Arrival of Captain Bethune and Mr. Wise.--Mr. Brooke appointed
her Majesty's Agent in Borneo.--Sails for Borneo Proper.--Muda
Hassim's measures for the suppression of piracy.--Defied by
Seriff Houseman.--Audience of the Sultan, Muda Hassim, and
the Pangerans.--Visit to Labuan.--Comparative eligibility
of Labuan and Balambangan for settlement.--Coal discovered
in Labuan.--Mr. Brooke goes to Singapore and visits Admiral
Sir T. Cochrane.--The upas-tree.--Proceeds with the Admiral
to Borneo Proper.--Punishment of Pangeran Usop.--The
battle of Malludu.--Seriff Houseman obliged to fly.--Visit
to Balambangan.--Mr. Brooke parts with the Admiral, and goes
to Borneo Proper.--An attempt of Pangeran Usop defeated.--His
flight, and pursuit by Pangeran Budrudeen.--Triumphant reception
of Mr. Brooke in Borneo.--Returns to Sarawak.
"_February 25th._--Borneo River, H.M.S. Driver. Scarcely, on the 17th,
had I finished writing, when a boat from her majesty's steamer Driver,
bringing Captain Bethune and my friend Wise, arrived. How strange,
the same day, and almost the same hour, I was penning my doubts and
difficulties, when a letter arrives from Lord Aberdeen appointing
me confidential agent in Borneo to her majesty, and directing me to
proceed to the capital, with a letter addressed to the sultan and the
Rajah Muda Hassim, in reply to the documents requesting the assistance
of the British government to effect the suppression of piracy.
"My friend Wise I was glad to see, and a few hours' conversation
convinced me how greatly I have been indebted to his exertions
for success and my present position. His knowledge of trade,
his cheerfulness regarding our pecuniary future, all impart
confidence. Thus I may say, without much self-flattery, that the
first wedge has been driven which may rive Borneo open to commerce and
civilization, which may bestow happiness on its inhabitants. Captain
Bethune is commissioned to report on the best locality for a settlement
or station on the N.W. coast. I will only say here that no other
person's appointment would have pleased me so well: he is intelligent,
educated, and liberal, and in concert with him I am too happy to work.
"On the 18th of February the Driver arrived; on the 21st left Sarawak,
and at noon of the 24th arrived at the anchorage in Borneo river,
having towed the gun-boat against the N.E. monsoon. Mr. Williamson was
dispatched to Borneo, and found all right. They were delighted with
our coming and our mission, and the sultan himself has laid aside his
fears. A few presents have been sent, which will delight the natives,
and all will prosper.
"_26th._--Budrudeen arrived, and from him I learned the politics
of Borneo since my last visit, when Muda Hassim was reinstated in
authority.
"As my mission refers more especially to piracy, I may here notice Muda
Hassim's measures relative to that subject. Shortly after his arrival
he addressed a letter to the Illanuns of Tampasuk, informing them of
the engagement with the English to discourage and suppress piracy,
advising them to desist, and ordering them not to visit Borneo until
he (Muda Hassim) was convinced they were pirates no longer. This is
good and candid. Muda Hassim at the same time requested Seriff Schaik
to address a communication to Seriff Houseman of Malludu, acquainting
him with his engagements, and the resolve of the Europeans to suppress
piracy, adding that he was friends with the English, and no man could
be friends with the English who encouraged piracy. The answer to this
letter of Seriff Schaik, as far as I have yet learned, is a positive
defiance. Three months since, I am informed, a brig or schooner was
wrecked at a place called Mangsi, and she has been completely plundered
and burned by Seriff Houseman: her cargo consisted of red woolens,
fine white cloths, Turkey red cotton handkerchiefs, tin, pepper,
Malacca canes, ratans, &c., &c. This evidently is a vessel bound to
China, whether English or not is doubtful: the crew have not been
heard of or seen here; and it is to be hoped may have reached Manilla.
