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utterly　unattainable。　From　the　time　Sir　James　obtained　possession　of　the　country；　all　this　was　stopped。　Equal　justice　was　awarded　to　Malay；　Chinaman；　and　Dyak。　The　remorseless　pirates　from　the　rivers　farther　east　were　punished；　and　finally　shut　up　within　their　own　territories；　and　the　Dyak；　for　the　first　time；　could　sleep　in　peace。　His　wife　and　children　were　now　safe　from　slavery；　his　house　was　no　longer　burned　over　his　head；　his　crops　and　his　fruits　were　now　his　own　to　sell　or　consume　as　he　pleased。　And　the　unknown　stranger　who　had　done　all　this　for　them；　and　asked　for　nothing　in　return；　what　could　he　be？　How　was　it　possible　for　them　to　realize　his　motives？　Was　it　not　natural　that　they　should　refuse　to　believe　he　was　a　man？　For　of　pure　benevolence　combined　with　great　power；　they　had　had　no　experience　among　men。　They　naturally　concluded　that　he　was　a　superior　being；　come　down　upon　earth　to　confer　blessings　on　the　afflicted。　In　many　villages　where　he　had　not　been　seen；　I　was　asked　strange　questions　about　him。　Was　he　not　as　old　as　the　mountains？　Could　he　not　bring　the　dead　to　life？　And　they　firmly　believe　that　he　can　give　them　good　harvests；　and　make　their　fruit…trees　bear　an　abundant　crop。

In　forming　a　proper　estimate　of　Sir　James　Brooke's　government　it　must　ever　be　remembered　that　he　held　Sarawak　solely　by　the　goodwill　of　the　native　inhabitant。　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　be　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　prejudice；　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　yearsnotwithstanding　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　enthusiastic　adventurer；　abused　as　a　hard…hearted　despot；　the　universal　testimony　of　everyone　who　came　in　contact　with　him　in　his　adopted　country；　whether　European；　Malay；　or　Dyak；　will　be；　that　Rajah　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。

CHAPTER　VII。

JAVA

I　SPENT　three　months　and　a　half　in　Java；　from　July　18th　to　October　31st；　1861；　and　shall　briefly　describe　my　own　movements；　and　my　observations　of　the　people　and　the　natural　history　of　the　country。　To　all　those　who　wish　to　understand　how　the　Dutch　now　govern　Java；　and　how　it　is　that　they　are　enabled　to　derive　a　large　annual　revenue　from　it；　while　the　population　increases；　and　the　inhabitants　are　contented；　I　recommend　the　study　of　Mr。　Money's　excellent　and　interesting　work；　〃How　to　Manage　a　Colony。〃　The　main　facts　and　conclusions　of　that　work　I　most　heartily　concur　in；　and　I　believe　that　the　Dutch　system　is　the　very　best　that　can　be　adopted；　when　a　European　nation　conquers　or　otherwise　acquires　possession　of　a　country　inhabited　by　an　industrious　but　semi…barbarous　people。　In　my　account　of　Northern　Celebes；　I　shall　show　how　successfully　the　same　system　has　been　applied　to　a　people　in　a　very　different　state　of　civilization　from　the　Javanese；　and　in　the　meanwhile　will　state　in　the　fewest　words　possible　what　that　system　is。

The　mode　of　government　now　adopted　in　Java　is　to　retain　the　whole　series　of　native　rulers；　from　the　village　chief　up　to　princes；　who；　under　the　name　of　Regents；　are　the　heads　of　districts　about　the　size　of　a　small　English　county。　With　each　Regent　is　placed　a　Dutch　Resident；　or　Assistant　Resident；　who　is　considered　to　be　his　〃elder　brother；〃　and　whose　〃orders〃　take　the　form　of　〃recommendations；〃　which　are；　however；　implicitly　obeyed。　Along　with　each　Assistant　Resident　is　a　Controller；　a　kind　of　inspector　of　all　the　lower　native　rulers；　who　periodically　visits　every　village　in　the　district；　examines　the　proceedings　of　the　native　courts；　hears　complaints　against　the　head…men　or　other　native　chiefs；　and　superintends　the　Government　plantations。　This　brings　us　to　the　〃culture　system；〃　which　is　the　source　of　all　the　wealth　the　Dutch　derive　from　Java；　and　is　the　subject　of　much　abuse　in　this　country　because　it　is　the　reverse　of　〃free　trade。〃　To　understand　its　uses　and　beneficial　effects；　it　is　necessary　first　to　sketch　the　common　results　of　free　European　trade　with　uncivilized　peoples。

