present to the amount of thirty or
forty peculs per year from Sibnow, Malacca canes
a small ship-load, rattans in abundance, and any
quantity of the Garu w^ood.' When we consider
the antimony of Sarawak, besides the other things
previously mentioned (to say nothing of gold and
diamonds), we cannot doubt of the richness of the
country ; but allow^ance must be made for the ex-
aggeration of native statements.
" It must likewise be borne in mind, that these
articles are collected in small quantities in a coun-
try thinly populated ; and for the purposes of trade
it would be necessary to have a resident European
' Aloes wood. Lignum aloes.
44 COMMERCIAL l'K()J)UCT.S
on the spot to gather the produce of the country
ready for exportation. I have no doubt that per-
mission might be obtained for an English mer-
chant to reside in the country, and that during the
lifetime of the Rajah Muda Hassim he would be
secure from outrage. The produce of the coun-
try might likewise be obtained (at first) at a low
rate in exchange for European goods suited to
native tastes. In addition to the articles I have
already mentioned, I must here add pins, needles
and thread, both gold and white, showy cheap vel-
vets, yellow, green, and red cloth, Surat silks,
cottons, coloured beads (for the Dyaks), nankeens
in small quantities, gold-lace of various qualities,
gunpowder, muskets, pistols, flints, &c. &c. The
head man of Sibnow (Orang Kay a), when I asked
him why he did not collect the produce of the
country, replied, that the inhabitants were few,
and unless an English merchant was settled at
Kuching to buy the things, it was no use collect-
ing them. The uncertainty of sale, as well as
the very small prices to be obtained from trading
Malays, prevents these people using the advantages
of their country, and as yet they seemed to con-
sider it impossible that vessels would come for
them. That they will one day or other be con-
vinced to the contrary I am sure ; that it will be
soon I sincerely hope ; for I can see no reason, with
a population and rulers so pacific, why a trade
highly advantageous to Singapore should not be
AND CAPABILITIES. 45
opened. I considered our reception as an addi-
tional proof how much better the natives are dis-
posed where they have had no intercourse with
Europeans ; how perfectly willing they are to ex-
tend a friendly hospitality when never previously
injured or aggravated ; and as the first white men
who ever visited their country, we can bear the
most cordial testimony to their unaffected kindness.
" It is true that we were under the protection
of the rajah and accompanied by a Pangeran, and
could have insisted on obtaining what was readily
granted. But in case the natives had shewn any
aversion or antipathy towards us, it would easily
have been observed.
*' 23cl Heavy rain all the morning. Our salt
provisions being exhausted, we procured a goat,
which was cooked to last during our upward pass-
age.
" At 12, the flood making, we quitted Sibnow,
and passing through the same description of coun-
try, reached the village of Guntong, consisting of
eight houses, and about sixty or seventy inhabit-
ants. The scattered population on the banks of
the river amounts, however, to an equal, or pro-
bably greater number than in the villages. Beyond
Guntong the country becomes wild, but beautiful,
and the river gradually narrows until not above
twenty-five yards wide. The depth, however, was
three fathoms at high water, where we brought up
for the night, about five hours' pull from Guntong.
46 MALAY ENTERTAINMENT.
The course of the river is so tortuous, that in one
place two reaches are only divided by a neck of
land five yards across !
" We were now fairly in the bush, and beyond
the range of our Pangeran's knowledge ; and I was
not therefore surprised (though disappointed) when
he intimated the necessity of returning. ' There
was nothing to see ; the river was narrow, rapid,
and obstructed by trees ; the Dyaks hostile ; the
rajah's enemies in ambush.'
" I had nothing to answer, save my desire to
proceed ; but I felt, at the same time, bound in
honour to return ; for to abuse the indulgence of a
native prince on our first excursion would have
been a poor way to obtain his future permission to
visit other places.
" I did every thing man could do to shake the
Pangeran's resolution ; and I believe I should have
been successful, had his stock of tobacco and sirih'
not been expended. My last resource was resort-
ing to the means found efficient with most men
to induce them to alter their opinion. I was con-
tent to gain a consent to our proceeding some miles
farther up the stream in the morning, and then
returning with the ebb. Nothing during this con-
tention could be more polite than the Pangeran's
manner, for he not only expressed but looked his
' The Malay name for the betel, the aromatic leaves of
which are chewed along with the jjinang or areca nut, a little
pure lime, and various spices.
APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 47
regret, and urged on me his responsibility to the
rajah. The plea was unanswerable, though I could
not help suspecting the want of tobacco and betel
as the leading motive.
" 24fth. — We proceeded, as previously agreed,
up the river some ten or twelve miles farther, dur-
ing which distance it narrows to an inconsiderable
but deep stream. In many places it was not above
eighteen feet wide, with trees overhanging the
water. The depth was 2i fathoms high water,
but being the rainy season it would not be deeper
than necessary for boats all the year round. In
the early morning the jungle presented a charming
scene. Long vistas of noble trees with a diversity
of richest foliage were before us — in some places
overarchino- the water and forminof a verdant ca-
nopy above our heads. Birds were numerous, and
woke the woods with their notes, but rarely ap-
proached within shot. Pigeons in numbers and of
several varieties were seen, but very shy and wild.
" We pushed on ahead of our attendant Pange-
ran, and pulled up long after the ebb had made.
He had a long chase, and exhausted his lungs in
shouting to us to return ; and at last, from pity
and according to promise, I did so. Poor fellow,
he was very glad, fired his swivel-gun, and then
brought up for breakfast. I believe a few hours*
progress would have brought us to the vicinity of
the hills and into the country of the Dyaks ; and
although disappointed at not being allowed to pro-
48 FARTHER PROGRESS.
ceed thither, I nevertheless comfort myself that we
have penetrated a hundred miles up a Borneon
river hitherto unkno\vn — a river likewise (as far
as we have yet examined it) admirably calculated
for the purposes of navigation and trade, and which
may at some future period become of importance
not only to the trade of our settlement of Singa-
pore, but even to the commercial interests of Great
Britain. The general character of the Samarahan
river is similar to other streams flowing through
alluvial soils ; the stream is deep, with muddy
banks and bottom, and apparently free from dan-
ger or obstruction. Of course these remarks are
not meant to prevent the necessity of caution in
any vessel proceeding up, as our survey was neces-
sarily very brief; and, like other rivers, one bank
will usually be found deep, the other shallow, which
must be attended to.
" It now remains for us to proceed up the river
from its mouth to its junction wdth the Ugong
Passer ; and should it prove to have sufficient water
for vessels on the bar, nothing more wdll be desired.
" Returning, it took us five hours with a fair
tide to Sibnow ; the next ebb we reached Samara-
han in three hours, where we stopped for the night.
A heavy rain set in after we brought to, and con-
tinued till morning.
" '3,5th. — The morning was cold and raw, but
cleared up as the sun rose. At 7 ^ve started, and
at a quarter past 10 reached the mouth of the
END OF CRUISE. 49
Ugong Passer, and thence into the Riam. Thus
it took us Hi hours, with a strong ebb tide, to
pull the distance. We had ascended the river from
the junction of the Ugong Passer. Mr. Murray's
plan of the river will shew the distance as taken
of each reach, together with its bearing. The ebb
tide .lasted us some distance up the Riam ; but the
flood making, we entered a small creek, called
Tarusongong, scarce wide enough for the boat to
get through, and entirely overarched with the Nepa
palm. The general direction of the creek was
N.W., and we emerged from it into the Boyur
river ; and pulling through several reaches, got
into the Quop,' and thence, after a while, into the
Morotaba ; from the Morotaba into the Sara-
wak river, reaching the schooner at sunset, all
well and happy. Thus ended our first cruise into
the interior^of Borneo."
' 'Jlie banks of the Boyur and Quop are Nepa i)alm.
VOL. I.
CHAPTER III.
Second cruise : up the river Lundu. The Sibnowan Dyaks.
Their town of Tungong. Their physical proportions, and
words of their language. Their customs. Skull-trophies.
Religious ceremonies and opinions. Their ornaments. Ap-
pearance of both sexes. Dress and morals. Missionary
prospects of conversion, and elevation in the social scale.
Government, laws, and punishments. Dances. Iron manu-
facturing. Chinese settlement. Excursion continued.
^* Aug. 30tJ? Our flotilla, similar to the last time,
quitted Sarawak with the ebb tide, and reached
Santobono-, at the mouth of the river, soon after
the flood had made. We waited for the turn of
the tide ; and in wandering- along the sand, I had
a shot at a wild hog, but unluckily missed. I like-
wise saw a deer, very like a red deer, and nearly
as large. The hog I fired at was a dirty white,
with a black head, very unlike in this particular
to any wild hogs I have hitherto seen either in
India or Europe ; but several young pigs likewise
seen were black.
" With the flood we weighed anchor, intending
to bring up at the mouth of the Seboo river ; but
the Skimalong outsailing the prahus, foolishly parted
DYAKS ON THE LUNDU. 51
company, causing me much uneasiness, and keep-
ing the prahus under weigh all night. I was at
this time aboard the Pangeran's boat, where I usu-
ally slept. About 10 on the 31st we reached Lo-
brek Bay, and rejoined our boat.
" With the flood tide we proceeded up Lundu
river, which has Gunong Gading on the right
hand. The course of the river is very tortuous,
but it appears every where of more than sufficient
depth. The Dyak village of Tungong is situated
about eighteen miles from the mouth, and takes
its name from a small stream which joins the
Lundu just below^ on the left hand. It was dark
when we arrived, and we ran against a boom
formed of large trees run across the river as a de-
fence against adverse Dyak tribes. We could see
nothing of the town, save that it appeared longer
than any we had yet visited.
" September \st. — The river Lundu is of con-
siderable breadth, about half a mile at the mouth,
and 150 or 200 yards off' Tungong. Tungong stands
on the left hand (going up) close to the margin of
the stream, and is enclosed by a slight stockade.
Within this defence there is one enormous house
for the whole population, and three or four small
huts. The exterior of the defence between it and
the river is occupied by sheds for prahus, and at
each extremity are one or two houses belonging to
Malay residents.
" The common habitation, as rude as it is enor-
52 THE DYAK VILLAGE TL'NGONG.
mous, measures 594 feet in length, and the front
room, or streety is the entire len^^th of the huilding,
and 21 feet broad. The hack part is divided by
mat-partitions into the private apartments of the
various families, and of these there are forty-five
separate doors leading from the public apartment.
The widowers and young unmarried men occupy
the public room, as only those with wives are en-
titled to the advantage of separate rooms. This
edifice is raised twelve feet from the ground, and
the means of ascent is by the trunk of a tree with
notches cut in it — a most difiicult, steep, and
awkward ladder. In front is a terrace fifty feet
broad, running partially along the front of the
building, formed, like the floors, of split bamboo.
This platform, as well as the front room, besides
the regular inhabitants, is the resort of pigs, dogs,
birds, monkeys, and fowls, and presents a glorious
scene of confusion and bustle. Here the ordinarv
occupations of domestic labour are carried on —
paddi ground, mats made, &c. &c. There were
200 men, women, and children counted in the
room and in front whilst we were there in the
middle of the day ; and allowing for those abroad
and those in their own rooms, the whole commun-
ity cannot be reckoned at less than 400 souls.
Overhead, about seven feet high, is a second crazv
story, on which is stowed their stores of food and
their implements of labour and war. Along the
large room are hung manv cots, four feet long.
SIBNOWAN DYAKS. 53
formed of the hollowed trunk of trees cut in half,
which answer the purpose of seats by day and beds
by night. The Sibnowan Dyaks are a wild-looking
but apparently quiet and inoffensive race. The
apartment of their chief, by name Sejugah, is situ-
ated nearly in the centre of the building, and is
larger than any other. In front of it nice mats
were spread on the occasion of our visit, whilst
over our heads dangled about thirty ghastly skulls,
according to the custom of these people. The
chief was a man of middle age, with a mild and
pleasing countenance and gentle manners. He had
around him several sons and relations, and one or
two of the leading men of his tribe ; but the rest
seemed by no means to be restrained by his pre-
sence, or to shew him any particular marks of
respect — certainly not the slightest of the servile
obsequiousness observed by the Malays before their
prince. Their dress consists of a single strip of
cloth round the loins, with the ends hanging down
before and behind, and a light turban, composed
of the bark of trees, round the head, so arranged
that the front is stuck up somewhat resembling a
short plume of feathers.
" Their figures are almost universally well-made,
and shewing great activity without great muscular
development, but their stature is diminutive, as
will be shewn by the following measurements, taken
at random amongst them, and confirmed by general
observation : —
54
PROI'OIITIONS. LANGUAGE.
" Sejugah, the chief, height, 5 ft. 1| in. Head round, 1 ft.
9 in. Anterior portion, from ear to ear, 1 foot; posterior, 9 in. ;
across the toji, 1^ ft.
" Kalong, the chief's eldest son, height, 5 ft. 2[ in. An-
terior portion of head, 1 ft. ; posterior, 8f in. ; across the top,
1 ft., wanting a few Hnes.
Height.
Man from the crowd .
5 ft. Ifin
Another
. . 5 H
Another
5 4
Another
4 10
Another
5 3
Another
5 4
" The following is a specimen of their names,
and some few words of their dialect, the only ones I
could get not Malayan. The fact, indeed, appears
to be that, from constant intercourse, their Dyak
language is fast fading away ; and whilst retaining
their separate religion and customs, they have sub-
stituted the soft and fluent Malay for their o^m
harsher jargon. The names are Jugah, or Sejugah,
Kalong, Bunshie, Kontong, Lang, Rantie.
" The vocabulary : —
liairs, bok (similar to the
Lundu Dyaks).
thigh, j)(ih.
woman, indo.
father, api.
sea, tasiek.
slave, tilon.
spear, sancho.
black, cheliim.
good, badass.
bad, jdie.
quick, pantass.
sloAV, bagadie.
that, kneah (nasal, like
kgneah).
this, to.
to go, bajaU.
there, kein,
come, jaU.
here, keto.
come here, 7a/? keto.
CUSTOMS. 55
to give, bri.
give all, bri samonia (M).
to bring, bu.
bring that, bTi kneah.
bring here, bii keto.
" The corruptions of tlie Malay are, langan for
tangon, arm ; al for ayer, water ; menua for benua,
country ; komah for riimah, house ; hes'i for hesavy
great.
" Like the rest of the Dyaks, the Sibnowans
adorn their houses with the heads of their enemies ;
but with them this custom exists in a modified form ;
and I am led to hope, that the statements already
made public of their reckless search after human
beings, merely for the purpose of obtaining their
heads, will be found to be exaggerated, if not
untrue ; and that the custom elsewhere, as here
and at Lundu, will be found to be more accordant
with our knowledge of other wild tribes, and to be
regarded merely as a triumphant token of valour in
the fight or ambush ; similar, indeed, to the scalps
of the North American Indian.
" Some thirty skulls were hanging from the roof
of the apartment ; and I was informed that they
had many more in their possession ; all, how-
ever, the heads of enemies, chiefly of the tribe of
Sarebus. On inquiring, I was told, that it is in-
dispensably necessary a young man should procure
a skull before he gets married. On my urging
them that the custom would be more honoured in
.of) SKLLL-'JUOl'IIIES.
the breacli than in the observance, they replied,
that it was established from time immemorial,
and could not be dispensed with. Subsequently,
however, Sejugah allowed that heads were very dif-
ficult to obtain now, and a young man might some-
times get married by giving presents to his ladye-
love's parents. At all times they denied warmly
ever obtaining any heads but those of their ene-
mies ; adding, they were bad people, and deserved
to die.
" I asked a young unmarried man whether he
would be obliged to get a head before he could
obtain a wife. He replied, *Yes.' — 'When would
he get one ?' ' Soon.' — ' Where would he go to
oet one ?' ' To the Sarebus river.' I mention
o
these particulars in detail, as I think, had their
practice extended to taking the head of any de-
fenceless traveller, or any Malay sui-prised in his
dwelling or boat, I should have wormed the secret
out of them.
" The men of this tribe marry but one wife, and
that not until they have attained the age of seven-
teen or eighteen. Their wedding ceremony is cu-
rious ; and, as related, is performed by the bride
and bridegroom being brought in procession along
the large room, where a brace of fowls is placed
over the bridegroom's neck, which he whirls seven
times round his head. The fowls are then killed,
and their blood sprinkled on the forehead of the
pair, which done, they are cooked, and eaten by
RELIGIOUS CEREIMONIES AND OPINIONS. 57
the new married couple alone, whilst the rest feast
and drink during the whole night.
" Their dead are put in a coffin, and buried ;
but Sejugah informed me that the different tribes
vary in this particular ; and it would appear they
differ from their near neighbours the Dyaks of
Lundu.