"_28th._--Borneo, or Bruni city. Left the Driver at 9 A.M. in the
gun-boat, with the pinnace and cutter in company: a fine breeze carried
us to Pulo Chermin, and nearly the whole way to Pulo Combong, where
we met with the state-boat bearing the letter. We entered the town
straggling, and _the letter_ having been received with firing of guns,
banners displayed, and all the respect due to a royal communication,
we were dragged in haste to the audience; the sultan on his throne,
Muda Hassim and every principal Pangeran waiting for us--Pangeran Usop
to boot. The letter was read; twenty-one guns fired. I told them in
all civility that I was deputed by her majesty the queen to express
her feelings of good will, and to offer every assistance in repressing
piracy in these seas. The sultan stared. Muda Hassim said, 'We are
greatly indebted; it is good, very good.' Then, heated, and sunburned,
and tired, we took leave, and retired to the house prepared for us.
"_March, 1st._--A long conference with Budrudeen, when, I believe,
we exhausted all the important topics of Borneo politics: subsequently
we visited Muda Hassim and the sultan. The latter was profuse in his
kind expressions, and inquired of the interpreter when the English
would come to Labuan, adding, 'I want to have the Europeans near
me.' On this head, however, he gained no information. The presents
were given to the sultan and rajah.
"_5th._--In the evening visited Muda Hassim, and heard news from
Malludu, which, divested of exaggerations, amounted to this: that
Seriff Houseman was ready to receive us; was fortified, and had
collected a fleet of boats; and that if the English did not come and
attack him, he would come and attack Borneo, because they were in
treaty with Europeans. After leaving Muda Hassim, paid the sultan
a visit.
"_10th._--I have nothing to say of our departure. Budrudeen accompanied
us to the Mooarra, and thence, on Friday evening, we crossed to the
anchorage of Labuan.
"_12th._--Labuan. An island of about fifty feet high; twenty-five
miles in circumference; woody; timber good; water from wells and
a few small streams, which, after a drought, are dry; natives say
water never fails. Anchorage good for the climate; well protected
from the N.E.; not extensive; situation of contemplated town low;
climate healthy, _i.e._, the same as Borneo; soil, as far as seen,
sandy or light sandy loam. Coal found near the extreme N.E. point:
by native reports it is likewise to be found in many other places;
traces of coal are frequent in the sandstone strata. Anchorage not
difficult of defense against a European enemy; entrance sufficiently
broad and deep between two islands, with a shoal: vide chart. The
island of Labuan, for the purposes of refuge for shipwrecked vessels,
of a windward post relative to China, for the suppression of piracy,
and the extension of our trade, is well suited; it is no paradise,
and any other island, with good climate, wood, and water, would suit
as well. Its powerful recommendation is its being in the neighborhood
of an unwarlike and friendly people. There is no other island on
the N.W. coast, and the abandoned Balambangan, to the northward of
Borneo, is the only other place which could by possibility answer. The
comparison between Balambangan and Labuan may be stated as follows:
Balambangan, as a windward post relative to China, is superior, and it
commands in time of war the inner passage to Manilla, and the eastern
passages to China by the Straits of Makassar. Of its capabilities
of defense we know nothing. It was surprised by the Sooloos. Its
climate was not well spoken of. The island is larger than that of
Labuan, and, as far as we know, has no coal. The great, and to me
conclusive consideration against Balambangan is, that it is in the
very nest of pirates, and surrounded by warlike and hostile people;
and that to render it secure and effective, at least double the force
would be necessary there that would suffice at Labuan. If Labuan
succeeds and pays its own expenses, we might then take Balambangan;
for the next best thing to a location on the main is to influence the
people thereon by a succession of insular establishments. Yesterday
we made an agreeable excursion to the n.e. point of Labuan; near
the point it is picturesque, the cliffs are bold and cave-worn; the
trees hang over the cliffs, or encroach on the intermediate sands,
till they kiss the wave. Near a small cavern we discovered a seam of
coal, which afforded us employment while Captain Bethune and Mr. Wise
walked to obtain a view of the southern coast of the island.
