WHATEVER other steam routes may be established between England and Australia, whether by the Cape of Good Hope, or over the Isthmus of Panama, we think the one by Ceylon, Singapore, and Torres Straits must eventually be occupied by a regular line of packets. The advantages of this line would be, that, while it afforded as safe and as speedy a passage as any other from England to Sydney and to our Australian dominions, it would likewise serve to bind and connect those with our great Indian empire to open up and make known, and profitable to us and to the world, the many rich and beautiful islands of the Indian Archipelago; and would become the medium of connexion also between the Spaniards and the Philippine Islands, on the one side, and the Dutch and the Netherlands' East Indies on the other. The establishment of such a line of packets, if well and liberally founded, and managed in a large and impartial spirit, free from all jealousy, even of a national character, and adapted to suit the convenience of all nations, as well as ourselves, would be a feat well worthy to take its place in history among political achievements of a high order. It might be the means of spreading the light of religion and civilisation over many fair regions of the earth, as well as increasing the wealth and adding to the prosperity of ourselves and other more or less civilised people. It would be the opening of a great highway into countries abounding in mineral wealth, of the richest and most fertile soil, clothed with the most useful, as well as the rarest and most costly of vegetable productions; and possessing a variety of form and surface, an immensity of coast line, together with sufficient inland spaces, composed of every modification of plains, of mountains, and of valleys, calculated, with their tropi

cal, but insular and tempered climate, for every variety of cultivation, and affording facilities for every species of

commerce.

We propose, with the aid of the books mentioned at the foot of this page, and our remembrance of some others, assisted also by some personal knowledge and recollections of that portion of the earth, to take the reader a trip, from the Straits of Malacca through the Indian archipelago, as far as New Guinea and the northern shores of Australia.

If we entered the Straits of Malacca from the north-west, leaving our pleasant settlement of Pulo Penang on our left, and the independent Sumatran state of Acheen on our right, we should see the shore on either hand gradually closing in, till the straits were not more than twenty miles in width. The Sumatran shore would then appear very low and flat, evidently, as far as could be seen into the interior, a great jungle or forest, traversed by many rivers, whose deltas often make the coast a mere mud bank for many miles together. The lofty volcanic peaks of the interior, some of which are said to be 15,000 feet high, are far too distant to be visible in any ordinary condition of the atmosphere.

On the Malacca shore the land is likewise rather low, but broken here and there by some small hills and undulations, and the white sand beach, now and then interrupted by a small rocky cliff, or here and there by the jungly entrance of a little river. The whole country seems covered with wood, among which groves of cocoanuts and other palms wave their feathered heads, like the ornamental plumes of the forest. At some miles' distance in the interior, may now and then be discerned, through the hot and trembling haze of the tropical sky, the dim outline of some bold granitic hills.

VOL. XLI.-NO. CCXLIII.

Z

One of these, called Mount Ophir, at the back of Malacca, rises to a height of about 3,600 feet.

If we took boat and entered the little rivulet, and landed at the town of Malacca, we should find a most pleasant and picturesque old town, with some remains of the architecture of its former Portuguese masters, and still more quaint old buildings, characteristic of the Dutch, from whom it came into our possession. Chinese houses, ornamented with all the grotesqueness for which that nation is famous; Chinese temples, with huge gilt images, and cool courts, under groves of beautiful trees; and the more fragile houses of the Malay people, that look as if made merely out of the refuse wood and sticks of the bamboos, bananas, and palm-trees in which they are secluded: all these, with open, grassy spaces, bordered by noble tamarind trees, and cool, sheltered lanes and alleys, under avenues of cocoa-nuts and bamboos, form a most agreeable contrast to the glaring, dusty streets, bare spaces, and spick and span new English houses we should afterwards meet with at Singapore. Malacca is, no doubt, rather a lazy place; there is not much business doing; nobody seems to be in a hurry, neither does any one seem at all anxious for hard work. But there is a delightful, dreamy sort of air about it, every one appearing quite happy and contented, which, to our feelings, made it a most enjoyable place for a short residence. There is, moreover, no spot in the world-and for this assertion we can quote the authority of the Resident— where there is so little crime of any sort. The criminal courts have really nothing to do, and the civil almost as little. Any man, by two or three days' moderate exertion, can earn enough to support him in ease, and supply him with amusement for the rest of the week; and, accordingly, having food, shelter, and amusement, and occasionally a little finery, they are therewith content.

