s drawn out, sealed,
and signed; guns fired, flags waved; and on the 24th of September,
1841, I became the Governor of Sarawak, with the fullest powers."

Being now regularly established in his government, Mr. Brooke, with his
usual activity and circumspection, applied himself to the discharge
of the onerous duties it imposed upon him; and his first acts were
such as equally displayed his wisdom, firmness, and humanity. His
journal runs thus:

"_Nov. 3d._--I have a country; but, oh! how beset with difficulties,
how ravaged by war, torn by dissensions, and ruined by duplicity,
weakness, and intrigue! Macota's underhand dealings, after the
conclusion of my agreement with Muda Hassim had been ratified,
soon brought letters from his Sambas friends, _i. e._, one from the
sultan, one from the Tumangong, and one from another Pangeran--an
immense effort of conspiracy and correspondence! Of these letters the
sultan's alone was curious; for the rest only dealt in professions of
devoted attachment to the person and interests of Muda Hassim. But
the sultan, for want of some better plea, made use of the following
singular specimen of reasoning, viz., that the Chinese Kunsi were
indebted to him a sum of money, which they had agreed to pay him in
antimony ore; the agreement was not to pay him in gold, or money, or
other commodity--only in antimony ore; therefore he wanted antimony
ore. To this it was properly replied, that an arrangement had been
made with me, and that the Chinese could not agree to give antimony
ore without his (Muda Hassim's) consent.

"My first object, on holding the reins of government, was to release
the unfortunate women confined for a whole year by the rajah. This,
indeed, was not only necessary to inspire confidence in my just
intentions, but was dictated by humanity. I found Muda Hassim not
averse to take the measure, _now_ that he had really resolved to
adhere to my advice, and consequently I had the sincere satisfaction,
within a few days, of liberating upward of a hundred females and young
children, and of restoring them to their husbands and fathers; this
act being somewhat alloyed by Muda Hassim detaining twelve females,
and among them _two wives_. I urged as strongly as I could, but without
success, the advisability of releasing the whole; and I was obliged,
at last, to content myself with the mass, and yield the few whom I
could only have got _by force_ or the utter abrogation of our infant
treaty.