S68 A VISIT TO THE INDIAN AKCHIPELAOO* 



but it must not be forgotten that, besides the Sarawak 

 Dysks and Malays, whom he could m a great degree 

 control, there accompanied the expedition vohmfeeer 

 auxiliaries friim many other tribes, embittered against the 

 pirates by continual wrongs- These it was not so easy 

 completely to restrain ; and at t/mr hands ma^ have been 

 committed m hot blond a few such excesses aa are either 

 common to all savage, or are characteristic of Dyak, 

 warfare : for these, if any such occuiTed, neither Sir 

 James Brooke nor Captjun Farquhar can be blamed. It 

 is well known that the former svaa urged by these native 

 auxiliaries, on the morning after the action, to take such a 

 position as would intercept all the fugitives, wliich might 

 have been easily done ; but he rejected the proposal, and 

 not only stopped the pumuit as soon as possihJe, hut 

 offered a reward for evciy prisoner taken alive. It is 

 equally well kjiown that nil such prisonei^s were fed and 

 well cared for, until released at a favourable opportunity ; 

 that the Rajidi afterwards received many tokens of grati- 

 tude from those who had been captives ; and lhat his 

 huinanity produced very beneficial effects upon the tribes 

 chastised. Nor did this emanate from, or depend iipon^ 

 any sudden impulse ; it was bis piiiiclple^ laid down 

 before setting out,—" Although piracy must be crushed at 

 any cost, I am desirous of ellecting its suppression at the 

 smallest possible sacrifice of human Hfe/' 



If, then, censure is to be passed upon any party, it 



■ Letter to Lord ralmerfltoii, Iflili April, 1849. 



