MR. BROOKE'S POLICY WITH REGARD TO THEM. 115 



racter, and still of very questionable loyalty. He 

 delights in telling stories of his adventures and nar- 

 row escapes from the Dyaks and Chinese in his 

 numerous marauding expeditious against them ; and 

 he would doubtless, had he the opportunity, act over 

 again the whole of his former achievements. On 

 account of his many injuries to them, the Dyaks hold 

 him in abhorrence, and probably nothing but the fear of 

 the rajah's displeasure would allow them to permit him 

 to return safe out of any of their countries ; but the old 

 man wanders about amongst them, constantly trading, 

 as he fortunately has no wish to interfere in the 

 government, and when he visits a tribe which he has 

 in former times severely injured, he never fails to remind 

 them of the different circumstances under which he 

 had previously seen them : during all his relations of 

 this nature, he laughs as if he were recounting an 

 excellent joke, and any successful piece of treachery 

 or duplicity practised on the Dyaks calls forth an 

 increase of his merriment. 



These officers it has been Mr. Brooke's wise policy 

 to perpetuate in their offices, in preference to trusting 

 the affairs of the province to Borneans or other men 

 of hereditary rank. Their revenues have been duly 

 secured to them, and more considerable profit and 

 dignity is now attached to their offices than they 

 ever before enjoyed, or than probably ever previously 

 appertained to the rank of Dattu. Nor have the 

 chiefs alone to congratulate themselves on this better 

 state of things ; but the nakodahs, or merchants who 



