SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

VOYAGES AND ADIrElirMIES,

The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido, for the Suppression of Piracy; with Ex- tracts from the Journal of James Brooke, Esq. of Sarawak, now Agent air the British Government In Borneo. By Captain the Hon. Henry Keppel, R.N. In two

volumes Chapman and Halt. HIETOST,

Antonio Perez and Philip IL By M. Mignet, Member of the Institute of France, &c. Translated, with the approbation of the Author, by C. Cocks, B.L., Professor of the Living Languages in the Royal Colleges of France, Translator of Michela's

" Priests, Women, and Families," &c Longman and Co. Fiction, Long Engagements ; a Tale of the Afghan Rebellion Chapman and Hall. Forest and Game Law Tales. By Harriet Martineau. Volumes H.& Moxon. STATISTICS, A Summary of the Savings Banks in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland ; accord- ing to the latest Official Returns. By John TIM Pratt, Esq., the Barrister-at-law appointed to cerUly the Rules of Savings Banks, &c. &c awes and Sons.

ILEPPEL'S AND BROOKE'S BORNEO.

THE expedition of the good frigate Dido to Borneo, in order to suppress piracy, forms but a small portion of these two volumes ; which chiefly consist of an account of Mr. Brookes adventures in his efforts to ad- vance the happiness of the Bornese by promoting commerce and good government. A more singular character and a more singular enterprise than that of Mr. Brooke are rarely to be found, unless in the youthful fancies of the imaginative, who, combining the exploits of the early dis- coverers and the splendours of Oriental geography, pass their leisure in "hatching vain empires." Having served with distinction in the Burmese war and subsequently visited China, Mr. Brooke was struck with the commercial capabilities of the Indian Archipelago ; to forward which, and to promote the happiness of the oppressed natives, he determined to devote his life and fortune—" to carry to the Malay races, so long the terror of the European merchant-vessel, the blessings of civilization, to suppress piracy, and extirpate the slave-trade, became his humane and generous objects." The project may appear wild, but it was executed with a pru- dence as striking as the enthusiasm which dictated it. The first things which Mr. Brooke did were to study his subject in books, and buy a yacht; the next, to form and discipline a crew, whose attachment he could depend upon, since he could not control them by martial law. Three years were devoted to this and other preparations : in 1838 Mr. Brooke sailed for Singapore ; and he has passed upwards of seven years in voyages through- out those seas—in advising and assisting Muda Hassim, the heir-pre- sumptive, and by late events the real of Borneo (such sove- reignty as it is)—in serving with British expeditions against the pirates— in governing the province of Sarawak, with which his friend Mnda Hassim invested him—in making various excursions through the Northern parts of Borneo—and since 1844, in fulfilling the duties of British agent, to which he was appointed by Lord Aberdeen. Of his adventures, of his diffi- culties from Malay intrigue and princely indecision, and even of his thoughts and feelings, Mr. Brooke kept a journal ; which he intrusted

his friend Captain Keppel, with power over it, as Mr. Brooke was un- willing to publish from a sense of unfitness. This Captain Keppel has done ; and the first volume of the work consists of extracts from Mr. Brooke's journal from 1838 to 1843, with no more from the editor's pen than is necessary to connect the quotations and carry on the story. The earlier parts of the second volume are by Captain Keppel: they narrate the Dido's arrival at Sarawak, describe Mr. Brooke's position, the im- pression produced upon friends and foes by the frigate, her officers and crew, with an account of several expeditions in boats to hunt out the neighbouring pirates. On the Dido's return, the tale is again carried on by Mr. Brooke's journal ; and it brings down the narrative to his appoint- ment as a Government agent, and his visit with Admiral Ooohrane and a fleet to his old friend Muda Hassim, at Bruni or Borneo, the capital. The account by Captain Keppel of his own observations and the expedition against the pirates is agreeable, close, rapid, and continuous. The extracts from the journal of Mr. Brooke derive their interest from their matter and novelty; as their form is loose and disjointed. Having been written without a view to publication, they are often allusive rather than distinct statements;. and their descriptions are better adapted to recall original images to the writer's mind than to convey impressions to third parties ; besides that the system of partial quotation breaks the continuous story. On the other hand, the reader's interest is excited by Mr. Brooke's objects, the novelty of the scenery, life, and character, as well as the curiosity felt in tracing the effects of a regular government in reclaiming society from something like the anarchy of the middle ages, when the oppressions of the noble and his retainers were a great deal worse than the tyranny of the king however bad that might be. The first act of Governor Brooke was to induce Muda Hassim to restore the women of a revolted tribe, for whom he in some sense felt responsible, since be had induced the people to surrender.

