ing. The
British government, after recognising his position and fostering it,
refused to accept its sovereignty for her majesty, or to adopt the means
necessary either for forming Sarawak into a colony, or establishing
there an ostensible and real protectorate. Sir James Brooke did great
things for his country, and met with injustice, and as far as the
government was concerned, ingratitude, in return. A concession of
Sarawak having been made to him by the prince who had power to make it,
the English government recognised him as rajah of the territory, but
left him to his own resources, except as an occasional ship of war
arrived, and joined with him in some gallant exploit to put down piracy
in the neighbouring seas. In the industrial enterprises of the rajah,
Chinese immigrants were encouraged to work the mines, and toil in other
industrial pursuits. These persons rose in insurrection against
the rajah, and brought on a terrible catastrophe of bloodshed and
destruction. In waging the war of 1856-7, the Chinese government sent
orders to its subjects, emigrants in British settlements, to hold
themselves in readiness to obey the commands of their mandarins, and
attack the British in those countries whenever summoned to do so.
These commands were received with ready obedience, and consequently at
Hongkong, Australia, Singapore, and Sarawak, mischief was effected in
proportion to the number and relative power of the Chinese. In Australia
they could effect nothing except a few trivial but treacherous outrages,
which incurred a barbarous retaliation. At Hong-kong the agitation,
inconvenience, and danger of the English were very great. At Singapore
a terrible outbreak was threatened and expected, but the energy and
steadfastness of the English, their success in China, and the bloody
defeat of the insurgents at Sarawak, deterred the Singapore Chinese from
any combined and vigorous attempt. It would appear that batches of fresh
immigrants arrived from Penang and Malacca, and brought orders from
their mandarins to rise and attack the English. The Chinese population
of Sarawak exceeded 5,000, about one-tenth being children, and perhaps
a twentieth women. These settlers lived in communities, were very
industrious and very prosperous; they were favoured by the English
because of their plodding perseverance, and hard-working habits. They
made no complaints, were treated kindly, and were apparently as happy as
in their industrial pursu