BRITISH BORNEO, a4 
the British Government might be induced to regard them as 
pirates and so interfere in accordance with the terms of the 
treaty, or that the Raja of Sarawak would construe some old 
agreement made with Sir JAMES BROOKE as necessitating his 
rendering armed assistance. 
However, owing to the experience, tact, perseverance and 
intelligence of _Inche MAHOMET, the Consular Agent, we 
gained our point after protracted negotiations, and obtained 
the seals of the Sultan, the Bandahara,the Di Gadong and the Tu- 
monggong himself to a document, by which it was provided that, 
on condition of the Limbang people laying down their arms and 
allowing free intercourse with Brunai, all arbitrary taxation 
such as that which has been described should be for ever abolish- 
ed, but that, in lieu therefor, a fixed poll-tax should be paid by 
all adult males, at the rate of $3 per annum by married men 
and $2 by bachelors; that on the death of an orang kaya the 
contribution to be paid to the feudal lord should be fixed at 
one pikul of brass gun, equal to about $21; that the posses- 
sion of their sago plantations should be peaceably enjoyed by 
their owners; that jungle products should be collected with- 
out tax, except in the case of gutta percha, on which a royal- 
ty of 5% ad valorem should be paid, instead of the 20% 
then exacted; that the taxes should be collected by the 
headmen punctually and transmitted to Brunai, and that 
four Brunai tax-gatherers, who were mentioned by name and 
whose rapacious and criminal action had been instrumental 
in provoking the rebellion, should be forbidden ever again to 
enter the Limbang River; that a free pardon should be grant- 
ed to the rebels. 
Accompanied by Inche MAHOMET and with some Bisaya 
interpreters, | proceeded up the Limbang liver, on the 21st 
October, in a steam-launch, towing the boats of Pangeran 
[srr NAGARA and of the Datu AHAMAT, who were deputed 
to accompany us and represent the Brunai Government. 
Several hundred of the natives assembled to meet us, and 
the Government conditions were read out and explained. It 
was evident that the people found it difficult to place much 
reliance in the promises of the Rajas, although the document 
was formally attested by the seals of the Sultan and of his 
