184 A VISIT TO THE iMDlAN ARCHIPELAGO, 



character of Sir James Brooke, the chiirgog advanced 

 impliciite iilso Admirals Codn-anc and Collier^ Captains 

 Farquhar ami Wftllage, aud myself; for I served, wlicii 

 last aiioiit;^ in thorn latitudes where arose the cause 

 of all discussion — the destmctiou of the " allcgod " pirate 

 fleet : indeed, I waB very near liaving Captain Farqiihfu*'s 

 part to act ; I should have acted precisely as he did — not 

 without pain — nor did he but, without hesitation or 

 I'omor^se. In amusing myself tlioreforei and hi aspiriug 

 to ainuso the j)uhhc, witli a retrospect of voyages in those 

 seas, I consider it a duty, and it is an acceptahle one, to 

 re-asseverate aod to prove tliose facts which are still 

 disputed by ignorance, or by obstinacy, or by somethuig 

 worse. 



I am far from denyitig that in some points in con- 

 nection with these subjects thero m/ijt/ lie a eonscientions 

 differcuco of opimon, especially when information looks 

 authentic, and when informants are plausible. I would 

 not impugn, thereforej the sincerity of those nineteen 

 legislators^ whose sympathies are still with the Bornean 

 pii-ate at the expense of the Englisli gentleman. I may 

 remind them, however, without offence, that there is a 

 connection between the undorstandrng and the ivill, which 

 makes it our own fault oftener than we suspect it to be,— 

 when " seeing we see, and do not perceive." But, again 

 and again, in Parliament, in Exeter Hall, or on any other 

 arena, we are content to stand or fall by the voice of the 

 public and by factii, lu the latter place, more generally 



