of swivels and small arms, carried four boats,
and provisions for as many months. On the 27th of October 1838, the
adventurous company left the river. A fortunate passage carried them in
safety to Rio Janeiro, and on the 29th of March 1839, they were sailing
from the Cape of Good Hope. A six weeks' passage brought them to Java
Head, and on the 1st of June they reached that "pivot of the liberal
system in the Archipelago," the island of Singapore. It was not until
the 27th of July that Mr Brooke quitted Singapore. Five days afterwards,
the _Royalist_ was anchored off the coast of Borneo!

At the period of Mr Brooke's arrival, Borneo Proper,[49] once the seat
of piracy, which few vessels could approach with safety, was under the
government of the rajah MUDA HASSIM. Report spoke favourably of this
rajah's character. A vessel had been wrecked on his coast, and the crew,
who had been saved with difficulty, had taken shelter in the jungle.
Muda Hassim, hearing of their fate, caused them to be brought to his
town of Sar[=a]wak, collected as much as could be saved from the wreck,
clothed the sufferers, fed them, and sent then free of expense to
Singapore. Moreover, for reasons known to himself, the rajah was well
disposed towards the English. These important circumstances were borne
in mind by Mr Brooke. The rajah was now at Sar[=a]wak, and the
adventurer determined to enter the river of that name, and to proceed as
far as the town. He was well supplied with presents; gaudy silks of
Surat, scarlet cloth, stamped velvet, gunpowder, confectionery, sweets,
ginger, jams, dates, and syrups for the governor, and a huge box of
China toys for the governor's children. From Mr Brooke's own diary, we
extract the following account of his position and feelings at this
interesting moment of his still doubtful undertaking:--

"_August 1st._--I am, then, at length, anchored off the coast of
Borneo! not under very pleasant circumstances, for the night is
pitchy dark, with thunder, lightning, rain, and squalls of wind.

"_2d._--Squally bad night. This morning, the clouds clearing away,
was delightful, and offered for our view the majestic scenery of
Borneo. At nine got under weigh, and ran in on an east-by-south
course four and a half or five miles towards Tanjong Api. Came to
an anchor about five miles from the land, and dispatched the boat
to take sights ashore, in order to form a base line for