"Like these neighbours likewise the Sibnowans
seem to have little or no idea of a God. They
offer prayers to Biedum, the great Dyak chief of
former days. Priests and ceremonies they have
none ; the thickest mist of darkness is over them ;
but how much easier is it to dispel darkness with
light, than to overcome the false blaze with the
rays of truth !
" The manners of the men of this tribe are
somewhat reserved, but frank ; whilst the women
appeared more cheerful, and more inclined to laugh
and joke at our peculiarities. Although the first
Europeans they had ever seen, we were by no
means annoyed by their curiosity ; and their ho-
nesty is to be praised ; for, though opportunities
were not wanting, they never on any occasion
attempted to pilfer any thing. Their colour re-
sembles the Malay, and is fully as dark ; and the
cast of their countenance does not favour the notion
that they are sprung from a distinct origin. They
never intermarry with the Malays so as to inter-
mingle the two people, and the chastity of their
women gives no presumption of its otherwise occur-
58 ORNAMENTS. APPEAIlANCi:.
ring. Their stature, as I have before remarked, is
diminutive, their eyes are small and quick, their
noses usually flattened, and their figures clean and
well formed, but not athletic. Both sexes ge-
nerally wear the hair long and turned up, but
the elder men often cut it short. As is natural,
they are fond of the water, and constantly bathe ;
and their canoes are numerous. I counted fifty,
besides ten or twelve small prahus, which they
often build for sale to the Malays at a very moder-
ate price indeed. The men wear a number of fine
cane rings, neatly worked (which we at first mistook
for hair), below the knee, or on the arm, and some-
times a brass ring or two ; but they have no other
ornaments. The ears of a few^ w^ere pierced, but I
saw nothing worn in them except a roll of thin
palm-leaf, to prevent the hole closing. The women
are decidedly good-looking, and far fairer than the
men ; their figures are well shaped, and remark-
able for their emhoniJoint. The expression of their
countenance is very good-humoured, and their con-
dition seems a happy one. Their dress consists
of a coarse stuff, very scanty (manufactured by the
Sakarran Dyaks), reaching from the waist to the
knee ; around the waist they have rings of rattan,
either black or red, and the loins are hung round
with a number of brass ornaments made by their
husbands. Above the waist they are entirely
naked, nor do they wear any covering or ornament
on the head. They have a few bracelets of brass,
DRESS. MORALS. 59
but neither ear-rings or nose-rings ; and some,
more lucky than the rest, wear a necklace of beads.
They prefer the smallest Venetian beads to the
larger and more gaudy ones of England. The
labour of the house, and all the drudgery, falls upon
the females. They grind the rice, carry burdens,
fetch water, fish, and work in the fields ; but
though on a par with other savages in this respect,
they have many advantages. They are not immured,
and eat in company with the males ; and, in most
points, hold the same position towards their hus-
bands and children as the European women. The
children are entirely naked, and the only peculi-
arity I observed is filing their teeth to a sharp
point like those of a shark. The men marry but
one wife, as I have before observed. Concubinage
is unknown ; and cases of seduction or adultery
very seldom afise. Even the Malays speak highly
of the chastity of the Dyak women ; yet they are
by no means shy under the gaze of strangers, and
used to bathe before us in a state of nudity.
" That these Dyaks are in a low condition there
is no doubt, but comparatively theirs is an innocent
state, and I consider them capable of being easily
raised in the scale of society. The absence of all
prejudice regarding diet, the simplicity of their
characters, the purity of their morals, and their
present ignorance of all forms of worship and all
idea of future responsibility, render them open to
conviction of truth and religious impression. Yet,
no MISSIONARY PROSPECTS.
when I say this, I mean, of course, only when their
minds shall have been raised by education ; for
without previous culture, I reckon the labours of
the missionary as useless as endeavouring to read
off a blank paper. I doubt not but the Sibnowan
Dyaks would readily receive missionary families
amongst them, provided the consent of the Rajah
Muda Hassim was previously obtained. That the
rajah would consent, I much doubt ; but if any per-
son chose to reside at Tungong for the charitable
purpose of leading the tribe gradually, by means
of education, to the threshold of Christianity, it
would be worth the asking, and I would exert what
influence I possess with him on the occasion. I
feel sure a missionary would be safe amongst them
as long as he strictly confined himself to the gentle
precepts and practice of his faith ; he would live
abundantly and cheaply, and be exposed to no
danger except from the incursion of hostile tribes,
which must always be looked for by a sojourner
amid a Dyak community.
*' I must add, that this day, when so many of
my friends are destroying partridges, I have had
my gun in my hand, to procure a few specimens.
" 9.d. — To continue my account of the Sibnow-
an Dyaks. I made particular inquiry about the
superstition stated to exist regarding birds, and
the omens said to be dra\Mi from their flight ;
but I could trace no vestige of such a belief, nor
did they seem at all acquainted with its existence.
PATRIARCHAL GOVERNMENT. 6l
The government of the Sibnowans may be called
patriarchal. The authority of the chief appears
limited within very narrow bounds ; he is the
leader in war, and the dispenser of the laws ; but
possesses no power of arbitrary punishment, and
no authority for despotic rule. The distinction
between Sejugah and the lowest of his tribe is not
great, and rather a difference of riches than of
power. A few ornamented spears presented by
the Malays seem his only insignia of office ; and
these were never displayed in our presence save
in the dance. The chiefship would appear to be
elective, and not hereditary ; but I could not dis-
tinctly understand whether the appointment rested
with the rajah or the tribe. The former claims it,
but the latter did not speak as though it were a
matter of necessity or certainty. On asking Ka-
long, the eldest son of Sejugah (a young man of
twenty years of age, active, clever, and intelligent),
whether he would succeed his father, he replied,
he feared he was not I'ich enough ; but two or
three of the tribe, who were present, asserted that
he would be made chief. The Rajah Muda Has-
sim told me, that the only hold he had on the
Dyaks was through the chief and his family, who
were attached to him, but that the tribe at large
cared nothino- for the Malays. I can easilv believe
this, as any ill-treatment or cruelty directed against
a Dyak community would soon drive them beyond
the power and the territory of the prince. It is the
G2 LAWS, CHIMES, AND PUNISHMENTS.
best safeguard of the Dyaks, and the Malays are
well aware that a Dyak alliance must be main-
tained by good treatment. They are called sub-
jects and slayes, but they are subjects at pleasure,
more independent and better used than any Malay
under his native prince.
" The laW'S of this Dyak tribe are administered
by the chief and the two principal men. They
haye no fixed code, or any standard of punishment,
each case of crime being judged according to its
enormity. In the event of murder in their own
tribe, the murderer suffers death by decapitation,
provided he be in fault. Theft is punished by fine ;
and adultery (stated as a heinous offence) by severe
beatin"' and heavy mulct. Other crimes are, in
like manner, punished by fine and beating, — one
or both, according to their various shades of evil.
The latter varies greatly in degree, sometimes be-
ing inflicted on the head or ai'm, with a severity
w^hich stops short only of death. The ann is
often broken under this infliction ; so, according
to their representation, it is a risk to be dreaded
and avoided.
" Slavery holds amongst them ; and, like the
Malay, a debtor is reduced to this state until his
debt be discharged. Children are likewise bought,
and must be considered as slaves.
" In the evening I requested Sejugah to col-
lect his tribe, and to she^y me their dances and
musical instruments. They readily consented ;
DANCES. 63
and about nine at night we went to witness the
exhibition. The musical instruments were the
tomtom or drum, and the Malayan gong", which
were beat either slow or fast, according to the
measure of the dance. The dances are highly
interesting, more especially from their close resem-
blance, if not identity, mth those of the South
Sea Islanders. Two swords were placed on the
mat, and two men commenced slowly from the
opposite extremities, turning the body, extending
the arms and lifting the legs, in grotesque but
not ungraceful attitudes. Approaching thus leisure-
ly round and round about, they at length seize the
swords, the music plays a brisker measure, and
the dancers pass and repass each other, now cut-
ting, now crossing swords, retiring and advancing,
one kneeling as though to defend himself from the
assaults of his adversary ; at times stealthily wait-
ing for an advantage, and quickly availing himself
of it. The measure throughout was admirably
kept, and the frequent turns were simultaneously
made by both dancers, accompanied by the same
eccentric gestures. The eifect of all this far sur-
passes the impression to be made by a meagre
description. The room partially lighted by da-
mar torches — the clang of the noisy instruments
— the crowd of wild spectators — their screams of
encouragement to the performers — the flowing air
and rapid evolutions of the dancers, formed a scene
I wish could have been reduced to painting by such
64 DANCES.
a master as Rembrandt or Caravaggio. The next
dance was performed by a single person with a
spear, turning like the last ; now advancing, retir-
ing, poising, brandishing, or pretending to hurl his
weapon. Subsequently we had an exhibition with
the sword and shield, very similar to the others,
and only differing in the use of the weapons ; and
the performance was closed by a long and animated
dance like the first, by two of the best performers.
" The dance with the spear is called Talam-
bong ; that with the sword, Mancha. The resem-
blance of these dances to those of the South Seas
is, as I have observed, a remarkable and interest-
ing fact, and one of many others which may, in
com'se of time, elucidate the probable theory, that
the two people are sprung from a common source.
The Malays of Sarawak, and other places in the
neighbourhood of the Dyak tribes, dance these
dances, but they are unknown to Borneo Proper,
and the other Malay islands ; and although the
names may be given by the Malays, I think there
is no doubt that the dances themselves belonof to
the Dyaks : a correcter judgment can be formed
by a better acquaintance with other Dyak tribes.
" The household utensils in use here are few and
simple. The mode of grinding padi clear of the
husk is through the trunk of a tree cut into two
parts, the upper portion being hollow, the lower
solid ; small notches are cut where the two pieces
fit, and handles attached to the upper part, which
IROX MANUFACTURING. 65
being filled with padi and kept turning round,
the husk is detached and escapes by the notches.
" The Dyaks, as is well kno^\Ti, are famous
for the manufacture of iron. The forge here is of
the simplest construction, and formed by two hol-
low trees, each about seven feet high, placed up-
right, side by side, in the ground ; from the lower
extremity of these, two pipes of bamboo are led
through a clay-bank three inches thick, into a
charcoal-fire ; a man is perched at the top of the
trees, and pumps with two pistons (the suckers of
which are made of cocks' feathers), which being
raised and depressed alternately, blow a regular
stream of air into the fire. Drawings were taken
of these, and other utensils and instruments. The
canoes are not peculiar, but the largest prahus
(some forty feet long, with a good beam) are con-
structed in the first place exactly like a small canoe :
a single tree is hollowed out, which forms the keel
and kelson, and on this foundation the rest of the
prahu is built with planks, and her few timbers
fastened with rattans. A prahu of fifty feet long,
fitted for service, with oars, mast, attops, &c. was
ordered by the Panglima Rajah, whilst we were
with him, which completed was to cost thirty
reals, or sixty Java rupees, or 61. English. Dur-
ing the course of the dav we ascended the river to
visit the settlement of Chinese, lately established
here. It is situated about 2^ miles up the river,
on the same side as Tungong, and consists of
VOL. I. F
66 CHINESE SETTLERS.
thirty men (real Chinese), and five women of the
mixed breed of Sambas. Nothing can be more
flourishinfr than this infant settlement ; and I could
hardly credit their statement, that it had only been
fonned between four and five months. The soil
they represented as most excellent, and none are
better judges ; many acres were cleared and
under cultivation ; rice, sirih, sweet potatoes
(convolvulus), Indian corn, &c. &c. were growing
abundantly ; and they w^ere able to supply us
with seven pecul, or 933 lbs., of sweet potatoes,
without sensibly diminishing their crop. They
shewed me samples of birds -nests, bees -wax,
garu wood (lignum aloes), and ebony, collected
in the vicinitv, chieflv from Gunonof Gadino-.
Several peculs of birds -nests and bees -wax, and
the wood in large quantity, could ?iow be brought
to market ; and no doubt, when demand stimulates
industry, the quantities would greatly increase.
The Dyaks, they told me, collected rattans, and
likewise canes, which are plentiful. The mixed
breed of the Chinese with the Malay or Dyak
are a good-looking and industrious race, partaking
much more of the Chinese character than that
of the natives of this country. This mainly
arises from education and early formed habits,
which are altogether Chinese ; and in religion and
customs they likewise follow, in a great measure,
the paternal stock. The race are worthy of atten-
tion, as the future possessors of Borneo. The
CHINESE. 67
numbers of this people cannot be stated, but it
must amount to many thousand persons : 3000
were said to be on their way to the Borneon
territory.
" The head man of this settlement, a Chinese
of Quantung, or Canton, but long resident in the
vicinity of Sambas, gave me some valuable informa-
tion respecting the Sarawak mountains. He had,
with a considerable party of his countrymen, been
employed there at the gold-mines, and he spoke of
them as abundant, and of the ore as good. Tin
they had not found, but thought it existed. Anti-
mony-ore was to be had in any quantities, and
diamonds were likewise discovered. I mention
these facts as coming from an intelligent Chinese,
well able from experience to judge of the pre-
cious metals, and the probability of their being
found.
" 3d. — Night as usual set in with torrents of
rain, which lasted until the morning : the days,
however, are fine, though cloudy. Got sights in
the afternoon ; and leaving our Dyak friends, we
dropped down to the mouth of the river, where we
slept.
"4/7; At 2 A.M. got under weigh for the
Samatan river, which we reached at 8 a.m. I had
been given to understand that the Lundu and
Sibnowan Dyaks were to be found on this river ;
but on arriving, I was informed we must proceed
to Seru, where we should see plenty of Dyaks.
f)8 EXCURSION CONTINUED.
I accordingly started immediately after breakfast,
and reached Seru after midday. Here we found
a small Malay fishing -\dllage, with two or three
stray Dyaks of the Sibnowan tribe ; and on inquir-
ing, w^e were told by them that their country was
far away. Being convinced that the Pangeran
had dragged me all this distance to answer some
purpose of his own, I re-embarked on the instant,
and set off on my return to Lundu, indignant
enough. However, I had the poor satisfaction of
dragging them after me, and making them repent
their trick, which I believe was nothin"" else than
to visit the island of Talanof Talans for turtles'
eggs. We were pretty well knocked up by the
time we reached Samatan, having been pulling thir-
teen hours, the greater part of the time under a
burning sun.
" The Samatan river, like the others, is en-
closed in a bay choked with sand : the boat-pas-
sage is on the right-hand side, going in near Point
Samatan. The sands are mostly dry at low water,
and stretch out a considerable distance. There
is a fishing-station here, though not so large as
at Seru, and the fish at both places are very plen-
tiful, and are salted for exportation to Sambas,
and along their o^^Tl coast. Seru is a shallow
creek ; the tillage may consist of 50 or 60 inha-
bitants, and the sands stretch a long way out.
We thus lost two days, through the cunning of
our Malay attendant ; and the only advantage
IMPEDIMENTS. 69
gained is being enabled to fill up tbe details of
our survey of this bay.
'■'■5th — The day consumed returning- alons^
the coast to the Lundu, and we did not reach
Tungong till late.
" Qth — Remained at Tungong. Every impedi-
ment was thrown in my way, to prevent my reach-
ing the Lundu Dyaks — the distance was great,
the tribe small and unsettled, the little probabi-
lity of finding them, &c. I would, however, have
gone ; but another cause had arisen of a more
serious nature. My feet, from the heat of the
sun, mosquito-bites, and cuts (for I foolishly went
without shoes that unlucky day to Seru), had be-
come so painful and inflamed that I felt great
doubt whether, if I walked in pain to Lundu, I
could come back again. With the best grace I
could, I yielded the point ; with a vow, however,
never to have the same Pangeran again. I did
manage to be civil to him, from policy alone. He
was superfluously kind and obliging.
" '^tli — Left Tungong on our return to the ves-
sel, and brought-to for the night at Tanjong Siri.
In the evening I walked along the fine sandy beach
as far as the entrance of the Sumpudin river.
We saw many wild hogs ; and on one occasion I
was able to get within twenty yards of some ten
of them together amongst some large drift-wood.
Just as I was crawling over a tree and balancing,
I found myself confronted by these animals j but
70 ANIMALS. NUTMEGS.
they were out of sight almost before I could cock
my gun and fire. They were of a large size, and
most of them we saw during the evening either
dirty white, or white and black. At night, after
we had retired to our quarters in the Pangeran's
boat, she filled with water, and was near going
down. The first intimation we had of it was the
water wetting our mats on which we were sleeping.
She was beached and baled out, and a hand kept
baling all night, as they had laden her so deep
that she leaked considerably.
