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The population is composed of various races -non-Maye and mostly non-Mohammedans including mayas, Muruts and Kadayans, and, as Malays are notoriously not over-considerate in their dealings with alien subject races, it is natural enough that a good deal of oppression wa practised, the neighbourhood of the Limbang Brunei offering temptations which the Pengirans found irresistible.

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The main grievances of the inhabitants were over-taxation, excessive demands of the nature of feudal "aids," i.e., contributions levied when the Pengiran entered or left his territory, was married, had a child born to him, married his son or daughter, built a house, and so forth, and a system of forced trade by which the people of a village were compelled to purchase at exorbitant prices goods sent to them by their overlord. Also the Pengirans were in the habit of forcibly recruiting their harems from among the villagers.

This oppression led to frequent revolts, and the Limbang district is said to have been in a more or less disturbed state practically ever since 1860.

The final outbreak, which led to Rajah At this Brooke's intervention, began in 1884.

time, owing to the loss of much territory by cession to the British North Borneo Company and Sarawak, the demands of the Pengirans in the districts which still belonged to Brunei had become more exacting, while at the same time their power to enforce them had grown less, since the cession of the Baram district to Sarawak in 1881 had deprived the Sultan of the services of the fighting tribe of Kayans from that river, with whose help previous revolts had been suppressed.

This combination of circumstances is doubtless sufficient to explain the 1884 revolt, but it has also been asserted that the Pengiran Di Gadong fomented the disturbances with a view to getting the Pengiran Temenggong killed in the re- sultant operations. (They were not good friends, as the Temenggong had procured the murder of Di Gadong's father years before.) From whatever cause, the trouble came to a head in August 1884 when the Temenggong sent his agents up the river to collect revenue. Their demands were refused and two of the messengers were killed,

On September 3rd, the Temenggong (the present Sultan Hashim, at that time heir- apparent and the most influential of the three

azira who were practically administering the Sultanate, the Sultan being old and infirm), left Brunei with a considerable following to

• The Pengirans Temenggong, Bendahara and Di Gadong.

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punish the offenders. He was fired on by the rebels, amongst whom the Bisayas seem to have taken the leading part, and compelled to retire to Brunei with some loss. His repulse caused

a panic in Brunei, and, as no steps were taken for sending another expedition, the Limbange ► took advantage of their opportunity and ravaged the outskirts of the town, taking a few heads. Any chance of a settlement was ruined by the Temenggong's folly in putting in the stocks one of the chief Bisaya headmen (Dato Klassie), who had visited Brunei, apparently with a view to negotiation.

By the end of the first week in October the situation in Brunei was so alarming that the Sultan had to borrow rifles from Labuan to ensure the safety of his palace. At this point

he asked the assistance of Mr. W. H. Treacher (Principal Representative of the British North Borneo Company and, at this time, Acting Governor of Labuan and Acting Consu!-General for Borneo), who accordingly arranged a meeting with the rebel headmen at Gadong, on the Limbang river.

After some trouble, he induced the Brunei Government to agree to terms, of which the main items were

(a) The liberation of Dato Klassie and his wife, who had also been put in the stocks, and pardon for the leaders of the revolt, (b) The abolition of the arbitrary taxes above described; the only taxes to be levied in future being a reasonable poll-tax, a 5 per cent. ad valorem export duty on gutta, and a small succession duty to be paid when a new Headman was installed. (c) All taxes to be collected by the Headmen and by them brought to Brunei, no tax- gatherers being allowed to enter the district.

In return, the rebels were to lay down their irms and allow free intercourse with Brunei.

The Bisayas would probably have accepted these terms, but the Kadayans were not inclined to agree. They would accept no terms unles the Sultan wis deposed and the Temenggong installed in his place. No reason is given for this demand, which is all the more curious as it would seem that the Temenggong and his agents had been the principal oppressors.

One sug gested explanation is that the Kadayana, who seem to have had very little to complain of thought to make some profit out of a continua tion of the disturbances; another, that their demand was instigated by the Temenggong's party, who did not wish the negotiations to be successful, as they wanted an opportunity of revenge for their defeat. The fact is mentioned here as suggesting that there may have been

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