1845.] HIS FRIENDLY DISPOSITION. 241 



discovery. The act of the master of the ' Premier/ of 

 setting fire to his vessel, was highly injudicious and un- 

 warrantable. It was, in the first place, a beacon to 

 attract the pirates of this region ; in the second, he was 

 bound to save the property as far as he was able ; had he 

 not acted as he did, the masts, sails, &c., would have 

 been saved, and the Sultan of Gunung Taboor would 

 have been satisfied with reasonable salvage; or, if de- 

 manded, would even have restored the whole. Upon 

 these subjects he has now written instructions, drawn up 

 as an agreement between us, and distressed foreigners 

 will, I am satisfied, find as friendly reception, and as 

 just dealing with the Sultan of Gunung Taboor, as they 

 have any right to expect from more civilized nations. 



The Sultan informed me that by his Treaty with the 

 Dutch Authorities at Benjarmassin, he had already en- 

 gaged to assist all Europeans, and that under the spirit 

 of that agreement, he was willing to render the master 

 of the ' Premier ' every assistance, and would have saved 

 the entire property in the vessel, but that the act of his 

 firing the ship " divided his power ", and he could not 

 be answerable for what the people of Bulungan did; 

 when the vessel and her stores became " as fish ", every 

 one took what he could catch. He was still willing to 

 deliver up any article belonging to the ' Premier ', which 

 could be traced within his town ; he, however, placed 

 himself entirely in my hands, consented that my wishes 

 should be law, and that if I would instruct him (give him 

 a writing) how to act in future, he would most willingly 

 adhere to it. 



In proof of his anxiety to befriend the English, the 



