The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido

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The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido, by

Henry Keppel and James Brooke This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido For the Suppression of Piracy
Author: Henry Keppel James Brooke
Release Date: October 6, 2007 [EBook #22903]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE EXPEDITION TO BORNEO
OF
H. M. S. DIDO
FOR
THE SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY:
WITH EXTRACTS FROM
THE JOURNAL OF JAMES BROOKE, ESQ., OF SARAWAK,
(Now Agent for the British Government in Borneo).

BY
CAPTAIN THE HON. HENRY KEPPEL, R. N.

NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
82 CLIFF STREET.
1846.

TO
THE EARL OF ALBEMARLE.
My dear Father,
You could scarcely have anticipated, from my profession, the dedication of a book in testimony of my gratitude and affection; but, having had the good fortune to acquire the friendship of Mr. James Brooke, and to be intrusted by him with a narrative of his extraordinary career in that part of the world where the services of the ship I commanded were required, I am not without a hope that the accompanying pages may be found worthy of your approval, and not altogether uninteresting to my country.
I am, my dear father,
Your affectionate son,
Henry Keppel.
Droxford, January, 1846.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
The visit of her majesty's ship Dido to Borneo, and her services against the pirates, occupy comparatively so small a portion of this volume, that some excuse may be necessary for its leading title.
It was only by undertaking to make the account of them part of the narrative, that I could prevail upon my friend Mr. Brooke to intrust me with his Journal for any public object; and when I looked at his novel and important position as a ruler in Borneo, and was aware how much of European curiosity was attached to it, I felt it impossible not to consent to an arrangement which should enable me to trace the remarkable career through which he had reached that elevation. I hope, therefore, to be considered as having conquered my own disinclination to be the relater of events in which I was concerned, in order to overcome the scruples which he entertained against being the author of the autobiographical sketch, embracing so singular a portion of his life, which I have extracted from the rough notes confided to me.
That his diffidence in this respect was groundless will, I trust, be apparent from these pages, however indifferently I may have executed my unusual task, during a long homeward sea-voyage; and, from the growing interest which has arisen throughout the country for intelligence on the subject of Borneo and the adjacent archipelago, I venture also to indulge the belief that the general information will be deemed no unfit adjunct to the story of personal adventure.

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION.
The text of this edition has been carefully revised, and has undergone numerous verbal alterations; some portions of it have been transposed, and a few additions have been made to the work. [In the American edition, a few pages of matter, of no interest to American readers, have been omitted from the Appendix.]

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
The Chinese War having terminated, Captain Keppel in H.M.S. Dido appointed to command of the Straits station.--Meeting with Mr. Brooke.--Sketch of his life.--Mr. Brooke's outward voyage in the Royalist.--Touch at Singapore.--Arrival off the coast of Borneo.--Land at the island of Talang Talang.--Intercourse with the Bandar Page 1
CHAPTER II.
Progress: observations.--Description of the coast of Borneo.--Account, &c. of a Pangeran.--Arrival at Sarawak.--Meetings with Rajah Muda Hassim, and conversations.--The Town.--Interchange of visits and presents.--Excursion to Dyak tribes.--Resources and commercial products 14
CHAPTER III.
Second Cruise: up the River Lunda.--The Sibnowan Dyaks.--Their Town of Tungong.--Their Physical Proportions, and Words of their Language.--Their Customs.--Skull-trophies.--Religious Ceremonies and Opinions.--Their Ornaments.--Appearance of both Sexes.--Dress and Morals.--Missionary Prospects of Conversion, and Elevation in the Social Scale.--Government, Laws, and Punishments.--Dances.--Iron Manufacturing.--Chinese Settlement.--Excursion continued 32
CHAPTER IV.
Renewed intercourse with the Rajah.--Prospects of trade.--Ourang-outang, and other animals.--The two sorts of mias.--Description of the Rajah, his suite, and Panglimas, &c.--The character of the natives.--Leave Sarawak.--Songi Dyaks.--Visit Seriff Sahib.--Buyat tongue.--Attack by pirates.--Sail for Singapore 45
CHAPTER V.
Summary of information obtained during this visit to Borneo.--Geographical and topographical observations.--Produce.--Various Dyak tribes.--Natural history.--Language.--Origin of Races.--Sail from Singapore.--Celebes.--Face of the country.--Waterfall 59
CHAPTER VI.
Dain Matara, the Bugis.--Excursions in Celebes.--Dispute with the Rajah's son-in-law.--Baboon shot.--Appearance of the country.--Visit the Resident.--Barometrical observations.--The Bugis.--Geography.--Coral reefs.--Visit the Rana of Lamatte.--Population and products of the country 72
CHAPTER VII.
Mr. Brooke's second visit to Sarawak.--The civil war.--Receives a present of a Dyak boy.--Excursion to the seat of war.--Notices of rivers, and