Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors]
[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

From the Edinburgh Review.

BORNEO AND THE INDIAN ARCHI-
PELAGO.

[ocr errors]

straits, a station in which the island of Borneo was included; his principal duties being 'the protection of trade, and suppression of piracy.' The first of the above 1. The Expedition to Borneo of Her Majes- works, comprises in part the narrative of ty's Ship Dido, for the Suppression of his proceedings in the execution of the latPiracy; with Extracts from the Journal ter branch of his duty. But the greater of James Brooke, Esq., of Sarawak, now portion is composed of extracts from the Agent for the British Government in Bor- Journal of Mr. Brooke, containing details neo. By Captain the Hon. HENRY KEP-respecting the foundation of his little sovePEL, R. N. 2 vols. 8vo. London: 1846. reignty on the coast of Borneo, to which 2. Enterprise in Tropical Australia. By so much observation has been lately, and G. W. EARL, 8vo. London: 1846. most deservedly directed. 3. Trade and Travel in the Far East. By G. F. DAVIDSON. 8vo. London: 1846. 4. An Address, with a Proposal for the Foundation of a Church, Mission-House, and School at Sarawak, Borneo. By the Rev. C. D. BRERETON, Rector of Little Massingham, Norfolk. 8vo. London: 1846.

[blocks in formation]

The voyage I made to China,' says this extraordinary person-in language which conveys an idea of the swelling magnificence and importance of his views opened an entirely new scene; and showed me what I had never seen before-savage life and savage nature. I inquired, and I read, and I became more and more assured that there was a large field of discovery and adventure open to any man daring enough to enter upon it. Just take a map, and trace a line over the Indian Archipelago, with its thousand unknown islands and tribes. Cast your eye over the vast island of New Guinea, where the foot of European has scarcely, if ever, trod. Look at the northern coast of Australia, with its mysterious gulf

[ocr errors]

of Carpentaria;-a survey of which, it is draws to him the hearts of races of men so supposed, would solve the great geograph-outwardly different from ourselves as to seem ical question respecting the rivers of the like inhabitants of another planet, by apmimic continent. Place your finger on Ja-peals to those feelings and principles which pan, with its exclusive but civilized people: form the basis of our nature every where; it lies an unknown lump on our earth, and and lights up, like a new Prometheus, in the an undefined line on our charts. Think of hearts of Savages the common fire of huthe northern coast of China, willing, as is manity. He founds a little state, enacts reported, to open an intercourse and trade laws, conquers neighboring chiefs, estabwith Europeans, spite of their arbitrary gov-lishes an asylum for the oppressed; becomes ernment. Stretch your pencil over the Pa-famed, courted and feared, over a considercific Ocean, which Cook himself declares a able district of this great Island;--all by the field of discovery for ages to come! Pro- force of a resolute will and clear head, and ceed to the coast of South America, from an armed power consisting of a yacht's the region of gold dust to the region of furs; crew and 'six six-pounders!' Yet his narra-the land ravaged by the cruel Spaniard, tive exhibits no consciousness of having and the no less cruel Bucanier; the scene done great things, but rather that perpetual of the adventures of Drake, and the descrip- craving after more extensive success, and a tions of Dampier. The places I have enu- wider field of action, which has so strongly merated are mere names, with no specific characterized the most distinguished misideas attached to them; lands and seas sionaries of humanity :—most of whom, like where the boldest navigators gained a repu- those of religion, have never sought or found tation, and where hundreds may yet do so, rest on this side of the grave. The greater if they have the same courage and the same his success in rescuing some portion of his perseverance. Imagination whispers to am- fellow creatures from their miserable lot, bition, that there are yet lands unknown the greater is his impatience of all the rewhich might be discovered. Teil me, would maining iniquity which is done under the not a man's life be well spent-tell me, sun. As his Journal commences, so, after would it not be well sacrificed--in an en-six years of most successful endeavors, it deavor to explore these regions? When I ends, with longings after greater things to think on dangers and death, I think of them be accomplished-Oh, for power to pursue only because they would remove me from the course pointed out!' such a field for ambition, for energy, and for knowledge.'

We have spoken of Mr. Brooke and his great and humane undertakings somewhat abruptly, and as if presuming that they were already familiar to our readers; and, in fact, so general is the interest which Captain Keppel's work has excited, that we suspect there are few now to whom his name at least, and that of his Settlement, have not become known. To those, however, who have not acquired this knowledge, a few prefatory explanations may be acceptable.