"_Bruni, 21st May, 1845._--After a longer time passed in Singapore than
I wished, we at length started, in the Phlegethon steamer, for this
city. At Singapore I had several interviews with Sir Thomas Cochrane.
"_22d._--On the authority of Sulerman, an intelligent Meri man, I am
told that the tree below the town is the real upas, called by the
Meri men _tajim_--the Borneons call it _upas_. _Bina_ (the name we
formerly got from a Borneon for upas) is, by Sulerman's statement,
a thin creeper, the root or stem of which, being steeped in water,
is added to the upas, to increase the poisonous quality; it is not,
however, poisonous in itself. There is another creeper, likewise called
bina, the leaves of which are steeped and mixed with the upas, instead
of the stem of the first sort. This information may be relied on (in
the absence of personal knowledge), as the man is of a tribe which uses
the sumpitan, and is constantly in the habit of preparing the poison.
"_August 8th._--Off Ujong Sapo, at the entrance of Borneo river. The
time since I last added to my most desultory journal is easily
accounted for. I have been at Singapore and Malacca, and am now
anchored off Borneo Proper, with seven vessels, and an eighth is
hourly expected. It is difficult, with such a force, to be moderate;
and, with Sir Thomas Cochrane's other duties and engagements, it is
probably impossible to devote any length of time on this coast; yet
moderation and time are the key-stones of our policy. I have settled
all the ceremonial for a meeting between the sultan and the admiral.
"The Pangeran Budrudeen came on board H.M.S. Agincourt, with every
circumstance of state and ceremony, and met the admiral, I acting
as interpreter. It was pleasing to witness his demeanor and bearing,
which proved that, in minds of a certain quality, the power of command,
though over savages, gives ease and freedom. The ship, the band,
the marines, the guns, all excited Budrudeen's attention. On the 9th,
it is arranged that the admiral shall meet the sultan and the rajah.
"_9th._--In the course of the day, after the audience had terminated,
the admiral made his demand of reparation on the sultan and Muda
Hassim for the detention and confinement of two British subjects
subsequent to their agreement with the British government. Of course,
the sultan and the rajah replied that they were not in fault; that
the act was Pangeran Usop's, and that he was too powerful for them
to control by force. If Sir Thomas Cochrane would punish him, they
should be much obliged, as they desired to keep the treaty inviolate.
"_10th._--Pangeran Usop had to be summoned; come he would not, and yet
I was in hopes that, when he saw the overwhelming force opposed to him,
his pride would yield to necessity. About 2 P.M. the steamers took up
their positions; the marines were landed, every thing was prepared,
yet no symptom of obedience. At length a single shot was fired from
the Vixen, by the admiral's order, through the roof of Usop's house,
which was instantly returned, thus proving the folly and the temper
of the man. In a few minutes his house was tenantless, having been
overwhelmed with shot. Usop was a fugitive; the amount of mischief
done inconsiderable, and no damage except to the guilty party. Twenty
captured guns the admiral presented to the sultan and the rajah;
two he kept, from which to remunerate the two detained men. So far
nothing could be more satisfactory. Usop has been punished severely,
the treaty strictly enforced, and our supremacy maintained. No evil has
been done except to the guilty; his house and his property alone have
suffered, and the immediate flight has prevented the shedding of blood.
"_11th._--At mid-day the admiral, with the Vixen and Nemesis, went
down the river, leaving the Pluto to me, to follow in next day.
"_12th._--This morning I visited the sultan in company with Muda
Hassim. By twelve at night the Pluto was anchored in the creek at
Labuan, and on the 13th I once more took up my quarters aboard the
flag-ship.
"_14th._--Wooding.
"_16th._--Last evening anchored within the point called in the chart
Sampormangio, or, properly, Sampang Mengayu, which, being translated,
signifies piratical or cruising waiting-place. The weather was thick
and squally, and it was late before the Daedalus and Vestal arrived
with their tows, the Nemesis and Pluto, the former frigate having
carried away her mizzen top-mast.
