James 'Rajah' Brooke - 1846 - Conquering Hero

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James Brooke became the first White Rajah of Sarawak in 1841 after inheriting £30,000 and investing it in the schooner 'The Royalist' and sailing for Borneo. 

We are publishing a blog series that covers his adventures - taken from one of the books in our library called Rajah Brooke by Sir Spencer St John published in 1899.

Catch-up with earlier posts in the James Rajah Brooke series here or search our library here.

James 'Rajah' Brooke - 1846 - Conquering Hero

Nothing ever raised the prestige of the English so much as the capture of Brunei. As a military feat of arms it was of no importance, but to the tribes of the interior it was looked upon as a marvel of heroism. They naturally thought Brunei to be the only great power on earth, so that when they heard that the English had taken their capital, they rejoiced that their oppressors had received such a lesson. Cautiously looking around to see that no Malay was present, they would laughingly tell how they had seen the Sultan and his nobles flying through the jungle with the English at their heels, and ask why having once taken the country we did not keep it. These or similar inquiries were made wherever I travelled in the interior.

Sir Thomas Cochrane, having seen the establishment of the provisional government, sailed for China; but during his passage up the north-west coast of Borneo destroyed several pirate communities, and, leaving Captain Mundy of H.M.S. Iris to complete the work, proceeded to Hong Kong.

When Brooke returned to Sarawak he was indeed received as the 'Conquering Hero'. The Malays there were very much like the tribes of the interior, thoroughly imbued with the idea that the Sultan of Brunei was a great monarch, second to none; and therefore the news that the capital had been taken and that the Sultan had fled to the woods was a complete surprise; but the surprise was only equalled by the pleasure it gave, as the Brunei Government was unpopular to the last degree, indeed hated for its oppression. While in Brunei Brooke collected those of the families of Muda Hassim and his brothers who wished to be removed from the capital, and brought them down to Sarawak, where for years they were supported by him.

[1846] closed, as it had begun, with every sign of prosperity. There was peace in all the neighbouring districts, and the native trade on the coast was considered to be very flourishing. Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, was continually increasing, as the natives removed to it from the less secure rivers, and there was every hope that the British Government would now really make an effort to develop the coast. They had decided to occupy the island of Labuan and establish a commercial settlement there, and this, it was expected, would lead to a more forward policy.

Excerpt from Rajah Brooke, published in 1899 by Sir Spencer St John

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Further Reading and External Links

James Rajah Brooke on Wikipedia

The Royalist Schooner

James 'Rajah' Brooke - 1846 - Retaliation

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James Brooke became the first White Rajah of Sarawak in 1841 after inheriting £30,000 and investing it in the schooner 'The Royalist' and sailing for Borneo. 

We are publishing a blog series that covers his adventures - taken from one of the books in our library called Rajah Brooke by Sir Spencer St John published in 1899.

Catch-up with earlier posts in the James Rajah Brooke series here or search our library here.

James 'Rajah' Brooke - 1846 - Retaliation

No natives ever appear to consider or to care for the consequences of their acts until the acts are done. They are blinded by their hate; but no sooner had the conspirators murdered the principal members of the royal family than they began to tremble for the future. They knew the friendship which united the English Rajah to Pangeran Budrudin, and began to reflect that he would spare no pains to punish them. With the death of this brave pangeran all hopes of regenerating the Government of Brunei vanished.

At that time we had in the East an admiral who dared to act Sir Thomas Cochrane. When he heard of the massacre he determined to proceed to Brunei to inquire what was the meaning of these violent measures. He rightly argued that the massacre did not directly concern England, unless the Sultan was about to repudiate all his engagements with us. On his way he called in at Sarawak to see Brooke, and to ask him, as the British Government's confidential agent, to accompany the expedition.

The squadron arrived off the Brunei river on the 6th June, and Sir Thomas immediately sent a message to the Sultan, saying he was about to visit the capital and desired an interview with His Highness. Some messengers of inferior rank brought down the reply that the admiral might ascend the river in two small boats. No notice was taken of this restriction, and the steamers, with the smaller vessels in tow, and accompanied by the boats of the squadron, began to ascend the river. As they neared the capital they were received with volleys from every battery; but the marines and blue-jackets were soon on shore, and the defenders fled in haste. On entering the central canal of Brunei, a battery at the Sultan's Palace opened fire, which did considerable damage to the Phlegethon. There was no serious resistance, however, and when the force took possession of the town they found it completely deserted. The Sultan escaped to the interior, and the party sent to capture him naturally failed in their object.