*' 8/7?. — In the morning we got our anchor at
davlioht, and breakfasted on the island of Sum-
pudin. There are deer, hogs, and pigeons on
Sumpudin island ; but what was more interesting
to me was, the discovery of the wild nutmeg-tree
in full flower, and growing to the height of twenty
or thirty feet. The nutmegs lay in plenty under
the trees, and are of considerable size, though
elongated in shape, and tasteless, as usual in the
wild sorts. Whilst the East India Company were
sending Captain Forest from their settlement of
Balambangan as far as Kew Guinea in search of
this plant, how little they dreamed of its flourish-
ing so near them on the island of Borneo ! The
soil on which they grow is a yellowish clay mixed
with veofetable mould. I brouo^ht some of the
fruit away with me. After breakfast, a breeze
springing up, we sailed to the mouth of the Sa-
rawak river, waited for the tide, and pushed on
OUTSTRIP OUR MALAYS. 71
for the vessel, getting aboard about half-past 3 in
the morning. Our Malay attendants were left far
far behind, and there is little chance of their being
here to-morrow, for their boats sail wTetchedly."
CHAPTER IV.
Renewed intercourse with the Rajah. Prospects of trade.
Ourang-outang, and other animals. The two sorts of mias.
Descrii^tion of the Rajah, his suite, and Panglimas, &c. The
character of the natives. Leaves Sarawak. Songi Dj-aks.
Visits SerifF Sahib. Buyat tongue. Attack by pirates.
Sails for Singapore.
Having returned to Sarawak, Mr. Brooke renewed
his intercourse with the Rajah ; and his Journal
proceeds :
'^Sepf. 9th. — Visited the rajah; civil and polite
— I ought indeed to say, friendly and kind. Der
Macota was on board, speaking on the trade, and
very anxious for me to arrange the subject with
the rajah. I could only say, that if the rajah
wished I would do so, as I believed it would be
greatly for the benefit of their country and Singa-
pore.
" 10///. — Laid up Tsdth my bad legs, and hardly
able to crawl. Muda Hassim presented us with
another bullock, which we salted. At Lundu we
bought eight pigs, which arrived to-day in charge
of Kalong, the young Dyak. He is a fine fellow.
CONFERENCES WITH RAJAH. JS
I gave him a gun, powder-flask, powder, &c. He
was truly delighted. Our Pangerans arrived at
the same time.
'* llfh. — Yery bad; got a novel, and read all
day. Went ashore to see Muda Hassim in the
evening. He gave us a private audience ; and we
finished our discussion respecting the trade, and
I think successfully.
" I began by saying, that I, as a private gen-
tleman, unconnected with commerce, could have
no personal interest in what I was about to speak ;
that the rajah must clearly understand that I was
in no way connected with the government of Sin-
gapore, and no way authorised to act for them ;
that he must, therefore, look upon it merely as
my private opinion, and act afterwards as his wis-
dom thought fit. I represented to him that the
kingdom of Borneo was the last Malay state pos-
sessing any power, and that this might be in a
great measure attributed to the little intercourse
they had had with European powers. I thought
it highly advisable to call into play the resources
of his country, by opening a trade with indi-
vidual European merchants. Sarawak, I stated,
was a rich place, and the territory around pro-
duced many valuable articles for a commercial
intercourse — bees -wax, birds -nests, rattans, be-
sides large quantities of antimony -ore and sago,
which might be considered the staple produce
of the countrv. In return for these, the mer-
J4f MERCAxNTILE
chants of Sin^^apore could send goods from Europe
or China which liis people required, such as gun-
powder, muskets, cloths, &c. ; and that both par-
ties would thus be benefited by their commercial
interchange of commodities. I conceived that
Singapore was well fitted for trade with this place.
The llajah must not suppose I was desirous of
excluding other nations from trading here, or that
I wished he should trade with the English alone ;
on the contrary, I thought that the Americans, the
French, or any other nation, should be admitted
on the same terms as the English.
*' Of course, I was not allowed to proceed with-
out much questioning and discussion ; many of the
views w^ere urged and re-urged, to remove their
false notions. That Mr. Bonham had the supreme
command of the trade of Singapore was the pro-
minent one ; and when he died, or was removed,
would not the next governor alter all kind inten-
tions and acts ? ' What friend should they have
at Singapore then ?'
" Again, they thought that a few ships might
come at first ; but then they would deceive them,
and not come afiain. It was verv diflicult to ex-
plain, that if they procured cargoes at an advan-
tasfeous rate, thev would come here for their own
advantage ; if not, of course it would not be worth
their while to come at all. The entire discussion
proceeded with the utmost goodwill and politeness.
" That the political ascendancy of the English
CAPABILITIES. 7^
is paramount here is apparent. They might, if
they pleased, by means of an offensive and defen-
sive alliance between the two powers, gain the
entire trade of the north-west coast of Borneo,
from Tanjong Datu to Malludu Bay.
" I obtained subsequently from Macota the fol-
lowing list of imports and exports, which I here
commit to paper, for the information of those whom
it may concern.
" From Sifigajjoi'e. — Iron ; salt, Siam ; nan-
keen ; Madras, Europe, and China, cotton cloth,
coarse and fine ; Bugis and Pulicat sarongs ; gold
and other threads, of sorts and colours ; brass wire,
of sizes ; iron pans from Siam, called qualis ;
chintzes, of colours and sorts ; coarse red broad-
cloth, and other sorts of different colours ; China
crockery ; gunpowder ; muskets ; flints ; hand-
kerchiefs (Pulicat and European) ; gambir ; dates;
Java tobacco ; soft sugar ; sugar-candy ; biscuit ;
baharri ; common decanters ; glasses, &c. &c. ;
China silk, of colours ; ginghams ; white cottons ;
nails ; besides other little things, such as Vene-
tian beads ; ginger; curry-powder; onions; ghee;
&c. &c.
" The returns from Sarawak are now : anti-
mony-ore, sago, timber (lackah, garu), rattans, Ma-
lacca canes, bees- wax, birds-nests, rice, &c. Other
articles, such as gold, tin, &c. &c., Macota said,
would be procured after the war, but at present
he need say nothing of them. The articles above
76 THE OURANG-OUTANG,
mentioned might subsequently be greatly increased
by demand ; and, in short, as every person of expe-
rience knows, that in a wild country a trade must
be fostered at first.
" To the foregoing list I must add, the pipe-
clay, the vegetable tallow, which might be useful
in commerce, being of fine quality ; and the ore,
found in abundance round here, of which I can
make nothing, but which I believe to be copper.
" \'2,th I received from the Rajah a present
of an ourang-outang, young, and like others I have
seen, but better clothed, with fine long hair of a
bright chestnut -colour. The same melancholy
which characterises her race is apparent in Bet-
sy's face ; and though but just caught, she is
quite quiet unless teased.
" From the man who brought Betsy I pro-
cured a Lemur tardigradus, called by the Malays
Ciican, not Poncan as wTitten in Cuvier — Mars-
den has the name right in his dictionary — and at
the same time the mutilated hand of an ourang-
outang of enormous size. This hand far exceeds
in length, breadth, and powder, the hand of any man
in the ship ; and though smoked and shrunk, the
circumference of the fingers is half as bigf asain as
an ordinary human finger. The natives of Borneo
call the ourang-outang the M)as, of which they
say there are two distinct sorts ; one called the
Mias rombi (similar to the specimen aboard and
the two in the Zoological Gardens), and the M1as
OR MIAS. 77
pappan, a creature far larger, and more difficult
to procure. To tlie latter kind the hand belongs.
The mias pappan is represented to be as tall or
taller than a man, and possessing vast strength :
the face is fuller and larger than that of the mias
rombi, and the hair reddish, but sometimes ap-
proaching to black. The mias rombi never ex-
ceeds four or four and a half feet ; his face, unlike
the pappan, is long, and his hair redder. I must
own myself inclined to this opinion from various
reasons : — 1st. The natives appear so well agreed
on the point, and so well acquainted with the dis-
tinction and the different names, that it is impos-
sible to suppose it a fabrication for our peculiar
use. Of the many whom I asked respecting
them, at different times and in different places,
most of them of their own accord mentioned the
difference between the mias pappan and the mias
rombi. The animal when brought aboard was
stated to be the mias rombi, or small sort. In
short, the natives, whether right or ^Tong, make
the distinction. 2d. The immense size of the
hand in my possession, the height of the animal
killed on the coast of Sumatra, and the skull in
the Paris Museum, can scarcely be referred to an
animal such as we know at home ; though by
specious analogical reasoning, the great disparity
of the skulls has been pronounced the result
merely of age.
" However, facts are wanting, and these facts
78 THE BORNEON
I doubt not I can soon procure, if not actual proof ;
and whichever way it goes, in favour of BufFon's
Pongo or not, I shall be contented, so that I bring
truth to light.
" 19//^. — From the 12th to the IQth of Sep-
tember we lay, anxious to be off, but delayed by
some trifling occurrence or other, particularly for
the letters which I was to receive for the mer-
chants of Singapore. Our intercourse the whole
time was most friendly and frequent ; almost daily
I was ashore, and the rajah often visited the
vessel. How tedious and ennuyant to me can only
be known by those who know me well, and how
repugnant these trammels of society and ceremony
are to nature. Nevertheless, I suffered this mar-
tyrdom with exemplary outward patience, though
the spirit flagged, and the thoughts wandered, and
the head often grew confused, with sitting and talk-
ing trifling nonsense, through a poor interpreter.
" I here bid adieu to these kind friends, fully
impressed with their kindness, and the goodness of
their dispositions. To me they are far different
from any thing I was at all prepared to meet, and
devoid of the vices with which their countrymen
are usually stigmatised by modern writers. I ex-
pected to find an indolent and somewhat insolent
people, devoted to sensual enjoyments, addicted
to smoking opium, and eternally cock-fighting or
gambling : let me speak it to the honour of the
Borneons, that they neither cock-fight nor smoke
CHARACTER. 79
opium ; and in the military train of their rajah
they find at Kuehing few conveniences and fewer
luxuries. Like all the followers of Islam, they
sanction polygamy ; and the number of their wo-
men, and, probably, the ease and cheerfulness of
the seraglio, contrasted with the ceremonial of the
exterior, induces them to pass a number of their
hours amid their women, and excites habits of
effeminacy and indolence. I should pronounce
them indolent and unwarlike ; but kind and un-
reserved to foreigners, particularly to Englishmen.
They are volatile, generally speaking very ignorant,
but by no means deficient in acuteness of under-
standing ; and, indeed, their chief defects may be
traced entirely to their total want of education, and
the nature of their government. The lower orders
of people are poor and wretched, and the freemen
are certainly poorer and more wretched than the
slaves. They are not greatly addicted to theft,
and yet, unlike the scrupulous honesty of the Sib-
nowans, they pilfered some trifling articles occa-
sionally w^hen left in their way. The retainers of
the court shewed much the same mean intriguing
spirit which is too often found in courts, and al-
ways in Eastern ones ; and the rajah himself sel-
dom requested any favour from me direct, but
employed some intermediate person to sound me —
get whatever was required for himself if possible,
if not for the rajah. I took the hint, and always
expressed my wdshes through the interpreter when
80 PERSON OF THE RAJAII.
not present myself. In this way we were enabled
to grant or refuse without the chance of insult or
offence. The suite of the rajah consists principally
of slaves, cither purchased or debtors : they are
well treated, and rise to offices of some note. The
Panglima Rajah was a slave-debtor, though we did
not know it for some time after our arrival. I never
saw either cruelty or undue harshness exercised by
the great men during my stay, and in general their
manners were affable and kind to those about them.
The Rajah Muda Hassim is a remarkably short
man, and slightly built ; about 45 years of age ; ac-
tive and intelligent, but apparently little inclined
to business. His disposition I formed the highest
estimate of, not only from his kindness to myself,
but from the testimony of many witnesses, all of
whom spoke of him with affection, and gave him
the character of a mild and gentle master. Muda
Hassim's own brother, Muda Mahammed, is a re-
served and sulky man, but they spoke well of him,
and the rajah said he was a good man, but given
to fits of sulkiness.
" Der Macota, unlike other Malays, neither
smokes tobacco or chews sirih. He souoht our
society, and was the first person who spoke to me
on the subject of the trade. His education has
been more attended to than others of his own
rank. He both reads and ^^Tites his own lan-
guage, and is well acquainted ^viih the govem-
♦ ment, laws, and customs of Borneo. From him I
LEAVE SARAWAK. 81
derived much information on the subject of the
Dyaks and the geography of the interior ; and
if I have failed to put it down, it is because I
have not departed from my general rule of never
giving any native statements unless they go far
to verify my own actual observations. I parted
from the Eajah with regret, some six or seven
miles down the river. Never was such a blaz-
ing as when we left Sarawak ; twenty-one guns
I fired to the Rajah, and he fired forty-two to me
— at least we counted twenty-four, and they went
on firing afterwards, as long as ever we were in
sight. The last words the Rajah Muda Hassim
said, as I took my leave, were — ' Tuan Brooke,
do not forget me.*
" Amongst the curiosities in my possession are
spears, swords, and shields, from various tribes ; a
coat of mail, made to the northward of Borneo, and
worn by the pirates ; specimens of Sakarran Dyak
manufacture of cloth, and Sarebus ditto ; orna-
ments and implements of the Sibnowans ; and, last
not least, a gold-handled kris, presented me by
the Rajah, which formerly belonged to his father,
and which he constantly wore himself. I likewise
presented him with a small English dagger with
a mother-of-pearl handle ; and my favour was so
high with him, that he used always to wear my
gift, and I, to return the compliment, wore his.
*' The climate of Sarawak is good, and seldom
hot : the last eight or ten days were oppressive,
VOL. I. G
82 130RNE0N GOVERNMENT.
but previous to that we could sleep with a blanket,
and seldom found it too warm in the day. llain
at this season falls in great quantities ; and from
imprudence, our crew suffered on their first arrival
from colds and rheumatism ; but getting more
careful, we had latterly no sick-list.
" Farewell to Sarawak ! I hope to see it again ;
and have obtained a promise from the Rajah that
he will go with me to Borneo, and shew me every
part of the country by the way.
" I may here state the result of some inquiries
I have made respecting the government of Bor-
neo. The form of government may be considered
aristocratic rather than oligarchical : it is ruled
by the Sultan, but his power is kept in check
by four great officers of government. These
are, the Rajah Muda Hassim, the Bandar, in
w^hose hands is the government of the country ;
Pangeran Mumin, the Degadon, the treasurer, or
as Mr. Hunt says, comptroller of the household of
the Sultan ; Pangeran Tizudeen, Tumangong, or
commander-in-chief ; and Pangeran Kurmaindar,
the Pen-damei, or mediator and interceder. This
officer is the means of communication or mediation
between the Sultan and his Pangerans ; and in cases
of condemnation, he sues for the pardon or mercy
of his sovereign. Mr. Hunt, in his short but ex-
cellent paper on Borneo, mentions some other offi-
cers of state : I will not follow him ; but in the
names, as well as duties of these officers, his ac-
SONGI DYAKS, 83
count agrees with my information. Farther than
this, I have not yet learned, therefore state not ;
for I am not manufacturhig a book, but gainino-
information. I may add, however, that these
offices are elective, and not hereditary ; as far
as I yet know, I am inclined to believe the elec-
tion rests with the chief Pangerans of the state ;
not only those in office, but others. When I reach
Borneo I can detail this information.
" 23f/. — Quitted the Royalist at the entrance
of the Morotaba, and accompanied by Pangerans
Subtu and Illudeen, set sail for the river Saduncr.
