Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, went out as a cadet to India, where
he distinguished himself in the Burmese war, but, being wounded there,
he returned home. A warm admirer of Sir Stamford Raffles, by whose
enlightened efforts the flourishing city of Singapore was established,
and British commerce much increased in the Eastern Archipelago, he took
a voyage there to form a personal acquaintance with those interesting
islands. He found the people groaning under oppression, piracy
unchecked, and commerce undeveloped. He here secretly resolved to
devote his life to remedying these evils. On his return home he
purchased a yacht, the _Royalist_, of 142 tons, and with care and
kindness, for three years, he trained a crew zealously ready to follow
his fortunes.
Having been appointed Governor of Sarawak, 24th September 1841, he set
himself actively to work to reform abuses, to improve the cultivation of
the country, and to secure peace and happiness to the people. Having
arranged the internal affairs of his government, he went back to
Singapore for the purpose of asking the aid of some ship-of-war to put
down piracy. The _Dido_, the Honourable Captain Keppel, was accordingly
sent to assist him in carrying out his object. Among the many gallant
acts performed by that officer and ship's company, we have space to
recount only one.