Sarawak solely by the goodwill of the native inhabitants.
He had to deal with two races, one of whom, the
Mahometan Malays, looked upon the other race, the
Dyaks, as savages and slaves, only fit to he robbed and
plundered. He has effectually protected the Dyaks, and
has invariably treated them as, in his sight, equal to the
'Malays; and yet he has secured the affection and goodwill
of both. Notwithstanding the religious prejudices
of Mahometans, he has induced them to modify many of
their worst laws and customs, and to assimilate their
criminal code to that of the civilized world. That his
government still continues, after twenty-seven years—
notwithstanding his frequent absences from ill-health,
notwithstanding conspiracies of Malay chiefs, and insurrections
of Chinese gold-diggers, all of which have been
overcome by the support of the native population, and
notwithstanding financial, political, and domestic troubles
—is due, I believe, solely to the many admirable qualities
which Sir James Brooke possessed, and especially to his
having convinced the native population, by every action
of his life, that he ruled them, not for his own advantage,
but for their good.
Since these lines were written, his noble spirit has
passed away. But though, by those who knew him not,
he may be sneered at as an enthusiast adventurer, or
abused as a hard-hearted despot, the universal testimony
of every one who came in contact with him in his adopted
country, whether European, Malay, or Dyak, will be, that
Bajah Brooke was a great, a wise, and a good ruler—
a true and faithful friend—a man to be admired for his
talents, respected for his honesty and courage, and loved
for his genuine hospitality, his kindness of disposition,
and his tenderness of heart.