"_17th._--Squadron under weigh pretty early, getting into Malludu
Bay. After breakfast, had a very heavy squall. Agincourt heeled
to it, and sails of various sorts and sizes were blowing about in
ribbons aboard some of the ships: afterward brought up nearly off
the Melow river.
"_18th._--Vixen, Nemesis, Pluto, and boats, proceeded up the bay, and
anchored as near as possible to the entrance of the Marudu, or Malludu
river. The character of Malludu bay generally may be described as clear
of danger, with high, wooded banks on either side, till in the bight,
when the land gets flat and mangrovy, and the water shallow, and where
the mouths of several small rivers are seen, one of which is Malludu.
"_19th._--On the 19th of August was fought the celebrated battle
of Malludu; the boats, 24 in number, and containing 550 marines
and blue-jackets, having left the previous afternoon. As I was not
present, I can say only what I heard from others, and from what I
know from subsequently viewing the position. A narrow river with two
forts mounting eleven or twelve heavy guns (and defended by from 500
to 1000 fighting men), protected by a strong and well-contrived boom,
was the position of the enemy. Our boats took the bull by the horns,
and indeed had little other choice; cut away part of the boom under a
heavy fire; advanced, and carried the place in a fight protracted for
fifty minutes. The enemy fought well and stood manfully to their guns;
and a loss of six killed, two mortally and fifteen severely wounded,
on our side, was repaid by a very heavy loss of killed and wounded on
theirs. Gallant Gibbard, [19] of the Wolverine, fell mortally wounded
while working at the boom, ax in hand. In short, the engagement was
severe and trying to our men from the fire they were exposed to. At
two minutes to nine, aboard the Vixen, we heard the report of the
first heavy gun, and it was a time of anxiety and uneasiness till
the first column of black smoke proclaimed that the village was fired.
"I may here mention that before the fight commenced a flag of truce
came from the enemy, and asked for me. Captain Talbot (in command)
offered to meet Seriff Houseman either within or without the boom,
provided his whole force was with him. Seriff Houseman declined; but
offered (kind man!) to admit two gigs to be hauled over the boom. No
sooner was this offer declined, and the flag returned the second time
with a young Seriff, son of Seriff Layak of Bruni, than the enemy
opened fire, which was promptly returned. Had Captain Talbot entered
as proposed, I deem it certain he would never have quitted the place
alive; for the Seriff and his followers had made themselves up to
fight, and nothing but fight. Many chiefs were killed; two or three
Seriffs in their large turbans and flowing robes; many Illanuns in
their gay dresses and golden charms; many Badjows; many slaves--among
them a captive Chinaman; many were wounded; many carried away; and
many left on the ground dead or dying.
"_20th._--On the evening of the 19th a detachment of ten boats, with
fresh men and officers, quitted the Vixen, and arrived at the forts
shortly after daylight. I accompanied this party; and the work of
destruction, well begun yesterday, was this day completed. Numerous
proofs of the piracies of this Seriff came to light. The boom was
ingeniously fastened with the chain cable of a vessel of 300 or 400
tons; other chains were found in the town; a ship's long-boat; two
ship's bells, one ornamented with grapes and vine leaves, and marked
'Wilhelm Ludwig, Bremen;' and every other description of ship's
furniture. Some half-piratical boats, Illanun and Balagnini, were
burned; twenty-four or twenty-five brass guns captured; the iron
guns, likewise stated to have been got out of a ship, were spiked
and otherwise destroyed. Thus has Malluda ceased to exist; and Seriff
Houseman's power received a fall from which it will never recover.
