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picturesque appearance of the native prahus, and the praying of the Mussulman, with his head in the direction of the Prophet's tomb, bowing his head to the deck of his boat, and from whose devotions nothing would draw his attention. For a time-it being that for preparing the evening meal-no noise was made: it was a perfect calm, and the rich foliage was reflected in the water as in a mirror; while a small cloud of smoke ascended from each boat, to say nothing of that from my cigar, which added much to the charm I then experienced." (vol. ii. p. 47.)

Mr. Brooke steered the gig up the river to attack the pirate settlement, and this boat leading was exposed to the fire from three forts, which lost no time in opening their cannons on it. Captain Keppel, however, and his cockswain, kept up a fire with pretty steady aim at the embrasures, but could not prevent the pinnace sustaining some loss. The rattan lashing of trees and stakes to oppose their upward way in the river was soon cut through, and the Dido's first cutter came up to the relief of the gig; the other boats soon followed, and the pirate settlement, Paddi, was shortly in a blaze and utterly destroyed. After some unsuccessful attempts in boats, the pirate chiefs surrendered at discretion. And here, in the course of the arrangements, Mr. Brooke explained to them the infamy of piracy, and appealed to the superior advantages of industry at Sarawak. He was also believed to have charmed the river, and to have prevented its usual turbulent character. They are received by the wondering Rajah, Muda Hassim, on their return with mute astonishment at their deeds. Captain Keppel then takes his leave of his friend Mr. Brooke; but their absence from each other was not destined to be long, for on the Dido calling at Pinang in the Malacca Straits, where she fell in with Sir William Parker, the admiral, he met again with Mr. Brooke, who had come to Singapore to meet the admiral, and had followed him on in the Wanderer, in company with the Harlequin and the Diana, which had just returned from Acheen, where they had been suppressing piracy. In this desperate engagement, in which several lives were lost, Mr. Brooke was wounded in the head and arm, and Captain Keppel remonstrated with him, telling him he had fighting enough in his own country. The admiral promised that the Dido should return to the Straits after she had visited Calcutta. On his return to Singapore he found Mr. Brooke waiting his arrival; but as Captain Keppel could not then receive him on board, since he had orders for a treasure freight to China, Captain Hastings took him over in the Harlequin to Sarawak. Government being fully aware of the state of the Straits, had despatched the Phlegethon steamer

to Singapore. On Captain Keppel's second arrival he found Mr. Brooke in a new palace, and beautiful Swiss and Italian cottages springing up around him, and that he had made great additions to his English society. The pirate chief, Seriff Sahib, had mustered an immense armament, and scoured the seas in all directions. He had even threatened Sarawak. Mr. Brooke was not strong enough, with only six native boats, to attack 200 Dyak boats, and fifteen or twenty armed Malay prahus. The captain of the Harlequin felt every disposition to give this chief a peppering, but dared not disobey his sailing orders, and her few boats would not have been able to do much against so formidable a force. The forcing of the pirate fort of Palusen, the strongest on the island, and the destruction of the houses of 5000 pirates, were the results of the united operations of the Dido and the Phlegethon, aided by Mr. Brooke and the natives, who reposed unlimited confidence in him. To the strength of this pirate fortress all the chiefs had contributed guns and ammunition. They next proceed to destroy another pirate's hold. This last achievement was, however, accompanied by the loss of Lieutenant Wade, one of whom the service might well be proud, both for his bravery and humanity. Of the dangers of this predatory warfare the following extract will give a fair specimen. They were proceeding up the river to a place which they imagined was about ten miles distant, Karangan:

Our

"Not expecting to meet with any opposition for some miles, I gave permission to Patingi Ali to advance cautiously with his light division, and with positive orders to fall back upon the first appearance of any natives. As the stream was running down very strong, we held on to the bank, waiting for the arrival of the second cutter. pinnace and second gig having passed up, we had remained about a quarter of an hour, when the report of a few musket-shots told us that the pirates had been fallen in with. We immediately pushed on; and as we advanced, the increased firing from our boats, and the war-yells of some thousand Dyaks, let us know that an engagement had really commenced. It would be difficult to describe the scene as I found it. About twenty boats were jammed together, forming one confused mass; some bottom up; the bows or sterns of others only visible; mixed up, pell-mell, with huge rafts; and amongst which were nearly all our advanced little division. Headless trunks, as well as heads without bodies, were lying about in all directions; parties were engaged hand to hand, spearing and krissing each other; others were striving to swim for their lives; entangled in the common mélée were our advanced boats; while on both banks thousands of Dyaks were rushing down to join in the slaughter, hurling their spears and stones on the boats below." (vol. ii. p. 110.)

