SIR JAMES BROOKE'S DESPATCH, 



267 



the produce brought to market is fit for a pirate to sell, 

 and for a felon to purclmso." 



Such being the state of things on tho return of Sir 

 Jbmes Brooke to Sarawak from England, wliither ho 

 had gone as a private iudivitlual scarcely known, aiid 

 whence lie returned with a world-mde celebrity, and — 

 which is more to our purpose — with a coraiuission to put 

 down piracy, by pejibefuJ means^ if possible, but in 

 any case to put it down,^ — such, I say, being the state of 

 tMngs, the next document which claims our atteiitbn 

 is a letter addressed by liim to Lord Palmers ton j benrhig 

 ckte the 13th September, 1848. From this it will be seen 

 that he liad given immediate attention to his responsible 

 duties, and had already, from the magnitude of the evil, 

 and the impotence or insincerity of the Sultan of Borneo, 

 become convinced tliat notliing but a strong arm would 

 enable him to be faitlifid to the trust reposed in iiim, 

 or to answer the expectations of the commerdal com- 

 munity, and of liis GovcmmenL 



Sm JAMES BHOOKE TO TISCOlTNT PALEEllSTON. 

 « My LoBB, " Sabawak, Sept. 1S48. 



" I beg to inform your Lordship of my arrival 

 at tliis place in Her Majesty's ship Mfpander^ and of my 

 purpose of sending to the river Sadong, in order to 

 inquire into and expose an intrigue which the Eajalis 

 oF BiTin^ are carrying on, through a few of their 

 adlierents, with tlie piratical chiefe of the t^erehas and 



