The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-25 00:00:00

SARAWAK.

Rad an BnooKlf Ex PEDITIOB AGAINST THE Pt-
RATES.-1,1 the last commuticat on received from our cor-
respondent it was statel that Sir James Brooke was about to
proceed on an exps di ion satinet the Sakarran and Scribes
pirates, who were alleged to have visited part of the S sra•
wak territory on a foray for human skulls, and carried off
above 70 heads. We have now before us the details of an
expedition which epp• an to have been a formidable one, and
eompr:sed the H. C 'a steamer Nemesis, with nearly 200
war prows c f different sizes. As previously noticed in the
Daily News, the preliminary expedition of Sir James Brooke
failed to accomplish anything. The Nemesis steamer was
anchored March 25th in the Moratabas river ; on the 2641,
Rajah Brooke, accompanied by 35 war prows, collected by
the Datoo Patinae, or collector of customs at Sarawak,
embarked, sod on the following day was joined by the
boats of the Nemesis with Europeanearmed. The expedition
moved to the entrance of the Elamsrahan river, where it was
joined by other Desk warprows In the meantime a war-
prow, called the Vier B sar, or Great Snake, named up the
Sadong, to procure the melamine of other tribes. On the
29th of March the Nemesia proceeded down the Meratalms
river and joined the flotilla, and on the following meeting
steamed to the Kalukka river, where twelve more Dyak
prows joined the flotilla, as elm the Datoo of Lingah in his
war prow. On the 31st the NOW sic took up a more com-
a snding position at the entrance of the Scribes,
whilst part of the flotilla pulled up the S skarren and
Scrihas river, and rigorously examined its hiding-
plate's, but without finding any pirates. On the 314,
eight more war-prows arrived from S thong. The
portion of the force under the immediate diree•ion of Rajah
Brooke passed up the Kalukka river in search of a large
piratical prow reported to have bees seen there lose days
previously: the boats of the Nemesis, with 60 war pr we,
under Rajah Brooke, proceeded up the Linnet branch, while
the other division went up the Lupang. The piratical boat
was not even. Oa the following morning the fiatille pawed
up the Liapat about 70 miles from the era. When promote
Jog towards Litlat the spy boat being lo advance mom
across a small boat containing four men, supposed to he
&rib's men, wh-m they speared and cut their heads off
These men had a quantity of acne leaves in their boat to ex-
change for malt with some Malays residing lower down the
river. In fact, they were quiet, peaceable trolers, and
bad not any arms in their boat. Their heads were
divided amongst the Rajah's allies, and carried off
as trophies. Sir James Brooke then directed &number of war
prows, with a fore. of 1,500 to 2,000 men to attack the bonen
and plantations between the Kalukka and Seribas riven, the
boats of the N, mean being left behind to protect the native
and Sir James Brooke's flotilla. On April sth, ten boats re
turned, having destroyed five villages, several farms, end a
large quantity of paddy and other stores. At this place
were taken captives an elderly woman and two children. end
the party brought away in triumph three heads of men they
W eat down. Of these three, one was the husband and
his other the eon of the woman above mentioned, and both
Bum natives were beheaded in the presence of the woman.
The heads were then smoked within sight of the poor crea-
tor*, and brought away with the usual ceremonies of joy.
On the same day the joined the Nemesis at the
mouth of the Seribas river, and on the following day
wont up the River Rembas, from whence one of the cutters
returned, having on board a man, deed, and ano.htr
wounded (both Europeans) by 'he accidental discharge of a
musket. Nothing of importance heed,' be'n accomplished
the steamer Nemesis was despatched to Labuan, and Rajah
Brooke and his allies retuned to Sarawak. We ought to
mention that at the time the inhuman butchery was perpe-
trated in the pressen of the woman alluded to, at once the
wife and mother of the Rajah Brooke was about 16
miles inland between the Kalukka and Seribas
Macchio' as these details are, there is yet another instance of
the butchery performed by Rajah Brooke's Dyak
equally revolting. On Sir James Brooke's return down 'he
Kalukka river towards Liapat, there was a spy or fast
boat a-head of the flotilla and.r the personal command of Me
Croaluhank (magistrate of Sarawak and a relation of Raj,
Brooke.). In passing down the spy boat wan approached b,
• *Min on a catamaran, eionsieting of a few bamboos secured
together. The man's antsearanee and demeanour was friendle.
bat on approaching within 1.50 cards Mr.Crnokelasuk lee n d
lie rifle and fired. The shot missed, on which the spy boa'
galled fast to reach the catamaran, seeing which the man
funap:d into the water; for sometime he managed to elude his
pursuers by diving under the boat, hat at length was speared
in the water, and afterwards beheaded. On examination this,
victim turned on' to be a grety•heeded old man, denuded of
teeth, and without a weapon of say description! After the
heed was cut off it was deposited in Mr. Crookshank's boat.
The circumstance WAS reported to Bela Broke the same
evening, who expressed his disapprobation of the proceeding.
These facts ought, however, to open the public mind to see
the very great abuse which is made of the power incautinualy
placed in irreeporsilsle men for the sappremion of piracy.
Some unfriendly Dyaks visit Rajah Brooke's domain at Sa-
rawak on a foray for bead*, upon which the rajah assembles
his allies, and the latter are allowed to avenge the slain by a
counter foray, aided by British arm', and perpetrate
atrocities at which human nature shudders. Is it
creditable to oar naval forms to aid or take part
in such inhuman butcheries bet re the eyes of a
wife and a mother, or to murder a helpless, unarmed
and inoffensive old man, who, relying no his own innoa nee,
approaches a boat commanded by an English gentleman, a
relative and confidant of Rajah Brooke's, end i• brutally
murdered as the pries of his reliance and helplessness, be-
cause, forsooth, he has the misfortune to be termed a pirate
by the Rajah's allies, who are firentost in collection human
heads and who deem the means honoured and justified by
the end ? The expedition of Sir James Brooks placed be-
tween 15 and 20 heeds at the disp:,sal of his allied chiefs as
trophies of victory—trophies, he it observed, In part secured
by the assistance of the Est India Company's war steamer
Nemesis, at present hired for the Queen's service ! We
blot& for the man who can lend his approbation to measures
which seek to can by increasing the virility of the disease.
The SULTAN or SULOO —The H.C.'a steamer Nemesis was
at Singapore at the beginning of May, awaiting there the
overland Europa mail of March 24, to be forwarded by her
to Sarewsk and Lahuan. On the Nemesis return to Sara-
wak, she was to convey to Saloohis Excellency Sir James