Natives　of　tropical　climates　have　few　wants；　and；　when　these　are　supplied；　are　disinclined　to　work　for　superfluities　without　some　strong　incitement。　With　such　a　people　the　introduction　of　any　new　or　systematic　cultivation　is　almost　impossible；　except　by　the　despotic　orders　of　chiefs　whom　they　have　been　accustomed　to　obey；　as　children　obey　their　parents。　The　free　competition　of　European　traders；　however　introduces　two　powerful　inducements　to　exertion。　Spirits　or　opium　is　a　temptation　too　strong　for　most　savages　to　resist；　and　to　obtain　these　he　will　sell　whatever　he　has；　and　will　work　to　get　more。　Another　temptation　he　cannot　resist；　is　goods　on　credit。　The　trader　offers　him　bay　cloths；　knives；　gongs；　guns；　and　gunpowder；　to　be　paid　for　by　some　crop　perhaps　not　yet　planted；　or　some　product　yet　in　the　forest。　He　has　not　sufficient　forethought　to　take　only　a　moderate　quantity；　and　not　enough　energy　to　work　early　and　late　in　order　to　get　out　of　debt；　and　the　consequence　is　that　he　accumulates　debt　upon　debt；　and　often　remains　for　years；　or　for　life；　a　debtor　and　almost　a　slave。　This　is　a　state　of　things　which　occurs　very　largely　in　every　part　of　the　world　in　which　men　of　a　superior　race　freely　trade　with　men　of　a　lower　race。　It　extends　trade　no　doubt　for　a　time；　but　it　demoralizes　the　native；　checks　true　civilizationand　does　not　lead　to　any　permanent　increase　in　the　wealth　of　the　country；　so　that　the　European　government　of　such　a　country　must　be　carried　on　at　a　loss。

The　system　introduced　by　the　Dutch　was　to　induce　the　people；　through　their　chiefs；　to　give　a　portion　of　their　till；　to　the　cultivation　of　coffee；　sugar；　and　other　valuable　products。　A　fixed　rate　of　wageslow　indeed；　but；　about　equal　to　that　of　all　places　where　European　competition　has　not　artificially　raised　it…　…was　paid　to　the　labourers　engaged　in　clearing　the　ground　and　forming　the　plantations　under　Government　superintendence。　The　produce　is　sold　to　the　Government　at　a　low；　fixed　price。　Out　of　the　net　profit　a　percentage　goes　to　the　chiefs；　and　the　remainder　is　divided　among　the　workmen。　This　surplus　in　good　years　is　something　considerable。　On　the　whole；　the　people　are　well　fed　and　decently　clothed；　and　have　acquired　habits　of　steady　industry　and　the　art　of　scientific　cultivation；　which　must　be　of　service　to　them　in　the　future。　It　must　be　remembered；　that　the　Government　expended　capital　for　years　before　any　return　was　obtained；　and　if　they　now　derive　a　large　revenue；　it　is　in　a　way　which　is　far　less　burthensome；　and　far　more　beneficial　to　the　people；　than　any　tax　that　could　be　levied。

But　although　the　system　may　be　a　good　one；　and　as　well　adapted　to　the　development　of　arts　and　industry　in　a　half　civilized　people　as　it　is　to　the　material　advantage　of　the　governing　country；　it　is　not　pretended　that　in　practice　it　is　perfectly　carried　out。　The　oppressive　and　servile　relations　between　chiefs　and　people；　which　have　continued　for　perhaps　a　thousand　years；　cannot　be　at　once　abolished；　and　some　evil　must　result　from　those　relations；　until　the　spread　of　education　and　the　gradual　infusion　of　European　blood　causes　it　naturally　and　insensibly　to　disappear。　It　is　said　that　the　Residents；　desirous　of　showing　a　large　increase　in　the　products　of　their　districts；　have　sometimes　pressed　the　people　to　such　continued　labour　on　the　plantations　that　their　rice　crops　have　been　materially　diminished；　and　famine　has　been　the　result。　If　this　has　happened；　it　is　certainly　not　a　common　thing；　and　is　to　be　set　down　to　the　abuse　of　the　system；　by　the　want　of　judgment；　or　want　of　humanity　in　the　Resident。

A　tale　has　lately　been　written　in　Holland；　and　translated　into　English；　entitled　〃Max　Havelaar；　or；　the　〃Coffee　Auctions　of　the　Dutch　Trading　Company；〃　and　with　our　usual　one…sidedness　in　all　relating　to　the　Dutch　Colonial　System；　this　work　has　been　excessively　praised；　both　for　its　own　merits；　and　for　its　supposed　crushing　exposure　of　the　iniquities　of　the　Dutch　government　of　Java。　Greatly　to　my　surprise；　I　found　it　a　very　tedious　and　long…winded　story；　full　of