" My first object, on holding the reins of government, was to release the unfor- tunate women confined for a whole year by the Rajah. This, indeed, was not only necessary to inspire confidence in my just intentions, but was dictated by humanity. I found Muda Hassim not averse to take the measure now that he had really resolved to adhere to my advice: and consequently, I had the sincere satisfaction, within a few days, of liberating upwards of a hundred females and young children, and of restoring them to their husbands and fathers; this act being somewhat alloyed by Made Hassim detaining twelve females, and among them two wines. I urged as strongly as I could, but without success, the advisa- bility of releasing the whole; and I was obliged at last to content myself with the mass, and yield the few whom I could only have got by force, or the utter abro- gation of our infant treaty. When I pressed the affair, it was answered, that ex- cept for me, none would have regained their liberty; and that the release was an act of great kindness and unexampled confidence towards me; that what had been done was perfectly accordant with their customs; and that the women detained were for the Rajah's brothers,—so far, indeed, from being intended as an injury to the women, it was a great honour and advantage. I explained the circum- stances to the Patingi and Tumangong; and they acquiesced in the decision— allowing the custom—and said they had gained so much more than they had ever hoped for, that they could submit to the rest."

There are various peoples in Borneo ; but in the district where Mr. Brooke holds sway, the practical distinction is into Dyaks, or aborigines, and Malays, or conquerors—in fact, the story of the Saxons and the Nor- mans over again. Till he gained power, the direst oppression was exercised upon the poor Dyaks ; and even when direct injury was forbidden, the Malays tried to uphold their power under cover of law. Here is the Governor administering justice patriarchally.

" TheRajah's brothers and myself sit at one end of the long room in my house; at the sides are the Patingis and Tumangong, and other respectable people; • in the centre the parties concerned; and behind them anybody who wishes to be present. We hear both parties, question if necessary, and decide-' and from this decision there is no appeaL One only condition I insist upon; • and that is, that in any intricate case, or whenever I dread confederacy, I do not allow the witnesses to heareach other. The laws of evidence, in a free COUStry, prohibit any leading questions being put to witnesses: here, for the purposes of. justice, it is indis- pensable. for the people, being ruled hifear, and apprehensive of consequences, often falter before the face of the accused, and their testimony has to be wrung from them. To decide also according to the technicalities of construction would be here ridiculous, and defeat the ends of justice. The people are rude and un- civilized; their oppressors crafty and bold, who have no hesitation about lying and bringing others to lie for them. Oaths are a farce to them. The aggrieved are timid, vacillating, and simple, and cannot readily iirocare even evidence • for their witnesses are afraid speak. Under these circumstances, I look at the leading features of the case, the probability, the characters, the position of the parties, and determine according to my judgment. It is not, indeed, a very diffi- cult task; for the disputes are generally glaring, and, when bolstered tip,. usually fail in their most important links; and, at a touch of cross-questioning, the witnesses, resolved to tell the same story, fall into opposite ones. In one case, a slave, three witnesses had resolved on the sex; but questioned separately as to size and age, all disagreed. They were not prepared. One represented her a woman grown and marriageable; another, as high as my walking-stick; the third, a little child."

Chinese are permitted, and indeed seem to have been encouraged, to settle in parts of Borneo : and valuable colonists they form.

" During the course of the day we ascended the river to visit the settlement of Chinese lately established here. It is situated about two miles and a half up the river, on the same side as Tnngong; and consists of thirty men, (real Chinese,) and five women of the mixed br.. of Sambas. Nothing can be more flourishing than this infant settlement; and I could hardly credit their statement that it bad only been formed 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, drill, sweet potatoes, (convolvulus,) Indian corn, &c. &c. were growing abundantly; and they were able to supply us with seven pecul, or nine hundred and thirty-three pounds of sweet potatoes, without sensibly diminishing their crop. " Tungong is quite a new settlement, situated close on the banks of the river, which is 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. Wherever the Chi- nese 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 house-builders, whilst the mass work the antimony ore, or are busy Constructing the trench where they find and wash the gold. With such in- habitants a country must get on well, if they are allowed fair play."

