With the Dyaks of Borneo: A Tale of the Head Hunters

by F. S. Brereton

"I will not tell you any of the details, Richardson, for they are of little interest, but will simply say that the energy of this Englishman soon brought an end to the little war. A rush on the part of his men, with himself at their head, soon changed the ideas of the rebels—so much so that Mr. Brooke was able to make terms with them and induce them to surrender. Finally, with the help of his crew he prevented all attempts at massacre, which would have taken place had it not been for his watchfulness, and, having obtained hostages, sent the rebels to their homes. There, that is the first step in the present rajah's popularity. He showed these natives that he was bold and strong, while at the same time he gained their confidence, for he would not permit a beaten foe to be ill-treated, and once the war was over he set about increasing the prosperity of the natives, instead of robbing them and making them even more miserable than before, as would have been the case had anyone else been in his place. Indeed, he had many a wordy fight with this man Macota, and with Muda Hassim too, before he gained security for the defeated rebels, and many a time afterwards, had it not been for his energy and his powerful influence, robbery and violence would have been practised upon the humble Dyaks of the interior. And so, little by little did his fame reach the ears of far-distant people, till the name of Brooke, the great and powerful Englishman, the defender of the weak and poor, the friend of all Dyaks and the enemy of all rogues and pirates, become one to conjure with. Indeed, if not rajah in fact, he was as good as leader of this province, and when at last the sultan conferred the title upon him, and handed over the government of Sarawak to our friend and his heirs for ever, the people received him with gladness, and save for a few, such as Macota, and others who had fallen foul of him, accepted him as their chief with every sign of satisfaction.

"From that moment Rajah Brooke has been busily engaged in touring through his district, in issuing laws for the guidance of the people, and in suppressing all attempts at slavery, all head-hunting, and all acts of violence and robbery. So energetic has he been, so powerful has he become, that all who are bent on the old life fear him more than a little, while the majority, the Dyaks of the interior, the peaceful Malays, and the hard-working and ever-contented Chinese—all, in fact, who long for a life spent in agriculture, in mining, or in trade—have settled down wonderfully, placing full reliance in the Englishman and in his word that, so far as he can prevent it, they shall be undisturbed.

"But reform cannot be brought about in a day, or in a year for the matter of that, and there are still numbers of Dyaks who, instead of using all their energies in trade, have constant wars with one another, often with the sole object of obtaining heads. Then, too, the pirates have always been a severe thorn in the side of our friend, and, indeed, have become so audacious that the Dido has been sent to render help to the English rajah. And that is the reason why you failed to find her at Singapore, and also for our sailing from China. But you are here at last, and will be able to tell us much that is valuable, for our commander and the rajah have put their heads together, and have decided to hunt these pirates out of their nests. Those at Sarebus, or, I ought to say, at Paddi, on the Sarebus river, will come in for particular attention, for the Dutchmen who commanded them have made them notorious. In fact, had it not been for their presence I doubt that so many ships of European build would have been set upon, for the Malays fear a white man more than they do fifty or sixty of the Dyaks. However, these Dutchmen have led them, and have done much harm to the trade with Singapore. For that reason partly, and now because you tell us that one has committed a deliberate murder, we shall pay attention to Paddi, and before very long, I hope, we shall be able to let everyone know that the pirates who live there are no more.

"But come. We will call for some refreshment, and when we have finished, the rajah should make his appearance, for it is already near to nightfall, and it is his custom to return before that hour if possible."

The officer went to a bell and sounded it with a stick which hung beside it. Then, on a Dyak lad presenting himself, he spoke a few words of English, which, with a few in the native tongue, helped to make his wants known.

"They are wonderfully sharp, as I dare say you have observed," he said as he threw himself back in his chair, "and this lad who serves the rajah is very quick at gathering one's meaning. But we have still a little time before us, my lad and if you are not too tired I'd like to hear more of your story. I have told you what I know of the rajah, and it is only fair that you should let me know how it was that you reached your ship. Come, you sailed from Singapore, hoping to pick up the Dido in these seas, in which attempt you have been successful. You ran foul of this Dutchman, by name Hanns Schlott—for whom his countrymen are looking, so I hear,—and you took to the land. Then you seem to have made friends with a tribe of Dyaks, in what manner I do not know; and finally you have come to Sarawak with a fleet of prahus which you and this small army took from the pirates of Sarebus. That is the bare outline as you gave it to me, but there must be more behind, and I should be glad to listen to the tale. Out with it, and do not keep back a single item."

Lieutenant Horton turned upon Tyler with an encouraging smile, and then sat watching him as he told of the adventures which had befallen himself and John Marshall on their way to Sarawak.

"You will do well, and deserve to have early mention in the despatches which our commander will send to the admiral," said the lieutenant when the tale was finished; "and it is easy to see that you and the boatswain have had many an anxious moment. For myself, the conflict with the mias seems to be the most dangerous, for the natives in these parts tell stories of how the orang-outang can fight. In any case they are fierce-looking monsters, and I am sure that there are few who would willingly place themselves in reach of such murderous teeth and arms. Indeed, many in your case would have been content to lie in the jungle and remain hidden, for these Dyaks might well have proved enemies, and for the sake of their own safety might have handed you over to the Dutchman and his pirates. However, all turned out well, and you are here. But what is that? Ah, the rajah has returned, and here he comes!"

He sprang from his seat to greet a tall gentleman who entered the room at that moment, and then introduced Tyler.