260 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
chronic insurrection, helped its ruler the Raja Muda 
Hassim to suppress it, partly by an exhibition of force 
and partly by conciliation. Eventually, on the 24th 
September, 1841, Hassim abdicated in favour of Mr. 
Brooke, who thus became Raja of Sarawak, with a terri¬ 
tory about 60 miles long by 50 wide. After some 
trouble and delay, the title was confirmed by the Malay 
Sultan of Borneo, on the 1st August, 1842, and Mr. 
Brooke, intensely interested in his strange acquisition, at 
once set himself to work to consolidate his power, to 
introduce just reforms, to establish a code of laws, to 
develop commerce, and to suppress piracy. The con¬ 
dition of the country was such that the work might have 
appeared hopeless to a less wise and energetic ruler. 
Complete anarchy prevailed. Malays were fighting 
against Malays, and Dyaks against Dyaks. The con¬ 
dition of the latter was miserable in the extreme; they 
were exposed to every exaction, their children were taken 
from them for slaves, their villages were attacked and 
often destroyed by piratical tribes from the adjacent 
rivers, and the destruction of their crops often exposed 
them to the extremity of famine. To the Malays the 
Dyaks were people to be plundered in every way, and 
when it could not be done openly, it was effected by 
means of tax-collecting and forced trade, against which 
the poor Dyaks were at first afraid to complain. In a 
very few years this system was wholly changed; the 
Dyaks were protected from plunder and imposition ^ so 
long as they paid the moderate tax levied upon them, 
and the Malay chiefs obtained their dues with more 
regularity, and without the need of supporting a crowd 
of followers who lived on plunder. The Malays who 
had formerly administered the internal affairs of the 
district were kept in office, and as no new laws were 
