320 THK OCEAN. 



Borneo, was made over to Mr. (now Sir) James Brooke, 

 and his heirs for ever. The English Paijah immedi- 

 ately entered upon his government, treating the 

 natives with justice and kindness, and gradually- 

 winning their confidence, and at the same time 

 making strenuous efforts to root out and destroy the 

 nests of pirates with which almost every cove and 

 creek was swarming. 



In July, 1 849, a grand expedition of British ships 

 of war, with a number of boats manned by friendly 

 natives, under the control of Eajah Brooke, was des- 

 patched against the pirates. They fell in with a 

 grand war-fleet of a hundred and fifty prahus return- 

 ing from a foray with plunder, and captives, and 

 human heads. Five hundred of the pirates were 

 killed sword in hand ; the remainder, about two 

 thousand five hundred, escaped to the forests ; their 

 boats were destroyed or captured. It would have been 

 easy to surround the region to which the pirates had 

 fled, so that not a man could have left it alive. But 

 the Eajah refused to push the matter to such an ex- 

 tremity ; believing that the lesson they had learned 

 would be sufficiently severe to fulfil his purpose. Nor 

 has the result shown that his policy was less wise 

 than generous. 



A Christian mission has been established under 

 the Eajah's auspices in Borneo, which will prove, we 

 may fairly hope, a blessed centre of light to many 

 who have hitherto sat in darkness and the shadow o*" 

 death. 



The larger islands of the archipelago do not pre- 

 sent a very interesting appearance from the sea. 



