The Press.
London, England, 1854-01-28 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

forfeited his claim to simplicity of character
and directness of purpose as he who addresses
the world under the semblance of a confiden-
tial effusion to a bosom friend. However, the
deed is done ; we are willing to hope that it
was not done with Sir James's sanction ; and
it only remains to observe, that, notwithstand-
ing the disclosures here made, we retain our
belief in the high qualifications, both moral
and intellectual, of the Rajah of Sarawak.

Neither eau we conscientiously affirm that
these Letters 4..amtain anything very novel or
very striking. They are in parts interesting,
a/ almost any familiar correspondence must
be that deals with topics of personal adven-
ture ; but most of the substance of what is

here stated has appeared before in the journals :
only the form is new, and not always that: while
the scanty matter is eked out with domestic
details of which the publication is at once in
delicate and absurd. Lord John Russell al-
ways excepted, we really know no instance of
editorial duties more injudiciously or more
slackly performed.
Here is a characteristic sketch of the way in
which our friends south of the Channel con-
duct scientific explorations :

The French egledition has been here, bat only stayed
Uwe lays. I ma& their acquaintance. In natural history
they will do good. In geography I have my doubts—
and I think some of their claims to the discovery of lands
to the southward will be disputed. It appears to me to be
a great error running over the gronnd in the way they do.
Two days to this place week for the smith mast of
Borneo! and the like. Monsieur DamoutlYUrville, their

commodore, published & brief sAlcouut of his proceedio ga
in the newspaper here, and I took the liberty on the fol-
lowing week to cut him up gently for what I considered au
unwarrantable attack upon Weddell.

The passage which follows has been cited,
in our opinion unfairly, by some of our cou-
temporaries, as indicating a love of small
distinctions for their own sake. We see in it
nothing except a natural wish naturally
avowed .

One thing I regret not having tried to effect whilst at
home, and that is getting a knighthood, a civic knight.
hood. You know me well enough to believe that such a
distinction would never be sought by me except to an-
swer some purpose.
I believe the mere name would be very useful to me
with natives and Europeans in this country--at home I
would not accept it, or wear the title, and though con-
vinced of its utility I will not beg or ask it : there are
beggars enough in England. If they please to give it me
on public grounds, as a barren reward, to facilitate a praise-
worthy object, I would accept it.

There is interest, also, in the first announce-
ment by Sir James of his colonising projects ;
which he has always avowed to be an after-
thought only, his first plan having been merely
to cruise in unknown seas and snake dis-
coveries
1)o not start when I say that I am going to settle in
Borneo, that I am about to endeavour to plant there a
mixed colony, amid a wild but not unvirtuous race, and to
become the pioneer of European knowledge and native
improvement : all men of intelligence will look upon the
undertaking with favourable eyes, for even its failure must
advantage the trade of England, and give the poor natives
a favourable impression of our countrymen. These are
my intentions, and I have to tell you what led to all this.
My kind feeling for the Rajah Muda Bassin' took me a
second time to Sarawak, and I found him in great difficulty
to suppress the rebellion which had been raging for four
years. I proposed staying a week, but, on notifying my
departure, he urged—he prayed me so strongly not to de-
sert him, that I could not do it. I stayed, and in three
months accomplished what he had been unable to do in
three years. I beat the rebels from their strongholds, and
brought them to an unconditional surrender—subsequently
I had a difficult task, but I did save the lives of all who
did surrender, though they had most justly been forfeited,
whether in Borneo or in England. That I accomplished
this without some trouble and great exertion you will easily
believe to be impossible, and to my mother I may own
that nothing but talents and temper, and the greatest for-
bearance, could have done it at pll. Mudi Hassim during
the war supported me, as he knew he must do few his own
interest, and at the end of the war he frankly professed
that my assistance had alone paved the country, and that
my support was absolutely necessary to him. He con-
cluded by offering me the government of the country of
Sarawak. After a month of negotiation I aeccepted the
offer, on condition that he should give me hie sincere sup-
port and assistance in eating the lower classes from oppres•
pion and pillage. If this eau be effeeted, there can be no
doubt of ultimate success.
Here is a useful hint as to the qualifications
of a missionary :
I must try to write to dear Margaret this time, though
my time is cruelly taken up by public affairs. She will de-
light to bear of so fine a field for the spread of Christianity
—a finer field cannot he imagined ; a people so ignorant
and so Mused, with no religion of their own, and hardly
soy prejtatlicee, offer tbe beet apportasity kr asaversies
ifi itat4. hold bags a ma I pampso manias

into communisation with coma intelligent missionary, and
hiking his opinion on the best and most feasible means et
establishing some of his brethren. I am inclined to be-
lieve the Ameriziin missionaries, in general, superior to
the English, not in religions qualification, but in their ge-
neral systems. Tbey aim almost solely at the education of
the young, and ingratiate themselves with the older people
by the practice of physic—soave knowledge of which they
almost all acquire.

We aro not tempted either to extract or to
condense the narrative of Sir James's Bornean
exploits, the more so as these have been
already in print twice, and are now a third
time reproduced. There is au able though
rather dry defence of his general policy in the
third volume, which might help in the getting
up of a debate, if the Peace Society chose to
renew their attack. It is valuable as a record.
but presupposes a considerable knowledge of
the general facts, which most readers probably
have not. We perceive with satisfaction that
Sir James Brooke does justice to the courtesy
and confidence which were shown him by Lord
Derby's Government