chap, xxiv] RAJAH SIR JAMES BROOKE 



The regattas on the river were most successful, and the assembly 

 of European and native notabilities at the Astana, or house of the 

 Rajah, afforded me the pleasure of meeting several of my old 

 friends. I was also delighted to find sundry old Malay acquaint- 

 ances, and their friendly greetings proved that I had not been 

 forgotten and that they had preserved a kindly recollection of 

 our former friendship. It is pleasant to record the general reciprocity 

 of good feeling which is such a characteristic feature of the Sarawak 

 community, cordially uniting Europeans and natives in bonds of 

 mutual consideration and esteem. The barriers of race and rank 

 are obliterated in this mutual and cordial good will. Together 

 with representatives of the people, there was at the Astana a large 

 sprinkling of the Malay aristocracy, which has always shown itself 

 faithful to the enlightened government of the Brookes, even at 

 the most critical times. This aristocracy has conformed itself 

 entirely to the new order of things and has cordially accepted the 

 reigning dynasty as a natural and improved substitute for that 

 which for two centuries previously had ruled over North Borneo. 



Usually on the first day of the year the Raj ah and Ranee receive 

 personally the European and native notabilities, but this year 

 they had thought proper to hold their levee at one of the distant 

 stations of the State. They returned to Kuching next day however,, 

 and I went at once with D'Albertis to the Astana to present my 

 respects to their Highnesses. It was with very great pleasure that: 

 I again shook hands with the Rajah, Sir Charles, and made the 

 acquaintance of the Ranee, Lady Brooke. 



Old Government House exists no longer; the new residence of 

 the Rajah, the Astana, is built on the small hill covered with 

 fruit-trees, where stood the bungalow in which Doria and I had 

 stayed. On the Astana hill the Rajahs of Bruni once lived, 

 and their tombs are still there. There, too, Sir James Brooke 

 had his residence, until it was burnt to the ground by the Chinese 

 during their memorable rebellion. 



I feel that I should be failing in a bounden duty towards a. 

 truly great and noble man, who founded a civilised kingdom in one 

 of the most barbarous countries in the world, if in writing a book 

 on Sarawak, I omitted to give a sketch of the principal events of 

 his remarkable career. 



Sir James Brooke, founder of the dynasty which for half a 

 century has now ruled over Sarawak, was born at Coombe Grove, 

 near Bath, on April 29th, 1803. When quite a youth he entered 

 the army and went as a cadet to India, where he distinguished 

 himself in the Burmese War and in Assam. Severely wounded 

 by a bullet which went through his lungs, he was invalided home 

 to England. In consequence of the wreck of the vessel on which 

 he was going out to India again, he exceeded his furlough, and 



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