"Amid this scene of war and devastation was one episode which moved
even harder hearts than mine. Twenty-four hours after the action,
a poor woman, with her child of two years of age, was discovered in
a small canoe; her arm was shattered at the elbow by a grape shot;
and the poor creature lay dying for want of water in an agony of
pain, with her child playing round her and endeavoring to derive
the sustenance which the mother could no longer give. This poor
woman was taken on board the Vixen, and in the evening her arm was
amputated. To have left her would have been certain death; so I
was strongly for the measure of taking her to Sarawak, where she
can be protected. To all my inquiries she answered, 'If you please
to take me, I shall go. I am a woman, and not a man; I am a slave,
and not a free woman: do as you like.' She stated too, positively,
that she herself had seen Seriff Houseman wounded in the neck, and
carried off; and her testimony is corroborated by two Manilla men, who,
among others, ran away on the occasion, and sought protection from us,
who likewise say that they saw the Seriff stretched out in the jungle,
but they cannot say whether dead or wounded. The proof how great a
number must have been killed and wounded on their part is, that on
the following day ten dead men were counted lying where they fell;
among them was Seriff Mahomed, the bearer of the flag of truce, who,
though offered our protection, fought to the last, and in the agonies
of death threw a spear at his advancing foes.
"The remnant of the enemy retired to Bungun; and it will be some time
before we learn their real loss and position. It is needless here
to say any thing on the political effects to be expected from the
establishment of a government in Bruni, and the destruction of this
worst of piratical communities. When I return to Bruni, and see how
measures advance, I may mention the subject again; but I will venture
here to reurge, that mere military force, however necessary, can not
do what it is desirable should be done. Supervision and conciliation
must go hand in hand with punishment; and we must watch that the snake
does not again rear his head through our neglect. The key-stone is
wanting as yet, and must be supplied if possible; we must, to back
the gallant deeds of the admiral and fleet, continue to pursue a
steady course of measures. In the evening returned to the Vixen.
"_21st._--The morning quiet. After breakfast, under weigh; proceeded
off the river Bankoka, where we found the Cruiser at anchor. As there
was nothing to detain us, crossed over to the squadron--remained
an hour aboard Agincourt; then rejoined Sir Thomas Cochrane aboard
Vixen, and before dinner-time were at anchor in the northeast side
of Balambangan. Our woman prisoner doing well, and pleased with the
attention paid her.
"_23d._--Southwestern harbor of Balambangan. Yesterday examined the
N.E. harbor; a dreary-looking place, sandy and mangrovy, and the harbor
itself filled with coral patches; here the remains of our former
settlement were found: it is a melancholy and ineligible spot. The
S.W. harbor is very narrow and cramped, with no fitting site for a
town, on account of the rugged and unequal nature of the ground; and if
the town were crammed in between two eminences, it would be deprived
of all free circulation of air. Water is, I hear, in sufficient
quantity, and good. On the whole, I am wretchedly disappointed with
this island; it has one, and only one recommendation, viz., that it
is well situated in the Straits for trading and political purposes;
in every other requisite it is inferior to Labuan. Balambangan is
commercially and politically well placed. Labuan, though inferior,
is not greatly inferior in these points; the harbor, the aspect,
the soil, are superior: it may probably be added, that the climate
is superior likewise; and we must remember that those who had an
opportunity of trying both places give the preference to Labuan.
"Then, on other points, Labuan has a clear advantage. It commands the
coal; it is in the vicinity of a friendly people, and settlement may
be formed with certainty and at a moderate expense, and with small
establishments. Can this be done at Balambangan? I own I doubt it;
the people in the vicinity we know nothing of, but we shall find
them, in all probability, hostile. The Sooloos we are already too
well acquainted with. The Illanuns are in the vicinity. In the case
of Labuan, the details of the first establishment (no small step)
can be clearly seen and arranged; but I do not see my way regarding
Balambangan. The matter is of secondary importance, but a languishing
settlement at first is to be dreaded; food will be scarce, and houses
difficult to build; while at Labuan the population of Bruni are at
our disposal, and the government our own. I leave others to judge
whether a superior (but somewhat similar) position, commercially
and politically, will outweigh the other disadvantages mentioned,
and repay us for the extra expenses of the establishment; but, for
myself, I can give a clear verdict in favor of Labuan.
