30 VISIT OF THE RAJAH. [1843. 



and also to be in readiness for the reception of a visit of 

 ceremony from the Rajah Musa Hassim and his suite. 

 As it was contrary to the custom of vessels employed 

 upon surveying duty to fire salutes during the period of 

 rating the chronometers, or until after the necessary 

 observations are made for the determination of the meri- 

 dian distance between the ports of departure and arrival, 

 we could not risk the disturbance of them ; but having 

 three boats on the water fitted with brass guns, it was 

 arranged that the compliment should be paid by them ; 

 and, it seemed to afford more amusement and interest 

 than might have been experienced had the guns of 

 the ship performed the office. The Rajah and his suite 

 arrived in due state, and after inspecting the ship, ex- 

 pressed themselves better pleased with her than with 

 the beautiful ' Dido/ nearly double our tonnage ; two 

 decks and better shelter weighing more in their esti- 

 mation than capacity or beauty, and our main-deck 

 cabin, with free passage of air by the ports and windows, 

 seemed more consonant with their ideas of comfort; 

 the difference in the description of gun mattered little, 

 and they could hardly be brought to comprehend that 

 our twenty-four 32-pounders were not preferable to the 

 eighteen heavy guns of the same calibre mounted by the 

 Dido.' 



The progress made by Mr. Brooke during his short 

 sojourn amongst these people, not only in acquiring a 

 moral command over the affections of the Malay race, 

 (hostile, often, to the Christian in feeling as well as reli- 

 gion,) but also in allaying the fears and exciting the 

 affections of the Dyaks or natives of the interior, is truly 



