f the Sultan and of MUDA HASSIM conjointly, and concludes by
saying that the two writers express the hope that through the Queen's
assistance they will be enabled to _settle the Government of Borneo_. In
April, 1846, however, Mr. BROOKE received the startling intelligence
that in the December, or January previous, the Sultan had ordered the
murder of his uncle MUDA HASSIM and of several of the Raja's brothers
and nobles of his party, in all some thirteen Rajas and many of their
followers. MUDA HASSIM, finding resistance useless, retreated to his
boat and ignited a cask of powder, but the explosion not killing him, he
blew his brains out with a pistol. His brother, Pangeran BUDRUDIN, one
of the most enlightened nobles in Brunai, likewise terminated his
existence by an explosion of gunpowder. Representations being made to
Sir THOMAS COCHRANE, the Admiral in command of the station, he proceeded
in person to Borneo with a squadron of eight vessels, including two
steamers. The Sultan, foreseeing the punishment that was inevitable,
erected some well-placed batteries to defend his town. Only the two
steamers and one sailing vessel of war, together with boats from the
other vessels and a force of six hundred men were able to ascend the
river and, such was the rotten state of the kingdom of Borneo Proper and
so unwarlike the disposition of its degenerate people that after firing
a few shots, whereby two of the British force were killed and a few
wounded, the batteries were deserted, the Sultan and his followers fled
to the jungle, and the capital remained at the Admiral's disposition.
Captain RODNEY MUNDY, accompanied by Mr. BROOKE, with a force of five
hundred men was despatched in pursuit of His Highness, but it is
needless to add that, though the difficulties of marching through a
trackless country under a tropical downpour of rain were pluckily
surmounted, it was found impossible to come up with the Royal fugitive.
Negotiations were subsequently entered into with the Prime Minister,
Pangeran MUMIM, an intelligent noble, who afterwards became Sultan, and
on the 19th July, 1846, the batteries were razed to the ground and the
Admiral issued a Proclamation to the effect that hostilities would cease
if the Sultan would return and govern lawfully, suppress piracy and
respect his engagements with the British Government; but that if he
persisted in his evil courses the squadron would return and burn down
the capital. The same day Admi