" The town called Songi is of considerable size,
and the entire population along the river may cer-
tainly be reckoned at from 2000 to 3000 persons,
independent of Dyaks. The country has a flourish-
ing aspect, but the soil is represented as bad, being-
soft and muddy. There is a good deal of trade
from this river, and it annually sends several large
prahus to Singapore : two were lying off the town
when we arrived, and two others had sailed for
that place twenty days before. The produce of
the country is bees-wax, birds-nests, rice, &c. &c.,
but they seem to be procured in less abundance
than in the other contiguous rivers. There is no-
thing peculiar about the Malay population, except
that it struck me, generally speaking, that thev
appeared better off than the people of Sarawak,
or others I have visited hereabouts. We ascended
the river by night, anchored a short distance from
84 VISIT SERIFF SAIIII3.
the Soiijn^i, in a tide -way like a sluice, and entered
the smaller river shortly after daylight. Having
sent the Pangerans ahead to advise Seriff Sahib of
our arrival, we pulled slowly up to the campong of
the Datu Jembrong, where we brought up to break-
fast. Datu Jembrong is a native of Mindanao, an
Illanun and a pirate ; he is slightly advanced in
years, but stout and resolute-looking, and of a most
polite demeanour — as oily-tongued a cut-throat as
a gentlemen would wish to associate with. He
spoke of his former life without hesitation, and
confessed himself rather apprehensive of going to
Singapore. He was remarkably civil, and sent us
a breakfast of some fruit, salt fish, stale turtles'
eggs, and coffee sweetened with syrup ; but spite
of all this, his blood-thirsty education and habits
prejudiced me against him. Breakfast finished,
we went forward to visit Seriff Sahib, who received
us in an open hall ; promised to get us as many
animals as he could now ; regretted our short stay,
and assured me he would collect more by the time
I returned. Amongst these is to be a mias pap-
pan, living or dead. I at the same time offered
ten dollars for the skeleton belonoing to the hand
already in my possession, and a less sum for the
parts. Being the first Eui'opean Seriff Sahib had
ever met, he was rather puzzled to know what we
were like ; but we had every reason to be satisfied
with his kindness and the civility of his people :
the inhabitants, though crowding to see us, are
RETURN. 85
by no means intrusive, and their curiosity is too
natural to be harshly repressed. I need hardly
remark here how very erroneously the position of
the Saduno: river is laid down in the charts, it
being placed in the bay, to the westward of Santo-
bang, and nearly in the position of the Samatan
river.
" 25/A The last night was passed off Datu
Jembrong's house, and I left him with a firm im-
pression that he is still a pirate, or at any rate
connected with them. He resides generally at
Tawarron, to the northward of Borneo Proper,
where his wives and children now are, and he has
come here to superintend the building of a prahu.
The people about him speak of his pursuits without
disguise, and many informed us the prahu near
his house is intended for a piratical vessel. No-
thing could exceed the polite kindness of our ras-
cally host, and I spent the rainy evening in his
house with some satisfaction, acquiring information
of the coast to the northward, which he is well able
to give.
" In the morning we dropped down with the
last of the ebb to the mouth of the Songi, and
took the young flood to proceed up the Sadung.
Beyond the point of junction with the Songi the
Sadunff retains an average breadth of from three
quarters of a mile to a mile. The banks continue
to be partially cleared, and here and there are a
few Dyaks residing in single families or small
8(> enemies' heads.
communities on their ladangs or farms. The
Campong Dyak, which terminated our progress
up the stream, consists of three moderately long
houses inhabited by Sibnowans. The manners,
customs, and language of the Sibnowans of the
Sadung are the same as those of their Lundu
brethren ; but they are a wilder people, and
appear poor. Like other Dyaks, they had a col-
lection of heads hanofinof at the entrance of
their chiefs private apartments. Some of these
heads were fresh, and, with the utmost sang-froid^
they told us they were women. They declared,
however, they never took any heads but those
of their enemies, and these women (unhappy crea-
tures) had belonged to a distant tribe. The fresh
heads were ornamented with fowl's feathers, and
suspended rather conspicuously in separate rattan
frames of open work. They professed themselves
willing to go with me up the river to the moun-
tains ; and on the way, they informed me, were
some large Malay towns, besides some more cam-
pongs of their own countrymen. Farther up they
enumerated some twenty tribes of Dyaks, whose
names I thought it useless to preserve. Late in
the evening we set off on our return, and anchored
once again off Datu Jembrong's house.
" 9.Qth. — Again visited Seriff Sahib. His name
and descent are Arabic ; his father, an Arab, hav-
ing married a daughter of the Borneo rajah. The
Malavs evidentlv honour this descent, and con-
SERIFF SAHIB. 87
sider his birth very high. His power, they say,
equals his family, as he is, in some measure, in-
dependent ; and were he to instigate the Sadung
country to take arms against Borneo, it is very
probable he woidd overthrow the government, and
make himself Sultan of Borneo. In person, this
noble partakes much of his father's race both in
height and features, being tall and large, with a
fine nose and contour of face. His manners are
reserved, but kind ; and he looks as if too indolent
to care much about acquiring power, too fat for an
active traitor, though a dangerous man to oppress.
We were the first Europeans he had ever seen ;
but, on our second visit, he lost much of his pre-
vious reserve, and was curious in examining our
arms and accoutrements. We, as usual, exchanged
presents ; mine consisting of some nankeen, red
cloth, knife, scissors, and handkerchief ; whilst
he gave me the shield of a great Kayan warrior,
a Bukar spear, a goat, fowls, and our dinner and
breakfast daily. He promised me the anns of
all the Dyak tribes, and plenty of animals, par-
ticularly my much - desired mias pappan ; and I,
in retuni, agreed to bring him two small tables,
six chairs, and a gun. Subsequent to our inter-
view he sent me a tattooed Dyak, the first I had
seen. The lines, correctly and even elegantly laid
in, of a blue colour, extended from the throat to his
feet. I gained but little information ; yet the
history of the poor man is curious, and similar to
88 liUYAT TRIBE
that of many other unfortunates. He represented
a chief amoni^st his own people in the country of
Buyat, five days' journey u\) the Cotringen river
(vulgo Coti river). Goino- in his canoe from the
latter place to Banjamassim, he was captured by
Illanun pirates, with whom he was in bondage for
some time, but ultimately sold as a slave to a
resident of Sadung*. It was now five years since
he became first captive, but having lately got
money enough to buy his liberty, he is again a
freeman ; and having married, and turned to the
religion of Islam, desires no longer to revisit his
native country. The language of the tribe of Bu-
yat he represents as entirely Malay. I made him
a small present for the trouble I had given him,
and he departed well content.
" About 3 o'clock in the afternoon we had a
heavy thunder-storm, with lightning as vivid as the
tropics produce. Torrents of rain descended, and
continued a great part of the night ; but, sheltered
by our kajangs or mats, we managed to keep toler-
ably dry. Indeed, the voyager on this coast must
be prepared for exposure to hea\7 rains, and con-
siderable detention from thick and cloudy weather.
The latter obstruction, so little noticed or even
agreeable to those making a passage, is a cause of
much vexation in surveying the coast, as for days
together no observations are to be had.
" T/th. — About 7 A.M. we quitted Songi, and
dropped down as far as Tanjong Balaban, a low
OF MALAYS. 89
point forming the larboard entrance into the Sa-
dung river, and bounding the bay, which lies
between it and Tanjong Sipang. Coming to this
point gave us a good offing for our return, and
enabled me to take a round of angles to finish
the survey as far as this point and Pulo Burong,
which lies off it. We crossed over the sand flats
with a light breeze, and reached the Royalist at
4 P.M. In the evening the Datu Jembrong, who
had preceded us from Sadung, spent the evening
aboard. He expressed his willingness to accom-
pany me next season : whether I shall take him is
another question ; but, could he be trusted, his
services might be highly useful.
"Our Pangerans arrived early this morning
from Sadung ; and to-morrow was fixed for our
departure, when an unforeseen occurrence caused
a farther detention. The day passed quietly : in
the evening I was ashore, and took leave of the
Pangerans Subtu and Illudeen, who returned to
Sarawak, leaving the Panglima Rajah to pilot us
out. The first part of the night was dark ; and
the Panglima in his prahu, with twelve men, lay
close to the shore, and under the dark shadow of
the hill. About nine, the attention of the watch
on deck was attracted by some bustle ashore, and
it soon swelled to the wildest cries ; the only
word we could distinguish, however, being ' Dyak !
Dyak !' All hands were instantly on deck. I gave
the order to charge and fire a gun with a blank
3" \o^ P.M.
2. •28-385 . . 79 80 J
126 BAROMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Lengan Lengang, list December.
Bar. A. D.
1. 30-119 . . 79 78-5 &" 30'" a.m.
2. 27-988 . . 70 69*5 G^ 0-" „
Lohar Peak, 21i< December, \00fie( below summit.
Bar. A. D.
1. 30-095 . . 90 90^jo, 3o„^^^_
2. 25-975 . . 79 79
Hill on the way to Liimpu Balotig, 22c? December.
Bar. A. D.
1. 30-144 . . 90 90 Mean between S*' and noon.
2. 23-612 . . 6Q 65-5 lO'' 40-" a.m.
Lumpu Balong Peak, 22d December.
Bar. A. D.
1. 30-] 46 . . 89-5 90-5 2^ 0" p.m.
2. 22-718 . . 64 63-5 2^ 30'" „
" 2Sih. — Leaving Boele Comba after break-
fast, we shaped our course for Point Berak.
*' With the richest countrv, the natives of
these places are poor, and they bear no good-will
to their rulers. It is likewise certain that few
active measures are resorted to for forwarding the
development of the native character and local re-
sources. The Resident is a Macassar-born native,
and this fact alone speaks volumes for the mode
and manner of government. The people of the
country I found a kind and simple race ; and
though they are accused of pride and laziness by
their masters, I could not, circumstances taken
THE BUGIS. 1^27
into consideration, discover any trace of the latter
vice, and the former I can readily forgive them.
That the Bugis are not an indolent race is well
proved by their whole conduct, wherever circum-
stances offer any inducement to exertion. Even
here, the cleared country and the neat cultivation
prove them far otherwise ; and traces are visible
everywhere on the mountains, of their having been
more highly cultivated than at present. Coffee-
plantations once flourished, and being destroyed
during a war, years ago, have never been renewed.
Enclosures and partition-walls in decay are very fre-
quent, marking the former boundary of cultivation.
That they are independent enough to be proud, I
honour them for ! The officers allowed they were
courageous ; and one designated them as *■ Jier
comme un Espagnol ;* and, on the whole, no doubt
exists in my mind that they are people easily to be
roused to exertion, either agricultural or commer-
cial ; that sullen and repulsive manners towards
their masters, rather indicating a dislike to their
sway, and the idleness complained of, only give a
proof that the profits of labour are lower than they
ouo-ht to be.
" Nothin"- so stronglv marks the degradation
of a race or nation as a cheerful acquiescence to a
foreign rule. The more virtuous, the more civil-
ised, the more educated a people, the more turbu-
lent, indolent, and sullen, when reduced to a state
of subjection ; the fewer qualities will they have to
128 THE BUGIS.
please their masters, when foreign rule is oppres-
sive, or looks solely to the advantage of the coun-
try of the conquerors, and not of the conquered.
There is no race will willingly submit : the bay-
onet and the sword, the gallows and the whip,
imprisonment and confiscation, must be constantly
at work to keep them under.
" Leaving Boele Comba, as I before said, we
shaped our course for Tanjong Berak, passing be-
tween that point and the north island. The
passage is excellent, clear of all danger, as far
as we could see, with deep water. The rocks
reported to exist by Horsburgh, and put down
on Nories' chart, have no existence. The Buoris
prahus always use this channel, and know them
not ; and the captain of a Dutch cruiser informed
me that he had often run through the passage
at nioht, and that it was clear of all danger or
obstruction.
" My own observation went to verify the fact,
for every part of the passage appears deep and
clear, and we passed over the spots where these
rocks are marked. Approaching Tanjong Berak,
there is a sandy beach, where a vessel may get
anchorage in case the wind dies away. The tides
in the channel are strong ; here, and along the
south coast, the ebb runs from the eastward, the
flood from the west. Having cleared the channel,
we hauled into the Bay of Boni, which, although
running in a north and south direction, has some
TIERO BAY. 129
headlands extending to the eastward. There are
two places marked on the chart, viz. Berak and
Tiero ; but these, instead of being towns or vil-
lages, are names of districts ; the first, reaching
from Tanjong Berak, about 15 miles, till it joins
Tiero ; Tiero, extending from the northern con-
fine of Berak to Tanjong Labu, 15 miles in all.
To the northward and eastward is a high island
called Balunrueh. From Tanjong Berak the water
along the coast is very deep ; no soundings with
50 fathom. Towards evening we went into Tiero
Bay, a pretty secluded spot. The southern part of
the bay is foul, having a reef above water at low
water. The northern headland has a spit running
from it, with about 14 fathom water, half a mile
(or little more) off. Within the bay there is no
bottom with 50 fathom till near its northern ex-
tremity, where the water shoals suddenly. Running
in, in a squall, we got into 3i fathom, where we
anchored. This country belongs to the Dutch as
far as Point Labu.
** Q,9th. — Calm all day. Sounded the bay : the
southern point has a steep coral-reef nearly a
quarter of a mile off. The southern part of the
bay is enclosed by a reef, part of which seems to
me artificial, for the purpose of catching fish, and
is shallow : outside the reef the water is deep close
to. The western shore is lined by a reef close to
it, and the water is deep. The centre part of the
bay is very deep ; and within 100 yards of where
VOL. I. K
130 SCENERY. BIRDS.
we lay wc got no bottom at 17 fathoms. The next
cast was 6, and the next 3 fathoms — hard clay
bottom. A small river discharges itself, in the
northern part, inside the anchorage : there is a
considerable depth within, but the bar is shal-
low. The scenery on the river is beautiful ; wild
at first, and gradually becoming undulating and
cultivated. Birds are plenty : cockatoos abound,
of which I shot two. There is some geological
interest : the hills round the bay are of slight
elevation ; and 80 or 100 feet from the sea-level
are large masses of coral-rock, upheaved by some
convulsion.
" 29th. — Passed at Tiero — calm.
" 30//?. — Under weigh. Brought up in 23
fathoms, amid the coral-shoals.
" olsf. — Visited the island of Balunrueh for
sights.
*' Tanjong Labu is blufi^ and bold, and of mo-
derate elevation. The land from thence trends
away westward, forming a long bay, which, for
distinction, may be called Labu Bav, at the n.w.
part of which is the town of Songi, the principal
place about here. Between Labu and Songi are
the following countries : Kupi Kajang, Pakah,
Buah, Kalaku, Baringan, and Magiiarabunbang ;
each with a separate petty rajah. The country is
moderately well cleared ; about an average height,
near the shore, of 300 feet ; with few habitations
about, but no towns or ^-illages. The mountain-
ISLANDS AND CORAL REEFS. 131
range throws a spur downward to the sea, in the
vicinity of Songi and the fine peaks of Lumpu Ba-
long ; and Wawa Karang, with the confusion of
mountains, form a maonificent backo^round to the
prospect. From Magnarab unhang the land runs
away to the eastward towards Tanjong Salaketa,
which must be described on a future occasion. In
the offing are several islands and numerous reefs.
The principal island is Balunrueh, 400 or 500 feet
high ; bold, steep, and covered with trees, except
at its northern extremity, where it is low, with a
sandy point. Off this north point runs a coral-reef :
direction 354", and extent about two miles. At
the s.w. angle of the island there is likewise a reef
stretching half a mile ; and the shores all round,
for a short distance, are lined with coral, outside
of which the water is apparently very deep. We
could get no soundings with a hand lead, half a
mile to the westward.
" Off Balunrueh, to the s.e., is the islet of
Liang Liang ; next to Liang Liang, Tanbunoh,
which is larger ; then Cadingareh Batantampeh
(the largest) Cotingduan Lariahriah, and two is-
lands to the northward called Canallo. Balunrueh
and Batantampeh have both indifferent fresh wa-
ter ; the former near the low point at the north
end. From the s.w. end of Liang Liang a reef
runs out. The bearing, from the small hill, over
the watering place of Balunrueh, was 77°' The
reef extends to 104°, and stretches to the south-
132 TANJONG LAI5U.
ward besides : near Liang Liang it is narrow. Its
limits I could not define.
" Between luiann; Lianff and Tanbunoh a nar-
row reef, and spits from most of the islands. Two
patches lay off Balunrueh about 2 miles and a
half : the first, bearing 319", is narrow, and
about half a mile long ; the other smaller, and
bearing 287°. Part of the day we passed on Balun-
rueh was very hot ; but we got satisfactory' sights,
and sailed round the island, returning to the vessel
about six in the evening.
*' I must now return to Labu, to give some ac-
count of the channel between the reefs ; as, from
the appearance of the charts, it would seem im-
possible to navigate the western side of the bay.
Having passed Tanjong Labu at a distance of
3i or 4 miles, get the flat -topped hill called
Bulu Tanna ahead. Close to the Bulu Tanna,
in the foreground, is another smaller hill, with
two remarkable tufts on the top : this hill, just
open to the eastward of Bulu Tanna, is the lead-
ing mark for Songi, which stands to the west-
ward. This mark will lead clear, or very nearly
so, of all the reefs ; but as there is uncertainty in
the distance from Tanjong Labu, it may be neces-
sary to diverge from the straight course in order
to avoid some of the patches. In the daytime the
coral is seen with the greatest ease ; and a vessel
with a look-out aloft, and a breeze, may proceed
with safety. The first reef is on the starboard
THE RANA OF LAMATTE. 133
hand ; part was dry, and shoal -water about. This
first patch is in the proximity of the great reef
called Melompereh, which runs to the eastward.
