1843] PART WITH MR. BROOKE. 61 



even for surface rubble long exposed to the sun, and the 

 authorities have imbibed such a notion of its value and 

 importance, that the first price paid (even for trial) would 

 be assumed as its future standard. Under these circum- 

 stances we merely employed our crew to collect specimens 

 of the coal with its attendant strata of sandstone, &c., 

 from the Islands of Chermin and Areng, and returned 

 to our vessel. 



As the small-pox was now raging at Borneo, any 

 'further delay in the neighbourhood would have been not 

 only dangerous, but impolitic, on account of the quaran- 

 tine to which we should have been subjected on our arri- 

 val at Manila ; we were detained, however, a short time 

 to cut fire-wood sufficient to enable us to pursue our 

 voyage with the 'Vixen ', having been greatly disappointed 

 in our expectations of procuring a supply of coal. 



The services of the ' Harlequin ' being no longer re- 

 quired, that vessel was directed to land Mr. Brooke at 

 Sarawak, and proceed with the despatches to Singapore, 

 and on the 4th of Sept. after experiencing the great value 

 of Mr. Brooke's services in our present expedition, as well 

 as in the co-operation of iny good friend Capt. Hastings, 

 we parted for our different destinations. 



Before taking leave of Borneo, I must be permitted to 

 repeat my acknowledgement of the public as well as 

 private obligations we were under to our worthy and 

 hospitable friend Mr. Brooke. From the moment our 

 disaster became known to him, his Yacht, stores, house, 

 and table, were pressed upon us, and during the tedious 

 and harrassing interval which occurred, between the 

 time of our immersion and the departure of the ' Sama- 



