The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-11-18
THE RAJAH OF sARAwAK.
How tho Son of an Eastern Clergyman
Became an Eastern Potentatc.


How tho Son of an Eastern Clergyman
Became an Eastern Potentatc.
The life of the first rajah Sir James |
Brooke, X. c. b., X. @. M. g., Id. d.,
reads like romance such as Stevenson |
or Verne might write. His was wild, |
reckless nature that in his youth made |
him dissatisfied with the quiet of his |
own English home and with the even |
tenor of the days about his fathers |
yicaragc. He entered the English
army, and was dangerously wounded
in leading a charge against detach-
ment of natives in India. He gave up
his commission and retired on PEN
sion about the time he reached man
hood.
A long and nearly fatal sickness did
not quell his thirst for adventure. He
had hardly regained his strength when
he started out to explore India, Malaga
and China. He wrote valuable jour
nal of his wanderings, and returned
home fred with the thought of explor-
ing the then unknown islands of the
Pacific The sight of the millions of
acres of rich, untitled land that were
embraced within the boundaries of
some of these islands populated by
race of peaceful, indolent beings and
claimed by no European power raised
in his mind dreams of a great East In
dian empire.
The death of his father left him with
property worth s15O,0O0. In spite OF
the protests of his friends, he very soon
proceeded to fit out small schooner,
o1 nd md
| Singapore, and thence to the northwest
coast of Borneo, landing at Kuching,
on the Sarawals river, in 1858
| A field of conquest and a lope of en-
pire at once dawned upon him. The
province of Sarawal, dependency of
the sultan of Brunei. was governed by
an old native rajah, whose throne s1as
menaced by the fierce, head-hunting
| Dyaks of the interior. Brooke saw his
chance and cast his fortunes with the
weak but rightful ruler After many
marches with his little crew and an
army of natives through the almost inn
penetrable rubber jungles and after
many hard-fought battles the rebels
were dislodged from their forts and
order was restored. The young general
then interposed between the combat
ants, and protected the defeated from
the revenge of the victors, thereby win,
ming the gratitude of the former and
the confidence of both sides.
The sultan conceived great liking
for Brooke and, finding that his native
raiah could not rule the province, he
arranged that Brooke should become
rajah of Sarawak as an independent
ruler.
Upon his accession to power Rajal
Brooke set about to reform abuses anc
build up the country. He abolished
military marauding, did away will
every form of slavery, established
courts, missions and school houses, ant
waged fierce war against head hunting
and piracy.
Head hunting was remarkable ant
2 extraordinary custom of the native
. Dyalls. They strove to secure heads t.
decorate their houses, much as th'
!, American Indian longed to go huntin.
for scalps 1t was an ancient custom
Piracy had been for century th
, curse of the Java seas, but Sir Jane
Brooke knew that the future of hi
+ kingdom depended on its suppression
Every island and harbor swarmed wit
, pirates. They lived in big towns an
+ had fortresses and cannon. They wer
d stronger than any of the native ruler:
q and, knowing this defied them. Brook
began with the feebler towns, conquer
a ing one after another, then burnt them
+ and took possession of their swift out
n rigger canoes, increasing his force
r from the very pirates that he was e,
v terminating, and SO worked relentlessl
n on. Combined with the great qualitie
!, of fearless fighter he had the nobl
! faculty of winning the good will an
: approval of his foes to such an eXter
4 that all through the struggle the
r fought half-heartedly, knowing til
;. while that they We're really tightin
i against their peoples good.
d AT the end of nine years the la.
a pirate stronghold was taken, and TIL
victor felt free to return home, pay h
friends visit, and solicit missionar
:, aid to civilize the country.-St. Mich,
lac