Besides these, the channel is occasionally lined by
patches on either hand ; but is no where narrower
than a mile and a half, and is any thing but diffi-
cult navigation, so far, in clear weather.
^' Jan. 4^ih, 1840 Arrived off" Songi on the
1st, and despatched a boat to the old rajah, or
rana, of Lamatte. Our answer was, that not hav-
ing been to Boni, she feared receiving us, as she
felt inclined ; but if we would come to her house,
she should be glad to see us. On the following
day, accordingly, we paid our visit at her residence,
which is situated about four miles up the river
Tanca.
" The old lady is about sixty-five years of age,
and (as she herself informed us) very poor. Her
house, indeed, bears every mark of great poverty ;
having a leaky roof, and not sufficient matting to
cover the bamboo floors. She was kind, and seemed
pleased to see us ; said I should henceforward be
her son, and that nothing but her fear of the Boni
rajah prevented her receiving me in the best way in
her power ; but pointing to the roof and to the floor,
she repeated, * I have nothing.' I presented her
with such articles as I thought would be accept-
able to her ; and, in return, she gave me a sarong.
*' The population of the country is considerable.
The last district I mentioned was Magnarabunbang.
ISif POPULATION ANIJ PRODUCTS
The town of that name, on the sea-side, consists
of forty-five houses, besides a roving population of
Badjows. Along the coast to the eastward, and
close to Magnarabunbang, is the river of Songi.
Proceeding up this shallow river, the first village is
Tacolompeh, situated on the right bank, and con-
sisting of twenty houses ; nearly opposite the vil-
lage of Pangassa, of thirteen houses ; and farther
up, about four miles from the river's mouth, stands
Songi, consisting of 1C4 houses on the right bank,
and 60 on the left. These places are all on the
low ground, and surrounded with cocoanut-trees.
" Joining the district of Magnarabunbang, on
the coast, is Lamatte, the rajanate of our old friend.
The river, like the Songi, is shallow, and running-
through very low ground. On the left bank is
Luppa, consisting of twenty-five houses ; then, on
the right, Ulo, twenty-two houses ; and above Ulo
comes UUue, of twelve houses. Nearly opposite
Ullue is Balammepa, with thirty houses, supe-
rior to the others, and inhabited by merchants who
have made money in trading voyages. This village
sends yearly two prahus to Singapore. Just above
Ullue stand seven houses j and above Balammepa
is Tanca, the residence of the rajah of Lamatte,
consisting of ten houses. The streams, as I have
said, are shallow, and the ground low, neatly culti-
vated with Indian corn, and abounding in cocoa-
nut -trees. Behind Magnarabunbang there is a
narrow strip of low ground, which becomes wider
OF THE COUNTRY. 185
as it advances to the eastward, with here and there
moderate elevations.
" The chief product of the country is coifee,
which is grown in great quantities on the hills, but
brought down as it ripens, when it is collected by
the Bugis merchants for their yearly shipments.
The yearly produce is stated to be 2000 coyans or
80,000 peculs. The price is from fifteen to sixteen
Java rupees the pecul ; to which must be added
the trouble and expense of storing and clearing from
the inner skin. Tortoise-shell is brought in by the
Badjows ; and mother-of-pearl shells in any quan-
tity there is demand for. Taking the number of
houses in this small space, above described, the
total will be 308 houses, which, reckoned at the low
estimate of eight persons for each house, will give
2464 inhabitants : this, however, is far below the
proper estimate, as there are villages scattered be-
tween the rivers, and numbers of detached houses ;
in all, therefore, safely computed at 5000 persons.
The villages, with the exception of Balammepa,
have an aspect of poverty, and the country is ra-
vaged by that frightful scourge the small-pox, and
likewise some cases of cholera, from the account
given of the complaint. Near the hill of Bulu
Tanna there is a hot spring, and likewise, by the
report of the natives, some slight remains of an old
building. I regretted much not seeing these ; but
the natives, with much politeness, begged me not
to go previous to my visit to Boni, as they would be
136 SAILS I'llOM SONGI.
{inswerablc for allowing strangers to see the country
without orders from the chief rajah. All I see and
hear convinces me that the Rajah of Boni has great
power over the entire country. On a friendly com-
munication with him, therefore, depends our chance
of seeing something of the interior,
" The inhabitants here are polite, but shy and
reserved : and the death of the Rana of Songi, and
the absence of the Rajah Mooda, her reported suc-
cessor, have been against us.
" 5th. Sailing from Songi about 4 p.m., we
directed our course for Tanjong Salanketo. The
breeze was stiff, which caused us to use consi-
derable precaution in sailing amongst the shoals.
Assisted by a native Nacodah, by name Dain Pa-
tivi, w^e were enabled to keep the tortuous channel,
of which otherwise we should have been ignorant.
A little farther than the Tanca river is a shoal
stretching from the shore, to avoid which we kept
Canallo on our lee bow : this being cleared, we
gradually luffed up, ran between two shoals, and
passed several others."
CHAPTER VII.
Mr. Brooke's second visit to Sarawak. The civil war. Receives
a present of a Dyak boy. Excursion to the seat of war.
Notices of rivers, and settlements on their banks. Deaths
and burials. Reasons for and against remaining at Sarawak.
Dyak visitors. Council of war. Why side with the Rajah.
Mode of constructing forts. State of enemy's and Rajah's
forces. Conduct of the war.
Mr. Brooke continued his cruise for some time,
and made very interesting collections of natural
history, besides acquiring much insight into the
native history, language, and customs, of which it
is to be hoped he will at a future day permit
the publication. He then returned to Singapore,
where he was detained for several months by ill
health ; but availed himself of the opportunity to
recopper and refit the Royalist, and set every thing
else in order for his next visit to Sarawak, the
remarkable results of which are related in the
following pages. Still sick and languid though he
was, the very air of Borneo, and the prospect of
activity, seemed to restore him to life, after the
listless rest at Singapore, with '* nothing to ob-
188 THE CIVIL WAR.
serve ;" and only cheered by the kindest attentions
and hospitalities of the inhabitants of that interest-
ing and important settlement.
On the second visit of Mr. Brooke to Sarawak,
about the end of August 1840, he found the in-
habitants in nearly the same state as at first,
although there was much talk of reinforcements,
and decisive measures for bringing the war to a
close. The two parties lay within thirty miles of
each other, the rebels holding the upper part of
the river, and communication with the interior.
The sultan, however, had sent dowTi the Orang
Kaya de Gadong to take more active measures,
and his arrival stimulated Muda Hassim to some-
thing like exertion. This appears, by Mr. Brooke's
journal, to have occurred on the 4th September,
1840 ; and I shall give various extracts from it,
as it will not only help to form some opinion of
the character of my friend, whose ideas w^ere ^\Tit-
ten down at the time the impressions were made,
but also supply a distinct picture of the progress
of this novel and amusing civil warfare, and de-
monstrate the unwarlike character of the Sarawak
Borneons.
" An army of mixed Malays and Dyaks was
raised to attack the Dyak tribes in rebellion, and
this service was successfully performed ; the rebel
Dyaks w^ere defeated, and most of them have since
come over to the rajah. Their forces, being weak-
ened by desertion, were reported not to amount to
PRESENT OF A DYAK BOY. 139
more than 400 or 500 men, in four or five forts
situated on the river ; and it now remained to drive
them from their last stronghold of resistance. It
was confidently asserted by the Kajah and Macota,
that, were it not for the underhand assistance of
the Sultan of Sambas, who had constantly supplied
them with food and ammunition, the insurgents
would long since have been dispersed.
*' At the period in question they were said to
be in great distress for want of provisions ; and as
a force was collecting to attack them from various
quarters, it was greatly to be hoped that the war
was verging to a termination. During my wreck's
stay I have frequently visited Muda Hassim, and
he has likewise been on board : our good under-
standing knows no interruption ; and these savage,
treacherous, bloodthirsty Borneons are our good
friends, with whom we chat and laugh every even-
ing in familiar converse. I find no cause to alter
my last year's opinion, that they have few active
vices ; but indolence is the root of their evils.
" Sept. Jth. — Last night I received a strange and
embarrassing present, in the shape of a young Dyak
boy of five years old — a miserable little prisoner,
made during this war, from the tribe of Brong.
The gift causes me vexation, because I know not
what to do with the poor innocent ; and yet I shrink
from the responsibility of adopting him. My first
wish is to return him to his parents and his tribe ;
and if I find I cannot do this, I believe it will be
140 THE DYAK BOY.
better to carry him with me than leave him to be-
come the slave of a slave : for, should I send him
back, such will probably be his fate. I wish the
present had been a calf instead of a child.
<« ()th. — Situ, my Dyak boy, seems content
and happy ; and judging by his ways, and his fond-
ness for tobacco, he must be older than I at first
supposed. In pursuance of my desire to restore
him to his parents, I made every inquiry as to their
probable fate ; but have learned nothing that leaves
me any hope that I shall be able to do so. The
Brong tribe took part with the rebels, and were
attacked by the Rajah's people ; and many were
killed and the rest scattered. Pino, the Brong,
knows not whether Situ's parents are alive or
dead ; nor, if the former, whither they have fled.
Supposing my endeavours to restore the child fail,
I have resolved to keep him with me, for many
reasons. The first is, that his future prospects
will be better, and his fate as a freeman at Sin-
gapore happier, than as a slave in Borneo ; the
second, that he can be made a Christian. I can
easily provide for him in some respectable house-
hold, or take him to England, as may hereafter be
most advantageous for him ; and at the former
place he can always be made a comfortable servant
^^-ith good training. Yet with all this, I cannot
disguise from myself that there is responsibility —
a heavy moral responsibility — attached to this
course, that might be avoided : but then, should
RESOLVES TO ASSIST THE RAJAH. 141
it be avoided ? Looking to the boy's interests —
temporal, perhaps eternal — I think it ought not ;
and so, provided always I cannot replace him where
humanity and nature dictate, I will take the re-
sponsibility, and serve this wretched and destitute
child as far as lies in my power. He is cast on my
compassion ; I solemnly accept the charge ; and I
trust his future life may bear good fruit, and cause
me to rejoice at my present decision.
" Oct. 2f/. — L}dng at Sarawak, losing valuable
time, but pending the war difficult to get away ;
for whenever the subject is mentioned, Muda
Hassim begs me not to desert him just as it is
coming to a close, and daily holds out prospects of
the arrival of various Dyak tribes. The Rajah
urged upon me that he was deceived and betrayed
by the intrigues of Pangerans, who aimed at alien-
ating his country ; and that if I left him, he should
probably have to remain here for the rest of his
life, being resolved to die rather than yield to the
unjust influence which others were seeking to ac-
quire over him ; and he appealed to me that after
our friendly communication I could not, as an
English gentleman, desert him under such circum-
stances. I felt that honourably I could not do so ;
and though reluctantly enough, I resolved to give
him the aid he asked ; — small indeed, but of con-
sequence in such a petty warfare.
" Sd. — I started to join Macota at Leda Tanah.
At 4h. 30m. p.m. a pouring rain delayed us some
142 EXCURSION UP THE RIVER.
time ; and darkness setting in, rendered our pull a
long and very disagreeable one. We did not reach
Lcda Tanah until 11, when we found the army in
their boats, and a small fort they had built on the
bank of the river. I moved into Macota's large
boat, and slept there ; whilst he, as commander-in-
chief, went backwards and forwards from one post
to another during the night.
« 4^/?. — At Leda Tanah the river divided into
two branches ; one part running past Siniawan,
the other to the left — likewise to another point of
the mountain-range. Above Siniawan is Sarambo,
a high detached mountain, perhaps 3000 feet in
height, with a notch in the centre. Off Leda
Tanah is a sand and pebble bank formed by the
junction of the two streams, and the country around
is well cleared for this part ; whilst the graves on
the right bank bear witness to the population of
former days. It is represented to have been a
flourishing place, and the neighbourhood well in-
habited, until the breaking out of this unhappy
war. The situation is delightful, and advantage-
ously chosen at the confluence of the two streams.
" 5th Ascended that to the left for a short
distance. On the left hand, just above Leda
Tanah, is the small creek of Sarawak, the original
settlement, and from which the larger river now
takes its name. I intended to have retm*ned to-
day ; but as the weather threatened another de-
luge, I stopped till the following morning. It was
DEATH ON BOARD THE ROYALIST. 143
a curious sight to see the whole army bathe, with
the commander-in-chief at their head, and his
Pangerans. The fare of these people is any thing
but luxurious, for they get nothing but rice and
salt ; and they were thankful in proportion for the
small supplies of tea, sugar, and biscuit I was able
to spare them.
" (5th — Quitted Leda Tanah, and reached the
Royalist in five hours, one of which we were delayed
by the way. The river is remarkably pretty ; banks
cleared of jungle, with fine trees, and a view of the
mountains. Many parts are exceedingly shallow ;
but the natives state there is a channel for a mode-
rate-sized vessel as far as Leda Tanah."
On Mr. Brooke's return on board the Royalist,
he found his steward Rankin, who had been linger-
ing some time, still alive ; and a seaman named
Daniel, whom he had left with a slight fever, sud-
denly expired at ten at night in a fainting fit. He
wTites in his journal : "It is difficult to allege the
immediate cause of his death, which probably arose
from some organic complaint of the heart or the
brain, quite independent of fever. Five minutes
before his decease the man's pulse was high and
full. The steward wdll follow in a few days ; and
death, which has never before entered on board,
will thus strike two blows. To me it is a satis-
faction that neither is in any way attributable to
climate.
" '^th Muda Hassim rendered me every assist-
144 REASONS FOR REMAINING
ancc. A grave was prepared, and wood for a coffin ;
so that by two o'clock wc proceeded to inter the
dead. His last resting-place was situated on a
gently rising ground behind the Chinamen's houses.
The ensign was placed over his simple bier, and
he was carried by his shipmates to the grave. All
who could be spared attended, and I performed the
service — that impressive and beautiful service of
the Church of England.
" 8th — Having the melancholy duty of yester-
day over was a relief, only alloyed by the sad
prospect of a near recurrence. I now turned my
mind seriously to departure, having well weighed
the pros and cons of the subject.
" In the first place, the greatest advantage
would result from my accompanying the Rajah along
the coast to Borneo ; and if I could hope a reason-
able time would leave him free to go there, I would
wait spite of the season : for it is ev-ident that by
myself I should have to form fresh connexions
amongst the chiefs, and without that I reckon it
next to impossible to penetrate even a moderate
distance from the coast in a strange place. The
next reason is, that it has been intimated to me
that a rival faction, headed by Pangeran Usop,
exists in Borneo Proper, and that that Pangeran,
from mv kno\\Ti friendship to Muda Hassim, mio-ht
endeavour to injure me, /. e. kill me. At anv rate,
during Muda Hassim's absence, I should be ob-
structed in all my proceedings, and could not do
AT SARAWAK. 14,5
more than sketch the bare coast-line. These are
strong- and cogent reasons for remaining /o?- a timey
if the ultimate object be attainable ; and to these
may be added my own feelings — my reluctance to
quit the Rajah in the midst of difficulty and distress,
and his very very sad face whenever I mention the
topic.
" On the other hand must be weighed the ap-
proach of the adverse monsoon, the loss of time,
and the failure of provisions, which, though but
luxuries to gentlemen which they can readily dis-
pense with, are nevertheless necessaries to seamen,
without which they get discontented, perhaps mu-
tinous. There are good reasons on both sides.
" dth I sent Williamson to intimate my ap-
proaching departure ; and when I went in the even-
ing the little man had such a sorrowful countenance
that my heart smote me. When I told him I would
remain if there were the slightest chance of a close
to the war, his countenance cleared, and he gaily
repeated that my fortune and his would bring this
struggle to an end, though others forsook him. I
then consented to await the issue a few days longer,
and to revisit Leda Tanah to ascertain if the news
was true. It ran to the effect that the rebels, under
the Pantingi and Tumangong, are fortified at the
foot of the mountain of Sarambo, on which hill are
three Dyak tribes below that of Sarambo ; over
them Bombak ; and on the summit the Paninjow.
The Bombak and Paninjow have already, in part,
VOL. I. L
14G ANOTHER DEATH.
joined Macota, and the Sarambo are to come in
as to-day. These three last Dyak tribes deserting
the rebels will leave them surrounded in their
forts, which are commanded by the rest of the
hill ; and every thing promises well, if the oppor-
tunity be vigorously used. The Sow and the Singe
are in part at Leda Tanah, and more Dyaks daily
joining. I must push the rajah on to action, for
help from without is not likely to come. Yet I
wish still more to accommodate matters ; and if
he would spare the leaders' lives, I believe they
would lay down their arms on my guarantee. But
though he does not say that he will kill them, he
will listen to no terms of compromise ; and when I
reflect that an European monarch, in the same cir-
cumstances, would act in the same way — that the
laws of my own country would condemn the men
for the same offence — I cannot urge the subject
into a personal matter.
