940 A VISIT TO THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



« 



more disappointed, or could have regretted more tlian my 

 gallant friend Captain Hastings, that his orders did not 

 admit of nm/ dela^, or of his attacking that redoubtable 

 pirate, Seriff Sahib/' He was under orders for England. 



* Good rcAHOQ roast *f force give way to belter/' 



But in less than three months after this, the Dido took 

 up the work against these pirates, and her work was 

 approved of, Mr, Hume ignores thesD facts ; he brings five 

 years forwarder one solitary circumstance, and thus dis- 

 honours my honourable and gallant friend, by parading 

 him m a witness qi\ his side. Is it possible to suppose that 

 Mr. Hume wished the facts to be understood as they 

 occmTod ? I tliink not : first, because he ruight easily 

 have stated them unmistakeahly : secondly, because^ 6o 

 stated, they would liave made an argument too ridiculous 

 even for hm. 



Captain Hastings, to his honour, immediately after 

 Mr. Hume*s application to him, offered Sir James Brooke 

 his best assistance ''to resist the cruel and unjust 

 persecution waging against him/' 



" FEiiSECUTiON " has been the tenn applied to these pro- 

 ceedings by some of the most distinguished personages in 

 the land : and their opinion has its echo in the public 

 voice. Whence then does it arise 1 w^hat motives actuate 

 it 1 what are the hidden springs that k&ep it f^oing ? 

 Who annually winds up this one night's tedionsnes^ ? 

 Some who krtow Mr. Hume speak of him as a "good- 



