- Author:
- Brooke, James, Sir
- Publication Info:
-
London:
L. and C. Seeley,
1842,
pg 24
Text on page 24
24
a slave from a Dyak chief, but left him with his tribe ; when a few months after a Malay, representing himself as sent by the same Pangeran, demanded and took the slave away. The Pangeran denied having sent, and ordered ten slaves to be paid in lieu for the one lost ; and would have succeeded in getting them, had I not heard of the circumstance. No comment need be made, except that it is probable he sent for his, slave himself ; and at any rate the man who took him remains unpunished. One more fact, and I will conclude this branch of my subject. Several of the Borneo Pangerans, about six months since, invited a large party of Sakarran Dyaks to the plunder of the tribes up this river, but before their call was answered my arrival in the 4 Royalist' disconcerted their plan in some measure. A hundred war prows of the Sakarrans carrying some fifty, and none less than twenty-five men, and in all certainly a body of three thousand men, arrived however at Kuching, and requested permission to make the arranged attack. The Rajah Muda Hassim, who is incapable of such an act, was worked upon by fear to give over the management of the business to another, and retired into his seraglio. I was all along assured that the Sakarrans could not ascend the river, and the first intimation to the contrary was the departure of the war prows, attended by sixty Malays, to guide them to their prey. They had however reckoned too much ona slave from a Dyak chief, but left him with his tribe ; when a few months after a Malay, representing himself as sent by the same Pangeran, demanded and took the slave away. The Pangeran denied having sent, and ordered ten slaves to be paid in lieu for the one lost ; and would have succeeded in getting them, had I not heard of the circumstance. No comment need be made, except that it is probable he sent for his, slave himself ; and at any rate the man who took him remains unpunished. One more fact, and I will conclude this branch of my subject. Several of the Borneo Pangerans, about six months since, invited a large party of Sakarran Dyaks to the plunder of the tribes up this river, but before their call was answered my arrival in the 4 Royalist' disconcerted their plan in some measure. A hundred war prows of the Sakarrans carrying some fifty, and none less than twenty-five men, and in all certainly a body of three thousand men, arrived however at Kuching, and requested permission to make the arranged attack. The Rajah Muda Hassim, who is incapable of such an act, was worked upon by fear to give over the management of the business to another, and retired into his seraglio. I was all along assured that the Sakarrans could not ascend the river, and the first intimation to the contrary was the departure of the war prows, attended by sixty Malays, to guide them to their prey. They had however reckoned too much on