*' 16/// E-ankin's (my stew^ard's) death having
been some time inevitable, it was a relief when the
event occurred. He was cut off in the flower of
manhood, from the effects of hard drinking, which
even his fine constitution could not resist. I buried
him near the other man, and had a neat inscrip-
tion, and the name of the individual, his ship and
age, placed over each.
" Days passed on, but not quite unrelieved by
events. And now I may positively state, that the
war will be over in a few davs, or not over at all.
DYAK VISITORS. 147
The first of these events was the desertion of the
Dyaks, and the arrival of their chiefs with Macota.
Next arrived 200 Chinese from Sambas, under a
very intelligent Capitan. Rajah Ali came next,
bringing some ourang-outangs' heads ; then Datu
Naraja ; and lastly Pangeran Jedut from Sarebus,
with the information that the Dyaks of that name,
in consequence of a war with Linga, would not
come here. Thus they not only refused to come
themselves, but obliged the Linga people to stay at
home to defend their country. To quiet this coast
the Sarebus should receive a severe lesson.
" l^^th. — I had a large party of Dyaks on board
in the evening, viz. the Singe, Sow, Bombak, and
Paninjow, in all about fifteen men, with two old
chiefs. They ate and drank, and asked for every
thing, but stole nothing. One man wore a neck-
lace of beads set with human teeth, taken of course
in war, which I got from him for two yards of red
cloth. Another was ornamented with a necklace
of bears' teeth ; and several had such a profusion
of small white beads about their necks as to resem-
ble the voluminous foldings of the old-fashioned
cravat. As far as I could observe, they all seemed
in earnest about attacking Siniawan ; and their
allegiance to the Rajah was as warm now (in words)
as it had been heretofore defective in action.
" 18M. — Proceeded in the long-boat to Leda
Tanah, which we reached in three and a half hours'
pulling, and just in time to witness the start of 150
148 THE RIVER SONGI BESAU.
Mcalays and 100 Dyaks of Lundu for the mountain
of Sarambo, at the foot of which Siniawan and the
enemies' forts are situated.
*' igth. — Did every thing in my power to urge
Macota to advance and divert the attention of the
rebels from the party going up the mountain, but
in vain : Malay-like, he would wait.
*' 20/// I have before remarked that two rivers
formed a junction at Leda Tanah ; and this day I
ascended the left-hand stream, or, as they call it,
the Songi besar (i. e. great Songi). The scenery is
picturesque ; the banks adorned with a light and
variegated foliage of fruit-trees ; and every where
bearing traces of former clearing and cultivation.
In the background is the range of mountains,
amongst which Stat is conspicuous from his noble
and irregular shape. On our return, the white flag
(a Hadji's turban) was descried on the mountain,
being the pre-arranged signal that all was well.
No news, however, came from the party ; and in
spite of the white banner, Macota took fright at
the idea that the rebels had surrounded them.
" 21sf. — Detachments of Dyaks are coming in.
Ten of the tribe of Sutor were despatched as scouts ;
and in a few hours returned with the welcome in-
telligence that the detachment was safe on the top
of the mountain, and that the three tribes of Panin-
jow, Bombak, and Sarambo, had finally decided on
joining the Rajah, and surrendering their fortified
houses. Soon after this news the chiefs of the
COUNCIL OF WAR. 149
tribes arrived with about 100 men, and were, of
course, well received ; for if chargeable with de-
serting their cause, it is done with the utmost sim-
plicity, and perfect confidence in their new asso-
ciates. From their looks it was apparent they had
suficred greatly from want of food ; and they frank-
ly confessed that starvation was their principal
motive for coming over. I did all in my power to
fix their new faith by presents of provisions, &c.
&c. : and I think they are trustworthy ; for there
is a straightforwardness about the Dyak charac-
ter far different from the double-faced dealings
of the Malay. Their stipulations were, forgive-
ness for the past, and an assurance that none of
the Dyaks from the sea (i. e. Sarebus and Sakar-
ran) should be employed ; for they were, they said,
hateful to their eyes. These terms being readily
conceded — the first from interest, the second from
necessity — they became open and communicative
on the best means of attacking the forts. A grand
council of war was held, at which were present
Macota, Subtu, Abong Mia, and Datu Naraja, two
Chinese leaders, and myself — certainly a most in-
conoTuous mixture, and one rarelv to be met with.
After much discussion, a move close to the enemy
was determined on for to-morrow, and on the fol-
lowing day to take up a position near their defences.
To judge by the sample of the council, I should
form very unfavourable expectations of the conduct
in action. Macota is lively and active ; but whether
150 REASONS FOR TAKING PART.
from indisposition or want of authority, undecided.
The Capitan China is lazy and silent ; Subtu indo-
lent and self-indulgent ; Abong Mia and Datu Na-
raja stupid. However, the event must settle the
question ; and, in the mean time, it was resolved
that the small stockade at this place was to be
picked up, and removed to our new position, and
there erected for the protection of the fleet. I may
here state my motives for being a spectator of, or
participator (as may turn out), in this scene. In the
first place, I must confess that curiosity strongly
prompted me ; since to witness the Malays, Chi-
nese, and Dyaks in warfare was so new, that the
novelty alone might plead an excuse for this desire.
But it was not the only motive ; for my presence
is a stimulus to our own party, and will probably
depress the other in proportion. I look upon the
cause of the Rajah as most just and righteous : and
the speedy close of the war would be rendering a
service to humanity, especially if brought about by
treaty. At any rate much might be done to ame-
liorate the condition of the rebels in case of their
defeat ; for though I cannot, perhaps ought not,
to save the lives of the three leaders, vet all the
others, I believe, will be forgiven on a slight in-
tercession. At our arrival, too, I had stated that
if they wished me to remain, no barbarities must
be committed ; and especially that the women and
children must not be fired upon. To counter-
balance these motives was the danger, whatever it
ADVANCE OF THE RAJAH's FORCE. 151
might amount to, and which did not weigh heavily
on my mind. So much for reasons, which, after
all, are poor and weak when we determine on doing
any thing, be it right or be it wrong. If evil befall,
I trust the penalty may be on me rather than on
mv followers.
Ml
" 22^?. — At daylight the fleet was astir, and in
an hour the defences were cut down, the timber,
bamboos, &c., formed into rafts ready for trans-
portation, and the stockade, by breakfast -time,
had as completely vanished as though it had been
bodily lifted away by some genius of the Wonderful
Lamp. Every thing was ready for a start, and we
waited lazily for the flood-tide ; but when it did
make, the usual procrastination ensued, and there
was no move till it was near done. Then, indeed,
we proceeded up about two-thirds of the way, and
brought up with two good hours' daylight, in spite
of my remonstrances. No place could be better
calculated than where we rested for an attack upon
boats : high banks covered with grass and trees
offered a safe shelter for musketry, against which
no return could be made. The night, however,
passed away quietly.
" ^4fth. — Dawn found us on the advance to our
proper position. A thick fog concealed us, and in
half an hour the people were on shore busy re-
erectinof our fort, less than a mile from two forts of
the enemy, but concealed from them by a point of
the river. No opposition was offered to us ; and in
(.0'2 AIODi: OI' CONSIIll'CTlNG A FOUT.
a few hours a neat defence was completed from
the debris of the former. The ground was cleared
of jungle ; piles driven in a square, ahout fifteen
yards to each face, and the earth from the centre,
scooped out and intermixed with layers of reeds,
was heaped up about five feet high inside the piles.
At the four corners were small watch-towers, and
along the parapet of earth a narrow walk con-
necting them. In the centre space was a house
crowded by the Chinese garrison, a few of whose
harmless gingalls were stuck up at the angles to
intimidate rather than to wound. Whilst they
laboured at the body of the defence, the Dyaks
surrounded it by an outer work, made of slight
sticks run into the ground with cross binding of
split bamboo, and bristling with a chevmix dc frise
(if it may be so styled) of sharpened bamboos about
breast-high. The fastenings of the entire work
were of rattan, which is found in plenty. It was
commenced at 7 a.m. and finished about 3 p.m.,
shewing how the fellows can get through business
when they choose. This stockade, varying in
strength according to circumstances, is the usual
defence of the Sambas Chinese. The Malays erect
a simple and quicker constructed protection by a
few double uprights, filled in between with timber
laid lengthways and supported by the uprights.
Directly they are under cover, thev beoin to form
the ranjows or sudas, which are formidable to
naked feet, and stick them about their position.
STATE OF THE ENEMY. 153
Above our station was a hill which entirely com-
manded both it and the river ; to the top of which
I mounted, and obtained an excellent view of the
country around, including the enemies' forts and
the town of Siniawan. A company of military
might finish the war in a few hours, as these
defences are most paltry, the strongest being the
fort of Balidah, against which our formidable as-
sault was to be levelled. It was situated at the
water's edge, on a slight eminence on the right
bank of the river ; and a large house with a
thatched roof and a look-out house on the summit ;
a few swivels and a gun or two were in it, and
around it a breastwork of wood — judging from a
distance, about six or seven feet high. The other
defences were more insignificant even than this ;
and the enemies' artillery amounted, by account, to
three six -pounders and numerous swivels ; from
350 to 500 men, about half of whom were armed
with muskets, whilst the rest carried swords and
spears. They were scattered in many forts, and
had a town to defend, all of which increased their
weakness. Their principal arm, however, consisted
in the ranjows, which were stated to be stuck in
every direction. These ranjows are made of bam-
boo, pointed fine and stuck in the ground ; and
there are besides, holes about three feet deep, filled
with these spikes, and afterwards lightly covered,
which are called patobong. Another obstacle con-
sists of a spring formed by bending back a stiff
154 THE rajah's forces.
cane with a sharp bamboo attached to it, which,
fastened by a slight twine, flies forcibly against any
object passing through the bush and brushing
against it : they resemble the mole-traps of Eng-
land. The Bomeons have a great dread of these
various snares ; and the way they deal with them is
by sending out parties of Dyaks during the night
to clear the paths from such dangers.
" Though I have stated the insignificant nature
of the enemies* lines, it must not be supposed I
imagined them at all inferior to our owti resources.
Our grand army consisted of 200 Chinese, excel-
lent workmen, but of whose qualities as soldiers I
can say nothing. They were, however, a stout mus-
cular set of men, though wTetchedly armed, having
no guns and scarcely any muskets ; but swords,
spears, and shields, together with forty long thin
iron tubes wdth the bore of a musket and carrying
a slug. These primitive weapons were each ma-
naged by two men, one being the carrier of the
ordnance, the other the gunner ; for whilst one
holds the tube over his shoulder, the other takes
aim, turns away his head, applies his match, and is
pleased with the sound. Their mode of loading is
as curious as the piece and its mode of discharge.
Pow^der is poured in, the end knocked on the
ground, and the slug with another knock sent on
the powder, without either ramming or cartridge.
Indeed, it is difficult to imagine any weapon more
rude, awkward, or inefiicient.
THE rajah's forces. 155
" Of Malays we had 250, of whom 150 were on
the Sarambo mountain, occupied in defending the
Dvak houses. Of the hundred remaining- with the
grand army, about half were armed with muskets.
A few brass guns composed our artillery ; and in
the boats were a good many swivels. The Dyaks
amounted to about 200, of various tribes, viz. Sib-
no wans, Paninjows, Bombak, Sarambo, Kampit,
Tabah, Sanpro, Suntah ; but these were merely pio-
neers, and would not face the report of fire-arms.
The Borneons, in fighting, wear a quilted jacket or
spencer, which reaches over the hips, and from its
size has a most unservicelike appearance ; the bare
legs and arms sticking out from under this puffed-
out coat, like the sticks which support the garments
of a scarecrow. Such was our incongruous and
most inefficient army ; yet with 300 men who would
fight, nothing would have been easier than to take
the detached defences of the enemy, none of which
could contain above thirty or forty men. But our
allies seemed to have little idea of fighting except
behind a wall ; and my proposal to attack the ad-
versary was immediately treated as an extreme of
rashness amounting to insanity. At a council of war
it was consequently decided that advances should
be made from the hill behind our fort to Balidah
by a chain of posts, the distance being a short mile,
in which space they would probably erect four or
five forts ; and then would come a bombardment,
noisy but harmless.
156 THE VVAIl.
" During the day wc were not left quiet. The
beating of gongs, shouts, and an occasional shot,
gave life to the scene. With my glass I could espy
our forces at the top of the hill, pleased no doubt
to see us coming to their support. At night loud
shouts and firing from the rebels caused us to pre-
pare for an attack ; but it proved to be nothing but
liffhts movinof about the hill-side, with what intent
we were ignorant. The jungle on the left bank
having been cleared, we did not much expect any
skirmishers ; but some spies were heard near our
boats. With this exception the night passed away
unbroken on our part, though the rebels kept up
an incessant beating of gongs, and from time to
time fired a few stray shots, whether against an
enemy or not was doubtful.
" ^5tJi — The grand army was lazy, and did
not take the field when they possessed themselves
of two eminences, and commenced forts on each.
About 11 A.M. we got intelligence that the enemy
was collecting on the right bank, as they had been
heard by our scouts shouting one to another to
gather together in order to attack the stockades in
the course of building. Even with a knowledge
of their usual want of caution, I could not believe
this, but walked nevertheless to one of the forts,
and had scarcely reached it when a universal rebel
shout, and a simultaneous beating of the silver-
tongued gongs, announced, as I thought, a general
action. But though the shouts continued loud and
THE WAR. 157
furious from both sides, and a gun or two was dis-
charged in air to refresh their courage, the enemy
did not attack, and a heavy shower damped the
ardour of the approaching armies and reduced all
to inaction. Like the heroes of old, however,
the adverse parties spoke to each other : * We are
coming, we are coming,' exclaimed the rebels ;
' lay aside your muskets and fight us with swords.'
' Come on,' was the reply ; * we are building a
stockade, and want to fight you.' And so the heroes
ceased to talk, but forgot to fight, except that the
rebels opened a fire from Balidah from swivels, all
of which went over the tops of the trees. Peace,
or rather rest, being restored, our party succeeded
in entrenching themselves, and thus gained a field
which had been obstinately assaulted by big words
and loud cries. The distance of one fort from Ba-
lidah was about 800 yards, and manned with sixty
Malays ; whilst a party of Chinese garrisoned the
other. Evening fell upon this innocent warfare.
The Borneons, in this manner, contend with vocife-
rous shouts ; and, preceding each shout, the leader
of the party offers up a prayer aloud to the Al-
mighty, the chorus (or properly response) being
the acclamation of the soldiery. We, on our side,
kept up a firing and hallooing till midnight, to
disguise the advance of a party who were to seize
and build a stockade within a shorter distance of
Balidah. When they reached the spot, however,
1.0-ht no change of purpose. They were to die,
and opportunity alone was wanting to carry the
sentence into effect. Time passed over, suspicion
was lulled ; and as suspicion was lulled, the pro-
fessions to serve them became more frequent.
Poor Si Tundo brought all his little property to
make good the price required for the woman, and
his friend added his share ; but it was still far
short of the required amount. Hopes, however,
were still held out ; the Orang Kaya advanced a
small sum to assist, and other pretended friends
slowly and reluctantly, at his request, lent a little
money. The negotiation was nearly complete ;
fortv or fifty reals only were wanting, and the
opposite party were ready to deliver the lady when-
ever the sum was made good. A final conference
was appointed for the conclusion of the bargain
at the Orang Kaya's, at which numbers were pre-
sent ; and the devoted victims, lulled into fatal
security, had ceased to bring their formidable kem-
pilans. At the last interview the forty reals being
still deficient, the Orang Kaya proposed receiving
their gold -mounted krisses in pledge for the
amount. The krisses were given up, and the bar-
gain was complete, when the four executioners
threw themselves on the unarmed men, and, as-
sisted by others, overpowered and secured them.
Si Tundo, wounded in the scuffle and bound, sur-
rounded bv enemies flourishinir their krisses, re-
STORY OF SI TUNDO. 205
marked, ' You have taken me by treachery ; openly
you could not have seized me.' He spoke no more.
They triumphed over and insulted him, as though
some great feat had been achieved ; and every kris
was plunged into his body, which was afterwards
cast, without burial, into the river. Si Tundo's
relation was spared on pleading for mercy ; and
after his whole property, even his clothes, was
confiscated, he was allowed to retire to Sadung.
