162 WARS OF THE SARAWAK PEOPLE. 



of courage displayed by the late Patingi All, who 

 accompanied the forces under Captain Keppel against 

 the pirates of Sakarran, were of such distinguished 

 fearlessness as to call forth the voluntary acclamations 

 of the Europeans engaged. The wars of Sarawak are 

 like those of most nations in a similar state of civiliza- 

 tion, long, protracted, but very bloodless, and the 

 account of the manner of conducting the operations 

 against the rebels of Sarawak, detailed in Mr. Brooke's 

 Journal, published in Keppel's book, is the narrative 

 of all their bloodless campaigns. The present forces 

 of Sarawak comprise all the male inhabitants capable 

 of bearing arms, who are obliged to attend their chiefs 

 on any expeditions which they may have decided as 

 necessary for the good of the state, government sup- 

 plying them with food during their continuance. 

 There are now belonging to Sarawak, and which are 

 kept constantly ready for service, eight large war-boats, 

 which can each carry sixty men, and one six-pounder 

 gun ; most of them carry in addition to this two 

 lelahs, or long brass swivel guns, and small arms in 

 proportion, the whole of which, with the ammunition, 

 are provided by the government. The weapons in 

 use amongst the natives are principally spears and 

 swords, the kris being not here so much in repute as 

 amongst the people of the north, whose krises are much 

 larger and more serviceable weapons than those used 

 by the Javaiis and Malays in the western part of the 

 Archipelago : the blades are also without the damasked 

 appearance which renders them valuable amongst 