From a diversion made by Captain Keppel and Mr. Brooke by

advancing in the gig, the boats got an opportunity of clearing themselves. They advanced in mid-channel. Mr. Brooke's gun does not go off, Captain Keppel fires his own unfailing rifles, and picks out the leaders, aided by his cockswain. The second gig coming up, Mr. Allen discharges from a Congreve rocket-tube such a fire, as drives the enemy panic-struck within their temporary barriers; and though a loss was thus sustained by the precipitancy of Patingi Ali, fortune favoured them again, and Karangan was also destroyed. Mr. Brooke, with his usual activity, saved the lives of three of his Dyak followers, who had been capsized by the bore on their return. He also addressed the chiefs of the country with astonishing fluency in the Malay language, and pointed out again the evils of piracy. After this Captain Keppel leaves for Singapore. On his return to England he learnt with pleasure that Government had appointed Mr. Brooke their agent at Borneo, and that Captain Bethune had proceeded with special instructions to that island. Captain Keppel's departure left Mr. Brooke sad and solitary. It was soon, however, cheered by the arrival of Captain Bethune and Mr. Wilson, a personal friend of Mr. Brooke. They were the bearers of a letter to the Sultan of Borneo, and to the Rajah of Borneo Proper, Muda Hassim. To the Sultan at Borneo they proceeded, and Mr. Brooke announces himself the bearer of a letter from the Queen of England, expressing her good will and determination to put down piracy. It was well received. Her Majesty's orders were put into execution by a large squadron with Admiral Sir T. Cochrane; and with twenty-four boats, containing 550 marines and sailors, they proceeded to action, and won the hard-fought fight of Malludu. Mr. Brooke has encountered, since writing the above, various other perils, but on these we shall not dwell. A noble subscription, seconding the efforts he has made with the intention of carrying a Christian mission into that country, has been started in England, and we see the bishops of the Anglican Church, the nobility and gentry of England, entering into the subject most warmly; and Lord Ellesmere, foremost in all philanthropic efforts, we perceive is at the head of the committee. If ever the hand of Providence can be traced out of its ordinary track, surely this wonderful accession of a portion of the largest island of the great Asiatic Archipelago to English rule, by the pure moral conduct of Mr. Brooke, is of that description. We look to yet greater things from him than those which he has already achieved, and which few of the human race, we believe, could have attained to with the small means at his disposal, simply private resources, to attain so remarkable a position.

We feel that the time is now come when the country at large ought to second amply the exertions of Mr. Brooke. Seven years has he unremittingly laboured in this field, and with what success is abundantly evident. The time is now come that such efforts ought to be fittingly responded to by the country. The Bishop of Calcutta, whose diocese extends to within a day's sail of the scene of Mr. Brooke's exertions, enters warmly into the question, and we feel that a British force ought to be sent out to protect Mr. Brooke, as well as missionary aid. The daring conduct of the pirates will be sufficiently indicated when we state the fact, that they have recently destroyed a Dutch man-of-war. Both governments ought to combine to put down the detestable piracy of these coasts. We are glad to perceive, from the varied class of contributors to the subscription, that the elements of large means are at hand, and the élite of the country in Church and State have taken up the cause. Many of our bishops have shown great interest in the matter, and contributed munificently. We earnestly hope that the present government will support Mr. Brooke; and in so doing they will meet the wishes of all intelligent and religious-minded persons in the community. A British force ought to be permanently located in Borneo. The bare English flag-staff, with a few men, will sufficiently protect Mr. Brooke; and if any officer is sent out, we trust Captain Keppel will be selected to settle all remaining matters, and to place our Resident in a clear position to hold his own, and to advance the best interests of religion and civilization. There have been many subjugators of new lands by the sword, such as Cortez and Pizarro; but as yet there have been few, if any, who have attained, by the pure element of goodness, to the position of Mr. Brooke.

VOL. VIII.--NO. I.

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ART. XII.-THE POSITION OF POLITICAL PARTIES.

THE balance of parties again is altered, and the Protectionists have seated the Whigs in power. Conservatism has certainly much to be pleased with in this horse-jockey movement of Lord Geo. Bentinck. For the wholly insignificant individual who has effected this, we feel nothing but the most utter wonderment that such effects should spring from such a cause; but that Lord Stanley should join in measures that utterly ruin the Conservative party, is to us matter of marvel. Is this owing to the simple fact, that his genius has long stood rebuked by Peel? That there never yet was a department of Government to which he ever applied his luckless hand that proved successful under his management? while his great rival can appeal to the entire success that has followed every department of the State that has passed under his control separately, as well as to the entire success of his policy, as prime-minister? The exertions of the Protectionists may be likened to the operation of a force attempting to defend a citadel where half the body stand at ease, while the other portion is quietly shot down and massacred. Were they in power to-morrow, would they not pass the Coercion Bill? Did not their leader, the motley-jacketed peer, vote for it, and then stultify himself by voting against it? But the alleged excuse is, that they had lost all confidence in the minister, and therefore they took the opportunity of showing they had lost all confidence in themselves. What a nice piece of logical sequence is the following:-I am of opinion that the Coercion Bill should be passed. I think it right to be done; but Sir R. Peel is of opinion also that it ought to be passed, therefore it is not right to be done. A nice doctrine, that makes the character of the act depend on the doer, and not on the act itself. The taunting adversaries of Sir Robert Peel,-the miserable Bentinck and the bitter Disraeli, the prosy Mr. Miles, and hoc genus omne, have now given us a Whig administration. Lord John Russell has been asked by Mr. T. Duncombe to make a bidding for the Radicals, and he has quietly told him he will not buy them too dear, and naïvely demands what the learned member means by extension of the suffrage? Certainly Lord John designs no extension of the Wakleys and the Duncombes. These are extensions that can end in nothing except the Brahminical state of Nirwana, or annihilation of every thing. Neither

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