Thus perished poor Si Tundo, a Magindano pirate,
with many, if not all, the vices of the native cha-
racter ; but with boldness, courage, and constancy,
which retrieved his faults and raised him in the
estimation of brave men. In person he was tall,
elegantly made, with small and handsome features,
and quiet and graceful manners ; but towards the
Malays even of rank, there was a suppressed con-
tempt which they often felt, but could not well
resent. Alas, my gallant comrade ! I mourn your
death, and could have better spared a better man ;
for as long as you lived, I had one faithful follower
of tried courage, amongst the natives. Peace be
with you in the world to come, and may the Great
God pardon your sins and judge you mercifully !
" The case of poor Si Tundo proves that the
feeling of love is not quite dead amongst Asiatics,
though its power is obscured by their education
and habits of polygamy ; and that friendship and
relationship may induce a man here, as elsewhere,
to risk his life and sacrifice his property without
20G THE MAGINDANO CHAR ACTKR.
any prospect of personal advantage. An old Ma-
f^indano man, a sort of foster-father of Si Tundo's,
when he saw me for the first time, clasped my arm,
and repeatedly exclaimed, ' Si Tundo is dead, they
have killed him ;' adding, ' had you been here,
he would not have been killed.' I was touched
by the old man's sorrow and his expression of
feeling."
Datu Jembrong- was likewise an Illanun, and re-
tired to Sadung when the rebel war had closed,
and died after a few days' illness. Mr. Brooke
writes : " Thus I have lost the two bravest men
— men whom I would rather trust for fair dealing
than any score of Borneons ; for the Magindanos,
though pirates by descent and education, are a far
superior people to any in the Archipelago, with
the exception of the Bugis. Whatever may be
their vices, they are retrieved by courage to a cer-
tain degree ; and where we find a manly character,
we may presume that the meaner arts oi Jinesse
and treachery are less prevalent. Dampier and
Forrest both give them an excellent character ;
and it is a pity that of late years little is known of
them, and so little pains taken to hold a friendly
intercourse either with them or the Sooloos."
The important changes which ensued on the
return of Mr. Brooke to Sarawak, in the spring of
1841, now demand attention ; and, as heretofore,
I proceed to describe them from the data entrusted
to my charge.
PROGRESS AT SARAWAK. 207
*' In a former part of my journal," says Mr.
Brooke, " I have mentioned briefly the occasions
which led to my invitation, and the reasons which
induced me to accept the offer of the Rajah Muda
Hassim j but I will repeat these, in order to bring
the narrative at once more distinctly before the
memory. When I returned here for the second
time, in August last year, it was wdth the determi-
nation of remaining for a few days only on mv way
to the northward ; and nothing but my feeling for
the miserable situation of Muda Hassim induced
me to alter my intention. The rebellion, which he
had come from Borneo to quell, had defied every
effort for nearly four years ; and the attacks he
had made on the rebels had failed entirely and al-
most disgracefully. His immediate followers were
few in number, and aid from the neighbouring-
countries was either denied, or withheld on trivial
excuses ; whilst the opposition of Pangeran Usop
in Borneo paralysed the effbrts of his supporters in
the capital, and in case of non-success threatened
his own power. The pride, the petty pride of
the Malay prince bent before these circumstances,
and induced him to state his difficulties to me,
and to request my assistance. His failure was
strongly dwelt on, and his resolution to die here
rather than abandon his undertaking — to die dis-
graced and deserted ! Under these circumstances,
could I, he urged upon me, forsake him ? could I,
' a gentleman from England,' who had been his
208 ItEVIRW OF CiriCUMSTANCES.
friend, and knew the goodness of his heart, could
I leave him surrounded and begirt with enemies ?
It was possibly foolish, it was perhaps imprudent,
but accorded with my best feelings ; and I resolved
not to abandon him without at any rate seeing the
probabilities of success ; and it must always be
remembered that in doing so, I had no ulterior
object, no prospect of any personal advantage. I
joined his miserable army, which, in numbers,
barely exceeded that of the rebels strongly stock-
aded. I joined them at the outset of their cam-
paign ; and in a few days (ten days) witnessed
such scenes of cowardice, treachery, intrigue, and
lukewarmness amongst his followers, such a deter-
mination not to take advice or to pursue any ac-
tive measures, that I left them and returned to
my vessel. The Chinese I do not include in this
representation ; they were true and willing, but
wretchedly armed ; and very justly refused to be
thrust forward into posts of danger, w^hich the
Malays in their own country refused to share. On
my return to the vessel, I frankly stated how use-
less my presence was amongst men who would not
do any thing I desired, yet would do nothing for
themselves ; and, under the circumstances, I in-
timated my intention of sailing. Here again I was
pressed with the same entreaties ; every topic was
exhausted to excite my compassion, every aid was
at my disposal ; and lastly, if I would stay, and
we were successful, the countrv was offered to me.
REVIEW OF CIKCLMSTAXCES. '^09
The only inquiry was, whetlier the Rajah had the
right and authority to make over the country to
me, and this I was assured he had. The govern-
ment, the revenue (with slight deductions for the
Sultan), and one of his brothers to reside here in
order to ensure the obedience of the Malays, were
all comprehended in his cession, freely and without
condition. I might at this point of the negotia-
tion have ensured the title to the government as
far as a written agreement could give it ; but for
two sufficient reasons I declined all treaty upon
the subject until the war was over. The first of
these reasons was, that it would have been highly
unofenerous to take advantaoe of a man's distress
to tie him down to any agreement which, in other
circumstances, he might not be willing to adopt ;
and by acting thus ungenerously, it would be
tempting the Rajah to deceive me when the treaty
came to be ratified. The second reason was equally
cogent ; for a mere barren bond which I had no
means to enforce was worse than useless, and no
man would be nearer possession by merely holding
a written promise. I may add, likewise, that I
saw so many difficulties in the way of the under-
taking, that I was by no means over-anxious to
close with it ; and previous to accepting and en-
tering on so bold a project, I was desirous tho-
roughly to be assured of the good faith of the
promiser. To the Rajah Muda Hassim's propo-
sal I therefore replied, that I could not accept it
VOL. I. p
210 REVIKW OF ClUCUMSTANCKS.
whilst the war was pending, as I considered it
wrong to take any advantage of his present situa-
tion ; and that if he conferred authority on me in
the camp, I would once more go up the river and
assist him to the utmost of my power. It is need-
less to repeat any details of the war, except to
say that I found every support from him, and the
highest consideration, both in personal attentions
and the bestowal of influence. He conquered, I
may say without self-praise, through my means ;
and on the close of hostilities our negotiation
about the country was revived. In its progress,
I stated to him that Malay governments were so
bad, that the high were allowed so much license,
and the poor so oppressed, that any attempt to
govern without a change of these abuses was im-
possible ; and as a foundation of my acceptance
was the proposition, that all his exertions must be
employed to establish the principle that one man
was not to take any thing from another, and that
all men were to enjoy the produce of their labour,
save and except at such times as they were en-
gaged in working for the revenue. That the
amount of the revenue was to be fixed and certain
for three years, at a stated quantity of rice per
family ; in lieu of which, should a man prefer it,
he might pay in money or in labour — the relative
price of rice to money or labour being previously
fixed at as low a rate as possible. That the offi-
cers, \dz. Patingi, Bandar, and Tumangong, were
CONDITIONS OF THE CESSION. "211
to receive stated salaries out of this revenue, in
order to prevent any extortion, either by them-
selves or in their name ; and that they were to be
answerable for the whole revenue under my super-
intendence. That the Dyaks were to be treated
the same as the Malays, their property protected,
their taxes fixed, and their labour free. At the
same time I represented to him the difficulty of
doing this, and that nothing but his power could
effect it ; as any foreigner, without his unlimited
support and confidence, would have no chance
of finding obedience from the numerous inferior
Pangerans and their followers. This, with much
more, was the theme of my conversation ; to which
was replied — Imprimis, That their customs and
religion must not be infringed. That with regard
to the violence and rapacity of the higher classes,
and the uncertainty of taxation, which led to so
much oppression, they were by no means any part
of the Ondong Ondong in the law of Borneo, but
gross abuses which had arisen out of lax govern-
ment. That it was the wish of his heart to see
these things mended ; and that nothing should be
wanting on his part to assist me in accomplishing
objects so desirable, particularly with respect to
the Dyaks, who were so grossly abused. On this,
a written agreement was made out, merely to the
pui'port that I was to reside at Sarawak in order
to ' seek for profit ;* and on my remarking that
this paper expressed nothing, lie said I must not
212 CONDITIONS OF THE CESSION.
think that it was the one understood between us,
but merely for him to shew to the Sultan at Borneo
in the first place. I accepted this version of the
story, though it looked suspicious ; and on my
part, out of our written agreement, which expressed
nothing, I consented to buy a vessel, and bring
down trade to the place, in return for which, I
was assured of antimony-ore in plenty ; and though
I knew that profit was not to be expected, I was
desirous to comply, as, without a vessel regularly
trading here, it would be impossible to develop the
resources of the country. Whilst I went to Singa-
pore, the Rajah promised to build me a house, in
which I was to take up my residence. I sailed
accordingly, and returned within three months,
having performed all my engagements ; but on
reaching Sarawak, the first disappointment I ex-
perienced was, that the house was not commenced.
I urged them to begin it, and after the most pro-
voking delavs at lensfth a:ot it finished. I mention
this because it was the only instance in which good
faith was kept.
" Aug-ust 3(1. — The two schooners Eovalist and
Swift havinof arrived at Sarawak, I found mvself
with a hea\T monthly expense, and was naturally
anxious to despatch them as speedily as possible.
I was assured that 6000 peculs of antimony-ore
would be down immediately, and that whenever
the people were set to work, any quantity might
be procured mthout difficulty ; which, indeed, I
DIFFICULTIES AND EVASIONS. 213
knew to be true, as Macota had loaded a ship, a
brig, and three native vessels in six weeks. The
procrastination therefore was the more provoking ;
but as I had determined to arm myself with pa-
tience, and did not anticipate foul play, I was con-
tent to wait for a time. The Swift being leaky
and requiring repairs, was another inducement to
me to lie by and land her cargo, which, ever since
my arrival, the Rajah petitioned to have ashore,
giving every pledge for a quick and good return.
At length I consented to let him have the cargo
into his own hands, on the assurance that the anti-
mony-ore (/. e. the 6000 peculs which were ready ?)
should be brought down directly. Nothing could
be more correct than the way they received the
cargo, taking an account of each separate article,
comparing each with the invoice, and noting down
the deficiency ; and no person could be more active
than the Rajah himself, superintending from morn-
ing till dark in this interesting process. At this
time, having agreed with him for the whole, as
the easiest and best mode of dealing under the cir-
cumstances, I did not much trouble myself about
the deposit ; and my attention was first roused by
the extreme apathy of the whole party directly the
cargo was in their possession — overhauled, reck-
oned, and disposed of amongst them."
CHAPTER X.
Obstacles in coming to a satisfactory conclusion with Muda
Hassim. The law of force and reprisal considered. Capa-
bilities of Sarawak. Account of Sarebus and Sakarran
pirates. Excursion up the river. Visit to the Singe Dyaks.
Description of Mr. Brookes house at Sarawak. Circum-
stances relating to the wreck off Borneo Proper.
During the succeeding pages of my friend's jour-
nal, one hardly knows which to admire most ; his
firmness, his cool courage, his determined perse-
verance, or his patience. On the other hand, it
is difficult to decide whether the Eaj all's indo-
lence and ingratitude, or Macota's low cunning
and treachery, are most disgusting. But I continue
the narrative, and readers will judge for them-
selves.
" Yet," says Mr. Brooke, " I had confidence,
and was loath to allow any base suspicion to enter
my mind against a man who had hitherto behaved
well to me, and had not deceived me before.
From the time the cargo had been disposed of,
I found myself positively laid on the shelf. No
return arrived ; no steps were taken to work the
EVASIONS. ^15
antimony-ore ; no account appeared of the positive
amount to be received : a promise was tendered ;
and all my propositions — nay, my very desire to
speak of the state of the country — were evaded.
I found myself clipped like Samson, while delay
was heaped upon delay, excuse piled on excuse,
and all covered with the utmost shew of kindness
and civility. It was provoking beyond sufferance ;
but with several strokes which I considered im-
portant, I bore it with saint-like patience. I re-
monstrated mildly but firmly on the waste of my
money, and on the impossibility of any good to the
country whilst the Rajah conducted himself as he
had done. I urged upon him to release the poor
women whom he had kept confined for nearly five
months ; and I guaranteed the peaceful disposition
of the people if it were done. I might as well
have whistled to the winds, or have talked reason
to stones. I was overwhelmed with professions of
affection and kindness, but nothing ensued. I had
trusted — my eyes gradually opened — I feared I
was betrayed and robbed, and had at length de-
termined to be observant and watchful, when an
event occurred which finished the delusion, and
woke me fully to the treachery, or at any rate the
weakness, at work against me. My house was
finished, and I had just taken possession of it,
when I understood that an overwhelming body of
Dyaks, accompanied by Malays, were proceeding
up the river, with the avowed purpose of attacking
2 1 () D A N G !■; HOLS M A C 1 1 1 X A T J () \ S .
;i liostile tribe, but with the real design of slau«^h-
tering all the weak tribes in their way. Upwards
of 100 boats, with certainly not fewer than ^500
men, had been at Sarawak a week, asking permis-
sion for this expedition ; and I was informed there
was not the slightest chance of its being granted,
when to my surprise I saw the expedition start.
On being convinced that they really were going
up the country, I instantly quitted the house and
returned on board the Royahst, sending to know
whether the Rajah had granted leave for their en-
trance into the interior. By him the whole blame
of the transaction was thrown upon Macota and
the Orang Kaya de Gadong ; and he himself was
said to be so ill that he could not be seen ; but it
was added, as I disliked the measure so greatly,
the same parties who had sent the Dyaks up could
recall them down, which indeed I had insisted on
beinff done. Thev accordinglv retro"raded and
left ; after which I continued sulky on board, and
the Rajah, shamming sick, sulked in his harem.
That any man besides the Rajah himself would
have been bold enough to grant the permission, I
knew, from experience, was impossible. I accepted
his denial as the gi'oundwork of a reconciliation.
In the mean time, as he continued indisposed, I
intimated my intention of proceeding to Borneo in
three days, and despatching the Swift at the same
time to proceed to Singapore ; part of her cargo,
7o0 peculs of antimony-ore, having been at length
IIETROSPECT. 217
put on board. On this being made known to the
Rajah, he forgot his sickness, and came out and
proffered me a meeting to discuss affairs, which I
postponed until the following day. In the mean
time I took a candid view of my position, and
considered the best means of extricating myself
from mv difficulties with as little trouble and in-
convenience as possible to either party.
" I had lost much valuable time, spent much
money, and risked my life and the lives of my
crew, in order to render assistance to Rajah Mu-
da Hassim in his distress ; in return for which
he had voluntarily offered me the country. The
conditions of my acceptance had been discussed
and mutually understood, and I had, in fulfilment
of my part, brought vessel and cargo. Profit I
did not much care about ; the development of
the country was my chief, I may say my only, aim ;
and on my arrival I had been delayed and cheated
by false promises, which shewed too plainly that
he neither meant to adhere to his former agree-
ment, nor to pay for what he had on false pretences
obtained. It may appear to many that no measures
ought to be kept with one who had so behaved ;
but, for the following reasons, I resolved still to
wait his pleasure. In the first place, it was barely
possible that indolence, and not treachery, might
have actuated him ; and in the next, that if it was
possible to arrange so as to get back the amount of
the Swift's cargo, I was in duty and justice bound
^18 REASONS IMIO AND COX.
to use every endeavour before resorting to mesu
sures of force. As for the cession of the country,
and all the good which must have resulted from
it, I put these considerations altogether out of the
question. I had been deceived and betrayed, and
had met with the grossest ingratitude ; but I had
no claim, nor would any written agreement have
given me one ; and I was therefore constrained
to submit without returning evil for evil. Every
point weighed, I felt from every motive inclined,
nay desirous, to avoid a rupture, or take an equi-
valent for my property by force. The Swift, with
the part of her cargo received on board, after
three months' detention, and no more even talked
of, I therefore resolved, as already stated, to de-
spatch to Singapore. My first intention on arriving
here had been to send the Royalist back to that
port and dispose of her ; but a native rumour
being afloat that the crew of a shipwrecked vessel
were in Borneo Proper, I deemed it incumbent on
me to visit that place and effect their release. I
had used every means in my power since my arri-
val to induce the Rajah Muda Hassim to send
one or two of his Pangerans and a letter from
himself to the Sultan by the Royalist, in order to
ensure that object ; but although, day by day, I
had received promises, they were never performed.
