The Private Letters of Sir James Brooke, K.C.B., Rajah of Sarawak Volume 2; Narrating the Events of His Life, from 1838 to the Present Time (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 Excerpt: ...t Letter to James Gardner, Esq. p. 30. % Mundy, vol. ii., p. 39. The sultan was imbecile and wicked, "with the head of an idiot and the heart of a pirate." The rajah was an amiable prince, his brother Budrudeen, an able and noble gentleman--they supported the cause of good government, desired to suppress piracy, and to advance commerce, they sought a friendly alliance with the English, and had always in the capital been the protectors of European merchants. With the aid of Sir Edward Belcher, these princes returned to their native city of Brune, and were reinstated in the authority they before possessed, because the people in general, sided with Muda Hassim, and were decidedly opposed to the rule of Pangeran Usop, who had frightened the Sultan into a show of hostility On the other hand, exercising an evil influence over the weak Sultan, was Pangeran Usop (an illegitimate son of the former sovereign or Iang di per Tuan), and connected with him, a piratical party, which not long before had committed an outrage upon British subjects This piratical party was violent, difficult to Mundy, vol. i., pp. 356--357. f Idem, vol. i. pp. 380, 381. % Here is a fair example of Mr. Hume's process of arriving at a conclusion to suit his purpose. A reference to Captain Keppel's work, vol. i., pp. 237, 238, will show that in January, 1841, the English ship "Sultana" had been burned at sea, and her crew plundered, and imprisoned by the Sultan and his Minister Pangeran Usop. Mr. Hume accuses me of having deliberately contemplated restrain, opposed to commerce or good understanding, and an obstacle alike to progress and to improvement. In 1843 the dissensions in the capital were serious, and the reason was, that Pangeran Usop aimed at the Sultan's dethronemen...