A provisional government was established under Pangeran Mumein, a respectable noble, not of royal descent, and Pangeran Mahomed, a brother of Muda Hassim, but not of much intelligence; then a proclamation was issued, saying that the Sultan might return to his capital if he were prepared to fulfil his engagements.

Excerpt from Rajah Brooke, published in 1899 by Sir Spencer St John

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Further Reading and External Links

James Rajah Brooke on Wikipedia

The Royalist Schooner

James 'Rajah' Brooke - 1846 - Massacre

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James Brooke became the first White Rajah of Sarawak in 1841 after inheriting £30,000 and investing it in the schooner 'The Royalist' and sailing for Borneo. 

We are publishing a blog series that covers his adventures - taken from one of the books in our library called Rajah Brooke by Sir Spencer St John published in 1899.

Catch-up with earlier posts in the James Rajah Brooke series here or search our library here.

James 'Rajah' Brooke - 1846 - Massacre of Muda Hassim and Pangeran Budrudin

A conspiracy seems to have been hatched among the Sultan's followers, who were the friends and associates of the late Pangeran Usop, to kill Muda Hassim and his family, not only for the sake of revenge, but to prevent them gaining a preponderating influence in the country. Already the people were looking to them as the rising power, and the Sultan's prestige was visibly declining. Besides, with their increasing influence they were acquiring too many of the profits which used to accrue to the Sultan's entourage. As the representatives of the party which preferred the old methods of government, the latter disliked the alliance which was springing up between this branch of the royal family and the Rajah of Sarawak, as the representative of the English, and therefore they found no difficulty in persuading the half-imbecile Sultan that his immediate deposition was meditated. He therefore gave the order that Muda Hassim and his family should be attacked and killed. Though warned that some conspiracy was brewing, they took no heed, lulled in fancied security, and were easily surprised. Muda Hassim defended his home with a few followers, but finding that they would soon be overpowered, shot himself so as not to fall into the hands of his enemies.

Pangeran Budrudin was attacked at the same time. Brooke wrote to Keppel, on April 5th [1846], "After fighting desperately and cutting down several of the Sultan's hired assassins, he was shot in his left wrist, his shoulder and chest were cut open so as to disable his right arm. A woman, by name Nur Salum, fought and was wounded by his side. His sister and a slave boy called Jaffir, though both wounded, remained by him, the rest of his few followers having been cut down or having fled. The four retired into the house and barred the door. Budrudin, wounded and bleeding, ordered the boy to get down a cask of powder, break in the head and scatter it in a small circle. He then told Jaffir to escape, gave him my signet ring, of which I had made him a present, and told him to beg me not to forget him and to tell the Queen of England of his fate. He then called the women to him, and when the boy had dropped through the flooring into the water, fired the powder, and all three were blown into the air." No hero could have died more nobly, and what fine creatures must those women have been!

Excerpt from Rajah Brooke, published in 1899 by Sir Spencer St John

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Further Reading and External Links

James Rajah Brooke on Wikipedia

The Royalist Schooner

War in the East - 16 May 1855

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Below is another compelling installment from "The War" by William Howard Russell - War Correspondent to The Times Newspaper, it gives a daily account of events during the Crimean War (157 years ago).

The book and our excerpts cover from the landing at Gallipoli to the death of Lord Raglan.

Catch-up with earlier posts in this series here or search our library here.

War in the East - 16 May 1855

The Crimean War (October 1853 - February 1856) was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia - most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula.

Wednesday 16th May 1855

This morning some of the Sardinian cavalry were disembarked at Balaklava, and proceeded to their camping ground, near the French camp of the left. They consisted of Lancers, and were well mounted, handsomely equipped, serviceable looking men, with a martial air and hearing. As they passed by our cavalry camp at Kadikoi they cheered lustily, one, two, three, and continued to do so at intervals, till they had wound up the road out of sight. The French on the hills above them turned out, and re-echoed their cheers. There is an amicable controversy between us and our allies as to who shall fraternize the most.

Thursday 17th May 1855

Since the bombardment has ceased there is, indeed, very little to record. Lord Raglan took General della Marmora into the trenches to-day, and proceeded to the advanced parallel, explaining the nature of the position. On their return the enemy caught sight of them, and sent some unpleasant tokens of their recognition in the shape of heavy shot and shell, which excited the attention of every one around Lord Raglan, but did not at all disturb the equanimity or draw the notice of the Field-Marshal. The work of arming our advanced batteries continues to be executed with alacrity and success. We are now moving all our heavy mortars 13 inches and 10 inches into the advanced parallels. A shell from the enemy fell by chance yesterday on the platform which had just been laid for one of these large mortars, and utterly destroyed it. There was scarcely a shot fired to-day on either side.

