PUBLIC RECORD OFFE
C.O. 882
8
TI
100S OF THE GRAPHIC
“NOT TO
LONDOS
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This decision was communicated to Mr. Leys, who promised to refer the matter to Her Majesty's Government. He had for some time being urging that in view of the disturbed state of the Limbang and of several other districts, the whole of Brunei except Brunei river and town and the Muaras should be divided between Sarawak and the Company, Sarawak receiving the larger share. He now asked to be allowed to press the Sultan to tede the Limbang.
On September 2nd, the Foreign Office tele- graphed in reply:-" Cession of Limbang to Sarawak confirmed." The meaning was that, if the Sultan would agree, Her Majesty's Government would raise no objection, but Mr. Leys interpreted it as meaning that Her Majesty's Government were ready to insist on the cession without regard to the Sultan's wishes and wrote several letters to the Sultan in almost threatening terms in order to induce him to consent. Mr. Everett, the Sarawak agent, was at the same time making every effort to obtain the concession, assuring the Sultan that, if he did not cede the Limbang to Sarawak, Her Majesty's Government would take it from him and either put in a Resident or give it to the Company, in which case the He Sultan would lose both money and ." face." urged that the" Umana" might be disregarded, as Her Majesty's Government had showed by consenting to the cession that they did not regard it as binding.
In the meantime, the larger question of a division of Brunei was discussed between the Foreign and Colonial Offices, and by the end of the year it had been decided that Sir F. Weld, the Governor of the Straits Settlements, should go to Brunei and try to settle that and other matters. Instructions to this effect were given to him in April, 1887, and the proposals were communicated to the British North Borneo Company, who, as usual, protested against any extension of Sarawak territory.
Previous to this, at the end of November, 1886, Mr. Leys reported that he had informed the Limbangs that Her Majesty's Government had confirmed the cession of their country to Rajah Brooke, and that they had cordially accepted the arrangement, but that he believed that the Sultan would not readily agree.
This belief was
justified : the Sultan absolutely refused his consent in spite of the very strong pressure which Mr. Leys brought to bear.
In February, 1887, Rajah Brooke visited Labuan. He wished to take possession of the Limbang without waiting for the Sultan's consent, but Mr. Leys dissuaded him and he contented himself with visiting the district and In this interview, interviewing the headmen. according to his own accouht, he recommended
i
13
seems
them not to attack Brunei, but not to allow their country to be ceded to any one but Sarawak, In return he promised to defend them if they were attacked by Brunei. His account of his recommendations to keep the peace scarcely consistent with the fact that a few days later Mr. Everett was circulating in Brunei a Proclamation "chopped" by Rajah Brooke, warning all Sarawak people to leave the town as it was about to be visited by a great mis- fortune, and adding "those who do not leave and get killed or plundered will not be assisted by Sarawak." The Sultan openly, and the Company more obscurely, accused Rajah Brooke of stirring up the Limbangs to open revolt. It is worth mentioning that Sir F. Weld saw Sarawak Dyake among the rebels in May.
In any case, whether this peaceful advice was given or not, the Limbangs did not act on it. About the middle of March they killed some Brunei Malays near Brunei town. Dato Klassie and the Bisayas seem again to have been playing the leading part in this outbreak. Hostilities lasted with no great damage to either side for about a month, when an armistice was arranged by Mr. Leys, acting on instructions from Her Majesty's Government, pending the arrival of Sir F. Weld, who was due in May.
Mr. Leys and Mr. Everett were meanwhile continuing their efforts to induce the Saltan to cede the Limbang, and so alarmed him that he appealed to Her Majesty's Government, who (May 25th) instructed Sir F. Weld to tell him that they did not wish to force the cession though they "considered that the arrangement, if carried out on equitable terms, would conduce to the Sultan's interest and to that of the people of Brunei."
On May 20th, 1887, Sir F. Weld arrived in Brunei and interviewed the Sultan. On the 25th be interviewed the headmen of the insur- gents in the Limbang.
He found the Sultan and the Pengiran Ben- dahara opposed to any idea of ceding the Limbang; they spoke of the " Umana
as part
The
of their religion. The Pengiran Di Gadong, who was again in opposition, was willing to agres to cession to Sarawak, but would prefer the appointment of a British Resident. smaller chiefs were apparently willing to part with their rights to Sarawak, and even the Bendahara had promised about a year before (January, 1886) that if he ever wished to part with his rights he would sall them to Sarawak and to Sarawak only. The insurgents would on no account return to their allegiance. They would willingly accept Rajah Brooke's rule, but above all they would profer a “ Queen's Officer " as Resident, with oecamional visits of inspection from the Governor of the Straits Settlements.
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