We have inserted these striking sentences of Mr. Brooke's Journal without introduction, because, in truth, they serve by themselves as the best of introductions to the narrative of his undertakings, and furnish the best key to the character of the writer. He affords a fresh exemplification of the truth, that great things are rarely accomplished in new and strange fields, except by men with a strong tendency to romance in Mr. Brooke is the son of a gentleman in their composition. His powerful imagina- the East India Company's civil employtion first opened the road which he has fol- ment, and commenced life as a Cadet in lowed with eminently practical conduct and that excellent service. After fighting through sagacity. Every page of his Journal bears the Burmese war, he made a casual visit to the impress of vivid and almost passionate China; and it was on that voyage, that the sensibility; his whole heart and soul are in passion for exploring and mastering the each successive portion of his Narratives. great Asiatic Archipelago first took hold of Chivalrous almost to Quixotism, he sets out his soaring imagination. For eight years as the very Knight-Errant of justice and he cherished his projects with all the pehumanity, among Tribes abandoned to the culiar tenacity of his character. He fitted extremest evils of barbarous oppression. out a vessel, the Royalist-belonging originHe makes his way among them, as if really ally, as we believe, to the Yacht squadron possessed of those magical powers which his-tested her powers, and those of his crew, simple observers attribute to him; beats by three years' cruising in the Mediterranedown opposition; wins over suspicion; an, and elsewhere; and, having trained his

men and himself into a thorough compre- its original mountain fastnesses of Sumatra hension of, and mutual reliance on each where the cradle of this great nation is supother, set sail as independent as a Bucanier posed to exist. Superior to the original inof old, though with far different objects, and habitants in civilization and in energy, they made the coast of Borneo on the first of have subjugated the Dyaks, wherever they August 1839. came within their reach; and have estabExcept the interior of Australia and Afri- lished a number of small commercial states ca, there is no portion of the earth which on the coast. The Malays have generally presents such a blank on our maps, as this embraced the Mahometan religion; some vast island. Borneo, or Bruni, is properly of their states are governed by Arab Seriffs, the name of a kingdom and city on its north- proud of their descent from the Prophet; western coast-a great and wealthy state in and these were among Mr. Brooke's worst the days of the old Portuguese navigators, opponents. Guilty of inconceivable oppresbut now much decayed. Pulo Kalamantan sion toward their subject tribes; remorseis (or was) the general name of the island less pirates by sea, and tyrants at home; among the Malays. The climate is equato- false, vindictive, cunning, and rapacious,rial, that is to say, moist to excess; and the Malays have hitherto borne a very black subject to showers at almost all periods of character in the estimation of European trathe year, but with a very small range of ders; and form the heroes of numberless temperature; generally resembling that of dark narratives of maritime adventure. But Ceylon. Mr. Brooke, whose singularly large sympaThe perennial rains nourish a great num-thy is one of the most attractive points of ber of fine rivers, up which the tide rises his benevolent character, has a good word for many miles,-affording the only com- even for the Malays. After speaking of the munications with the interior of which Euro- judgment formed by European traders, eapeans have hitherto been able to avail them- ger after gain, probably not over-scrupuselves. For beyond the banks of the tide lous about the means of attaining it,'-of the rivers, all that is known is covered with the Rajahs and Courtiers with whom they are thickest forest; nor is it ascertained wheth- brought into contact, always ready to repay er the interior consists of mountain, table cheating with treachery, he adds, that land, or low country; nor has any thing when removed from the immediate influence been discovered with greater certainty of of their governors, the Malays in general its inhabitants. It is a mere blank, peopled by fancy and tradition with strange animals, * But certainly not, if we may trust Mr. Davidson. Who taught the native' (in Sumatra) 'his and stranger men--the Old Man of the roguish tricks? who introduced false weights? Wood, or Pongo of Buffon (termed Mias who brought to the coast 56 lb. weights with a rombi by Mr. Brooke, who has collected some screw in the bottom, which opened for the insercurious details respecting the animal, the tion of from 10 to 15 lb. of lead, after their correctmost powerful and fiercest of the Orang- with his own weights? I challenge contradicness had been tried by the native in comparison Outang race), and tribes of men dwelling tion when I assert, that English and American in trees, scarcely superior to the Orang in shipmasters have been for thirty years addicted to intelligence. The coast is every where fer- these dishonest practices.'-(Trude and Travel, tile, and highly productive in the few parts p. 90.) Yet Mr. Davidson is no very sensitive ob where cultivation has penetrated. That its server; witness his vaunting and sophistical de fence of the wretched opium trade, p. 240; and climate is healthy may be inferred from the his suggestions for our treatment of the Japanese, fact that the volumes of Captain Keppel, p. 286 Every thing, says Socrates, has two han in all their details of adventure, contain dles-and it must be confessed, that if commercial scarcely any allusions to suffering from sick- enterprise has made an opening for the introdu tion of European civilization in the East, commer ness; though the chief work performed by cial morality seems likely to neutralize much of him and his crew lay in the exploring of the benefit. We are not ignorant of the move marshy inlets and tide rivers, such as, in ment on the part of some of our Hong Kong resi tropical Africa, form the very haunts of dents, to induce Government to break faith with death. China, on some shuffling plea of non-performance by the Chinese of their part of the tready, by re! As far as hitherto explored, the popula-taining the Island of Chusan for the advantage of tion of Borneo seems to consist of two races -Malays and Dyaks. The former have spread themselves all over the Eastern Archipelago, much as the Pelasgian race did in the early days of Greece ;-issuing from

British trade. But this is too important a subject for discussion in a Note. In the mean time, the reader may consult, if he is in quest of immediate information, Mr. Montgomery Martin's lately published Reports, Minutes, and Despatches on the British Position and Prospects in China.'

« AnteriorContinuar »