The following story. of Esculapian romance is by Captain Keppel. " The following little adventure was told me during my stay at Sarawak by Dr. Treacher, who had lately joined Mr. Brooke; his former medical attendant having returned to England. lt appears that Dr. Treacher received a message by a confidential slave, that one of the ladies of Macota's harem desired an inter- view, appointing a secluded spot in thejungle as the rendezvous. The doctor, being aware of his own good looks, fancied he had made a conquest; and, having got himself up as showily as he could, was there at the appointed time. He de- scribed the poor girl as both young and pretty, but with a dignified and de- termined look, which at once convmced him that she was moved to take so dangerous a step by some deeper feeling than that of a mere fancy for his person. She complained of the ill-treatment she had received from Macota, and the miserable life she le.d; and avowed that her firm resolve was to destroy (not her- self, gentle creature .1 but) him; for which purpose she wanted a small portion of arsenic. It was a disappointment that he could not comply with her request: so thy parted—be full of pity and love for her; and she, in all probability, full of contempt for a man who felt :for her wrongs, but would not aid in the very simple means she had proposed for redressing them."

The pirate tribes (now severely punished, if not put down) are bloody and cruel,—landing to carry off the poor people as slaves when the ocean supplies fall short : but they are a skilful and daring raze ; and as their profession is national and honourable, they are not degraded by the baseness of European crime, bat, as Captain Keppel observes, rather resemble the sea kings of the middle ages. We quote two insliestions one a clever escape of three prahus from the frigate, which, having de- tached her own boats, had chased them into a bay ; and the other the death of a chief by an attack of the boats.

A CLEVER ESCAPE.

Having fairly pinned these worthies into a corner, and knowing that the only two small boats I had left on board would stand no chance with them in pulling, to make sure of my prizes, I loaded the two foremost guns on each side; and, having no proper chart of 'the coast, proceeded under easy sail, feeling my way into the bay with the lead. When just within musket-range, I let go the anchor,. which was no sooner done than the three boats commenced making a move. I thought at first they were corning alongside to sue for pardon and peace: and my astonishment was great when I discovered that nothing was further from their intention. One pulled away, close in-shore, to the Eastward, and the other two to the Westward. They were rowed by about forty oars each, and appeared from their swiftness to be flying, and that too from under my very nose; and what rendered it still more ridiculous and disagreeable, owing to a strong ebb-tide, the ship remained exactly ins position that no gun could be brought to bear on either side. The dingy and jolly-boat gave chase; but the pirates bad the start, and it was useless; for although a few men were seen to drop from their oars in conse- quence of our fire of musketry from the forecastle, still their pace never slackened; and when they did come within the bearing of our guns, which they were obliged to do for a minute or two while rounding the points that formed the bay, though our thirty-two pound shot fell thickly about their heads, frequently dashing the spray all over them, not a man flinched from his oar. We could not help admiring their plan of escape, and the gallant manner in which it was effected.

THE PIRATE'S DEATH.

I have already mentioned the slaughter committed by the fire of the pinnac.e, under Lieutenant Horton, into the largest Malay prahu; and the account given of the scene which presented itself on the deck of the defeated pirate, when taken possession of, affords a striking proof of the character of these fierce rovers; resembling greatly what we read of the Norsemen and Scandinavians of early ages. Among the mortally, wounded, lay the young commander of the prahu, one of the most noble forms of the human race; his countenance handsome as the hero of Oriental romance, and his whole bearing wonderfully impressive and touching. He was shot in front and through the lungs, and his last moments were rapidly ap- proaching. He endeavoured to speak; but the blood gushed from his month with the voice he vainly essayed to utter in words. Again and again he tried; but again and again the vital fluid drowned the dying effort. He looked as if he had some- thing of importance which he desired to communicate; and a shade of disappoint- ment and regret passed over his brow when he felt that every essay was unavail- ing, and that his manly strength and daring spirit were dissolving into the dark night of annihilation. The pitying conquerors raised him gently up; and he was seated hi comparative ease, for the welling-out of the blood was less distressing: but the end speedily came; he folded his arms heroically across his wounded breast, fixed his eyes upon the British seamen around, and, casting one last glance at the ocean—the theatre of his daring exploits, on which he had so often fought and triumphed—expired without a sigh.

The spectators, though not unused to tragical and sanguinary sights, were unanimous in speaking of the death of the pirate chief as the most affecting spec- tacle they had ever witnessed.