1844] ALARM AT BRUNAI. 173 



of the Rajah, and Mr. Williamson, Mr. Brooke's intelligent 

 and energetic interpreter, to acquaint the Sultan of the 

 arrival of his uncle the Rajah Muda Hassim and to 

 request the immediate assistance of the state barges to 

 take out the ladies, one of whom had actually died of 

 exhaustion in the confined air below ; all had suffered 

 severely and the Rajah himself was covered with a fine 

 rash, similar to miliary, as well as those children which 

 they now ventured to expose to the air. Although 

 at the moment of their greatest state of exhaustion, 

 it had been urged upon the Rajah to shield the women 

 from notice by screens on deck, still he would not consent 

 to their removal to purer air. 



It appeared that a report had reached Brunai of an 

 intention, on the part of Great Britain, to send a force of 

 sixteen or seventeen vessels to attack and reduce them to 

 subjection, and every measure had been taken by Pan- 

 geran Usop to put the batteries into a state for defence. 

 The party in the boat, containing Budduruddin, were 

 therefore hailed, from the battery on Pulo Cherimon, " to 

 keep off," and very offensive language made use of, highly 

 insulting to the British Flag, of which, fortunately, only 

 Budduruddin and Mr. Williamson were cognizant. 



Fortunately, it did not occur to our boat, or instant 

 punishment would necessarily have ensued nor was the 

 extent of the insult ever communicated to me. The 

 boat, after a short parley, was permitted to proceed to the 

 city, where, upon it becoming known that the Rajah and 

 his suite had arrived in the mouth of the river, a panic 

 arose amongst the war party, and the Sultan being half 

 an idiot, and merely the tool of Pangeran Usop, the 