We dwell rather on Malacca, as, on the entrance to the great Malay archipelago, because it always appeared to

us that its inhabitants afforded a good type of what all the Malayo-Polynesian races would become, whenever they had been for a sufficient time under a good government-a government that would keep order and administer equal justice, without being over strict in exacting either money, labour, or religious observances, from the population.*

Let us, however, proceed a little, and visit Singapore. On approaching it the Straits of Malacca seem to be completely closed by low land on every side, a number of islands lying across it, the passages between which, as well as great part of the adjacent seas, are so encumbered with shoals, that the unwary captain who happens to touch on one of them about high water will probably, in a short time, be able to walk round his ship and examine the state of her bottom, and may consider himself a lucky man if that be all the harm that happens to him.

Arrived off the town of Singapore we still seem to be in a lake surrounded by rather low land on every side, that on the south being cut up by a multitude of channels, not yet known or surveyed, although all inhabited, and sometimes, to our shame be it spoken, by people whose trade is a sort of pettifogging piracy. They emerge in small prahus from their retreats, and pounce on any native boats, sampans, or prahus they may be able to master; robbing and, perhaps, murdering our customers, and sometimes our own subjects, within sight of our own doors, and of the vessels lying at

anchor in our harbours.

Of Singapore we will allow Captain Keppel to speak :

"On the banks of a small stream - the rendezvous, until 1819, of only a few Malay trading prahus-now stands the rich and extensive town of Singapore. By no act of his life did Sir Stamford Raffles manifest greater discernment and foresight than by founding this settlement. In 1824, five years after its first establishment, the population amounted to 11,000, the magical result,' says its eminent founder, of 'perfect freedom in trade.' This number had already doubled itself when I saw the place for the first time,

in 1833; and it has continued to increase ever since in the same rapid way.* Singapore has now become the commercial emporium of all the trading communities of the eastern archipelago, as well as of that extensive trade which is carried on by all nations with China and India. Hither also resort, now twice in every month, the steam vessels of the Dutch from Batavia, of the Spaniards from Manila, and our own from China, to meet the European mail. The number of square-rigged vessels that anchor annually in the roads exceeds a thousand. The island measures twenty-seven miles in length, and eleven in breadth. A few years ago it was a dense jungle. On every hill may now be seen the residence of some hospitable merchant, surrounded by plantations of nutmegs or other spice trees. Excellent roads intersect the island, and substantial bridges are thrown across its streams."

So far we can corroborate and agree with Captain Keppel; but, when we were there in 1845, many of these roads only led through jungle much invested with tigers, and we fancy neither can have been much diminished since, as Captain Keppel says—

"The annual loss of human life from tigers, chiefly among the Chinese settlers, is perfectly fearful, averaging no fewer than 860, or one per diem

And he goes on to relate some interesting anecdotes of adventures with these "wild bastes," for which we must refer our readers to his book.

Singapore is altogether a wonderful and interesting place, but not a pleasant one according to our notions, and the higher ranks of its society appeared to us to be infected by a stiff and starched evangelicism-the source of envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness.

Proceeding east from Singapore, we emerge, at Point Romania, into the entrance of the China seas, and, keeping still easterly, we arrive at the northwest coast of Borneo and the now farfamed province of Sarawak.†

Of Borneo we have no personal

* Its population is said now to be 60,000.

knowledge, but from the descriptions we should judge that the natural features of the country greatly resemble those of the Malay peninsula, except that the rivers, plains, and mountains are all on a larger and grander scale. In the former book of Captain Keppel, as well as in the publications of Belcher and Marryat, the views of the river banks recalled to our recollection all the beauties of tropical scenery; while those of the great mountain of Kineh Balu gave the idea of much grandeur, but also of much singularity and peculiarity in the outline, so as to puzzle our fancy as to what rock the mountain could possibly consist of. We can hardly imagine a more delightful sojourn for an enthusiastic naturalist than an encampment on the flanks of this mountain, which rises to a height of 12,000 feet from the plains of a great unexplored country like Borneo, full of new animals, new birds, shells and insects, new trees and plants, and unexamined and undescribed rocks.