"_24th._--Buried poor Mr. East, of the Agincourt, on
Balambangan. Gibbard, poor, gallant fellow, was consigned to the deep
a day or two before.
"_25th._--A day of disaster and parting: the morning blowy, with an
unpleasant sea. Vestal ran ashore on a coral-patch, but soon swung
off. I was very sorry to part with the Agincourt. Farewell, gallant
Agincourts! farewell, kind admiral! farewell, the pride, pomp, and
panoply of a flag-ship liner! My occupation's over for the present,
and I retire with content to solitude and the jungle of Sarawak. I
step down the huge side, wave a parting adieu, jump on the Cruiser's
deck--the anchor is weighed, and away we fly.
"_30th._--Coming down in her majesty's ship Cruiser, and now off
Ujong Sapo. On our passage we had some good views of Kina Balow,
and from various points; judging the distance by the chart, the angle
of elevation gives the mountain not less than 12,000 feet and up to
14,000; the latter result agreeing with the computation of the master
of the Daedalus.
"_31st._--Started for Bruni, and half way met a boat with Pangeran
Illudeen, bringing the news of the place. Two days after the admiral
and his steamers left, Pangeran Usop seized the hill behind his late
house with 300 Kadiens, and commenced an attack on the town. Pangeran
Budrudeen on this mustered about the like number and mounted the
hill, and by a fire of musketry dislodged the enemy, who retired,
stood again, were again defeated, and finally dispersed. This victory
raised the courage of the Brunions, and a counter-attack was planned,
when the arrival of her majesty's ship Espiegle delayed them. As
the officers of the Espiegle and the rajah could not speak a word
of each other's language, the boat only stayed a few hours, and went
away in ignorance of the condition of the town. After her departure,
Budrudeen gathered about a thousand men of all arms, with some hundred
muskets; and leaving Bruni at three o'clock in the morning, reached the
landing-place at 6 A.M., and at eight marched for Barukas, where they
arrived at one o'clock. On the way the Kadiens humbled themselves, and
begged their houses might be spared, which were spared accordingly. On
reaching Barukas, they found Pangeran Usop had been deserted by the
Kadiens, and was in no way expecting their coming. The few persons who
remained fled ignominiously, Pangeran Usop showing them the example;
and his women, children, gold, and other property, fell into the hands
of his victors. The same evening Budrudeen returned to the city in
triumph; and there can be no doubt these vigorous measures have not
only settled them in power, but have likewise raised the spirits
of their adherents, and awed the few who remain adverse. 'Never,'
the Brunions exclaim, 'was such a war in Bruni. Pangeran Budrudeen
fights like a European; the very spirit of the Englishman is in him;
he has learned this at Sarawak.' Fortune favored Usop's escape. He
fled to the sea-shore near Pulo Badukan, and there met a boat of
his entering from Kimanis: he took possession and put out to sea,
and returned with her to that place.
"Budrudeen we found in active preparation for pursuit. A dozen
war-prahus were nearly ready for sea, and this force starts directly
we depart.
"Budrudeen's vigor has given a stimulus to this unwarlike people,
and he has gained so great a character--victory sits so lightly on
his plume--that his authority will now be obeyed; while Usop, in
consequence of his cowardly flight (for so they deem it), from the
want of energy he has displayed, has lost character as well as wealth,
and would scarce find ten men in Bruni to follow him. Unluckily for
himself, he was a great boaster in the days of his prosperity; and
now the contrast of his past boasting with his present cowardice is
drawn with a sneer. 'His mouth was brave,' they exclaim, 'but his heart
timid.' 'He should have died as other great men have died, and not have
received such shame; he should have amoked, [20] or else given himself
up for execution.' This seems to be the general impression in the city.