Seeing now that this duty of humanity could no
longer be delayed with propriet}', I resolved to
despatch the Royalist to Borneo, and mvself to
RESOLVES. 219
remain here, to endeavour, if I could, to obtain
my own. Each vessel was to return as quickly
as possible from her place of destination ; and
I then resolved to give two additional months
to the Rajah, and to urge him in every way in
my power to do what he was bound to do as
an act of common honesty. Should these means
fail, after making the strongest representations
and giving amplest time, I considered myself free
to extort by force w^hat I could not gain by fair
means.
" Having determined on these steps, I met the
Rajah by appointment, and repeated all my griev-
ances, and set strongly before him the injury done
in consequence ; and lastly, plainly told him that
I only came and now only stayed in his countrv
at his request, but that the property he had taken
must be repaid, and subsequently to that, if he
had any proposition to make, I would endeavour
to meet his wishes. To all this I received no
one satisfactory anszcer, and, from the shuffling on
every complaint, I formed the worst opinion of his
intentions.
" My determination, however, having been pre-
viously made, the result of this conversation had
no effect upon me ; and at the end of three days,
the time I had limited, no letter for the Sultan
being forthcoming, on the fourth morning the two
schooners proceeded to sea, one for Borneo, the
220 INTERNATIONAL LAW.
other for Singapore, whilst, with three companions,
I remained in my new house. ^
*' I wish now to discuss a question which has
often occupied my mind, and upon which I have
been very desirous to arrive at a right conclusion.
It is certain that a British subject cannot wTong-
fully attack or injure any prince or person in his
own country without rendering himself liable to
be punished by the laws of England. It is both
right and just that it should be so, because in
demi-civilised or savag"e countries the natives are
often unable to protect themselves, and an attack
upon them savours of piracy. On the other hand,
if the native prince be the party to blame ; if he
fraudulently possess himself of property under false
pretences, make promises which he breaks, and
enter into agreements before witnesses which he
never intends to fulfil ; then, I ask, is a British
' I need hardly remark on the singular courage and disre-
gard of personal safety and life itself 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 pro-
posed to himself to accomplish ; and with " three companions,"
place himself at the mercy^ of such circumstances, regardless of
the danger, and relying on the overruling Providence in which
he trusted, to bring him safely through all his difficulties and
perils. — H. K.
THE LAW. ^2'-2l
subject to submit to the loss, when the party de-
frauding him is able to pay and will not ? I
answer decidedly, he is not bound to submit to
be cheated, and, if he have the means, he has the
right to enforce repayment. It may be urged that
trust ought not to be reposed ; but trust is the
ordinary course of trade, and cannot alter the
question. Again, it may be said, Apply to the
government ; but it is well known and acknow-
ledged that the government will not interfere in
any case of the sort. Seek redress by law ! there
is no law to meet the conting-encv. Bear the loss,
i. e. be betrayed, deceived, and cheated, and sub-
mit ! It cannot be ; for although the law mav
properly inquire into the circumstances, yet as it
will not protect me here, or give me any redress
for fraud or murder., it cannot punish if right be
on my side. Am I quite sure that the right is on
my side ? It is, as far as I can judge ; and ha^dng
candidly stated every fact and circumstance, I am
convinced there can be but one opinion on the
subject. I am sure that if I seize property to the
amount of that taken from me, I act justly, though
perhaps not legally ; yet I firmly believe legally
likewise, although law and justice do not neces-
sarily go always hand in hand. On the whole,
there was the old sore rankling — the false pro-
mises, the gross deceit, the base ingratitude to a
man who had done every thing to relieve this
equivocating Rajah from disgrace, defeat, and per-
222 STATI'. OF THE CASK.
haps death. But here I close this account for the
present, to be resumed on the return of the Royal-
ist from Borneo.
^'August 4fth. — Both retrospectively and pro-
spectively the grounds for all these transactions
were ever pressing on my mind and guiding mv
actions. The capabilities of the Sarawak coun-
try were very great. It could abundantly supply
the richest produce of the vegetable kingdom ; it
abounded in mineral wealth, and especially in a
vast staple commodity of antimony- ore ; with a
considerable population of Dyaks, whose condition
was decidedly improvable ; a Malay population, by
no means large, which was advantageous ; and a
Chinese population ready to immigrate A^-ith even
a moderate prospect of protection. Besides these
inducements, must be added its propinquity to the
Pontiana river, and the trade which by that route
might flow even from the centre of this little-
known island. To crown all, there were the cre-
dit to myself in case of success, the amelioration
of the native condition, however partial, and the
benefit to commerce in general. These were the
reasons that induced me to enter on this arduous
task ; and to these I may add a supplementary
one, viz. that when I had struggled for a time, I
might rouse the zeal of others, and find eflftcient
support either from government or the mercantile
body.
" I have in a former part of my journal men-
THE I3ALAGNINI. "2^3
tioned the Illanun pirates, and my meeting with
them here. On our return we heard of their
being still on the coast, and from that time to this
they have been ravaging and plundering between
Tanjong Datu, Sirhassan, and Pontiana. Malays
and Chinese have been carried off in great num-
bers ; Borneo and Sambas prahus captured with-
out end ; and so much havoc committed, that the
whole coast, as far as the natives are concerned,
may be pronounced in a state of blockade.
" Besides the lUanuns, there are two other de-
scriptions of pirates infesting these seas : one, the
Dyaks of Sakarran and Sarebus, two predatory
tribes already mentioned ; the other called Balag-
nini, a wild people represented to come from the
northward of Sooloo. I have not seen them ; but
their boats are said to be very long and swift,
with sometimes outriggers ; and one particular in
their mode of attack is too curious to omit. In
closing on their victims they use long poles, hav-
ing a hook made fast at the extremity, with which,
being expert, they hook their opponents at a dis-
tance and drag them overboard, whilst others are
fighting with saligis and spears.
*' I have before mentioned the arrival of one
hundred Dyak boats at Sarawak, to request per-
mission from the Rajah to ascend the river and
attack a tribe towards Sambas. What a tale of
misgovernment, tyranny, and weakness, does this
request tell ! These Dyaks were chieflv from Sa-
224 TIIK SAIJKBUS AM) SAKAUliA :S.
karran, mixed with the Sarebus, and with them
three boats of the Malo tribe, whose residence is
towards the Pontiana river. The Sakarrans are
the most powerful, the most predatory, and the
most independent tribe on the x.w. coast, their
dependence on Borneo being merely nominal. The
latter are likewise predatory and numerous, but
they are on good terms with all the coast tribes
and with the Malays, whilst the Sarebus are
against all, and all are against them. Speaking
generally, they are a remarkably fine body of
people, handsome, intelligent, powerful, well-made,
beautifully limbed, and clear-skinned. They are
somewhat fairer than the Malays and the mountain
Dyaks ; but in manners, customs, and language,
exactly resemble the Sibnowans, except that the
last, from misfortune, have become a peaceful tribe.
The Sarebus and Sakarrans are only distinguish-
able by the numerous rings they wear in their
ears. On one man I counted fourteen of brass,
various sizes, in one ear only. They are rather
fond of ornament, and wear grotesque caps of
various coloured cloths (particularly red), some of
them square, others peaked, and others like a
cocked-hat worn athwart-ships, and terminating in
sharp points on the top of the head. These head-
dresses are ornamented with tufts of red hair or
black human hair, shreds of cloth, and sometimes
feathers ; but what renders them laughable to
look at is, that the hair is cut close to match the
THE PIRATE FLEET. 225
shape of the cap ; so when a man displaces them,
you find him bare of hair about the forehead and
posterior part of the skull, cut into points over
the ears, and the rest of the skull shewing a good
crop of black bristles.
" The commanders of this party were yclept
poetically by their own people, as nommes de guerre^
the Sun and the Moon, i. e. Bulan for moon, and
Mutari for sun. The Sun was as fine a young
man as the eye would wish to rest upon ; straight,
elegantly yet strongly made, with a chest and neck,
and head set on them, which might serve Apollo ;
legs far better than his of Belvidere ; and a coun-
tenance mild and intelligent. I became very good
friends with both Sun and Moon, and gave them
a great deal of good advice about piracy, which, of
course, was thrown away.
** Their boats are built very long, raised at
the stern, and the largest pulling as many as sixty
paddles ; but I should not think them fast, and
any boat with a swivel might cut them up. The
least average I could give the hundred boats is
twenty-five men per boat, making, as already ob-
served, 2500 in all. We counted ninety, and there
were others do\\Ti the reach we could not see ; and
they themselves stated their force to be 140 boats
and 4000 men. The manners of these Dyaks
were reserved, quiet, and independent, towards us.
They stole nothing, and in trading for small quan-
tities of rice, bees-wax, cotton, and their cloths,
VOL. I. Q
226
J'lIE PIRATE FLEET.
shewed a full knowledge of the relative value of
the articles, or rather they priced their own at
far above their proper worth. I may indeed say
of all the Dyaks I have seen, that they are anxious
to receive, but very loath to give ; and when they
have obtained cloth, salt, copper, beads, &c. to the
amount of two or three dollars, as a present, will
bring in a bunch of plantains or a little rice, and
ask you to buy. The Sibnowans are the chief ex-
ceptions to this, and they are my pet tribe. The
language of Sakarran and Sarebus is the same
as the Sibnowan ; and with all the word God, the
Allah Talla of the Malays, is expressed by Bat-
tara^ from which we may infer that their notion
of the Deity, as probably was all the religion of
these regions, was derived from the Hindoos.
" When this force of Dyaks was, contraiT to
the assurance given to me, sweeping up the river,
I had just finished a late dinner. I was angry
eno2igh, and resolved instanter to leave the house,
when who should come in, as if by pure accident^
but Pangeran Budrudeen, the Eaj all's brother. I
controlled myself, spoke strongly ^dthal but civilly,
and sent him away wishing he had not come near
me ; and the boat being ready, I retired from the
house to the Royalist. Their immediate recall
was the consequence ; for the Eaj ah having denied
his permission, those who fathered the act dared
not persist in it when I told them it was an act
of disobedience. They tried to frighten me with
THE PIRATE FLEET. 227
the idea that the Dyaks would attack us ; but
as I felt sure we could blow them away in ten
minutes, it had not the desired effect. They had
in the mean time reached Leda Tanah, whence
they were brought down again sulky enough, and
did shew a slight inclination to see whether the
people on board the Swift were keeping watch ;
for several of their boats dropped close to her,
and one directly under the bowsprit, as silently
as death ; but on being challenged, and a mus-
ket levelled near them, they sheered off, and the
next day finally departed. The poor Dyaks in
the interior, as well as the Chinese, were in the
greatest state of alarm, and thence I gained some
credit amongst them for my interference on their
behalf. The very idea of letting 2500 wild de\dls
loose in the interior of the country is horrible ;
for though they have one professed object, they
combine many others with it, and being enemies
of all the mountain tribes, they cut them up as
much as they can. What object, it may be in-
quired, can the Malays have in destroying their
OA\Ti country and people so ' wantonly ? I must
endeavour to explain, to the best of my belief and
knowledge. The Malays take part in these ex-
cm'sions, and thirty men joined the Sakarrans on
the present occasion, and consequently they share
in the plunder, and share largely. Probably Muda
Hassim would have got twenty shares (\vomen and
children) ; and these twenty being reckoned at the
228 EXCURSION UP THE UIVEU.
low rate of twenty reals each, makes four hundred
reals, besides other plunder, amounting to one or
two hundred reals more. Inferior Pangerans would
of course partake likewise. Muda Hassim muM
have given his consent, must have been a par-
ticipator in this atrocity, nobody being desperate
enough to do such a thing without his orders. In
fact, they dare not move up the river themselves
without leave, much less send up the Dyaks. It
is a hateful feature in this government, newly de-
veloped since the close of the war.
" August 5th. — One excursion I made up the
river over our old ground, staying a week, visiting
various places. Where the village of Siniawan
once stood is now a small Chinese settlement, and
their garden bespeaks the fertility of the soil.
From Siniawan I walked over to Tmidong, now
the principal Chinese station. The scener}' was
beautiful all the way from Siniawan to Tundong
— gently undulating gi'ound rising into respectable
hills, and backed by noble mountams, and valleys
so quiet and still, and looking so fertile, that I
sighed to think man's cultivating hand was not
here. We paused, and rested at a farm of the
Paninjow. Their mode of cultivation is the same
as described by Marsden — cutting, clearing, plant-
ing, and abandoning after one or two crops. They
seem likewise to prefer the upland to the wet
ground. Tundong is quite a new settlement, si-
tuated close on the banks of the river, which is
STATE OF THE COUNTRY. 229
here quite narrow and shallow. The distance may
be ten miles by water, as it took our boat four
hours and a half to pull against stream. We spent
the same time walking, but diverged from the road.
AVherever the Chinese are, the sound of the axe
and the saw is to be heard in the woods as you ap-
proach, and all are industriously employed. They
have their carpenters, sawyers, blacksmiths, and
housebuilders, whilst the mass work the antimony-
ore, or are busy constructing the trench, where
they find and wash the gold. With such inha-
bitants a country must get on well, if they are
allowed fair play. I was quite tired, and stayed all
night at Tundong. On the following morning I
started for the Singe mountain, which is the resi-
dence of the Dyak tribe of the same name. The
walk, including a rest, occupied nearly three hours,
the latter part up-hill, and we reached the village
a good deal knocked up from the heat of the sun
and the badness of the way. Our entertainment
was not of the best ; yet the Singe w^ere not inhos-
pitable, but suspicious that we came to rob them.
The rice and the fowls we required, although we
paid for them at double their value, were reluc-
tantly produced ; while at the same time they
shewed themselves anxious enough to obtain the
salt we had brought to exchange, without giving
the equivalent.
" The villag-e is built on a shoulder of the moun-
tain, not half way up, and only accessible by a lad-
230 THE SINGE VILLAGE.
der-like path on either side. It consists of about
200 miserable huts, and is as dirty and filthy as
any place I ever was in, with numerous half-starved
pigs and dogs running about it. The houses are
small and mean, and detached from each other,
unlike the other Dyaks, who inhabit one large
house containing numerous partitions for families ;
here, however, they have one or two public halls
or council-houses, which are built and thatched in
a circular form, and in which their young men and
bachelors sleep ; here likewise are deposited the
heads, of which they have more than enow, as
above one hundred ghastly remnants of mortality
ornamented the abode in which w^e slept. I could
not on this occasion find out that they professed
to take the heads of friends or strangers, though
the latter may fall victims if on enemies' ground.
They seem to have no idea of cannibalism or
human sacrifice, nor did they accuse their enemies
of these practices. They have a custom, that in
case of sickness in a house, or child-bearing, the
house is forbidden to the males and strangers,
which is something similar to the tabboo of the
South- Sea Islands. This plea was urged as a
reason why the head man or Orang Kaya Parem-
bam could not receive us in his dwellinof. The
Dyaks are always decorous in their beha^-iour,
rarely give way to mirth, and never annoy by their
curiosity. Towards the Malays they are extremely
sulky and mulish ; but thev have good reasons, as
SUPERSTITIONS AND CUSTOMS. 231
the Malays are ever extorting from them, and
threatening them with the anger of the Rajah or
the incursion of the Sakarrans. The women wear
the stays before mentioned, which are sewn on
when they arrive at the age of puberty, and never
removed save when enceinte. These Singe Dyaks,
like the others,- attend to the warning of birds of
various sorts, some birds being in more repute than
others. On starting for a hunting excursion we
met one of them on the hill-side, who said, ' You
will be fortunate : I heard the bird behind you.*
Here, if a bird is before you, it is a sign that
enemies are there too, and they turn back : if
behind, they proceed in good spirits. They have
a prejudice against the flesh of deer, which the
men may not eat, but which is allowed to women
and children. The reason given for this is, that
if the warriors eat the flesh of deer, they become
as faint-hearted as that animal. These may be
called their superstitions, but religion they have
none ; and though they know a name for God,
and entertain some faint notion of a future state,
yet it is only in the abstract, for practically the
belief seems to be a dead letter. At their mar-
riage they kill fowls, as I have narrated ; but this
is a ceremonv, not a sacrifice. They have no
priests nor idols, say no prayers, offer no offerings
to propitiate the Deity ; and it is little likely
therefore that human sacrifice should exist among
them. In this respect they are different from any
232 DEER-SHOOTING.
known people who have arrived at the same state
of civilisation. The New Zealanders, the inha-
bitants of the South Seas, &e. &c., for instance,
all bow to their idols, towards which the same
feelings of reverence and devotion, of awe and fear,
obtain as with more civilised bein