Captain Keppel's present book is taken up, as to the Bornean part of it, with a defence of the naval operations against the Sakarran and Sarebus‡ pirates; a defence of Rajah Brooke, as connected therewith, and also of his general government of Sarawak, and some more extracts from his journals.

Rajah Brooke is a man who has occupied some considerable share of public attention of late years, for which reason we propose first briefly to examine these his claims to hero worship. We can do this the more conscientiously as we never had any connexion either with himself, his friends, or his enemies; never saw him for more than ten minutes, and know nothing more of him than we have seen in print. He went out some twelve or fourteen years ago, if we recollect rightly, as a private gentleman, in his own yacht, in search of adventures. He found them on the north-west coast of Borneo, where he entered the little river Sarawak, made

friends with the then Rajah Muda Hassim (a weak old gentleman, like many others of the Malay chiefs), assisted him to overcome his enemies, and received the rajahship for his pains. He took on himself the government of the country, with but little means of support, except his own energy and force of character, his determination to administer justice impartially, and to rule the people for their own good. He succeeded. All praise be to him for it. It was a difficult and rather ticklish task, requiring a good share of "pluck" and of self-confidence, as well as considerable ability. Among any other race than a Malay race, the very great probability is, that he would never have had the chance afforded him, and if he had, that he would not have succeeded.

We can, on our own personal authority, affirm that all the Malay races are singularly docile that docility is their most striking characteristic. They can easily be taught to be pirates; easily trained to be quiet seamen; they can be made merchants or agriculturists, servants or gentlemen, Hindoos, Mahometans, or Christians, with greater ease and facility than, perhaps, any other race of people on the globe. We do not mean to say that they assume the appearance only of these things; on the contrary, they are perfectly genuine and sincere. They make as good, thorough going, merciless, and desperate pirates under one kind of influence, as under another they become mild, patient, persevering, Christian husbandmen, sailors, or merchants. An Arab trader settles among them, converts them all into Mahometans, and, probably, makes them pirates, for his own private advantage. A humane English gentleman visits them, and establishes himself among them as a ruler, and if he have the luck to be away from the influence of neighbouring potentates of another class, or if he can in any way overcome and repel their attacks, he founds a kingdom based on the principles of justice and humanity.

Many minor instances of this might be found if they were sought for, of which the following is one that happens to occur to us. In 1845 the

noble island of Lombock was virtually ruled by an Englishman of the name of King, and he may be ruler of it now for all we know to the contrary. He settled as a trader at Ampanam, and in a short time became the prime minister of the rajah, and his word became law over the whole country. An agent of his, an Englishman of no very high class as to manners or education, lived at the other end of the island, alone, exercising an undisputed authority over the surrounding people.

The mere fact, then, of Mr. Brooke (now Sir James) becoming Rajah of Sarawak, was, after all, nothing very outrageously wonderful. Almost any other English gentleman of average resolution and ability, could have done the same thing if he had taken the fancy to try. Similar things could be done even now, either in other parts of Borneo or in many other islands of the east. Any gentleman who can fit out a good, armed yacht, and has a fancy for a principality in a rude, half-civilised country, and does not mind risking his life in the first attempt to obtain it, might soon acquire the style, title, and authority of rajah in the eastern archipelago.

