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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Jufurance --

C.O. 882

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reason seems to have been that his party in the Limbang was gaining, and that of the headmen. losing, ground, so that there was some chance of his being able to re-establish his hold on the district. For the same reason the headmen were pressing for a decision as to a Resident or else for cession to Sarawak.

Rajab Brooke, no doubt annoyed at this development, wrote to the Foreign Office insisting that the Sultan-whom he now calls a "mon- ster "was alone responsible for preventing the cession, that the Pengirans and chiefs concerned were all ready, and the Limbangs anxious, to agree to it. This was, apparently, so far true that all the Pengirans and chiefs concerned, except the Sultan, would have agreed to cession to Sarawak failing the appointment of a British Resident in the Limbang, and that at least the majority of the Limbang headmen held the same view. What was the opinion of the rank and file of the inhabitants we have no evidence to show.

Matters remained in this state for months, and the Limbang question is not again mentioned till the end of July, when Mr. Hamilton, then Acting Consul-General, visited the Sultan, who pressed for a decision as to the appointment of a Resident in the Limbang, and even expressed the opinion that "it would be better for Her Majesty the Queen to take over the whole country." At this interview Mr. Hamilton gathered the impression that the Sultan was not really unwilling to cede the Limbang, but to

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ave face" wished to appear to be forced to do

so by Her Majesty's Government.

In September, 1888, Sir Hugh Low was sent to Borneo, the principal object of his mission being to induce the Sultan to sign a Treaty definitely placing his foreign relations under the control of Great Britain. This was effected without difficulty.

At the same time he informed the Sultan that Her Majesty's Government had decided that the proposal to appoint a Resident was impracticable. The question of the Limbang was informally discussed. The Sultan was still unwilling to oede, and talked wildly of transporting the inhabitants to another district and replacing them by a milder race.

Sir Hugh Low dissuaded him and recom- mended cession to Sarawak as the most satis- factory and economical course, but the Sultan was not disposed to agree.

Nothing more happened for over a year, during which some little trade was carried on between Brunei and the Limbang, and the country was

* Similar agreements with Sarawak and British North Borneo were signed earlier in this year.

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apparently growing more settled. One or two villages even paid tribute and hoisted the Brunei flag,

In October, 1889, Mr. Hamilton, being in- formed that the Sultan meant to make another effort to put down the rebellion, decided to visit the Limbang. He found the headmen, led by Dato Klassie, ready "to go under Sarawak or any white man's rule," but they decidedly refused to submit to Brunei. Mr. Hamilton was still of opinion that the Sultan was not unwilling to be forced to cede the district to Sarawak and recommended Her Majesty's Government to urge him to take that course in his own interests and in those of the inhabitants.

The Colonial Office recommended the adoption

of this proposal, but before anything could be done Rajah Brooke entered the Limbang river with an armed force (March 17th, 1890), hoisted the Sarawak flag, and issued a proclamation declaring that the district was annexed to Sarawak "unless Her Majesty the Queen of England may see fit to decide otherwise." In

the same proclamation he promised to pay a fair yearly sum to the Government of Brunei in compensation. As soon as his occupation was effected, he began to build stockades and Govern- ment buildinge.

There seems to have been no justification for this action. Rajah Brooke, in his proclamation, apeake of the action having been forced on him by the claims of the inhabitants; but this ples could have been urged any time within the preceding five years, and usually with more force, as at this moment the district appears to have been unusually quiet. Moreover, Inche Mahomed, the British Consular Agent, stated that not more than one-fourth of the people preferred the Rajah's rule to that of the Sultan. If this is so, it implies either that the headman, who had so often refused to return to their allegiance to Brunei, did not really represent popular opinion or that the Sultan's party was growing very rapidly. Possibly the latter fact is the real explanation of Rajah Brooke's action. He was in communication with Dato Klassie, the leader of the revolt, and may have realised that his only chance of getting the Limbang Was to act at once, following the precedent which he himself had set in 1883 in the case of the Trusan, and which he had desired to follow

in 1887, when Mr. Leys dissuaded him.”

• A Brunei report, referred to by Mr. Moårthur in his report on Brunei, dated December 5th, 1904, naserta that Rajah Brooks soted on the instigation of Di Gadong. There is no evidence, and it seems impreb- able in view of the latter's interests in the river. Also, Di Gadong appears not to have disented from the pro- tests of the Brunei Council referred to below.

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