190 DYAK GRATITUDE TO MR. BROOKE. 



under the most cruel circumstances, and the virgins 

 and children were carried by their parents' destroyers 

 into captivity. Those who, by concealment, had suc- 

 ceeded in escaping the sword of the oppressor, from 

 their hiding-places beheld the flames consume their 

 remnants of property and their villages. It can 

 easily be imagined after this account of their suffer- 

 ings, which might easily be swelled by an enumera- 

 tion of horrors common to civilised, and many pecu- 

 liar to barbarian warfare, with what pleasure they 

 hailed the return of peace, which Mr. Brooke's arrival 

 promised them ; and the gratitude they now feel, and 

 the affection with which they regard the man who 

 saved their residue from starvation, slavery, and 

 death, is equal to the sufferings from which his 

 humanity delivered them ; and the only fear which 

 has hitherto, since the establishment of his government, 

 alloyed their happiness is, that any accident should 

 interrupt the protection they have hitherto received ; 

 but now they have gained so strong a hold upon the 

 sympathy of the generous British nation, there is little 

 prospect of this fear being ever realised. 



By such encouragement the sea Dyaks have been con- 

 firmed in the practice of head-hunting, and taught to 

 consider the divided and weaker tribes of the hills 

 their natural prey. It is difficult to conceive how their 

 rulers could have been so blind to their own interest, 

 as so to oppress the people from whom they gained 

 their revenues and subsistence, and for the sake of 



