luency I had never witnessed before,
even in a Malay. The purport of it, as I understood, was, to point
out emphatically the horrors of piracy on the one hand, which it was
the determination of the British government to suppress, and on the
other hand, the blessings arising from peace and trade, which it was
equally our wish to cultivate; and it concluded by fully explaining,
that the measures lately adopted by us against piracy were for the
protection of all the peaceful communities along the coast. So great
was the attention bestowed during the delivery of this speech that
the dropping of a pin might have been heard.

From these people many assurances were received of their anxiety
and willingness to cooperate with us in our laudable undertaking;
and one and all were alike urgent that the government of their river
should be transferred to the English.

On the 4th September the force again reached Sarawak, and thus
terminated a most successful expedition against the worst pirates on
the coast of Borneo.

We found the Samarang off the Morotaba entrance, when Mr. Brooke
and myself became the guests of Sir Edward Belcher for several days,
during which time we made excursions to all the small islands in that
neighborhood, discovered large quantities of excellent oysters, and
had some very good hog-shooting. Afterward, accompanied by the boats
of the Samarang, we paid a visit to the Lundu Dyaks, which gave them
great delight. They entertained us at a large feast, when the whole
of the late expedition was fought over again, and a war-dance with
the newly-acquired heads of the Sakarran pirates was performed for
our edification. Later in the evening, two of the elder chiefs got
up, and, walking up and down the long gallery, commenced a dialogue,
for the information, as they said, of the women, children, and poorer
people who were obliged to remain at home. It consisted in putting
such questions to one another as should elicit all the particulars of
the late expedition, such as, what had become of different celebrated
Sakarran chiefs (whom they named)? how had they been destroyed? how
did they die? by whom had they been slain? &c. All these inquiries
received the most satisfactory replies, in which the heroic conduct
of themselves and the white men was largely dwelt upon. While this
was performing, the two old warriors, with the heads of their enemies
suspended from their shoulders like a soldier's cartouch-box, stumped
up