troops to enforce the obedience of the Chinese and Dyaks to
their rule. On the west of Borneo lies the little kingdom of Sarawak,
about three hundred miles of coast line from Cape Datu to Point
Kiderong.

The Sultan of Bruni, who was the nominal ruler of all the north-west of
Borneo, gave up this province to Sir James Brooke in 1841, "to him and
his heirs for ever," on condition a small sum of money was paid him
annually. The province consisted originally of "about sixty miles of
coast, from Cape Datu to the entrance of the Samarahan River, with an
average breadth of fifty miles inland;"[10] but from time to time the
Sultan entreated Sir James Brooke to take the rule of one river after
another beyond this province towards Borneo Proper, for, owing to his
own weakness, and the rapacity of his nobles who governed in his name,
no revenue came to him from those rivers, nor could he protect native
trade, or secure the lives of his subjects from the extortions and
covetousness of their Malay chiefs. So Sarawak grew, and peace, and
justice, and free trade flourished where before there were only poverty
and oppression. The country is traversed by fine rivers. The Rejang,
four fathoms deep two hundred miles from the mouth, the Batang Lupar,
and the Sarawak are the largest, and the great highways of the country;
along the banks of which are cultivated clearings and Dyak villages,
but beyond these extend dense jungle which even clothes the sides of the
mountains. Besides the before-mentioned rivers are many smaller ones
which are still noble streams--the Sarebas, Samarahan, Sadong, Lundu,
etc. It is indeed a well-watered country, and only requires the industry
of man to develop its riches.

[Footnote 10: Letter of Sir J. Brooke to J. Gardner, Esq.]

There are great mountain ranges to the north-west and through the
interior of the island, and the natives speak of lakes of vast extent,
with Dyak villages on their shores. But this is only tradition. There is
a lake commonly reported only two days' journey from the foot of Kini
Balu, a high mountain on the north-west, but no Englishman has yet trod
its shores. The difficulties of exploring such dense jungles and
mountain precipices as bar the way across Borneo are almost insuperable.
I quote from Mr. Hornaday's recent lecture at Rochester. He says, "Owing
to the peculiar and almost impassable nature of the country, Borneo has
never been crossed by the white man. Travelling over