THE LATE RAJAH SIR JAMES BROOKE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 360, 25 September 1868, Page 3

THE LATE RAJAH SIR JAMES BROOKE.

The death of Sir James Brooke, K. C.8., Rajah of Sarawak, which took place some days ago, at his house at Burrator, in South Devon, has been recorded. This enterprising Fnglish gentleman, who became a ruler of a semi-independent principality of Malays and Dykes in Borneo, was the son of Thomas Brooke Esq. of "Widcome, near Bath, where he was born, in April, 1803. He was educated at the Norwich, Grammer School, and entered the army of the East India Company in 1817. He served as a cadet in the first Burmese war, and was there severely wounded. Having retired from the military service, after his fathers death, he spent three years, in cruising about in his private yacht, the Royalist, a schooner of 142 tons burthen with a crew of twenty men. His geographical and ethnological studies, as well as his meditations on the political and commercial prospects of Eastern Asia and the Indian Archipelago, led him to conceive the project of forming a British settlement on the north coast of Bornea, where the territory of Malludu Bay already belonged to the British dominions. In a wellwritten paper, communicated to the Geographical Society, in 1838, he explained his views and purposes ; and at the end of that year he sailed in the Royalist from Davenport, landing on the coast of Borneo, after some delays in July, 1832. But instead of settling in Malluda Bay, he visiced the Malay Rajah of Sarawak, Muda Hassan, uncle to the Sultan of Borneo, and- entered into a contract with that potentate, not very unlike the terms upon which a roving Normon baron or knight of the Middle Ages might agree to fight the battles of a feeble Prince in Sicily or Gaul. At the same time he took great pains to warn the Malay rulers of the country against the intriguing and aggressive policy of the Dutch. The result was that, having assisted Muda Hassim to defeat the rebel forces led by the Pangeran TJsop, another uncle to the helpless Sultan, Mr. Brooke was appointed to succeed Muda Hassim in the Government of Sarawak, when Muda Hassim obtained the office of Prime Minister in the government of Borneo. Mr Brooke was to pav tribute amounting to £SOO a year as a feudal acknowledgement of his subjection to the Sultan. On the other hand, he obtained the exclusive right of dealing in the antimony ore and other valuable produce of the country, from which he reckoned on considerable profits. This was in 1841, when the new English ftajah began to reign, with the good will of all his native subjects, whose welfare he carefully studied to promote. He suppressed crimes and disorders, made an easier adjustment of taxation, and protected the poor Dyaks against the cruelty atd rapacity of the Malays. The population of Sarawak was 10,000. In 1844 Mr. Brook was appointed agent for the British in Bornieo. In several expeditions forthe purpose of suppressing piracy and slavery he was assisted by the Hon. Captain Keppel, R.N., and by Sir. Thomas Cochrane, who then held command of the British fleet in Eastern waters. The result of these expeditions was the shedding of a great deal of blood; but it was shown that those who perished were freebooters and pirates, and the outcry raised in consequence against the Rajah gradually died away. On returning to England, in 1847, Rajah Brooke found himself famous. The Knighthood of the Bath was conferred on him by her Majesty; the University of Oxford bestowed upon him the honoray degree of D.C.L. ; and he was entertained by every public body, from the Queen, at "Windsor Castle, to several of the City companies- He also reaped more solid and substantial rewards He was created by the Queen " Commissioner and Consul to the Native States of Borneo, and Governor of Labuan," the latter being a small island near Sarawak, purchased from the Sultan and erected into a British colony. As Governor he enjoyed a salary of £2OOO a year. He occupied this post for eight or nine years. In 1858 he returned to England, but had been in this country ouly a few months when his health received a severe shock from a paralytic attack. Erom this he rallied, though for some months he wasmcapi ble of active mental or bodily exertion. To add to his troubles, in the following year he heard that his books and private papers had been destroyed in the insurrection at Borneo, which he was not on the spot to quell. A public meeting was held in London, and a large sum was collected among his friends and admirers to enable him to replace them, and to purchase the esitate in Devonshire where his latter days were chieflv spent. Towards the .close of 1861 he paid Borneo a visit,

accompanied by Mr. Spenser St. John ; but lie had the mortification of finding the north-west part of the island in rebellion. As soon as this outbreak was suppressed he returned to England, but was again recalled to the East by fresh complications in the internal administeration of Borneo. These difficulties he had the satisfaction of semg arranged on his farewell visit to the island, about five years since. From that date the fortunes of Borneo and Sarawak have been on the whole peaceful and quiet. Sir James Brooke, though himself placed on a sort of honorary retired list, saw the iudependance of his favorite settlement recognised by the British Government. His published Journals and Letters, with the narratives of Captain Keppel, Mr. Gordon, and Mr. Charles Brooke, uepbew to the Rajah, give the fullest fullest information respecting the history of Sarawak.