We believe that Rajah Brooke administered his government well and wisely, and, perhaps, in the only way that such a government could be well administered. He most undoubtedly, however, acted on one or two occasions without much scruple, and in a sufficiently arbitrary manner, somewhat in the Louis Napoleon style. We do not say he was not justified in so doing; we merely state the fact. He has however, something about him of the charlatan and adventurer, which, if it has contributed to his success, has also, we think, been very greatly the cause of the obloquy that has lately attended it. He writes journals, but does not condescend to publish them, delegating that office to sundry captains in the navy-Captain Keppel, first and chief; and they usher these journals into the world with a flourish of trumpets that no man could blow in his own behalf without being answered by a laugh.

This course of proceeding may be a fortunate accident, but it rather smacks of policy and a foregone conclusion. It certainly could not have answered

better, had it been all a contrived system from the beginning. Rajah Brooke is now Sir James Brooke, Consulgovernor-commissioner, with £3000 per annum from the Imperial Government; has been sent on an embassy to Siam (in which he failed egregiously), and has made treaties with the sultans of Bruni and Sooloo (which have had few or no results).

He, with great arrogance, not long ago, demanded from the Governor of Singapore the dismissal of an officer of one of the courts of justice there, because that officer had previously been editor of a paper, in which attacks on the rajah had appeared. He again in this reminds us of Louis Napoleon, on a small scale, who, doubtless, would send a demand for the head of the editor of the Times, or of Punch, if he thought he could get it.

In the present work, Rajah Brooke commences a journal thus :—

"June 15th, 1850. Sincapore.-I commence anew a journal of events. This record will be for myself alone; I shall try to lose the sense of writing for the public, and use the freedom that I feel of action and of expression."

Now, what man, commencing a really private journal, thinks it necessary to tell himself so at the beginning? Moreover the journal is, throughout, carefully written-no hasty expression, no mere heads, or broken memoranda ; everything in it, too, tells well for Rajah Brooke. There is throughout it an air of apology and of defence, as if of a man advocating his own cause, and putting his actions in the best possible light. There is, moreover, both in this portion and in all his other journals similarly published, an ostentation of philanthropy and disinterestedness, which begets suspicion. Now and then, too, an expression occurs, evidently betraying the fact of its being written for publication; for instance

"2nd December. The following description of a bird, found in Labuan, is curious; and I relate it as I heard it from Low and Brereton."

If this journal was really "for himself alone," to whom is he relating this description? Dozens of similar instances might be pointed out in it.

Captain Keppel states that "the notes are published as they are found

in the original manuscript." Before reading them, we are told that he has "with difficulty obtained permission to make use of them." This is so evidently a piece of affectation on the rajah's part, that, however it may have imposed on Captain Keppel, it will certainly not be accepted by us without a smile.

Finally, we may dismiss Rajah Brooke with the verdict, that he seems in the main an honest, well-intentioned and humane man, of considerable energy and ability, but that he has his full share of vanity and ambition, which he endeavours to conceal under the guise of disinterested benevolence and general philanthropy; and that, however good his intentions may be, it would be just as well if he did not make such a fuss about them.

As to the naval operations against the Sakarran and Sarebus pirates, we acknowledge ourselves to be converted from our previous distrust of their propriety, by the evidence and arguments brought forward by Captain Keppel. We are willing to set down to the darkness of the night, and the consequent impossibility of seeing exactly what was done, the excessive slaughter and destruction that was caused by the paddle-wheels of the Nemesis, and the arms of the party under Captain Farquhar. Doubtless, the morning light brought many a doubt and fear, mingled with regret, to the hearts of those engaged. To those feelings we are unwilling that a word of ours should add a single pang. The operations were justified in the main, both in their design and in their result. No man can be answerable in such circumstances for the details of the execution of his orders. In dealing with bodies of uncivilised or half-civilised men, whether in our own islands here at home, or in distant lands, among people called savages, it must always be borne in mind, that they do not understand or believe in your mercy or forbearance, unless they are fully aware of your power to destroy, and of your resolution to exercise it, if compelled to do so. In intercourse with so-called savage tribes, every one must hold himself prepared, with whatever reluctance and regret, to give them the most practical and convincing proof of his power to destroy and utterly annihilate them, before he can expect them to give him credit for not exercising