"My mind is now at rest about the fate of my friends; but I still
consider a man-of-war brig coming here every month or two as of
great importance; for it will be necessary for the next six months
to consolidate the power of Muda Hassim and Budrudeen; and if, with
the new order of things, they constantly see white faces, and find
that they are quiet and inoffensive, the ignorant terror which now
prevails will abate. Besides this, we might find the opportunity
a favorable one for becoming acquainted with the Kadiens and the
Marats, and giving them just impressions of ourselves; for I have
no doubt that on the late occasion the Kadiens were worked upon by
all kinds of false reports of the pale faces taking their lands,
burning their houses, &c., &c., &c. We only see the effects; we do
not see (until we become very well acquainted with them) the strings
which move the passions of these people. The Kadiens are, however, an
unwarlike and gentle race, and have now given in their submission to
Muda Hassim. I do not mention the sultan, because, as I before said,
he is so imbecile that, as regards public affairs, he is a cipher:
he will some day cease to be sultan, and give place to a better man.
"Our interview with the rajah, with Budrudeen, and all the other host
of our acquaintance, was quite a triumph--they hot with their success,
and we bringing the account of Malludu's sanguinary fight. Happy
faces and wreathed smiles supplied the place of the anxious and
doubtful expression which I had left them wearing. All vied in their
attentions; fruit enough to fill a room: the luscious durian, the
delicate mangosteen and lousch, the grateful rombusteen, the baluna,
pitabu, mowha, plantain, &c., &c., were showered upon us from all
quarters. The rajah daily sent a dinner; all was rejoicing, and few
or no clouds lowered in the distance. I was proud and happy; for I
felt and feel that much of this has been owing to my exertions. I
will not stop to say how or why; but I first taught them to respect
and to confide in Englishmen, and no one else has yet untaught them
this lesson.
"_September 3d._--After parting interviews we quitted the city at two,
and arrived aboard her majesty's ship cruiser at eight P.M. To-morrow
morning we sail for Sarawak, where, at any rate, I hope for rest for
a month or two.
"_19th._--Sarawak. Thus concludes a large volume. Captain Bethune and
myself, with Commander Fanshawe and a party of Cruisers, returned from
a five days' excursion among the Dyaks, having visited the Suntah,
Stang, Sigo, and Sanpro tribes. It was a progress; at each tribe there
was dancing, and a number of ceremonies. White fowls were waved as I
have before described, slaughtered, and the blood mixed with kunyit,
a yellow root, &c., &c., which delightful mixture was freely scattered
over them and their goods by me, holding in my hand a dozen or two
women's necklaces. Captain Bethune has seen and can appreciate the
Dyaks: to-morrow he leaves me, and most sorry shall I be to lose
him. A better man or a better public servant is not to be found.
"Among my Dyak inquiries, I found out that the name of their god is
Tuppa, and not Jovata, which they before gave me, and which they use,
but do not acknowledge. Tuppa is the great god; eight other gods were
in heaven; one fell or descended into Java--seven remained above;
one of these is named Sakarra, who, with his companions and followers,
is (or is in) the constellation of a cluster of stars, doubtless the
Pleiades; and by the position of this constellation the Dyaks can
judge good and bad fortune. If this cluster of stars be high in the
heavens, success will attend the Dyak; when it sinks below the horizon,
ill luck follows; fruit and crops will not ripen; war and famine
are dreaded. Probably originally this was but a simple and natural
division of the seasons, which has now become a gross superstition.
"The progress is ended; to-morrow I shall be left in the solitude
and the quiet of the jungle: but, after witnessing the happiness,
the plenty, the growing prosperity of the Dyak tribes, I can scarcely
believe that I could devote my life to better purpose, and I dread
that a removal might destroy what I have already done.
"We must now wait the decision of government with patience. Captain
Bethune, in making his report, will have the advantage of real
substantial personal knowledge. I esteem him highly, and regard him
as a man of the most upright principles, who is not, and will not be
swayed in his duty by any considerations whatever. I am glad we are
to stand the ordeal of such a man's inquiry."