The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido / For the Suppression of Piracy

by Sir Henry Keppel; Rajah of Sarawak James

H.M.S. Hazard, from Hong Kong, having touched at Bruni about the end of March last, was boarded by a native, who gave the captain such information as induced him to sail with all speed for Sarāwak; and there this man made the following deposition:—

Japper, a native of Bruni, deposes that he was sent aboard H.M.S. Hazard by the Pangeran Muda Mahomed, to warn the captain against treachery, and to communicate the following details to Mr. Brooke at Sarāwak.

The Rajah Muda Hassim was raised by the sultan to the title of Sultan Muda (or young sultan), and, together with his brothers and followers, was living in security, when he was attacked by orders of the sultan at night, and together with thirteen of his family, killed in different places. Four brothers, viz. Pangeran Muda Mahomed, Pangeran Abdul Kader, Pangeran Abdulraman, and Pangeran Mesahat, together with several young children of the Rajah Muda Hassim, alone survive. The deponent Japper was in attendance on his lord, the Pangeran Budrudeen, at the time of the attack. The Pangeran, though surprised by his enemies, fought for some time, and when desperately wounded, retired outside his house with his sister and another woman named Koor Salem. The deponent was there and was wounded, as were both the women. The Pangeran Budrudeen ordered deponent to open a keg or cask of gunpowder, which he did; and the last thing his lord did was to take his ring from his finger and desire the deponent to carry it to Mr. Brooke; to bid Mr. Brooke not to forget him, and not to forget to lay his case before the Queen of England. The deponent then quitted his lord, who was with the two women, and immediately after his lord fired the powder, and the three were blown up. The deponent escaped with difficulty; and a few days afterward, the ring intrusted to his charge, was taken from him by the sultan. The sultan, and those with him, killed the Rajah Muda Hassim and his family, because he was the friend of the English and wanted to suppress piracy. The sultan has now built forts and defied the English. He talked openly of cutting out any vessel that arrived; and two Pangerans went down, bearing the flag of the Rajah Muda Hassim, to look at the vessel, and to kill the captain if they could get him ashore. The deponent had great difficulty in getting to the ship; and should his flight be discovered, he considers the lives of the surviving portion of the Rajah Muda Hassimʼs family will be in danger. The deponent did what he was ordered, and what his late lord, the Pangeran Budrudeen, desired him to do. The sultan had a man ready to send, named Nakoda Kolala, to Kaluka, to request that Pangeran Macota would kill Mr. Brooke by treachery or poison.

(Signed)
J. Brooke.

Having put Mr. Brooke on his guard, the Hazard proceeded to Singapore, whence the H.E.I.C. war-steamer Phlegethon would be immediately dispatched to Sarāwak.

H h

Suggestions for Accelerating the Communication Between Great Britain and China.

Proposed Route from Hong Kong to London, and vice versâ.	Course.	Distance, Miles.	Average Rate per Hour, Miles.	Interval under Weigh.		Interval at Anchor.		Total Interval.		Duties at Anchor.
				Days.	Hours.	Days.	Hours.	Days.	Hours.
Hong Kong to Pulo Labuan	S. 2°18′E.	1009	7	6	—	1	12	7	12	To receive Coal.[1]
Pulo Labuan to Singapore	S. 69 23 W.	707	—	4	6	—	12	4	18	To receive Coal, land and receive Mails.
Singapore to Malacca	S. 64 48 W. 19 N. 51 41 W. 103	122	—	—	18	—	6	1	—	To land and receive Mails.
Malacca to Pinang	N. 30 37 W.	222	—	1	8	—	16	2	—	To receive Coal, land and receive Mails.
Pinang to Ceylon[2]	N. 82 24 W. 303 S. 80 45 W. 916	1219	—	7	6	2	12	8	18	Ditto Ditto
Ceylon to Aden	As now performed by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., detention of 2 days included							11	—
Aden to Suez	Ditto Ditto							8	—
Suez to Alexandria	Ditto all stoppages included							3	—
Alexandria to Malta	Ditto Ditto							4	—
Malta to Marseilles	As now performed by H.M. Post-Office Packets, ditto							—	4
Marseilles to London	Ditto by regular course of Post ditto							5	—
Total Interval from Hong Kong to London, and vice versâ, by the proposed Route. Days								59	—
Average interval of transmission of China Correspondence, viâ Calcutta and Bombay, during the last Twenty Overland Mails,viz. from 10th October, 1841, to 6th May, 1843								89	—
	Difference of time in favor of proposed Route Days							30	—

Mem.—I have adopted an average rate of seven miles per hour as a fair estimate of the speed well-appointed Steam Vessels, of moderate size and power, will be enabled to accomplish and maintain, throughout the proposed Route, at all seasons of the year; for, during the whole distance from Pinang to Aden, and vice versâ, neither monsoon, from the course steered, becomes at any period a directly adverse wind, an advantage which the route hitherto observed does not possess. Assuming that the Hon. East India Company continue the management of the Bombay line, and that the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company are encouraged to render their operations more comprehensive, by the establishment of branch steamers between Ceylon and Singapore, to which latter port her majestyʼs steam vessels on the China station could convey the mails from Hong Kong, this all-important object might, without difficulty, be attained. The advantages to the Straits settlements, consequent on the adoption of improved arrangements, require no comment; and the practicability of effecting a very considerable acceleration of the communication with China is evident from the simple fact that the average interval which has occurred in the transmission of letters from China, by the last twenty Overland Mails (irrespective of the unfortunate July mail from Bombay), exceeds the period occasionally occupied by fast-sailing ships, in accomplishing the voyage viâ the Cape of Good Hope.