Miss Nightingale is, I am glad to say, very much better to-day, and is now past the dangerous crisis of the fever.

The Russians are working vigorously at the north side. They are erecting an earthwork over the Tchernaya, opposite the eastern angle of the plateau, under the very eyes of the French battery.

Excerpt from The War 1855 by W H Russell - Correspondent to The Times.

This volume contains the letters of The Times Correspondent from the seat of war in the East - The Crimean War - the first war with war correspondents.

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Further Reading and External Links

Maps, Plans and Pictures of the Crimean War

William Howard Russell on Wikipedia

William Howard Russell on BikWil

War in the East - 15 May 1855

 

Search the library for more like this

Below is another compelling installment from "The War" by William Howard Russell - War Correspondent to The Times Newspaper, it gives a daily account of events during the Crimean War (157 years ago).

The book and our excerpts cover from the landing at Gallipoli to the death of Lord Raglan.

Catch-up with earlier posts in this series here or search our library here.

War in the East - 15 May 1855

The Crimean War (October 1853 - February 1856) was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia - most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula.

Tuesday 15th May 1855

BEFORE SEBASTOPOL

THE active operations of the siege are suspended for a time; our batteries are complete, our works finished, but the armament of them is not yet accomplished. Even the French are tired of a useless cannonade, and there has not been much firing for the last two nights. The Sardinians are accumulating at Balaklava daily. Two or three steamers arrive every four-and-twenty hours laden with those excellent and soldierlike troops. They land all ready for the field, with horses, carts, etc. Their transport cars are simple, strongly made, covered vehicles, not unlike a London bread-cart, painted blue, with the words "Armata Sarda" in black letters, and the name of the regiment to the service of which it belongs. The officers are well mounted, and everyone admires the air and carriage of the troops, more especially of the "Bersaglieri" (Chasseurs), and the eye is attracted by their melodramatic head-dress - bandit-looking hat, with a large plume of black cock's feathers in the side. The officers of the corps wear a plume of green ostrich feathers. General della Marmora and his staff have arrived, and Lord Raglan has received him with marked consideration.

Those nocturnal frights which went on so briskly last week have ceased for the present. Although our losses were not heavy, we were generally deprived of the services of the best men. The old soldiers would go to the front and were knocked over, and in that respect our losses were serious. The Russians lately adopted various "dodges" to get our men into their hands and to draw them over the parapet, such as putting their caps on the muzzles of their firelocks and holding them just over the trenches, etc., or shoving their bayonets above the earthworks, and keeping men ready to fire at any soldiers who came forward to seize them.

On Friday night, a Russian bugler, a mere lad, leaped upon the top of the trench, and was killed by numerous balls in the very act of sounding the charge. His dead body fell into our trench. The enemy are repairing and strengthening their batteries, and are busy throwing up new works inside the town itself. It is not correct to say that there are any earthworks about Sebastopol with tiers of guns in them; indeed, it would not be possible to construct earthworks with guns placed one above the other in them. The expression applies rather to the fact that there are some batteries formed on the slopes of hills, and that the intrenchments rise up one inside the other, so that the inner one is higher up on the hill-side than that in front of it.

I regret to say that the cholera has commenced its ravages. It is reported that twenty men died of that terrible disease last night. The 71st Regiment are about to shift their encampment to the high ground on the left of the Third Division. Both the Buffs and the 71st were in a miserable plight during the rain. Their camping-ground became a slough, and illness rapidly increased in a few days - no doubt because of the wet ground on which the men lay.

Omar Pasha, after visiting Lord Raglan this morning, proceeded to Kamiesch, and embarked for Eupatoria.

Miss Nightingale is suffering from an attack of Crimean fever. M. Soyer has been inspecting the hospitals and kitchens, and it is hoped he may effect some change for the better in our present abominable mode of regimental cooking. He had an interview with Lord Raglan again yesterday. Numbers of amateurs are arriving. The Royal Yacht Squadron yacht "Stella" came in on Sunday.

Excerpt from The War 1855 by W H Russell - Correspondent to The Times.

This volume contains the letters of The Times Correspondent from the seat of war in the East - The Crimean War - the first war with war correspondents.

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Further Reading and External Links

Maps, Plans and Pictures of the Crimean War

William Howard Russell on Wikipedia

William Howard Russell on BikWil